PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
speakTECH, Costa Mesa, CA, January 2008 to November
2008
CREATIVE USER INTERFACE INTEGRATOR & DESIGNER
- specializing in social media. Provided public-facing
Microsoft SharePoint design integration solutions
for speakTECH’s clients, including MySpace, Cadence
and San Diego Unified School District. These projects
had highly customized, strongly branded front-end
user interfaces requirements. Controlled the interface
using CSS and would troubleshoot visual issues using
the industry’s emerging debugging tools. Solid understanding
of CSS inheritance and the subtle differences in
browser rendering. Worked closely with cross-functional
team members including, the client, developers,
application architects, creative team members, business
analysts and information architects. Flexible personal
work style that encourages collaboration and incorporates
feedback accordingly. Produced design deliverables
based upon best-practices, UI trends, usability
background, accessibility experience and other relevant
theories and practices. Generated design work that
demonstrates knowledge of the entire product life-cycle,
including ongoing maintenance. Ability to create
or work from prototypes at different levels of fidelity,
including sketches, wireframes (schematics) and
interactive HTML. Active in the Web Design community
in the Los Angles area.
Freelance Web Designer & Art Director, Burbank,
CA, June 2005 to Present
WEB DESIGN CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
Provides front-end user interface web design solutions
with a specialization in navigation design, interaction
design and targeted branding solutions. Solutions
are characterized by being highly scalable, elegant,
cross-browser and cross-platform compatible, optimized
for legitimate search-engine indexing, accessibility-sensitive
for those with disabilities, speed-of-use focused,
low maintenance, CSS-based and visually compelling.
Delivered results in alignment with the company's
overall internal, external and branding communications
efforts. Projects have included redesigning
websites to simplify complicated concepts and processes.
Beckman Coulter, Inc., Fullerton, CA, November
2000 to June 2005
SENIOR WEB DESIGNER. Developed design solutions
for the company's public web site and the intranet
site. Lead designer for high-profile projects, such
as the online annual report and the redesign of
the home pages for the public site and the intranet
site. Designed splash pages in coordination with
advertising campaigns to promote new products. Designed
the User Interface for web applications and provided
design consulting services on projects involving
the use of Flash or other front-end technologies.
UI Design solutions, including prototypes, were
created to be compatible with Blackberry wireless
PDA/Telephone devices and multi-language versions
of Internet Explorer, Netscape and Mozilla Firefox.
Older interfaces were retrofitted to degrade elegantly
when resources were unavailable for a complete redesign.
In these cases data cascaded in a prioritized manner.
MTVi (MTV.COM & VH1.COM), New York, NY, April
2000 to April 2001
WEB DESIGNER. Responsible for creating cutting-edge,
interactive co-branded elements featured on mtv.com's
and vh1.com's web sites. Created optimized, interactive
Flash movies. Designed mini-sites, web pages, banners
and other animated and non-animated ad elements
with Macromedia Flash, Adobe PhotoShop, 3D Studio
Max, Illustrator and ImageReady. Worked within clients'
image guidelines and mtv.com's and vh1.com's image
guidelines to creatively develop design solutions
that targeted users. Handled multiple production
projects from initial concept to completion under
tight deadlines. Developed site-wide advertising
standards and helped create templates to be used
on the entire web site. Coordinated closely with
the Art Director, Producers, Developers, Designers
and production staff at mtv.com and vh1.com. Produced
mock-ups, cut up graphics and participated in creative
meetings. Designed online advertising pieces for
the following clients: AT&T, Beatnik, Candies, CD
Now, Citra, Diet Coke, The Grinch (the movie), Guinness,
Honda, Lee Jeans, Levi's, Lucky Brand Jeans, Office
Depot, Pepsi, K-Mart's Rt. 66, Steve Madden, Sony,
Timex, U-571 (the movie), Verizon and others.
ClickTheButton.com, New York, NY, November
1999 to January 2002
FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER. Responsible for
design solutions and the production of original
online graphics utilizing the latest graphic design
programs (see list below). Designed images for the
company's web site, generated banner ads, produced
icons, pop-up ads and made GIF animations. Created
HTML-enabled e-mail with graphics designed to be
viewed in both Netscape and Internet Explorer.
The Samaritans, Suicide Prevention Hotline,
New York, NY, November 1998 to December 1999, OFF-SITE
SUPERVISOR AND VOLUNTEER. Responsible for making
decisions about how to manage hotline medical emergencies
and high-risk calls. Provided support and feedback
to hotline volunteers. Responsible for debriefing
volunteers at the end of difficult calls and at
the end of their shift. Provided reports to the
executive staff about the events during these shifts.
Developed excellent crisis management skills and
communication skills.
Japan Society, Inc., Development Department,
New York, NY, March 1997 to September 1998, DEVELOPMENT
OFFICER. Responsible for managing 200 Japanese
and 160 American corporate membership accounts and
for meeting a corporate membership budget of just
under $1,000,000 for 1997-98. Coordinated membership
renewal requests and membership related correspondences.
Researched prospective members and followed the
latest business developments of existing corporate
members. Arranged meetings between the Japan Society
and the heads of major corporations in the U.S.
and Japan in order to develop or further ties with
current corporate members or prospective members.
KPMG Peat Marwick, LLP, New York, NY, February
1996 to March 1997
ASSISTANT MARKETING MANAGER / SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR.
Supervised the creation of Economic Value Management
marketing and advertising material and coordinated
all efforts with graphic artists. Researched marketing
databases for purchasing mailing list to target
important decision-makers by specific criteria (types
of industries, firms, locations, employee size and
size of sales). Coordinated marketing efforts with
direct mailing houses. Solely responsible for an
extensive nation wide seminars series (included
site searches, negotiation of hotel blocks and discounts,
food and beverage contracts, audio-visual, satisfying
ADA requirements, coordinating the creation of MS
PowerPoint presentations). Managed Internet marketing
services including EVManager software information
and seminar series information. Directed the production,
marketing, advertising, distribution and authorization
of new software package. Designed software manual's
image. Collaborated closely with KPMG's Japanese
Tax Management Group on projects having mutual clients.
Jimco Music Industries, Inc., Los Angeles,
CA, February 1994 to October 1995
ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGER. Aided in the establishment
of U.S. operations for a Japanese record and publishing
company. Coordinated the company's special events
with press, artists' management, charity organizations,
and foreign record companies. Involved with the
distribution of American artists in Japan through
established distribution channels. Coordinated studio
recordings with artists' management, the studios
and Japanese record company executives. Managed
music promotional events and projects involving
CD mastering and packaging. Coordinated the set
up of computer systems and Internet access.
Board of Education,
Kamiichi High School,
Uozu Tobu Jr. High School &
Uozu Seibu Jr. High School, Toyama-ken, Uozu-shi,
Japan, July 1991 to August 1993
Responsible for helping to implement lesson
plans in three public schools. Assisted with local
government's international exchanges and special
events. Involved in the annual Toyama International
Charity Show, a local radio show in Japanese and
English and
an education program at the Kurobe Yoshida Planetarium.
Education
and Conferences
TED 2009 Conference, Southern California,
February 3-7, 2009
Nielsen Norman Group: User Experience 2005 Conference,
New York, April 2005
HOW Design Conference 2004, San Diego, May
2004
Big Brand Theory by Creatas and The Art Directors
Club, Los Angeles, April 2004
Nielsen Norman Group: User Experience 2003 Conference,
Chicago, September 2003
After Effects Creative Explosion Tour, Trish
& Chris Meyer, Los Angeles, August 2003
SIGGRAPH 2003, San Diego, July 2003
Flash Forward Conference, San Francisco,
March 2003
University of California, Flash III Advanced
ActionScripting Class, Irvine, Winter 2003
Creative Cow Conference, Digital Media Event,
Los Angeles, February 2003
University of California, 3D Studio Max Class,
Irvine, Summer 2002
University of California, JavaScript and DHTML
Class, Irvine, Winter 2002
Pratt Institute, Advanced Flash ActionScripting
Class, New York, 2000-2001
Flash Forward Conference, New York, 2001 & 2000
New York University (NYU), Web Page Development
with HTML, New York, 2001
Foreign Study, Aix-en-Provence, Advanced study
of French language and culture, 1990
Mills College, Califonia, Bachelor of Arts in
Sociology, 1987 to 1991
Additional
Skills and Experience
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