Krys Taylor's Resume

Goal:
I am seeking a senior user interface or user experience position in a company that prizes its employees as its greatest asset. With a strong technical background, broad spectrum of expertise and knowledge of industry standards, I can save design cycles and development time in a team of any size. At this time I am only seeking permanent employee status.


Experience:

April 2007 - Present
Jigsaw
Principal Interaction Designer

• Owned all aspects of online user experience for a complex, web-based application.
• Redesigned app from four different UI’s to one single, consistent look and feel.
• Performed customer requirement gathering, usability research and feature validation for all new products, saving development time and improving usability scores.
• Worked within product team to manage design contractors and collaborate with marketing, engineering and executives on major projects.
• Simplified every feature in the application, applying progressive disclosure principles to enhance learnability.
• Applied proper information architecture while redesigning major screens of the app, resulting in increased revenues and user activity.

May 2006 - April 2007
Tacit Software
User Interface Designer

• Benchmarked the original UI of a desktop application using usability testing, heuristic evaluation, and baseline review.
• Built long-term strategy for user interface, emphasizing smooth transitions for the user and manageable development segments.
• Successfully brought product to beta and initial public release in cooperation with development team, marketing and executives.
• Provided numerous complete redesigns of the desktop application look and feel, toward three different goals.
• Remained agile through company direction changes, modifying goals and work plans as needed.

Sept 2002 - May 2006
Cisco Systems, Inc.
User Interface Designer (contract position)

• Completed initial task - hi-fi prototype of a new ordering tool - in 2 weeks. Estimated time had been 3 months.
• Created and socialized unified ordering and tracking user interface to replace current function-based tools. Project was adopted.
• Created complete set of mockups and user interface design specifications for new ordering system, based on user research and iterative testing.
• Performed baseline usability testing and evaluation on current systems and used the results to refine the new system design.
• Identified best practices and metrics to be applied to entire organization, resulting in greater awareness of customer needs and feedback.

May 2002 - Sept 2002
Avere, Inc.
User Interface Design Director (contract position)

• Created user interface for enterprise-level application suite using XHTML, XSL, XML and JSP
• Built Java servlets to support user interface
• Hand-coded HTML and JSP prototypes to specify graphical look and feel of application and address all business requirements
• Created corporate image collateral (postcards, mailers, etc.)
• Created styleguide and workflow specifications to ensure pleasant and efficient user experience

Jun 1996 - Dec 2005
Swankster (freelance) President

• Formed company as contract/freelance effort in 1996
• Design and hand-code web-based application prototypes for clients including: QuickStrike, Society SM, RealHouseMusic.com, XAT, Inc., and Prochnow, LLP.
• Provide usability testing and support to clients including: QuickStrike, Avere, Inc. and XAT
• XML/XSL hand-coding and graphic design for clients including: Avere, Inc.
• Provide logo, branding and corporate identity design for clients including: NevadaQuest, Spider Internet, QMN Consulting, MuyCool Communications and Wildlife Rescue Foundation
• Design and develop static and dynamic HTML/Flash websites for clients including: XAT, Inc., Great Basin Internet, Magic 95.5 FM, The Hawk FM, QMN Consulting, Mayor Sandy Eakins and Quadravision

Mar 2000 - Mar 2002
Andale, Inc.
User Interface Manager

• Designed entire look and feel of complex web-based application, and built HTML prototypes to support concepts and new development
• Ran usability testing and heuristic evaluations on a regular basis with actual users, and implemented findings
• Used original look and feel of web-based application to create first styleguide to improve consistency across site, resulting in increased usability
• Redesigned site to incorporate new corp image and more efficient user interface, decreasing the time required for a new user to learn the application
• Created User Interface and usability processes, increasing production efficiency and customer satisfaction
• Managed several UI designers and web developers through daily production of mockups
• Personally designed two separate desktop-based Visual Basic applications for the company
• Responsible for HTML, JavaScript and JSP implementation of UI

Aug 1999 - Mar 2000
Integrated Device Technology, Inc.
Senior Web Developer

• Hand-coded JavaScript, CGI, dHTML, XML to support e-commerce efforts
• Managed a cross-functional team of designers and developers through daily production and project delivery
• Built secure extranet for use by major clients, including Solaris, Apache, and LDAP implementation and administration and project management
• Spearheaded intranet consistency and usability effort, resulting in unified look/feel and access to corporate intranet
• Lead developer and project manager for XML integration effort and Plumtree/SAP integrations
• Spearheaded usability effort for all e-business efforts, including corporate site, intranet and extranet sites. Performed all usability testing and coordinated with third party usability vendors.

Mar 1999 - Aug 1999
HardwareStreet.com
Senior Web Designer

• Daily hand-coding of HTML: maintenance and publication of web pages for busy e-commerce site
• Performed internal usability testing and used results to create user convenience features for intranet use
• Performed external usability testing and redesigned website to incorporate customer feedback and usability testing results
• Managed several junior employees and created processes to increase their productivity by 20%
• Provided desktop support technician and NT systems administration

Oct 1996 - Mar 1999
Great Basin Internet/Spider Internet
Head of Web Design

• Formed company as Great Basin's web design department.
• Responsible for all usability testing and implementation of results
• Trained and managed two web design employees and one intern.
• Managed all aspects of web site creation from customer interface to graphic design and high-level programming, including front and back-end development of web apps

Jun 1996 - Oct 1996
All Computers, Inc.
Hardware Tech

• Specialized in Internet hardware and applications, as well as LAN and WAN setup and administration.
• Provided DOS and MS Windows Technical support over the phone and in office.
• Repaired and supported personal computer systems with various hardware and software configurations
• Built custom computer systems for home and corporate users

Jan 1995 - June 1996
IBM
CE/Field Technician
IBM’s Technology Services Solutions was a partnership with Kodak to provide on-site hardware troubleshooting and repair

• I was the youngest field technician ever employed by IBM
• Provided hardware service and repair for Packard Bell, Acer, Gateway, Compaq, and IBM AS400 and POS equipment

Skills:
I have extensive professional and commercial experience in web and e-commerce design and development. In each category, my skills are listed in order of strength.

Web Programming (13 years experience)
HTML, JavaScript, dHTML, CSS, XML, XSL/XSLT, Perl/ CGI, JSP/ASP, Visual Basic, PHP3, Java

Graphic, User Interface, and Web Design (13 years experience)
User interface & e-commerce design, print graphic design, Intra- and extra- net design, information architecture, Usability testing, Heuristics, HCI, Search Engine Optimization/Drive To Site

Management (9 years experience)
Project management, Design Team management, Product management

Miscellaneous (lifelong)
Creative writing, Copyediting


Achievements:

• I took third place in the Masters of the Web international design competition in 1999
• I wrote a weekly web design column for two years for the Reno Gazette-Journal
• I have participated as an "expert judge" in numerous design competitions, and have been invited to be a guest speaker at many trade shows and conventions.
• I volunteer my time as a children's art teacher for PAPPA, a non-profit arts organization.