CORE COMPETENCIES
Creative Direction
Points to consider. Started at McMann & Tate advertising in Dallas as designer, interactive art direction for Agency.com working on some of the first corporate web sites, including Disneyland paris (5 languages designed and managed from our Paris office) designed Merrill Lynch Japan's intranet both from Dallas and Tokyo. Was recruited to build the design group for iXL's Tokyo office where we delivered for ANA, Nomura Research and others. Hired by NextLeft as Creative Director managing the design team and delivering work for a dozen of ConAgra CPG brands and now with RDLA where we have delivered over 800 projects for Kyocera Communications, landed Kyocera Solar and have been AOR with Carroll Shelby International for 12 years.
User Experience
Helped establish some of the very first UX and UI teams with Agency.com, Dallas in 1994. Continued to modify the approach as a partner with People Design Technology where in 1997 we conducted user testing and rapid prototyping for the first redesign of Nokia USA. Next I was working as lead UX designer for GE's financial web properties with iXL NYC. Recruited from iXL Tokyo to become the VP of User Experience with Digitas UK.
Brand Strategy
With each project team and client my process and approach have been modified. The most important evolution actually revolution came when I required buy in of my Japanese clients while living and working in Tokyo. While they appreciated my extensive European, US and minimal Japanese experience they often wondered what design authority I had solving their problems for the local audience. Having conducted ethnographic research for clients before, this is where I started. While it was fairly easy to discuss the elements of design; typography, way finding, iconography and imagery it was more difficult to speak about color and its emotional attributes. With research I found the Nippon Color and Design Research Institute. Work with NCD I was able to merge their approach into my research. This research approach has now been used to deliver results with clients in London, NY, Paris and Los Angeles. At this time I am patent pending on the process and web based application.
Photography
A commercial photographer in Dallas in the early 80's, moved to NYC to pursue a career. Became staff photographer for both New York Stock Exchange and the New York Port Authority. Continued exploring new techniques and became one of the first 9 photographers to work with Apple's VR technology. But instead of shooting for low res VR use I aimed for highest res fine art use. My 360º panoramic images hang in private collections worldwide. I was chosen to shot the Nokia Developer campaign in 2006 which sent me to 9 countries on 4 continents in 2 weeks. In 2001 I was awarded the highest Fellowship distinction by the Royal Photographic Society.