About Me
I'm passionate about UX and design, and I'm happiest when I'm learning something new. While working in the music and financial industries, I've demonstrated an ability to quickly adapt and develop applications by understanding the pain points of end users.
I am currently a product manager at ITG, a technology based brokerage firm. I work on a web based product called TCA (Transaction Cost Analysis) that helps large financial institutions evaluate their trading. I played a central role in the design of the latest online reporting interface, designed the client quarterly reports, the internal interface used to create quarterly reports, and have worked on numerous other internal projects.
Previously, I was Product Manager at Loud Feed - a web based content management system for musicians and labels to promote and sell their music through custom websites and widgets. I was in charge of User Experience of the product, defined the iterative incremental development cycle, and was responsible for rapid prototyping of initial mockups (HTML/CSS/JavaScript) as well as creating wireframes and flow charts used in RFPs for consulting work.
I recently completed the Interaction Design summer intensive at the School of Visual Arts, taking courses in Practice of Interaction Design, Research Methods, and Programming for Interactive/Reactive Systems. I graduated from the University of Michigan in 2004 with a degree in Industrial and Operations Engineering, which focuses on continuous improvements in efficiency. I took courses in human factors in computer systems and ergonomics and the psychology of the user experience.
Skills
JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Adobe Photoshop and Fireworks. Basic skills in Flex and Flash, C++, Visual Basic
ITG TCA
Product Management
I am currently a product manager at ITG, a technology based brokerage firm. I work on a web based product called TCA (Transaction Cost Analysis) that helps large financial institutions evaluate their trading. I played a central role in the design of the latest online reporting interface, designed the client quarterly reports, the internal interface used to create quarterly reports, an user interface to create large database updates, and have worked on numerous other internal projects.
My Roles
- Rapid prototyping of new tools / applications for external and internal use using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (Ext JS and jQuery)
- Create detailed requirements for developers through iteration and story planning using agile development methodologies
- Design and oversee development of the new online reporting system for the TCA (Transaction Cost Analysis) product which allows for drag n' drop charting and data visualization
- Collaborate across teams to implement the new reporting User Interface in multiple products
- Develop and enhance a fully automated reporting tool for generation of quarterly reports
- Design and implement marketing emails to promote new product features
School of Visual Arts
Interaction Design, Summer Intesive
Practice of Interaction Design
My team members Taichi Kozaki, Mike Kenny, and I were tasked with creating an application that centered around time. As New Yorkers, we spend a lot of time on the Subway so we thought up 3rdRail, an application that allows you to queue up downloads from all of your apps, and kick them off automatically so you have content when you need it most.
Research Methods
The course offered a detailed review of the fundamentals of user research techniques for interaction designers, and was taught by Jodi Leo. In the course, we discused the use of facilitator guides and screeners, and performed multiple site reviews. We used Ethnio to recruit research particants, and conducted a final research project which focused on improving a high profile political website (working directly with the then-candidate's design team).
Programming for Interactive/Reactive Systems
Worked with OpenFrameworks and Xcode to create visualizations and explore the design and interaction of systems outside of the scope of the typical human and computer interaction.
Rapid Prototyping
I've continued to hone my prototyping skills over the last five years, and although much of my current work with ITG is proprietary and cannot be included here, I'll go into detail on many of the projects below.
Automated Reporting Tool
ART, or the Automated Reporting Tool, is a very widely used internal application at ITG that allows users to create client deliverables. By using standardized elements that can be mixed, matched, and filtered users can create a highly customized yet cohesive report through the Automated interface.
While refining the application design, I created initial wireframes that were shared with the user base, and collected feedback that was used to put together an HTML mockup of the application (developed using Ext JS). I then created detailed flowcharts to outline the application flow and communicated the requirements to developers along with the HTML / Ext JS prototype and detailed stories.
TCA Visual Analyzer
I helped to implement the next generation of TCA reporting, the Visual Analyzer. I improved the usability of the applicaiton by introducing interactive filtering of reports, drag and drop pivot report interactivity, simple report creation screens, data visualizations, and enhanced detailed summaries.
For each of these projects, I first created photoshop mockups, then created functional prototypes using HTML, CSS and Javascript.
Generic Mapping Utility
In summary, this is a tool that allows the internal client services team to create SQL updates through a GUI. Users select the values within a client report that they need to update, then the circumstances in which these values need to be changed.
This was a challenging project that required detailed analysis and planning, as the application offers end users the ability to execute complex database updates against very large datasets. It needed to be implemented in a way that offered great flexibilty to the end users while eliminating the ability for data errors, and has been a great success.
This project was implemented using a Minimum Viable Product strategy in order to get feedback from the end users very early in the implementation of the product. HTML and Javascript protoypes were created to test the layout of the application, and validate the GUI was intuitive to the client services team.
TCA Homepage
I worked with members of the UX team to redesign the last two iterations of the TCA Homepage. Both were designed by creating wireframes, visual prototypes, and then HTML protoypes which were integrated into the final implementation by the development team.
Cross Application Feed Reader
I developed a cross application feed reader that is used not only for the TCA product, but also on multiple other products within ITG. I created photoshop mockups and an html prototype to be used to get acceptance from the marketing teams and from the product managers of the other applications.
Custom Music sales Websites
While working at Loud Feed, I'd regularly create functional html prototypes of sites before entering into contracts. I worked with many clients to create custom sites, and after reviewing their expectations would often quickly develop protypes to demostrate the features and flexibility of the Loud Feed application. Toolshed.biz is an example of a site that I rebuilt to utilize the Loud Feed back end to manage all of their digital content.
Wireframes and Flowcharts
Through my work at ITG and Loud Feed, I have been responsible for large scale development efforts. I've created detailed requirements documents, wireframes, and flowcharts to convey complex business requirements in a way that is clear to the development teams. Using these requirements, the developers are able to carry the original design and workflows through the development process and into production.
I've been in charge of user interface design and development for numerous internal and external products at ITG, as well as the development of the Loud Feed product and custom digital music stores.
In my projects, I have used rapid prototyping of initial mockups (using HTML, HTML 5, CSS, and JavaScript), wireframes, and flow charts to help get user feedback, convey business rules and UX specifications clearly and effectively, and to secure contracts through RFPs.
Samples
First Generation ART Application (Wireframe)
First Generation ART Application (Flowcharts)
Widely used internal reporting tool at ITG that allows for standardized customization and automation of the reporting process.
Account Creation (Flowchart)This shows the flow of the account creation process for the story blog mentioned above.
Uploader App (Wireframe)This wireframe shows the basic flow of a desktop application used to publish music.
Uploader App (Flowchart)This shows the flow of the music publishing application.
Story Boards
Wireframes
User Flow
3rdRail
The product will allow you to schedule the download of websites or other data that you'll use when you don't have internet connectivity. You'd be able to select that apps that you want to sync, and the times that you want it to happen. Alternatively, you could have the download be triggered by any action in your phone like an alarm clock going off or unlocking your phone.
As you continue to use 3rdRail, it begins to learn your patterns and tastes. After just a short bit of time, it is finding new things for you to read on the subway, downloading your content when you need it most, and always knowing when your train is really leaving the station.
Problem and Audience
We live in a constantly connected culture with 24 hour news cycles and instantaneous global communication. Even the simplest actions we take each day are with increasing regularity finding themselves on our phones and tablets. From crosswords to cross-town directions, everything is done on the small touchscreen computers many New Yorkers carry with them at all times, a userbase that is growing at an exponential rate every day.
This is in direct conflict with another necessity of life for New Yorkers - the Subway - An equally important part of every day for the majority of New Yorkers which is, in large part, incompatible with the behaviors associated with our new devices and the contemporary velocity of information. This leads to a new found sense of loss and alienation when in transit. The consumption habits that we have developed to the point of dependency are now void as we rush through our daily commute and prepare for the day ahead.
Loud Feed Product
Loud Feed offers a digital music warehouse that is made available via syndicated feeds. The product creates embeddable components and commerce enabled social media widgets for viral marketing.
- Artists manage their digital inventory and metadata for music, video, etc.
- Bloggers promote with widgets, artists and affiliates sell music and tickets on their sites and social network
- Fans discover and buy music and tickets across distributed web sites
- Large distributors create "white label" sites such as Toolshed.biz which uses Loud Feed to manage content.
My Role
I defined the iterative incremental development process, and was in charge of User Experience for the Loud Feed product. I helped make the application more approachable to novice artists by improving existing functionality, application feedback and ease of use. I designed the page and wrote all of the HTML/CSS, and javascript for the Loud Feed homepage.
Custom Widgets
The sales widget shown here was built using the Loud Feed back end. All of the artist data is stored in Loud Feed, and users maintain a list of the albums that they would like included in the widget. It uses the Clearspring platform for viral sharing. Like the rest of the product, it is highly integrated with Amazon web services, using Amazon S3 for storage and Amazon Payments for sales.
An independent artist or label can set up its own online store and widgets in 20 minutes using the Loud Feed platform, and no commission is taken from their sales.
My Role
I designed this widget and was responsible for its development through extensive modifications to the existing sales flow player's flex code.
