Resume of User Experience Specialist

Title
User Experience Specialist

Primary Skills
Information architecture; usability testing; user assistance design; instructional design; interaction design

Location
US-WA-Seattle

Posted
Apr-05-07

User-centered design specialist with broad experience in all aspects of design and development of high-quality interactive products. I have skills and experience in developing user profiles, identifying user needs, analyzing task needs,conducting exploratory and participatory design studies, and conducting product usability tests. I am also an expert in developing on line user assistance for providing help in application use, training, performance support, and general job aids.

Research and analysis skills


Proficient in defining user needs and developing project requirements to meet those needs.

Proficient in developing usability tests and conducting usability heuristic reviews.

Proficient in designing visual interfaces and interaction models based on user and task requirements.

Proficient in writing requirements and specification documents.

Proficient in defining project scope and schedules and managing to requirements.


Industry experience

Deaton Interactive Design
Seattle, WA
12/2000 - Present
Freelance User Experience Specialist

Work with Get Started Media developing tutorial lessons on Web design for home-based businesses.

Work with August Development conducting user research to inform design of a life map interface for a college
alumni Web site.

Work with ContentMaster to develop a series of InfoPath templates for Microsoft Office 2007.

Evaluate and redesign interface and work flow for ActiveRain LMS , an enterprise lead management system for the real estate industry.

Conduct heuristic review of two proposed site redesigns for Global Crossing.
Design and implement usability tests for Mountain Safety Research .

Design and implement usability tests for Acadio, Inc.

Write column on user-centered design for CNET Builder.com

Developmental editing work on Web design book for Microsoft Press
Web site redesign for Mortgage Equities, Inc.

Web site design for Certified Electrical Service.

Web site design for Seattle Youth Garden Works.

Design interface and interaction for MyVideoKaraoke.com.

Rocket Communications
Associate,
12/2006 - Present

Work with IHS Energy and Rocket design team on the Enerdeq product line to develop user persona, long-term usability strategy, and develop in-house usability research skills.

Conduct comprehensive heuristic review of IHS Energy GEPS site to develop usability issues list for redesign.

SodaBlue Partners
Partner,
12/2002 - Present

Conduct comprehensive expert evaluation of Web-based application for NexTone.

Conduct heuristic review of new site design for Construction Complete.

Design and conduct usability testing for site redesign of Web-based printing services product for Mimeo, Inc.


Microsoft Corporation
Redmond, WA
11/2004
Vendor consultant, Usability Engineer
Conduct observational study of 30 users in Microsoft lab.


Compile qualitative data to prepare usability issues report.
Gather quantitative data for statistical analysis.
Use Tech-Smith Morae to record observations and measure time-on-task.

University of Washington
Seattle, WA
1/2003 -- 3/2004
Research assistant, Laboratory for Usability Testing and Evaluation
Conduct literature study of use of eye tracking in usability research.


Design and implement on-line bibliography on eye tracking and qualitative analysis for use by usability community and academic researchers. This site is no longer accessible without a university login.
Assist other graduate assistants in learning to use usability lab.
Conduct recruitment of participants for client usability testing.
Work on project teams to develop test protocols and materials for clients.

University of Washington
Seattle, WA
Usability Consultant
Educational Technology Development Group; Center for Learning and Technology

Conduct research to identify user needs for two products, SimpleSite and Catalyst Web site.


Design and implement campus-wide surveys on attitudes towards personal Web sites.

Identify primary users for Catalyst Initiative Web site and determine how they use the Web site.


University of Washington
Seattle, WA
Research Assistant
Web Tango Project, Information School

Design protocols and conduct research on design knowledge and practices of novice Web designers.

Assist in preparation of proposal for research grant to National Science Foundation.

University of Washington
Seattle, WA
Consultant to Video Traces Project, PETTT

Work with development team to validate user interface functionality, prepare instructional materials, and conduct user testing of set-up and operations of this digital teaching tool.

B3 Interactive
Seattle, WA
9/2000 -- 11/2000
User Experience Specialist

Conduct initial user profiling work for Enterprise-wide intranet portal.

Design user-centered design process and guidelines.


Tidemark Solutions,
Seattle, WA
1/2000 - 8/2000
User Experience Architect

Create the position of User Experience Architect and define its function within the engineering organization.


Define visual interfaces and interaction for web-based applications; set design standards, including accessibility guidelines.

Define user requirements for Web-based, hosted, application.

Design user interface and interaction model for Web-based applications.

Conduct usability reviews and testing of interfaces.

Work with development team to write functional specifications for software features.

Mentor new HTML developers in usability, accessibility and design issues.

Tidemark Solutions,
Seattle, WA
8/1999 - 1/2000
Director of Customer Training and Education

Create a department to develop customer training materials and documentation, deliver customer training on product, and create marketing program to expand revenues from custom training development.

Define group processes, policies, and work flow in order to enable more efficient delivery of publications and reduce development costs.

Implement new instructional design model to improve quality of customer training.


KNOWware, LLC
Seattle, WA
4/1994 - 8/1999
Founder and President

Conduct needs and task analysis in order to develop project requirements.

Write design documents and functional specifications.

Design visual interfaces for intranets, knowledge bases, and software.

Conduct usability and user acceptance testing.

Prepare project proposals defining the software solution to be developed, including cost and scheduling.

Design work flow application interface and interaction for mortgage processing company.

Design and write Web-based training modules for Electric Light Wave.

Design and manage project to create MetLife human resource's first intranet.

Design and manager delivery of intranet applications for GE Capital.

Work with clients (MetLife, GE, Electric Lightwave, Microsoft, WexTech Systems, ForeFront, Advanced Training Solutions, and Frontier Communications) to identify information needs and propose solutions.

Design and manage delivery of customer service knowledge bases for MetLife, Frontier Communications.

Hire and supervise staff to complete projects.


Community Sector Systems
Seattle, WA
10/1993 - 2/1994
Director of User Education

Conduct usability testing on product prototypes.


Work with developers to define visual interface and interaction model.

Define documentation model for initial product.

Hire and manage technical writers and editors.

Microsoft
Redmond, WA
9/1992 - 10/1993

User Education Training Manager

Create internal technical training program for all Microsoft user education employees worldwide.

Design and deliver training courses on variety of topics.

Manage and mentor subject-matter experts in development of training courses.

Create first on line course catalog for use within Microsoft.

Develop program to train international localization vendors in product localization.

Develop program to retrain Microsoft Ireland employees to manage localization vendors.

Microsoft
Redmond, WA
6/1990 - 9/1992

User Education Lead, Consumer Division

Lead team of writers, editors, graphic artists, and Help developers to create documentation for Microsoft Works for Windows versions 3 and 4.

Represent User Education on program team to ensure timely delivery of appropriate materials to support product.

Lead first ever effort to ship documentation portion of a consumer product in three languages on the same day.

Microsoft
Redmond, WA
2/1987 - 6/1990

Technical Writer and Editor
Consumer Division and Application Division

Lead editor on first Microsoft Word for Windows.

Lead editor on first version of Works for Windows.

Delegate to corporate style guide committee.

Writer on Windows 3.0 Productivity Pack.

Editor on computer-based training for Works, Word, Publisher, Excel and others.

Education

Master of Science in Engineering, June, 2004, University of Washington

Technical skills

Expert in conducting Internet and library research using a variety of search engines and databases.

Proficient in use of Web-based sorting tools for remote sorting studies.

Proficient in use of Usability Science usability test console for taping user observations.

Proficient in use of mini-8 and mini-DV cameras for video taping.

Proficient in use of TechSmith UserVue remote usability testing environment.

Experienced in transferring and editing mini-8 and mini-DV tapes.

Experienced in use of Camtasia and similar screen capturing tools.

Experienced in use of SPSS for statistical analysis.

Experienced in use of GazeTracker eye tracking technology.

Experienced in use of Tech-Smith Morae to record and analyze usability studies.

Proficient in use of Homesite to lay out and code HTML.

Proficient in use of Microsoft Front Page.

Proficient in use of Microsoft Excel.

Proficient in use of Microsoft Visio.

Expert in use of Microsoft Word, including template and forms creation.

Expert in use of Microsoft PowerPoint.

Expert in use of DreamWeaver to lay out and code HTML.

Proficient in use of Cascading Style Sheets.

Proficient in use of variety of image editing tools, including PaintShop Pro and Fireworks.

Proficient in site administration of Microsoft Sharepoint.

Proficient in use of Microsoft InfoPath.

Certifications
Certificate in User-Centered Design, March, 2004, University of Washington

Certificate in Technical Communication, June 1989, University of Washington


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