Hello!

I'm currently working on a contract with Empathy Lab. I will be seeking a new User Experience (UX) opportunity in New York City starting July 2012. I'm interested in an in-house leadership position. A quick conversation will determine if we're the right fit.

This last year and a half I've been working in the Pharma industry thinking I could make a difference. I quickly realized there were a lot of rules, budget restrictions and the FDA! It was a very eye opening experience and I learned a lot. Now, I only want to design for industries that promote open communication, push the latest technologies, explore new user interactions and work with companies that are willing to act on smart, innovative solutions.

I have over 15+ years of industry experience in Design, Research and Development and have two degrees. My initial degree is a BA in Multiple Disciplinary Studies from North Carolina State University. There I studied design and learned a few valuable things about how people communicate and how to design. It worked out for awhile but I felt a lot of decisions were too subjective. Next I attended DePaul University in Chicago to get an MS in Human Computer Interaction. I wanted to see what people really wanted with analytics and usability studies. Now I have the tools and knowledge to improve my work and I've been happy ever since.

My role and responsibility is constantly evolving. In the past I've worked as a Web Designer, GUI Designer, Information Architect, User Researcher, Interaction Designer, and UX Designer. This experience has allowed me to gain a wide range of skills as well as insight to my strengths and weaknesses. I really love my job and I'm super passionate and enthusiastic about it.

I've also had the opportunity to work with amazing mentors and colleagues that inspire me. Working in different environments has allowed me to understand different design processes. From all of those experiences I am able to solve problems quickly and efficiently. I further my studies in user experience by reading new material, attending conferences, and having great conversations with people in the community.

When I'm not working, I spend my free time exploring New York, taking photos and traveling the world.

If you wish to contact me, please contact me via LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jenni4

10 fun things about me...

  1. I ♥ my Vespa - Her name is Lucy and she is a feisty 1969 Sprint Veloce
  2. I adopted two fun-loving giraffes a few years back in Chicago
  3. My favorite color is RED
  4. I'm a 3.0 level tennis player (half way to Wimbledon)
  5. I used to downhill mountain bike race until I kissed a tree
  6. I race cars in my free time
  7. I'm passionate about my work
  8. Design is a lifetime learning experience - I'm always exploring or taking a class
  9. I've lived in a few places: Philadelphia, Raleigh, Prague, Chicago, Los Angeles & Brooklyn
  10. I finally found my natural hair color (for the moment) - Blond

A few bookmarked sites...

Follow me...

           

This is what I do for work...

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT:
  • Wear a sales hat sometimes
  • Capable of presenting what UX is
  • Write a lot of documentation
DISCOVER:
  • Ask stakeholders a lot of questions
  • Observe users like a hawk
  • Test people to see if it's "easy-to-use"
  • Analyze a site on a few famous heuristics
  • Wonder if people are reading the content
  • Scope out the competition
  • Mind the gap
  • Wrangle data (it doesn't lie!)
  • Keep it sketchy
  • Target practice... er people
  • Develop the holy grail for your business (at least for that year)
DESIGN:
  • Collaboration Station
  • Develop a map to the pot of gold
  • Tease how the product is going to look, feel and re-act
  • Take the road not taken - you can still end up at your result
  • Create architectural blueprints
  • Hand-hold because doing new things can be scary
  • Blah Blah Blah Curate please
  • Create a need and an emotion, even at the same time!
  • Become your tour guide - If you turn to page 100...
BUILD:
  • Put out fires - Last minute edits? Of course. What was I thinking?
  • Know a little HTML CSS XML ASP PHP (but it's not my day job)
  • Review everything like Inspector Gadget
TEST:
  • Let's look at that data again
  • What about the intangible?
  • Talk, talk, talk...
MANAGE:
  • Clock in, clock out
  • Put a stake in the ground
  • Teach you stuff
  • Determine if you're a horse of a different color
EXPERTISE:
  • Site Re-designs
  • Checkout Processes
  • Navigation
  • Blogs
  • Large-scale Content Networks
  • Newsletters
  • Social Media
  • Marketing Campaigns & Contests
  • Video
  • Search
  • Mobile Applications
  • Kiosks
  • and much more!