Welcome: July 25, 2008 | EMPLOYMENT | WEB BLOG | CONTACT
RECENT WORK
04/06/08 Updated:
Creative product Designer III
Technical Illustration
WEB/Graphic Design
Art Director
ADDITIONAL INFO
Current Study: Italian Language North
Seattle Community College
Seattle Central
Community College
Student (& occasional speaker), in the Web Design/Development Program
Final Year of AAIST Degree. 2005 - the rest of my life!
Highline Community
College
Studied Business & Advertising 1991-92
South Seattle
Community College:
Studied Graphic Design: 1990-91
Assistant designer: 1990-91
Technical Advisory Committee SCCC 2007-8.
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NOTES FROM A UX DESIGNER
3/27/08 Updated
The idea of UX design (with reference to the web in particular) is to create a positive, easy to navigate web site that aids your user in navigating seamlessly through your site and accomplish what it is they want to accomplish without hesitation or confusion.
What I am seeing is that there are companies that say "UX design" but what they really want are hackers in the guise of usability experts to create subtle little hacks that prevent users from navigating away from the primary focus of the site.
E-jacking your end users, defies everything that usability designers should be focused on. Imagine walking into a store to buy something and not seeing what you want, you walk out the door... only to re-enter the very same store. You can imagine how obnoxious that is... Even if it happened once, it is enough to sabotage your end users opinion of your goods or service. The idea that the public doesn't know what it wants and/or that they will deal with it because you are the "best" or "only" one providing the service... is the very thought process that leads to the down fall of companies.
In today's world the growing majority of online users have never known a world without this technology. A lot of the rules have changed with UX and UI design and the company that is unwilling to be flexible when it comes to understanding the unspoken rules of the internet, will be left behind.
Increasingly, companies understand the importance of having UX designers help in the creation of their web presence. The problem for some of these companies is that they don't understand that to do things right the first time, takes time and people who know what they are doing. A five dollar fix at start up could become a 5 thousand dollar fix if un-attended. The idea is that usability experts who know what they are doing can not only help you improve your image and the usability of your site, but they can also help you to create the best and most effective web site for your business that, in turn, should generate more business in the form of new users and return clients.
I will cut this short by suggesting to future UX designers out there...Just because you can use the technology, doesn't mean you have to. I will also suggest to the future UX/UI employers out there... if you hire a UX/UI designer, make sure you empower them to do the job right. Allow them the tools and the means to help you and your business grow. Listen to what they have to say. If your business suffers, understand that their reputation also suffers and that the only way they will succeed is to help you be your best.
Project Update
3/25/08 Updated
Back from vacation and signed off on the paperwork for my Microsoft deal. It looks like it will be a 3 month job with an additional three month option. This will book me at least through June 30th. If you would like to discuss my options, please contact me in June so I can better inform you on my updated schedule.
If you are looking for work. I have some companies that I have worked with and continue to do work for, that have need. I also am able to offer a lot of referrals. I have not had the time to update the employment side of this site but I am always looking for people. Let me know if you are interested - I am looking for: WEB, PRINT, Developers, Flash, and UX/UI designer. Click here to contact me
I will keep you informed!
3/11/08 Updated
I have been getting hit with a lot of UX design work lately. I am planning on running through some of the technical aspects of a typical day here on my site to update and inform on this fast paced growing side of the tech industry.
I have recently wrapped up work with my last Microsoft contract and have begun discussion on a new project with them. Also, in addition to my UX design, I am currently working with Costco on a string of technical illustrations. It is a nice creative change to be able to sit down and just draw all day.
P.S. I love the latest Adobe creative suite. It really makes my life easy!
Latest News
2/18/08 Updated Schedule
I am currently taking on new projects. I
am updating my flash and print pages with newer material. Most of
the stuff I have been working on lately has been NDA. I will be able
to show some of my work in interviews, but I won't be able to post
any of it online.
A lot of my work lately, has been on Icon's and UX design with work flow and useability as a kew focus. I just recently completed a contract at Microsoft and am working on a few new web projects as we speak.
Feel free to contact me for more details as to my latest work situation. Thank you for your time.
12/12/07 NEWSLETTER and NEW NEWS
I am currently on Contract with Microsoft and working on two other projects so I really don't have a lot of free time. I am interested in finding some people that might be interested in helping out. This might be ideal if you are a college student looking for real world experience and to build a portfolio. I have a dozen newsletters that I put out monthly along with a lot of web work. This probably isn't a full time position yet but if things continue in the same direction they have been heading...It could be. If you are interested in learning more about the position or payscale, please contact me through my contact link with your Resume in either TXT, DOC. or PDF form OR a link to your site.
I have posted a Blog on my page! I am hoping this takes the place of the Forum since people weren't really using the forum for communicating, I figure this way I can just post my info and people can take it or leave it. I will also allow rss feeds to be taken if you want to have my words on your site or in your mail. All of this will be done soon.
In the meantime!!! Happy Holidays....stay safe and warm and I'll see you in 08!
10/10/07 - WITH THE NEW CONTRACT AND ALL MY REGULAR WORK...
I
am finding myself swamped. I don't get home till about 7 and then I
throw on the head phones, crank up the radio and do it again till
about 1AM. Sound like the kind of thing most people would shy away
from but I have a secret. I have my hand in a couple cookie jars
and the inside word is that I stand to make a lot of money between
here and short future from now. The truth I have found for myself
is that it isn't about the money. I KNOW!!! I thought it totally
would be. Thing is... After my bills are paid and I am fed...the
rest is just for ... um fun... I have chosen to invest the rest as
I suggest a lot of you do as well. It will ensure that long after
this work schedule is done with...I will still be enjoying this quality
of life. But I digress...
What I have found is that a lot of what I am doing now is about being apart of something bigger. Being someone who could influence change and leave a name behind. Money is nice, but it comes and goes... I want something more.
Anyway - TTFN - I will keep at the newsletter and I promise to keep you updated. - Cheers!
10/08/07 - Some of you may of noticed I removed the Forum -Don't panic, I will be reposting the code online shortly. I needed to take the section down for some maintenance. My current schedule leaves little free time and I don't want to waste it chasing spam and deleting viagra adds from my web site. I have decided to go full steam into the news letter route and will need to complete my first issue for people to review and print for their own useage. This will include a lot of the same information as was in the forum. However, since the only people that were including themselves in the conversation were spammers, I decided to make it more of a white paper. I will be sending out a newsletter on subscription basis...(FREE) AS WELL AS, posting the newsletter online on my web site. I am planning currently for the first one to come out in OCTOBER and every month there after.
Thanks - David Wall
09/24/07 - I am currently updating my resume - As well as assembling some material for, what I hope to be, a monthly newsletter that I would like to put out. There are definitely more plans with that, however, all will be revealed in time. I will have the code up shortly for you to subscribe to this newsletter and I will also be phasing out the bulletin board. I think it will be something that you can look to for information but it won't be something that requires subscription. There won't be room for contribution but there will be room for people to contact me with idea's pertaining to the direction that you would like to see the paper go. I will try and have code entered in for people interested in learning specific how-to's. I will be as accomodating as possible.
Thanks for your continued support
09/22/07 - Ok, I know I have been a little absent from this site for a bit so I will give you the full run down. I am on Contract at Microsoft until around April unless they extend it. I am also building web sites for Real estate companies. In addition I am compiling about a dozen or so newsletters every month. I'm a busy boy.
My current Bulleting board may be coming down because of the amount of spam I am getting. I think that I will put together a blog with the same information but just not as interactive. It doesn't seem that there is any interaction on the bulletin board right now anyway. I will also be putting together a newsletter that I will begin sending out that has some tips and tricks and, of course, come code samples to play with. I have a lot of new flash stuff that I could send out...some how to's and the likes. This is all to get me ready for some new project I would like to launch next year.
I will be talking to some of my friends at Microsoft to see if anyone can get some opinions together to include in this email I think it will be fun.
I will keep you informed!