Some clients call me a user experience designer, others an interaction designer or information architect. By whenever term, I have been designing web sites since the late 1990s, sometimes as an independent consultant, sometimes as staff or staff consultant.
See sample wireframes/schematics
Download John's resume
Below is a summary of my roles in some notable projects.
Blue Shield of California: Dozens of large and small projects as consultant, then as staff senior interaction designer. Redesigned system that customer service reps use, designed way of showing provider quality scores, planned and analyzed usability tests, proposed redesign of shopping experience. Site maps and wireframes. Wrote detailed design documentation. Quotes from client
Bank of America: Home page UI redesign has become a best practice in banking industry. Redesigned aspects of Online Banking service, analyzed server log data, interviewed users, collaborated on testing prototype, conducted usability testing, created personas, advised management on user-centered design, was usability specialist on accessibility task force. Site maps and schematics. Quotes from client (through eFORCE). Quote from eForce manager.
Mitsubishi Motors: Redesigned UI of car configurator, streamlining workflow significantly. Workflow maps and schematics (through eFORCE).
HP: Redesigned Job Data Changes section of their HR site, with workflow maps and schematics (through Agency.com; access restricted to HP personnel).
Del Monte: Information architect for redesign of a pet food site; planned, conducted, and analyzed user interviews for two sites (through Agency.com).
Logitech: Member of team that redesigned user interface for digital video camera. Jointly interviewed about a dozen users (through Cooper).
Kumho Tires USA: One of two information architects for site redesign. Site maps, schematics, and content matrix (through Agency.com).
RedPrairie: Figured out at both macro and micro levels how to merge contents of old SmartTurn site into context of RedPrairie site after the two warehouse software companies merged (through Extractable).
SCAN Health Plan: Did detailed heuristic audit of proposed site's user experience, with specific recommendations (through Extractable).
IndymacBank: Analyzed key sections of current site and made high-level recommendations for ways to make them more effective. Quote from account manager (through Agency.com).
Professional Publications, Inc.: Streamlined registration procedure for online engineering licensing practice exam, dramatically increasing enrollments. Streamlined registration process for authors to submit problems for practice exams, greatly increasing participation. Schematics. Quote from client.
Visa International: Designed structure of site to put the rulebook for designing Visa cards online. Interviewed users, formulated detailed usability test plan. Site maps and schematics (through Agency.com. Access restricted to authorized users).
Macy's & Bloomingdale's (sister companies) : Designed system of paying credit card bill, designed secure communication system, planned and moderated usability test, studied call center logs and interviewed customer service reps to recommend ways to reduce phone calls.
Walmart.com: User experience lead on team for major B2B portal. Interviewed users, wrote user experience strategy, created wireframes and workflow diagrams, created storyboard to present the project internally, made clickable prototype to demnstrate key functionality. Streamlined preference setup and checkout for SamsClub.com. Quotes from client
NBC: Half of team that redesigned NBC's corporate intranet. Jointly interviewed dozens of users and top executives, created personas, designed structure and interaction, wrote detailed design documentation (through Cooper; access restricted to NBC personnel).
PayPal: Audited one section of current site and proposed high-level recommendations for how to make it more effective. Quote from account manager (through Agency.com).
Symantec: Redesigned Home & Home Office Security Response section of current site, designed new Thought Leadership section, designed microsite to promote new Norton 360 product, streamlined information design of Threat Meter, information architect of new specialized site for pros. Helped plan and analyze usability testing. Site maps and schematics.
Nuance: Created site map and content matrix to document status quo, did heuristic audit of status quo compared with 3 other sites, reviewed self-identification best practices, wrote questions for consumer survey and for extensive stakeholder interviews, analyzed site analytics, recommended content and IA strategy (through Level Studios).
Security Service Federal Credit Union: Redesigned entire public site for nation's 8th largest credit union, focusing on streamlining eligibility check and application processes for loans and credit cards. Created site map, content matrix, templates, clickable prototype (through Extractable).
Janus: Creative lead on a project to add a new piece of functionality and make a new kind of information available in the secure area of www.janus.com (through eFORCE).
Xfire (MTVN): Did heuristic audit of current application and relevant aspects of web site. Planned, conducted, and analyzed interviews/usability test, wrote survey questions. Quote from client
SelectQuote Insurance Services: Interviewed end users, agents, stakeholders; designed and conducted usability test, wrote survey; recommended strategy to redesign entire site to iincrease inquiries; created site map, schematics, and content matrix for new site (through Agency.com).
Planet Metrics: Recommended way of showing massive amounts of information concisely in executive dashboard, which became the face of their service and key factor in purchase of the company. Dashboard gives their corporate clients insight into their carbon footprint.
Video to evangelize
user-centered design
I often need to talk to colleagues or clients about why their own opinions and preferences--and mine--are less important than those of their site's users.
I created this 3-minute video, called "Satisfy the Cat, a.k.a. User-Centered-Design," to illustrate the point.
