Expertise
| User Experience Strategy for Web-based sites and applications | 5 Years |
| Information Architecture, User Interface Design & Web Site Design | 9 Years |
| Rich Internet Applications | 5 Years |
Experience
User Experience Design ManagerThe Vanguard Group. Malvern, PA | 09.07 - Present
Managed user experience teams for Vanguard's institutional websites, including those for financial advisors, institutional asset managers, and retirement plan participants. Primarily focused on website strategy and user centered design processes while ensuring appropriate client-side implementation solutions with development teams.
User Experience Design Director
Radian Guaranty. Philadelphia, PA | 04.02 - 08.07
Led and managed all user experience design efforts for company-wide web applications. Directed user-centered design across information architecture, high-fidelity prototyping and client-side development integration. Designed and developed robust rich-client user interfaces for web applications. Served as a key participant in requirements development using the Rational Unified Process and conciliated dissimilar interests between marketing, business, end user, and development teams. Established highly respected thought leadership by defining emerging industry best practices by publishing articles in IBM developerWorks, IBM Ease of Use Journal, BEA DEV2DEV, Digital Web Magazine and User Experience Design Magazine. Planned and executed in-house usability testing. Recruited, supervised and mentored group of seven user experience designers.
Principal Interactive Designer
Destiny WebSolutions. Conshohocken, PA | 09.99 - 12/01
Responsible for the design and development of user interfaces for top financial services companies including Fleet, Mellon, Bessemer Trust and The Bank of New York. Created user-centered interfaces for online account access systems and coordinated branding and information architecture development. Worked closely with business analysts to refine use cases and with developers to execute UI designs. Collaborated with marketing to successfully transition and enhance their existing offline brand to the web while providing enhanced online functionality. Helped develop a staff of six designers and contributed to the documented design methodology.
Database Developer
Claritas, Inc. Ithaca, NY | 06.99 - 08.99
Fully developed an Access database front-end to access data through ODBC driver. Used Visual Basic and SQL to fully automate advanced queries and report generation based on user menu input choices. Incorporated graphical user interface with optimized heuristics for easier user input. Created full documentation of all work to facilitate future database maintenance.
Engineering Design Consultant
Schneeberger, Inc. Bedford, MA | 02.98 - 05.99
Designed high precision motion control positioning systems for semiconductor industry. Design requirements included system vibration analysis and troubleshooting. Also responsible for system performance testing involving encoders, servos and feedback control. Specified linear motion components for customer specific applications. Created custom Visual Basic applications in Excel to automate product selection. Supported company web site.
Download report (
1.2MB) Product Design Engineer
Roto Architectural Systems. Essex, CT | 01.97 - 01.98
Designed new window hardware locking systems. Responsible for product's entire development including conceptualization, prototyping, testing and manufacturing. Created product exhibition packages for prospective customer presentations.
Publications
"Strike a Balance: User's Expertise in Interface Design". IBM DeveloperWorks. September 4, 2003"Create rich client apps with the DOM". IBM DeveloperWorks. February 17, 2003
"The Requirements Rift. The missing ingredient between requirements and successful application development". User Experience Magazine. Spring/Summer 2004
"Design interactive error handling for Web apps". IBM DeveloperWorks. February 14, 2005.
"Content Personalization: Planning and Implementation". BEA Dev2Dev. June 29, 2006.
"User Interface Design - Taking the Good with the Bad". Digital Web Magazine. July 18, 2006.
"Unify your Web apps with UUE". IBM DeveloperWorks. September 19, 2006.
"Ease of Use Outside the Box". Boxes and Arrows. August 16, 2007.
"Prescribing AJAX: Panacea, Placebo, or Poison? Peeling the AJAX Onion". AjaxWorld Magazine. December 5, 2007.
Skills
(X)HTML, DHTML, CSS, JavaScript, AJAX, ASP, JSP, PHP, Visual Basic, DreamWeaver MX, Photoshop, ImageReady, Illustrator, Flash, InDesign, Access, Visio, Excel, FrontPage, SolidWorks, MicroCadam, AutoCAD, Struts, BEA WebLogic Portal, DocumentumAwards
Finalist for the Macromedia Flash Usability Design ContestBestFlashSites featured site
Grand Prize Winner of Solid Solutions cover contest
Artwork featured on cover of Solid Solutions magazine
Published in Runner's World, Mechanical Solutions, Machine Design, DevNewz , IBM Developworks, The Rational Edge, User Experience Design Magazine, BEA Dev2Dev, Digital Web Magazine , AjaxWorld Magzine, Boxes and Arrows
Winner of Cornell Bridge Design Contest
Varsity Letter Winner in Men's NCAA DI Track and Cross Country
Featured in New England Runner
Winner of the 1999 Boston Prudential Stairclimb
Winner of the 2004 Philadelphia Race for the Cure (video here)
Dean's List
Research
Formed and led research team in Cornell's Human Power Lab to study and improve mountain bike rear suspension systems. Performed a complete free-body analysis of bike/rider system to determine best suspension linkage and pivot location. Determined optimum design. Built full scale working prototype.Download report (
530KB)
Education
Cornell University. Ithaca, NYBachelor's of Science, Mechanical Engineering 1996
Education
Cornell University. Ithaca, NYBachelor's of Science
Mechanical Engineering, focus on Ergonomics
Featured Published Article
Prescribing AJAX: Panacea, Placebo, or Poison? Peeling the AJAX Onion"Ever since Jesse James Garrett coined the term AJAX to describe the collection of existing technologies that allow increased responsiveness and interactivity of webpages, its adoption has been embraced across the Web. But have designers and developers gone overboard? Is everything a nail to be pounded with the AJAX hammer? Some of the fundamental technologies that AJAX is based on, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, can sometimes offer simpler, more elegant solutions that are better suited to certain user experiences. "
Read more...
View all publications.
Featured Projects
Protonotes | 06/07
Founded, designed, and developed Protonotes, a prototype annotation web service that allows project team members to easily collaborate on requirements development in a wiki fashion. Mentioned in the Wall Street Journal article, "A time for sharing".
Wine Investor | 05/07
Redesigned the layout for the existing website.
Verilogue | 09/06
Designed and developed the website for this pharmaceutical market research provider.
Classy Mommy | 07/06
Planned, designed, and developed faceted information architecture and AJAX user interface for this dynamic baby product finder.
EBS Healthcare | 04/03
Designed a web layout for EBS Healthcare incorporating new branding that I prescribed. EBS is a leader in speech pathologist job placement.
Camp $tartup | 03/03
Designed and developed the website for Camp $tartup, an entrepreneurial summer program for teen women, held at the Johnson School, Cornell University.
Valley Paving | 01/03
I created the website and branding for Valley Paving Company including logo design, layout design, copy creation and web implementation.
Lap2Go | 06/02
I developed the complete branding for Lap2Go including logo design, layout design, copy creation and web implementation for Olympian and American record holder Marc Davis. Check out Runner Art for great running gifts for runners.
IBM and FullTilt | 04/02
To stir interest in a new software product alliance between IBM and FullTilt, I created this Flash web-mercial.
LivePerson | 02/02
With non-unified messaging on the poorly branded existing homepage, I evaluated the content design and layout. Based on product and demographic focus, I suggested a new design. Read the full design review memo.
Juniper Bank | 01/02
In response to poor banner ad and landing page effectiveness for online credit card customer acquisitions, I redesigned an online ad set focusing on key value points of the product. Read the full design review memo.
The Bank of NY | 12/01
Focusing on highly usable interactive design, I developed the user interface for the Private Client online account access for The Bank of New York. I successfully designed the navigation and information architecture around the large amounts of data and complex functionality. I also created an interactive site tour in Flash 5.
Flash Usability | 05/01
My Flash website design focusing on usability was chosen as a finalist in the Flash Usability Contest. From the over 700 entries received worldwide, only 20 were selected as finalists.
UBS Paine Webber | 05/01
I created a design layout for the merged financial giant.
Flash Experiment | 04/00
I designed an introspective multimedia piece to hone my animation skills. Chosen as a "Best Flash Site".
VP Technologies | 11/00
I completely redesigned website and branded it to convey a cutting-edge technology firm.
CitiBank | 10/00
I designed two layouts(layout 1, layout 2) that reflected the relationship manager's role with new online technical capabilities.
Original Personal Site | 07/00 I created my original personal website.
Fleet Credit Card | 05/00
I worked on multiple Fleet initiatives including: banner design, flats-to-web conversion, logo design, smart card download demo and online credit card selection. I also worked on many layout designs 1 2 3 4
Mellon Private Asset | 03/00
I redesigned the website to reflect Mellon's high class/high touch service that it offers to its private clients. I also created an earlier prototype version along with several layout designs.
Bessemer Trust | 12/99
I completely redesigned the website, including logo design and online branding.
3D Solid Modeling | 05/99
I used SolidWorks CAD software to create 3D models and rendered them use PhotoWorks.
Tricycle
Toothbrush
Stapler
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