ux portfolio

[email protected]

User Experience Designer

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2 Ashley P. Vernon [email protected] (267) 760-2616

For the last 3 years, I have acted as a User Experience Consultant with CSC’s Technology Consulting organization. I have familiarity in the ecommerce, finance, healthcare, and aerospace & defense industries, with a primary focus on the information architecture and user interface of systems. In 2010, I graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Information Science, and a B.S in Communication. With a focus on Human-Centered Systems, I am knowledgeable in both user interface design, and user research and testing. I have experience developing and evolving wireframes during interactive workshops as collaboration between client, business, and technical teams. I have also created interaction models that synchronize business requirements with user needs. I am a hard working and user-focused consulting professional with strong analytical and communication skills.

KEY SKILLS

IA, ID, UI, & UX Design

Usability Testing

Requirements Gathering

Time Management

SPECIALIZED TOOLS

iRise ★★★ Axure ★★☆ Morae ★★☆ Omnigraffle ★★☆ Balsamiq ★☆☆ Justinmind ★☆☆ Visio ★☆☆

About Me.

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Case Studies. I have pulled together representative work from a client project and an internal project that I have worked on recently, in order to demonstrate the quality of my deliverables in the fields of Interface Design, Interaction Design, Information Architecture, and User Experience.

Oct 2010 – Oct 2011 Redesign and modernization of a book, video, and music distributor’s ordering system. Good example of wire-framing, interface design, interaction design, information architecture, and user experience.

Feb 2012 – Apr 2012 Creation and design of a mobile application for concurrent use at a specific conference. Good example of mobile interface design, interaction design, and user experience.

Ecommerce Site TBSC Mobile

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Ecommerce Site. PROJECT NAME *name withheld* COMPANY *name withheld* THE CHALLENGE As one of the largest B2B distributors of books, videos, and music media, this company needed a new ecommerce platform which would allow several of their current systems to be consolidated into one unified web ordering system.

Final Result of Homepage

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Ecommerce Site. In the 12 months that I worked with them, I was responsible for:

The various features and functionalities for this project were separated into different releases. I was the user experience support for at least 5 releases, and was responsible for about 150 wireframes. I had to keep separate wireframes for each release and update them accordingly.

Maintaining a robust interaction model featuring fully navigable wireframes

Methodically tracking client requests and changes to the wireframes

Creating and maintaining hierarchical structures of the screen architecture

Assisting in the guidance provided to the off-shore development team to deliver the coded interface

Search Wireframe

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Ecommerce Site. THE PROCESS My time on the project began with a meeting to review the existing interaction model developed in iRise. For the first month, I worked in conjunction with a senior UX practitioner, and a Creative Director. Together we would clean up the interaction model and make updates to the pages. Modifications I specifically made included inserting approved graphics. I also mocked up several calendar display concepts.

Search Wireframe

Calendar Wireframe

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Ecommerce Site. THE PROCESS When we started working on a new major release, we held workshops with the client; they would explain the business rules and requirements for certain features. Because we were working on different releases with different features & functionalities, a separate iRise interaction model had to be created and updated for each release. In time, I was able to start independently designing pages. For example, with very little direction, I interpreted a lot of detailed hand-written notes on printed screenshots to produce a set of pages for a feature.

Publication Wireframe

Catalog Wireframe

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Ecommerce Site. THE PROCESS This was the process for many features. As

the process progressed, I matured the wireframes to reflect approved creative vision, advanced understanding of business design, user parameters, and navigation. I played a critical role in supporting business discovery workshops; the client’s expectation grew to rely on seeing wireframes that illustrate business direction, the impact of workflow, and business rules. When the new release started moving at a faster pace, I maintained the wireframe statuses in a tracking log. The pace also required me to support multiple, parallel business work streams. At times I had to produce and track changes to wireframes for 4 business analysts.

The project typically followed this pattern: Client & Business Analysts jointly

provide business needs & requirements for a feature

I mock up new wireframes to conceptualize the feature

Wireframe is internally reviewed, revisions are made as necessary

Workshop held to review wireframe with client; revisions are made as necessary. My screens were paired with the applicable use case, UML drawing, functional specifications, and object model to be handed off

Specified screens are treated with a visual design by the Creative Director

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Ecommerce Site. This project also allowed me to attempt information architecture. I was asked to create a site map for the new release. But we soon learned that a site map would not meet the client’s or developer’s needs. This site map evolved into several hierarchical structures of the screens. The hierarchical structure gave the client stakeholders a high-level understanding of the site’s organization and the screen relationships. The structure gave the developers a visual of what navigation was available to the user from certain pages. The developers also found the hierarchical structure extremely helpful when attempting to add in the breadcrumbs. *The content has been blurred out for confidentiality*

Hierarchical Structure



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Ecommerce Site. THE RESULT I had major impact on the success of a release’s design deliverables. My interaction model and hierarchical structure were heavily relied upon by downstream technical, data, and test teams who would remain working on the project long after my phase was finished. The result was a new web ordering system with increased functionality, an improved web experience, and streamlined business processes.

Final Result of Search Results

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TBSC Mobile – CSC PROJECT NAME TBSC Mobile COMPANY CSC THE CHALLENGE Looking to make the annual Technology and Business Solutions Conference (TBSC) more interactive, CSC’s Leading Edge Forum (LEF) desired to create a mobile application that would allow conference participants to view informational conference material, rate and leave comments about sessions, and connect with other conference attendees.

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TBSC Mobile – CSC In the 2 months that I worked on the project, I:

This project involved designing interfaces and interactions for conference and personal agendas, session and exhibitor details, and activity within the community. As the sole user experience support, I created and maintained over 30 wireframes.

Created and maintained an iRise interaction model from conception through implementation

Worked with stakeholders in an iterative fashion to develop and refine the interaction model

Home Wireframe

Agenda Wireframe

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THE PROCESS My time on the project began with a group meeting, where I was briefed on the business needs & objectives, and the basic required functionality of the mobile application. Use cases and use diagrams had already been started, as well as rough sketches of the potential layout. I was tasked to make progress on an iRise interaction design, before the team presented anything to the stakeholders. After internally reviewing the use case narratives and diagrams, examining Apple’s user interface guidelines, and researching mobile design examples, I began creating screens.

TBSC Mobile – CSC

Profile Wireframe Activity Wireframe

Interact Wireframe Details Wireframe

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THE PROCESS I reviewed my screens with the team, and they gave their feedback. They found my visuals a very productive way to evaluate the screen elements and the interactions. In fact, the plan changed from reviewing the written use cases with the stakeholders, to instead reviewing just my wireframes with the stakeholders. The team thought this route would be more effective, and improve our ability to collect feedback and revise the process flows.

TBSC Mobile – CSC Many iterative meetings were held with the stakeholders to ask clarifying questions and verify our assumptions about the screens. These meetings resulted in updated design decisions and periodically new requirements. I also worked with a visual designer to get appropriate mobile images, and conceptualize the branding. Once the wireframes were agreed upon, the interaction model and visual designs were then handed over to the development team for implementation and testing.

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TBSC Mobile – CSC THE RESULT My wireframes and interaction design laid the groundwork for finalized product. The result was a functional mobile application for conference participants. Version 1.0.3 is available on Apple’s App Store.

“It was incredibly easy to use the TBSC app on my iPad to see where to go for my next breakout session…The applications were very rich, very mature, and easy to navigate.” – A conference attendee

Final Agenda Final Home

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Additional Experience.

FINANCIAL INDUSTRY PUBLIC SECTOR USABILITY TESTING Created an interactive prototype in Axure for a testing solution by integrating the team’s business requirements and input from client representatives.

Helped assess the usability of a medication management system by helping write a Usability Test Plan. Also ran pilot usability tests using Morae, and presented findings.

Responsible for building an iRise interaction model representing a web portal for obtaining travel permits. I later assisted with the quality assurance of the web solution.

HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY DEFENSE INDUSTRY USER RESEARCH Created an iRise interaction model for an employee benefits portal. Worked closely with visual designer to incorporate visual design.

While taking several human-computer interaction courses, I gathered users’ attitudes on interfaces through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and usability tests.

As an intern for a leading defense company, I developed approximately 15 mockups of applications.

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Currently… LOCATION Philadelphia, PA PHONE (267) 760-2616 EMAIL [email protected]

I am currently continuing my role as a user experience consultant for CSC by working on user interface designs for client projects. Nevertheless, I am looking for permanent work as a mid-level user experience designer. I am interested in user-focused companies that provide the opportunity to work with real end-users, conduct user research, and design user interfaces through wireframes and interaction models. I am also eager to work with and learn from more senior user experience professionals.

THANKS FOR VISITING.

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