June 2009 » Present
Founder and Chief Experience Officer
The Moment Collective // Santa Cruz, California

The Moment Collective creates mobile and web-based tools that empower people by enhancing one's situation awareness through effective and increasingly relevant information design.

We also consult with organizations seeking to design, user-test, improve and market innovative software applications, services and games for desktop, web and mobile platforms.

June 2009 » Present
User Experience Advisor
Networked Insights, Inc. // Madison, Wisconsin

After co-founding Networked Insights, Inc., and serving as Chief Experience Officer from 2006 until 2009, I continue to serve as an advisor in the areas of user experience and social data visualization.

September 2006 » June 2009
Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer
Networked Insights, Inc. // Madison, Wisconsin

Networked Insights' SocialSense dashboard gives marketers a clear and focused understanding of who their audiences are, what they're interested in, and where they're engaging.

• Led a multi-disciplinary team of employees in the design and creation of SocialSense, the company's flagship social media data anlaysis and visualization application for marketing professionals
• Led design and creation of SocialCenter, a white-label social network application
• Responsible for initial underlying data discoverability models and underlying look and feel across applications
• Provided design leadership from early (pre-funding) interface concepts through the first and second versions of the SocialSense as well as forward-looking data visualization and design concepts for future functionality
• Provided long-range, big-picture R&D thinking around multidimensional trending and dense data displays for increased social situation awareness for companies
• Created low-fidelity sketches, storyboards, wireframes and high-fidelity Illustrator mock-ups to communicate social data visualization and exploration concepts

July 2006 » September 2006
Freelance User Experience Consultant
Avatar Imports, LLC // Santa Cruz, California

• Redesigned the existing Avatar Imports shopping experience to improve site navigation, usability, page layout and visual design
• Researched best-in-class shopping experiences to identify and emulate current trends, design patterns and best-practices for interaction and visual design
• Responsible for all interaction design, visual design and initial Dreamweaver template production
• Coordinated remotely and in person with Nepalese back-end developers and content creators

December 2005 » July 2006
Freelance User Experience Consultant
Delivery Agent // San Francisco, California

• Conducted a heuristic evaluation and subsequent user testing study for Delivery Agent Inc to evaluate target users' perceptions of existing product segmentation and general usability of web shopping experiences for ABC TV Store and SeenON! NBC
• Redesigned the existing ABC TV Store shopping experience to improve overall usability, navigation, page layout and placement of media and advertising elements based on previous heuristic evaluation
• Redesigned the existing SeenON! NBC shopping experience to improve site navigation, page layout and increase traffic between SeenON! NBC and the NBC Universal Store websites

March 2005
Freelance User Experience Consultant
Supergroop Studios // San Francisco, California

• Analyzed and edited multi-camera ethnographic video footage of video game play house-party into short thematic vignettes for "Perform or Else! Why (and How) to Include Extroverted Play Design in your Game" - a lecture by Dr. Katherine Isbister at the 2005 Game Developer's Conference.

November 2004 » September 2005
Freelance User Experience Consultant
Mehraban Oriental Rugs // Los Angeles, California

• Managed the production and launch of the Mehraban Oriental Rugs e-commerce web application, serving as liaison between clients, design firm and development firm
• Worked with developers and clients on bug identification and resolution
• Identified and fixed navigation usability issues in design firm's original framed site design
• Wrote technical specifications for new features
• Created introductory Flash animation for site
• Defined the client's photo production process, from green-screen setup and lighting, rug image capture and management, to rotoscoping and image correction in Photoshop, semi-automated web image production, upload and management
• Developed manuals and Photoshop action scripts for photo production process
• Trained Mehraban employees on the photo production process and the use of the back-end e-commerce, email marketing and content management tools

February 2002 » March 2005
Freelance Embedded Ethnographer
Mitchell Family // Coeur d' Alene, Idaho

• Documented over 3 years of in-depth ethnographic and usability video footage of my eldest brother: a high-functioning, 50+ year-old male with cerebral palsy, mild mental retardation and numerous physical, emotional and behavioral issues
• The intention is to understand typical and potential-crisis scenarios to best design a mobile tool that leverages existing mobile- and web-based information and communication technology to assist challenged populations to become more independent, safer, healthier, happier and more seamlessly connected to his network of family members, friends and service providers
• Footage includes: mobile phone setup and training, mobile phone etiquette, goal setting, task completion, scheduling, transportation, decision making, budgeting, behavior modification, reminder games, medication monitoring, medical examinations, diagnoses and treatment management, surgical procedures, food preparation, anger management, personal-hygiene and self-care of wounds

November 2002 » November 2003
Freelance User Experience Consultant
oneVillage Foundation and oneVillage.biz // San Jose, California

• Designed, developed and maintained the original oneVillage Foundation and oneVillage.biz websites
• Designed, developed and produced all oneVillage family identity, logos and info-graphics
• Co-authored company presentations and marketing documents
• Led a multi-disciplinary team of employees and outside developers in the conception of an integrated information and communication technology tool
• Developed Photoshop and HTML prototypes for a 'unified online profile' based on storytelling and profile-based automated matchmaking
• Assisted in the conception and definition of an international 'ecotravel' company intended to create jobs, identify areas for microinvestment and stimulate sustainable economic growth in developing countries

August 2000 » August 2001
Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer
fatbubble Inc. // San Francisco, California

The fatbubble tool integrated the power of the Web Browser with the global reach of the Instant Messaging (IM) buddy network, tapping into the power of real communities by providing a trusted, peer-based, knowledge management & recommendation agent for consumers.

The tool lived within a resizable anchored window at the bottom of an Internet Explorer browser window and allows for passive advice sharing on content and products based on the actions of peers, with single-click access to their network of friends: where they go, what they know and what they have to share.

Our goal was to deliver a useful, filterable, sharable, persistent history log of a user's web travels along with simple control over what people get to view which threads of my activity. The real challenge was figuring out how to do this without being creepy. Privacy was key.

• Co-inventor on United States Patent 7,080,139: “Method and apparatus for selectively sharing and passively tracking communication device experiences” which enables users to capture comments and ratings about visited locations (on the web or in the real-world) and passively share/publish categorical threads of experience and activity with trusted others using their mobile device or computer
• Led a multi-disciplinary team of employees and outside developers in the creation of a web-based consumer rating and commenting application for instant messaging users
• Led development of the company's application from initial concept through creation of functional requirements, design and prototyping, user-testing and into development
• Conducted surveys and small focus groups to understand target audience
• Developed information architecture and user-flows for the application
• Designed and developed prototype application (using HTML and Photoshop) for user-testing and design specifications document
• Designed, developed and maintained fatbubble website (no longer active)
• Hired and managed outside graphic designer to develop the final look and feel of the fatbubble tool, display panels, website and introductory Flash animation
• Co-authored all company marketing documents
• Co-developed and presented business plan to Silicon Valley investment community including VC/Angel pitch meetings with well known investors
• Pursued and secured seed-round financing from domestic and international investors

December 1999 » July 2000
Customer Experience Architect » Director of User Experience
Scient Accelerator Unit
Scient Corporation » Sherpa Ears, LLC // San Francisco, California

Sherpa Ears promised to be a new way for people to create and share music on the web by facilitating self-forming, music-focused communities and providing a suite of tools for rating, commenting, recruiting, listening, sharing playlists, buying music, creating and editing music... you could even track your trusted friends' activities, listening choices and recommendations.

Sherpa Ears was one of the first startup clients to be incubated by Scient's "Accelerator" unit. I was selected to serve as Customer Experience Architect for the client and subsequently hired into Sherpa Ears as Director of User Experience.

• Involved in early brainstorming, user requirements gathering, participatory design sessions, naming and branding exercises
• Managed outside creative development team to quickly build a compelling Flash and HTML mockup the founders could take on the road to show investors and music industry decision makers

February 1999 » February 2000
Lead User Interface Engineer
Customer Experience Innovations Center (CEIC)
Scient Corporation // San Francisco, California

Scient was a premier eBusiness Systems Innovator from 1998 through 2004. They were the world's first company dedicated to using the science of experience strategy, design, and technology to create extraordinary results for clients.

• Third person hired into Scient's creative department (CEIC)
• Helped grow the CEIC to over 200 high-caliber creative people within first year
• Co-authored and developed sections of the Scient design approach
• Hired and managed outside design firms and contract developers
• Served as customer experience architect, information architect, UI designer, and liaison between clients and teams of visual designers, web animators, front-end technologists and back-end programmers to communicate and implement user-centered design considerations for high-visibility e-business and e-commerce web applications
• Involved across development life-cycle from early brainstorming, naming and branding exercises, user requirements gathering and participatory design sessions through iterative usability testing and functional testing
• Designed and prototyped user-flows and UI components for e-commerce web applications such as BenefitPoint and Sephora
• Designed and conducted usability evaluations of Scient web applications and web-related deliverables, translating user insights into potential design opportunities/solutions for clients and communicating such solutions to other product designers and engineers

February 1997 » January 1999
Interface Design and Usability Engineer
Web Externals Design and Development Group
IBM Corporation // Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

• Served as creative director and liaison between IBM website clients and teams of visual designers, web animators, and programmers to communicate and implement user-centered design considerations for high-visibility segments of the IBM corporate web space
• Monitored the consistency and overall end-product quality, fit and finish across a number of high-visibility external IBM product and service websites
• Awarded for making significant impact to the usability of the IBM external web standard
• Designed and conducted usability evaluations of IBM software products, web-based applications and websites
• Designed and prototyped UI components for web server and content management software
• Analyzed usability data and communicated findings via summary reports for IBM clients

SBIR Grants

July 1994 » September 1996
Creative Director/Multimedia Developer/Interface Designer
Software and Multimedia Products Group
American Research Corporation of Virginia // Radford, Virginia

• Served as creative director and liaison between management and teams of video/graphic artists and programmers to communicate and implement user-centered design considerations across all products
• Managed the development of interactive multimedia and computer graphics software for medical and behavioral applications sponsored by National Institutes of Health
• Directed the filming and editing of video and art/animation development
• Promoted to lead designer/developer of graphical UIs for multimedia software products
• Designed and conducted usability and efficacy evaluations of multimedia software products
• Organized content and edited scripts for multimedia productions
• Recruited and supervised personnel, including acting talent, for multimedia productions

Doctor of Philosophy
Industrial and Systems Engineering
Human Factors Option with Human-Computer Interaction Concentration
Virginia Tech // Blacksburg, Virginia

Dissertation (Sponsored by American Research Corporation of Virginia)
"The effects of embedded question type and locus of control on processing depth, knowledge gain, and attitude change in a computer-based interactive video environment."

PDF Dissertation  1.4 MB

Master of Science
Psychology
Human Factors Option
University of Idaho // Moscow, Idaho

Thesis (Sponsored by General Motors Research Laboratories)
"Determining effective display format and content options for in-car moving-map navigation and information systems."

Bachelor of Science
Psychology Major
Music Minor
University of Idaho // Moscow, Idaho

“Method and apparatus for selectively sharing and passively tracking communication device experiences”

United States Patent 7,080,139
Issued: July 18, 2006

Application Number: 09/841,475
Filed: April 24, 2001

Inventors
Darren P. Briggs, Nashville, Tenn. (US)
Brady O. Bruce, San Francisco, Calif. (US)
Michael W. Mitchell, San Francisco, Calif. (US)
Emile L. Reed, IV, San Francisco, Calif. (US)

Assignee
fatbubble, Inc., San Francisco, Calif. (US)

Abstract
The present invention includes methods and devices for passively tracking and selectively sharing user experiences with communication devices, including computers, web-enabled telephones, and PDAs. User rating or comments on their experiences can be captured. Particular aspects of the present invention are described in the claims, specification and drawings.

Background
The Internet has opened up new channels of communication and vectors of influence over decision-making. Web sites, peer-to-peer technologies, e-mail and instant messengers are new communication technologies, which have major impacts.

Advertisers and marketers have shown great interest in the influence of these new technologies. However, it is difficult to observe the channels of communication or vectors of influence using traditional market research methods.

Users of the new communication technologies have been particularly quick to embrace instant messengers.

Users desire new ways of sharing with friends the experiences they have and discoveries they make using the new communication technologies. Therefore, there is an opportunity to introduce a new technology, a method and device which provide a new way of sharing experiences, potentially allowing advertisers and marketers to study channels of communication and vectors of influence at the same time.