Resume for Ron Ford - Expert Visual Interface Designer

Ron Ford

Professional Profile

Expert User Interface and Web Designer with 21 years experience developing/designing high-end UI's with proven results for Boeing, Microsoft, Chase Manhattan Bank, Taco Bell, KFC, Tricon Global (Pepsi-co), Circuit City, InternetMall.com, Buysoftware.com, ShopNow.com, eHost.com, Nordstroms, Classmates and more.

SELECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Learn-by-doing.com - Designed and developed learn-by-doing.com into the premiere destination for broadcasters training and apprenticeship placement. Awarded the Best Career Schools Web site at the Career College Association (CCA) convention in Las Vegas 6/27/03.

Conceptualized, designed, developed and marketed a program called Flyerware™. Selected as best new software product finalist at the National Association of Realtors convention.

Designed the user interface for Computer Based Training (CBT) prototype that landed a five-year, multi-million-dollar account with Boeing & SAS's 747-400 and 767 Flight Courseware.

Flash interface for Taco Bell featured on Macromedia's Flash Leading Edge Section.

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Education

BS Degree in Visual Industrial Communications Education (VICOED)
Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA - Graduated 1987

Creative Talents

User-Centered Design
Brand Development
Redesign Specialist
Rapid UI Prototyping
Usability Methodology
Accomplished Illustrator

Visual Metaphors
Art & Icon Creation
2D & 3D Animations
Iterative Design Cycle
Information Architecture
Print, Video & Sound

Business Acumen

Art/Creative Direction
Manage Multiple Projects
Skilled Negotiator
Attentive Listener
Extremely Organized
Writing & Editing

Collaborator & Facilitator
Client Relations
Effective Communicator
Energetic Self-Starter
Efficient Delegation
Experienced Evangelist

Software Arsenal

Fireworks MX
Dreamweaver MX
Freehand MX
Flash MX
Swift 3D (vector-based)
Director

Acrobat
Illustrator
Photoshop
Premier
Microsoft Office
Learning Maya 3-D

Programming Skills

HTML Coding for cross-browser compatibility, JavaScript, DHTML, CSS, some XML/XSL, working knowledge of Flash ActionScript. Taking classes in PHP/MYSQL.


INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT
Web-Visuals.com, Lake Stevens, WA By project basis, 2/96 to present
Overview	Owner/Operator. Skills involved with running a profitable online business include, business development, project and product management, web design and development along with supervising development and creative resources.
Flash Designer 7/03 to 9/03	Morse Best Innovation – Creating Flash demos that present an animated overview of selected features and technologies available in Microsoft Office Systems 2003.
Developer 5/03 to 7/03	Vorsite - Took UI mockups for Microsoft's Infoweb and accurately rendered the graphics into HTML and carried the design style over to all the other pages while integrating it with the XML, XSL, JavaScript, VB Script and CSS code.
Designer/Developer 3/03 to 8/03	iLoanOfficer.net - Developed the information architecture then designed and developed web site using HTML, CSS, DHTML, JavaScript and CGI.
Designer/Developer 4/03 to 5/03	Ambushpest.com - Developed the information architecture then designed and developed web site using HTML, CSS, DHTML, JavaScript and CGI.
Designer/Developer 4/03 to 5/03	Midwestinfrared.com - Site redesign and logo development established this company as a national player in the infrared (Thermographers) field.
Designer/Developer 3/03 to 4/03	Railcartracking.com - Site redesign and branding development increased lead generation fourfold.
Designer/Developer 1/03 to 3/03	Learn-by-doing.com - Working with company president re-designed and developed learn-by-doing.com into the premiere destination for broadcasters training and apprenticeship placement. Awarded the Best Career Schools Web site at the Career College Association (CCA) convention in Las Vegas 6/27/03.
Rich Media Developer 2/02 to 4/02	Classmates - Developed an expandable banner mechanism using JavaScript that maximize online marketing campaigns by expanding existing advertising real estate.
Interface Designer 6/01 to 12/01	Dimension Systems - Branded, designed, developed a web site for Dimension Systems, a Washington based VAR that improve esthetics by utilizing Pacific NW elements.
Intershop Developer 5/98 to 4/99	Kissmycarribean.com - Designed and developed an e-commerce storefront utilizing Intershop's Template Language Extension (TLE) variables which generates dynamic data inside HTML code.
Interface Designer 1/98 to 2/98	Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) - Web-Visuals was contracted to redesign the front-end interface for the KFC consumer site.
Flash Designer 11/97	Pizza Hut Intro (The Edge) Flash Animation - Created an animated "The EDGE™" pizza flash introduction sequence for Pizza Hut's homepage.
Designer/Developer 7/96 to 10/99	Pico-American Dream Hydroplane - Designed with an American flag theme to emphasize the hydroplane branding.
Designer/Developer 5/96 to 6/96	Broadcasters Training Network - Took an old marketing pamphlet and turned it into an interactive experience that generated sales the same day it launched.
Interface Designer 2/96 to 5/96	Aluminum Association - Original graphics creation and HTML coding. Web site was integral part of a $24 million marketing campaign.

WORK EXPERIENCE
Network Commerce Inc, (AKA: ShopNow.com, TechWave Inc.) Seattle, WA Senior User Interface Designer, April 1998 - November 2002
Beginning of my tenor	Started with Network Commerce as a Senior UI Designer. In this position I was at the visual forefront of this fast paced, high-flying internet start up company that changed business models like people do shirts. Was able to deliver HTML prototypes that hit the mark the first time enabling NCI to shift focus so quickly. One example was the creation of four web sites (Buysoftware.com, Techwave.com, ShopNow.com, ShopNowMarket.com) in one month.
Responsibilities	Creative direction and implementation of desktop and web-based applications interface elements, which include screen layouts, navigation schemes, information architecture, visual metaphors, icons, animations, color selection, illustration, photography, typography, logos, interaction solutions and design specifications for all NCI properties. Usability direction for user-centered design techniques and optimum application usability by facilitating information between usability engineers and user interface designers and translating user feedback and design solutions to management and cross-functional teams. Technical direction by establishing coding guidelines for HTML, CSS, DHTML and JavaScript best practices.
Accomplishments	Sold the CEO on the concept of forming the UI Center, an internal group that combined interface designers with usability lab engineers and coordinated the set up of a first-class Usability Lab and participated in numerous user testing and analysis sessions. As a result UI designs were adjusted utilizing usability research data to create a better user experience.
	Last UI Designer standing when company, which once had a stock market value over a half a billion dollars and employed over 750 people, declared bankruptcy.

Major Projects Completed While At Network Commerce Inc:
UI Director/Designer 10/01 to 11/02	eHost.com - Site redesign increased page views from 2.2 to 5.7. The number of paid web sites rose more than 60% to over 7,500 customers in six months.
UI Director/Designer 5/02 to 11/02	SiteBuilder - Developed/designed a user-friendly front end that enables novice users to build a professional looking web site in minutes with no HTML experience. Established design processes and directed a team of designers in UI template production.
UI Director/Designer 3/02 to 5/02	eSellerCart - Designed site flow and interface for online application that provided a complete e-commerce storefront solution for any web site.
UI Director/Designer 1/02 to 3/02	Domain Dashboard - Web-based application that manages multiple domain names, sub-domains, MX records, email forwarding with a single account.
UI Designer/HTML Developer 5/01 to 10/01	FreeMerchant.com (FM) and InternetMall.com (IM) - Repackaged and upgraded both properties with new branding and UI's. Established a membership flow that integrated FM, an online Store Builder, into IM that was re-launched as FM stores-only online mall. Was soon thereafter sold to Digital River.
UI Designer 8/00 to 2/01	ShopNow.com - Conceptualized a new user interface based on shopping seasons. The day it launched the click-through rate rose from 5% to 20%.
Flash UI Designer 4/00 to 7/00	TreasureChest.com - Took over NCI's registration engine that managed 40,000 registrations in 6 months and conceived, designed and developed a new front end based on a Treasure Chest theme. When the UI went live, registrations were boosted to 80,000 registrations within the first 3 months. Designed the “Treasure Chest Loot Letter” that achieved the highest click-through rate for an NCI email.
UI Designer/HTML Developer 8/99- 3/00	ChaseShop.com - Hand-picked by CEO to handle Shop Now's biggest client. Designed, developed and art directed ChaseShop.com and the ShopNow Credit Card for Chase Manhattan Corporation. Coordinated and implemented usability testing.
UI Director 9/98 to 7/99	UI Center (Internal Group) - Founded and managed a team of UI Designers and Usability Engineers. This group provided an early focus on users with iterative usability testing, better trained designers with user-centered awareness and HTML expertise. This combination reduced turn around time, identified important design opportunities, saved money by catching costly problems early and delivered an easy and memorable experience for customers with consistent branding and focused message.
UI Designer/Developer 4/98 to 8/98	Techwave Electronic Software Distribution (ESD) 2.0 - Designed the enterprise application front-end that integrated the whole online software distribution process with the appropriate sections being exposed to software publishers, distributors, resellers, payment processors and the customer.

Microsoft Consulting Services-Advance Technology (MCS-AT), Bellevue, WA Contract Position, 9/96 to 3/98
Overview	This practice, closely tied with Microsoft development, focuses on using pre-released (Alpha) products from Microsoft development for a set of early adopter customers who are interested in using advanced technologies to develop high-end business solutions.
Programming	Responsibilities focused on designing and integrating front end user interfaces with Microsoft technologies using HTML, DHTML, some VB Scripting, ASP, and JavaScript.
Interface Design	Involved the whole process from concept to completion. Concept started with engineering a site map based upon customer's vision. Then, based on feedback, story boarded a web-based prototype growing the initial site map into a fully functioning web site. Other skills include overall project organization including documentation, demonstrations, and user interface analysis.

Projects Completed While At MCS-AT:
Web Developer/Designer 9/97 to 12/97	Circuit City Web site - Designed a home theater section that gave configuration advice based on form input. Interface was so well received the contract was extended to include the redesign of the entire web site.
Flash UI Designer 8/97 to 9/97	Albertsons On-Line Store (prototype) - Created a flash interface front end for an e-commerce prototype for Albertsons.
Interface Designer 7/97 to 8/97	Microsoft's North American Web site (MSNA) - Designed a GUI front end for all MSNA intranet customer units utilizing personalization techniques.
Web Developer/ Flash UI Designer 6/97 to 7/97	Tricon Global Website - Formally known as Pepsi-Co. Executives were so impressed with the Taco Bell site they contracted MCS-AT to develop their site in order to retain my services.
Web Developer/Designer 6/97	Microsoft World Wide Sales Manager Meeting - Built hypothetical company front-end showcasing 3rd party solution providers integration.
Web Developer 5/97	Boeing IE4 Active Desktop Demo - Used as Intranet demo to the President.
Web Developer/ Flash UI Designer 1/97 to 4/97	Taco Bell Web site - What started as a prototype showcasing Microsoft's internet technology was so well received by the executive committee that it went live. UI did not change until 2001. Featured at Macromedia's Flash Leading Edge Section.
Web Developer/Designer 1/97	MCS-AT Internal Web site - Redesigned and coded MCSAT's intranet site to project a leading edge image that MCSAT stood for.
Web Developer/Designer 11/96 to 12/96	Arcadia Bay IE4 demo - Coded and created the whole look and feel for an alpha IE4 demo utilizing the fictitious company of Arcadia Bay.
eHTML Developer 9/96 to 11/96	MSN Plaza e-Commerce Development - Worked on initial launch of the internet-based electronic commerce mall for MSN Plaza. Developed the American Greetings store with Microsoft Merchant Server extended HTML.


LIFE BEFORE THE INTERNET
Co-Owner Interface Designer Software Author Product Evangelist 9/94 to 9/97	CyberSight™ Software L.L.C. - Bellevue, WA Co-Founded company, then designed, developed and marketed a program called Flyerware™ that was selected as a best new software product finalist at the NAR (National Association of Realtors convention, 1996) Working with focus groups originated an interface that was so simple real estate agents, with no computer experience, created real estate flyers in 5 minutes or less. Put together successful targeted advertising campaigns that generated sales nationally. Developed a contact management database to track sales method and close rate. Gained experience in public speaking, convention presentations, software demonstrations and training. Company was bought by Homeshark.com in 10/97.
Owner 3-D Animations Illustrator 9/92 to 2/95	Ron Ford Computer Graphics - Puget Sound Region Jobs consist of graphic design, logo development and illustration for advertising, 2D & 3D graphics & animations for CBT, video & print. Gained experience in the day-to-day requirements of running a profitable business. Highlights: Was guest speaker on "Desktop 3D animations" for DBUG Graphics SIG. The Association of Video Producers. 1994 International Award of Excellence winner from the Medical Marketing Association for 3-minute 3-D animation. Videotape portfolio available upon request.
Interface Design Software Prototyping 3/90 to 12/92	WICAT Systems - R & D - Bellevue, WA Interpreted the company founders vision of an object oriented authoring program by developing a rapid software prototyping technique utilizing Macromedia Director that was used as instruction and example to a team of software engineers for research and development. All Multimedia projects involved 3D renderings, animations, technical illustration, digital manipulations of video sequences, interface design and icon development.
Lead Interface Designer Multimedia Developer 2/88 to 3/90	WICAT Systems - Boeing Flight Ops CBT - Seattle, WA Designed user interface for Computer Based Training (CBT) prototype that landed a multi-million dollar account with Boeing. Worked closely with a team of instructional designers & programmers to develop the interaction and graphical appearance for 280 hours of courseware for Boeing's 747-400 and 767 Flight & Maintenance CBT. Authored interactive multimedia lessons using WICAT's proprietary language (self taught). Skills included producing computer graphics, technical illustration and animations synched with digitized audio, laser disk video and touch screen monitors.
Graphic Consultant 9/86 to 6/87	Western Washington University - Bellingham, WA Taught fellow students various computer graphics programs.
Computer Graphic Intern 5/86 to 9/86	American Motion Pictures - Seattle, WA Extensive one-on-one mentor training with renowned digital paintbox artist.

Resume reduced version ;-)	Resume For Ron Ford