Summary:

User-centered designer with ability to make dramatic impact on product usage and site metrics through a dynamic mix of usability studies and knowledge of usability fundamentals, engaging visual design, and clean, usable interaction design. Successfully able to strike the balance between users needs, marketing/business requirements, and technical limitations while collaborating with developers, program managers and executive-level stakeholders.

2007 - 2010

User Experience Designer, Xmarks Inc., Seattle, WA

• Increased new signups by 20% and reduced fallout in signup funnel as a result of identifying and fixing significant usability issues in the signup flow.
• Ability to rapidly prototype user-centered interactions and visual designs allowed company to be flexible and agile in trying to find market sweet spot.
• Created significant spike in usage for product features by identifying successful design techniques and reusing them in appropriate places.
• Management of design projects contracted to outside vendors led to projects that received accolades from our users.

2000 - present

Freelance Experience

• Created web presence for a new business striking the balance between cost of maintaining a large website and having enough information online to entice viewers to contact company for quotes resulting in an increase in quote requests and revenue.
• Dramatically increased bookings for a small yoga bed and breakfast by creating a visually engaging website that conforms to usability best practices.
• Designed branding, user interactions, user interfaces, user flows, landing pages, pitches and blogs for startups as well as established companies.

2007

Visual Designer, Obopay Inc., Seattle, WA

• Design user-centered interactive prototypes of site features, templates, flash animations and icons for Obopay.com, billmonk.com, mobile applications, AIM widget and MySpace page.
• Coordinate, designed and moderated usability studies then documented the results and incorporated them into new designs and redesigns.
• Design marketing materials and presentation graphics for use in pitches to potential corporate partners and investors.

2006 - 2007

Contract Graphic Designer, Microsoft Casual Games, Redmond, WA

• Designed templates and wire frames for pages of the new MSN Games website, including Members Benefits page, Articles pages and more, according to UX Guidelines.
• Created icons, illustrations, animations and skinned games for MSN Games website.
• Collaborated with Marketing on Microsoft Casual Games flyer and business card.
• Designed advertising and sponsorship pitches to companies such as Warner Brothers, Sunkist, Toys ‘R Us and more.

2006

Contract Graphic Designer, Microsoft MSX Team, Redmond, WA

• Researched concepts and designed suites of icons and animations for Personalization, Sound/Audio and Windows Meeting Space for Windows Vista in collaboration with product teams.
• Ensured that icons were in compliance with UX Guidelines, geo-political and usability standards and continued the visual language of legacy icons.

2004 - 2005

Graphics and Communications Assoc., International Community Health Services, Seattle, WA

• Maintained the website which required training in Plone, organizing content and working with the company hosting the site.
• Managed multiple design projects including advertisements, internal and external newsletters, posters, brochures, signage, etc. This included collaborating with many different departments and delegating work in order to meet deadlines.
• Created concepts for projects and events and executed ideas through all collateral.

Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts, Graphic Design
Cum Laude
Boston University
Boston, MA
1998 – 2002

Skills

Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Image-Ready)
Dreamweaver
Flash
Basic HTML and Javascript
CSS
Microsoft Office Applications
MAC and PC platforms
Digital and print photography
Design, illustration and layout using both high-tech and traditional processes

Extras

Completed class at UW on Usability Testing
Attended Jakob Nielsen's seminar "Fundamentals of Web Usability"
On patent applications for Windows Vista Icons
Former Board Member of the Seattle Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans
Full athletic scholarship to Boston University
America East Student-Athlete Honor Roll 1998-2002