SUMMARY:

• Design the structure and functionality of information spaces to promote task completion, and intuitive access to content or information. Specific skills include site organization, navigation schemes, labeling, search, interaction design, user interface design, and taxonomy.
• Equivalent to, or shares skills with: Interaction Designer (IxD), User Experience Architect (UX, UEX), Information Designer, User Interface Designer (UID), User - Centered Designer, Taxonomist, Taxonomy Consultant.
• Interview clients to understand business models and goals and help to define project strategies, content, and functionality.
• Gather user knowledge through stakeholder interviews, contextual inquiry, task analysis, and focus groups. Develop mental models, personas, use cases, and user scenarios.
• Perform heuristic evaluations and competitive analysis.
• Analyze current behaviors and environment. Perform gap and impact analyses. Identify needs and define optimum strategies.
• Plan and conduct usability evaluations for scenario-based live testing and analyze results. In corporate usability findings into a user interface design.
• Conduct constant research and study of leading practices and emerging trends.
• Convert complex business strategies and technical requirements into efficient interactive processes and successful user experiences.
• Plan and oversee user research and usability testing.
• Analyze competitive web sites and evaluate.
• Create user experiences that are not simply usable, but also useful and desirable.
• Develop conceptual designs, site information architecture, user archetypes (personas) and user scenarios, navigation maps, wireframes, interaction models, storyboards, task flows, controlled vocabularies, labeling systems, taxonomies, content inventories, and usability testing analyses.
• Provide input and support in developing style guides pertaining to the information architecture.
• Document best practices, standards, and processes.
• Interview clients to understand business models and goals and help to define taxonomy strategies.
• Gather user knowledge through stakeholder interviews, contextual inquiry, and focus groups.
• Perform competitive analysis.
• Identify needs and define optimum strategies.
• Conduct constant research and study of leading practices and emerging trends.
• Design and implement taxonomy management strategies for navigation systems, metadata, and search engine optimization to maximize site usability.
• Create taxonomies that are not simply usable, but also useful and desirable.
• Analyze web site trends and usage.
• Develop change processes.
• Develop governance models, procedures, and policies.
• Create and maintain a master taxonomy document.
• Create and maintain processes for taxonomy change that include appropriate stakeholders.
• Propose or approve all changes to the taxonomy.
• Create processes and documentation to import large blocks of content from outside repositories using disparate organizations and formats.
• 10 years’ experience as an Information Architect/Taxonomist.
• Adept Confidential translating complex concepts and functions, into simple and understandable designs.
• Practical-minded perfectionist. Ability to create compelling concepts, and work through complex details.
• Team player who is able to work independently, prioritize, and solve problems proactively.
• Exceptional listening, communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to fluently interact with software engineers, technical architects, and other disciplines.
• Provide thought leadership in collaborative environments.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Confidential

Senior Taxonomy Analyst

Responsibilities:

• Design and maintain an organized and intuitive taxonomy and faceted navigation (attributes) to consistently allow customers to find products quickly across homedepot.com.
• Make taxonomy improvements that increase page visits, conversion, revenue participation, and SEO ranking, and reduce bounce rate and exit rate.
• Designed and executed a comprehensive restructuring of the taxonomy and attributes for the Appliances category.
• Designed and currently executing a phased taxonomy strategy for the Kitchen category.
• Designed and wireframed a new proposed global taxonomy and navigation scheme for homedepot.com.
• Perform ongoing changes to the taxonomy and attributes to accommodate new products and changes in customer behavior determined by site analytics.
• Conduct merchant interviews, analyze web site metrics, perform competitor site research, and confer with SEO analysts to inform all taxonomy changes.
• Work with other taxonomists to establish taxonomy standards, processes, and best practices.

Confidential

Information Architect

Responsibilities:

• Created process flows, site maps, wireframes, navigation maps, screen prototypes, conceptual models, interaction design diagrams, taxonomy tools, and site specifications. Collaborated with graphic designers and the content team. Wrote test protocols and conducted videotaped usability testing of my CSP in stores and call centers.
• Portal: Designed several portlets and applications for my CSP including, Troubleshooting Solutions Tool, Equipment Catalog, Equipment Detail pages, faceted dynamic Browse, Autonomy Idol search interface, News and Calendar portlets, outbound E-mail, and many others.
• CMS (Vignette): Designed and maintained a subject-based taxonomy. Redesigned taxonomy and browse to eliminate the need for entitlements. Designed page templates and CTDs (Content Type Definitions).

Confidential

Information Architect (IA)

Responsibilities:

• Applied user-centered design skills to develop information architectures, navigation maps, taxonomies, and interaction designs to lead users through large complex web sites, portals, and other content collections.
• Created process flows, site maps, wireframes, navigation systems, screen mockups, conceptual models, site specifications, and style guides. Collaborated with graphic designers on site concepts, interfaces, and navigational structures.
• Designed information architectures for several large DT intranet sites. Established IA standards for DT. Authored the Confidential Information Architecture Methodology.
• Wrote and presented a white paper and proposal for an XML single-source publishing system for DT.
• Member (IA consultant) of the delta.com Style Guide Committee.

Confidential

Lead (Senior) Technical Writer

Responsibilities:

• Wrote online help, user guides, system administrator guides, programming guides, and web content. Supervised technical writers, and managed the documentation process for multiple print, online help, and web projects from inception to completion. Chaired the Editorial Board.

Confidential

Technical Writer

Responsibilities:

• Worked on contract as a Technical Writer for EDS Human Performance Services on the Confidential OPEDS project. OPEDS is a UNIX- and Windows-based computer-aided design (CAD), document management, and workflow system for installing and maintaining outside plant facilities. Researched specifications and design documents and interviewed subject matter experts. Created printed and online documentation.

Confidential

Technical Writer

Responsibilities:

• Worked on contract as a Technical Writer with Confidential Distribution Division in the Information Resources department. Wrote software specifications for the SMART sales and inventory application. Designed an easy-to-use quick- document format to identify objects and functions.

Confidential

Technical Writer/Consultant

Responsibilities:

• Worked with Confidential as a technical writer/consultant. Wrote user documentation and online help for Ceridian's Integrated HR/Payroll System for Windows and Compass applications. Wrote, edited, and produced graphics for user guides, guides, and online documentation.

Confidential

Information Product Developer

Responsibilities:

• Worked with Confidential (now Talus Solutions) as an independent Information Product Developer/consultant. Published user guides and system administration manuals for the Aeronomics custom client/server Revenue Management (yield management) software for the travel and hospitality industries worldwide. Wrote, edited, and produced graphics for the print and online documentation of major Aeronomics projects for the airline, hotel, and car rental industries. Provided publishing expertise resulting in improved formats, production solutions, and innovative content presentation.