Overview

I'm currently working as an independent Design Consultant specializing in the areas of interaction design, prototyping and ethnographic research.

Contact me at jeff at howardesign dot com.

Education

Carnegie Mellon University, School of Design.
M.Des in Interaction Design, 4.0 cumulative GPA.
Graduated: May 2005.

Southwest Missouri State University.
BFA in Design with emphasis in graphic design, summa cum laude.
Graduated: May 1998.

Design Experience

Howardesign: June 2006-present.

Independent Design Consultant with expertise leading design and research efforts for start-ups and non-profits and collaborating with design consultancies on web, mobile, consumer electronics and service design projects.

Cooper: August 2006-February 2007.

Design Consultant with experience conducting and documenting research for financial, enterprise and consumer electronics clients. Also led the re-design and documentation of software for a hand-held medical device.

Smart Design: August 2005-July 2006.

Interaction Designer responsible for the planning, design and documentation of digital and physical interfaces, including work for Fortune 100 clients. Also responsible for the planning, execution and analysis of design research.

CMU School of Design: August 2003-December 2004.

Designer for the DMM Transformation project, a collaboration with the United States Postal Service to evangelize user-centered design principles within the organization. Responsible for conducting user tests of architecture and form as well as the management of typography and design across the print and electronic versions of the 1,500-page Domestic Mail Manual.

iMarlin (formerly Modus Design): January 2001-August 2002.

Interactive Designer responsible for the concept, design and production of new media applications, websites and CD-ROMs. Responsible for initiating user-testing protocols and coordinating new media teams. Also responsible for the research and implementation of DHTML and other new media standards, including usability and interaction guidelines.

D3 Design: July 1998-December 2000.

Designer responsible for the design and production of one- two- and four-color publications. Responsible for the coordination of new media teams and establishing new media standards. Also responsible for the management of multiple clients.

Office of University Publications, SMSU: August 1997-May 1998.

Student Designer responsible for the design and production of one- two- and four-color publications.

Teaching Experience

CMU School of Design: August 2004-May 2005.

Instructor for Computing in Design. Taught a graduate- and undergraduate-level course introducing designers to fundamental concepts of programming through the Macromedia Flash environment.

SMSU Department of Art & Design: August 2001-May 2003.

Instructor responsible for the development of lesson plans and the instruction of Sophomore- and Senior-level courses including:
Design 497 - Design for New Media.
Design 210 - Introduction to Computer Graphic Design.
Design 202 - Graphic Design Systems.

Professional Skills

Experience leading interdisciplinary design teams.
Design research methods including:
  • Field Observation
  • User Interviews
  • Card Sorting
  • User Personas
  • Generative Prototyping
Superlative craft and attention to detail.
Strong typographic sensibility across print and digital media.
Command of multiple scripting languages.
Unbounded curiosity.

Exhibitions

DUX: Designing for User Experience: Fall 2005.
Seybold Seminars: The Day Our World Changed: Winter 2002.
AIGA/KC Literacy Poster Show: Fall 2000.
Seventh International of the Political Poster, Belgium: Spring 1998.
World Cup Football Poster Exhibition, France: Spring 1998.
SMSU Design and Image Student Exhibition: Spring 1996, 1997.

Media

Print November/December 2001.
Communication Arts 2001 Design Annual.

Honors

Academic Scholarship: Southwest Missouri State University.
SMSU Honor Roll: Fall 1994-graduation. 3.94 cumulative GPA.
Adobe Dream Team Contest: 2nd place, Design.
Art and Design Scholarship.

Interests

Sleight of Hand Magic
Physical Computing
Cycling

References available upon request