My primary expertise is user experience architecture with a focus on, contesize: 14px; font-family: BrandonGrotesque,helvetica,arial,sans-serif;">Creative designer and user experience architect with proven ability to leverage the latest technologies and best practices that deliver award-winning websites and software. Solid leadership to inspire staff and exceed client expectations. Expertise withe-commerce, branding, social networking, web applications, and search technology.


EXPERIENCE

EMC Inc. (Information Intelligence Group – Documentum xCP)
Principal User Experience Architect / Visual Des, Cambridge, MA - 11/2009-Present

Oversee user experience, requirements, and visual design for the xCP platform functionality related to composing custom application UI and design of the end-user experience for the platform, web applications, and mobile.

• Own the documentation and evolution of user needs and use cases for design planning and engineering.
• Manage UXD and visual design continuity across nine agile workstreams and several product lines including enterprise content management (ECM), search, analytics, business process management (BPM), & Doc Viewer.
• Lead the implementation teams through the proper use of Eclipse components, SWT, ExtJS, CSS3, & SASS.
• Design interactive hi-definition prototypes for user studies and requirement validation.
• Host user studies, focus groups, and on-site contextual inquiries with customers.

User Experience Design Consultant (JBostick.com)

I’ve had the good fortune to provide user experience design and consulting services, including requirements definitiMy primary expertise involves user experience design with a focus on ecommerce, search, and social technologies for large-scale web properties, SaaS, and enterprise software. In addition to user experience design expertise I also provide expert project management, product documentation, analytic/user research, and on-site team leadership.
Recent clients include:

• Cambridge Interactive Development Corporation(CIDC): UX Design, IA, CMS and MVT team leadership for gaming and social technology.
• EMC Corporation: Software Specs & UX Design for“CenterStage” knowledge-worker collaboration software. IA focus on social and search technology.
• ProPortions (SmartPak): UX/IA design and specs for canine nutrition web application.
• Partners Harvard Medical International: UX Design and IA for B2B consulting web site and lead generation application.
• Openlist.com: Branding, search, UX design, and Information Architecture for vertical search site.

Smart Destinations Inc. (SmartDestinations.com)
Director, Customer Experience, Boston, MA - 4/2008-11/2008

Directed new brand strategies, product technology requirements, and architected a unified user experience to integrate 17 existing products. Managed creative team and agency relationships. Conducted customer behavioral research, user experience studies, multivariate testing, and initiated corrective actions as needed.

• Implemented usability enhancements improving home page bounce, click though, and overall conversion.
• Redesigned shopping cart and checkout reducing page flow from 7 to 3 pages.
• Introduced new CSS, AJAX, JavaScript, and API technology for improved merchandising and performance.
• Implemented new analytical research channels using Omniture, SiteSpect, and Google Analytics.

Gather Inc. (Gather.com)
Director, User Experience, Boston, MA - 2005-2008

Provided creative vision and leadership, social networking strategy, competitive analysis, project management, user experience design, functional AJAX and JSP architecture, and product direction. Conducted software usability engineering and user testing programs. Managed front-end development, design, content, and member services.

• Lead Gather’s UX/UI from alpha through 27 software and technology deployments.
• Helped grow membership to more than 500,000 and over a million monthly unique visitors.
• Named MITX best media site and three-time MITX finalist.

World Travel Holdings (Formerly National Leisure Group, Inc.)
Director,Creative Services, Woburn, MA -2002-2004

Directed web and print designers, copywriters, information architecture, and traffic management.Managed brand development for owned and licensed travel brands including Expedia, Orbits, Yahoo!, Hotwire, and 30 others.

• Streamlined creative processes improving go-to-market time by over 300%.
• Instituted email and online advertising significantly improving customer acquisition and retention costs.
• Awarded Best of the Web distinction from Forbes and Travel & Leisure magazines.

Gateway, Inc (Gateway.com)
Senior Manager, e-Commerce Design, North Sioux City, SD; San Diego; Beverly,MA - 1997-2002

Managed Web design and development teams. Provided strategies and production oversight. Created, implemented, and enforced brand strategies and style guidelines, navigation standards and UI protocols.

• Increased traffic to Gateway.com more than 175% through online advertising and email marketing. 
• Designed and implemented new shopping cart and checkout process for Gateway.com.
• Introduced interactive product tours with increased access to detailed product information.
• Designed the very first eCommerce site to ever sell a configurable PC completely online. 

EDUCATION

Pennsylvania State University - Master of Arts in Communication Theory, Humanities, 1995
Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia - BFA in Design &Photography, 1986
Temple University Abroad, Rome, Italy - BFA studies, fall 1985; MA studies, summer 1993
Bucks County Community College - Assoc. degree in Fine Arts, Three-dimensional Design, 1984
Middle Bucks Area Vo-Tech - Vocational degree in Commercial Design and Advertising, 1982

Other Training
ProjectManagement Institute – Completed 4 of 6 required courses to achieve PMPCertification, 2011
Bentley University, Design & Usability Center - Remote Data Gathering studies, 2007


OTHER RELATED HISTORY

Fine Artist - 1983-Present
Participated in more than 200 exhibitions in galleries and museums across the Unites States and Europe. Artistic mediums include photography, sculpture, and site-specific installations. Current series of work is available to view at TarotPhoto.com

• Included in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
• Honored with eight exhibit awards including four Best of Show honors.
• Organized panel discussions and accepted several lecture invitations.

New Art Voices - Board President,Director, Lancaster, PA -1993-1997
Director of Programs and Communications for this non-profit community organization whosemission was promotion, development and experimentation in all artistic media.

• Developed organization branding and visibility programs.
• Managed more than 30 events and curated 20 exhibitions.

Penn State University -Communications Professor, Adjunct,Middletown, PA - 1996
Taught advertising and design to senior-year communications students. The course featured instruction in QuarkXpress and Adobe PhotoShop. Recommended curriculum, software, and computer hardware.

Excelon, Inc. Three Mile Island (Formerly GPU Nuclear Corp.)
Creative Services Manager, Corporate Communications, Middletown, PA -1988-1997
Managed all advertising, video production, photography, publishing, and creative needs of the Office of the President, Communications, and Marketing. Handled scheduling, budgets, and purchasing. Managed vendors.

Pomeroy's Department Stores
Senior Photographer, Harrisburg, PA - 1986-1988
Created fashion and hard-line photography for catalog, newspaper, and magazine advertising. Participated in planning and production of broadcast advertising.Managed all studio operations and budgets.


HONORS & AWARDS

• US Patent on file for “Methods and systems for using community defined facets or facet values in computer networks.”
• New England New Media Association Conference Speaker, 2007
• MITX Award finalists2006, 2007
• MITX Best Media Site, Gather.com, 2005
• Forbes Magazine Best of the Web, CruisesOnly.com 2003, 2004
• Travel & Leisure Magazine Best of the Web,CruisesOnly.com, VacationOutlet.com, 2003
• Gateway.com featured by Jacob Nielsen in “Homepage Usability: 50 Websites Deconstructed”
• NECX.com featured by Steve Krug in “Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability”
• 5 IABC awards for advertising
• 3 PRSA awards for public relations and communications
• 16 Matrix awards from Women in Communications.

AFFILIATIONS

• UPA - Usability Professionals Association
• Boston CHI
• Institute for Human-Centered Design
• Toastmasters International.

PRIMARY SOFTWARE & TECHNOLOGY
PMP Trained Project Manager - PMI, Axure Prototyping tools, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Acrobat Pro,OmniGraffle, Visio, MS Office. Working knowledge of CSS, AJAX, Java,JavaScript, Flash, FLEX, XML, HTML, and PHP. Proficient on Mac and PC platforms.

PERSONAL ACTIVITIES
Avid gardener, collector of antique cameras and obscure musical instruments.