Summary
Jaime Levy Russell is a highly experienced user experience designer and content producer with 15 years experience in the field of new media and convergent technologies. She is obsessively focused on creating innovative interfaces and enhanced content experiences for products and services delivered on broadband, iTV and other emerging platforms.
- Able to ensure a high quality user experience that meets business goals
- Expertise in website production from initial conception through launch
- Experience in designing usable and client-oriented transactional web-based interfaces
- Knowledgeable of best usability practices, methodologies, and standards compliant design
Experience
2/2008 – CurrentHUGE Los Angeles, CA
User Experience Lead
- Select research processes and other tools, and participate in user testing or fieldwork as needed
- Participate in business development and project planning (e.g. putting together and participating in presentations, scoping, resource planning, etc.)
- Partner with Senior Clients to determine product's mandate, feature set, and measures of success
- Develop user personas, scenarios of use, task analysis, interaction models, and experience briefs
- Oversee creation of mock ups, functional prototypes, and other artifacts
4/2006 – 2/2008SchematicLos Angeles, CA
Senior User Experience Designer
- Defined functionality, content, navigation, and interaction models through wireframes, site-maps, process flowcharts, content matrices, page description diagrams and other documentation
- Presented IA/ID deliverables and recommendations to clients, and lead related meetings
- Contributed to the accurate definition of project scope and phasing
- Contributed to the development of content/data models, nomenclature and taxonomies
- CLIENTS: AOL, Turner Classics, ABC, GE, Universal, and Oprah
2005 –2006 Zodeca (contract) Los Angeles, CA
Lead Designer/Information Architect
- Developed user interfaces for database-driven websites and portals
- Created wireframes, mockups and design specifications that communicate the interaction design to the graphic designers
- Provided expertise in the latest Web 2.0 technologies and current UI trends
- Converted Photoshop compositions into fully optimized standards compliant XHTML and CSS layouts ready for seamless integration with ASP.net
2005 Genwax (contract) Los Angeles, CA
Information Architect
- Redesigned and developed the front-end for a product-driven and seasonally updated transactional website
- Conducted usability tests using paper prototypes, evaluated the results, and provided recommendations for improvements
- Created sitemaps, wireframes, flowcharts, and use case scenarios documentation
- Led the creative staff by providing them with detailed design specifications
- http://www.ehollywood.net/genwax/ (demo)
2004 – 2005 Passport Productions Los Angeles, CA
DVD and Web Producer
- Designed and developed a promotional website and blog for a major poker tournament that is nationally syndicated on broadcast television
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to produce interactive menus and non-linear content on DVD
- http://www.ehollywood.net/upc/ (demo)
2002 – 2003 DHIMA Institute of the Arts Los Angeles, CA
Multimedia Instructor
- Taught a comprehensive web development course covering interaction, information design, usability, site architecture, optimization, branding, type, and color issues
- Topics included: DHTML, HTML, CSS, Dreamweaver, Flash, and JavaScript
- http://www.ehollywood.net/dhima (course syllabus)
1997 – 2002 Electronic Hollywood, Inc New York, New York
Creative Director
- Wrote a business plan that brought in a 500k angel investment to start a business that specialized in the production of web-based cartoons, games and interactive advertising
- Pitched projects, spoke at conferences, and worked the press to promote the company in original ways
- Worked directly with clients to gather requirements and manage expectations of deliverables
- Directed and managed both an in-house and freelance staff on numerous interactive projects
- Created nationally recognized industry firsts using rich-media technologies to convert old media branding into new media content
- Wrote, produced, and directed the web-based episodic cartoon series turned animated feature film "CyberSlacker" produced entirely in Flash
- CLIENTS: Artisan Entertainment, Campbell Soup, Ericsson, HBO, Kraft, Miller Brewing Co., Miramax, MTV, New Line Cinema, Partnership for Drug Free America, Samsung, SonicNet, Sony Music, Tommy Hilfiger, World Opponent Network
- http://www.ehollywood.net/ (Electronic Hollywood's portfolio)
- http://www.ehollywood.net/spaghettios/ (client work: Flash website)
- http://www.ehollywood.net/content/cyberlab/ (client work: prototype simulation)
- http://www.ehollywood.net/cyberslacker/ (episodic cartoon)
1995 – 1996 Icon CMT Corp. White Plains, New York
Creative Director
- Produced and managed content integration, interface design, animation, and music for an on-line, web-based magazine (WORD.com). WORD received national recognition for design and cutting-edge programming
- Also served as creative director of corporate website development
- Hired and supervised a staff of 5-10 full-time and freelance designers, animators, and programmers on a project-to-project basis
1994 – 1995 IBM, Inc New York, New York
Interface Designer
- Conceptualized and produced graphic user interfaces for prototypes of electronic services such as video conferencing and catalog shopping
1993 – 2000 New York University’s ITP Program New York, New York
Multimedia Instructor
- Taught courses called "Electronic Publishing" and "Web-based Animation" for the Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University
- Lectured on the development process for creating low-bandwidth presentations, cartoons, and games using Macromedia Director and Flash for distribution on the Internet and in fixed-format media
1993 Viacom new media New York, New York
Interface Designer
- Conceptualized and designed a video-on-demand prototype for a joint-venture (with AT&T) interactive television experiment in Castro Valley, CA
- Produced and designed the overall look and feel of the interface for MTV's first CDROM prototype of the band Aerosmith by repurposing MTV rockumentary and music video footage into a non-linear structure
1992 – 1993 emi records New York, New York
Interactive Producer
- Designed, animated, and programmed the first commercially released interactive press kit (IPK) for Billy Idol’s Cyberpunk CD digipack
- This worldwide promo (on floppy disk) included sequenced samples, digitized video, hypertext, and animation
TECHNICAL SKILLS (Pc and macintosh)
After Effects, Dreamweaver, Director, Excel, Flash, GarageBand, InDesign, Keynote, Microsoft Office, Omnigraffle, PhotoShop, Visio
Education
Spring 1990; M.A. Interactive Telecommunications
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, Tisch School of the Arts
Spring 1988; B.A. Broadcast Communication Arts
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN FRANCISCO. Graduate Cum Laude