Michael Isaac Almond
346 Lexington Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415.305.0540
malmond@almondesign.com
Portfolio Site: www.almondesign.com
Linked In Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/almondesign
SUMMARY
I have worked as a User Experience Designer for the last eight years in both full-time positions
and as an independent consultant. I specialize in Visual Design and Branding, User Interface
Design, Interaction Design and Usability for consumer facing Web sites and applications, including
Software as a Service (SaaS) and Social Media applications. I also have design experience
working on user interfaces for enterprise applications. My professional skills draw on years of
previous experience as an Art Director and Campaign Organizer at a leading Social Marketing
media agency.
EDUCATION
Brown University, BA Art History & BFA Film Making, 1988
Rhode Island School of Design, shared studies with Brown, 1988
Studio Art Centers International, Florence, Italy, 1987
WORK EXPERIENCE
Linking Arts Web Design and Development
Creative Director | Contract
Featured Project: Linking Arts Web Site Redesign
2/2009–5/2009
Performed all User Experience design tasks required for a total overhaul of a Web design and
development agency Web site specializing in online services for filmmakers, video producers and
media arts communities. Designed the new look and feel, revised all branding, including logo and
visual design elements, such as color palette, icons, and imagery. Designed new site interaction
and information design, navigation and flow. Defined graphic standards, documented User
Experience requirements, performed usability review, built standards-compliant XHTML/CSS
templates and performed QA for the site. Recommended and helped implement new features such
as a Blog, Twitter content, as well as various subscription feeds (RSS, Atom, delicious, etc.) as
part of a Social Media strategy to engage visitors and clients in the content of the site, as well as
enlist them as co-contributors/creators of value through commenting, suggestions, and other
forms of feedback and interaction. View recommendation on Linked In
SuccessFactors
Senior User Interface Designer | Full-time
10/2008–12/2008
SuccessFactors, Inc. provides on-demand performance and talent management software (SaaS) to
organizations of various sizes worldwide.
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Created and communicated design deliverables such as design specifications, templates, wire
frames, and personas.
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Designed interactive prototypes according to business, brand, market, and user requirements:
Low-fidelity models to demonstrate viability of concepts and high-fidelity prototypes to
accompany functional specifications.
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Developed product concepts and suggested product direction based on design research and
functional requirements.
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Collaborated with engineering on the implementation of interactive techniques and
technologies.
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Worked with UI designers, product management and engineers to develop products that met
performance, scalability, and reliability goals.
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Supported User Experience research efforts and recommended visual design enhancements.
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Made usability, content and messaging recommendations to improve customer experience.
View recommendation on Linked In
Google
Interaction Designer | Contract
Projects: Google AdWords Front End Redesign &
Google Advertising Professionals Program Front End Redesign
4/2008–7/2008
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Assisted the core team in the redesign of the front end of AdWords, Google’s flagship
advertising product and main source of revenue ($16.4 billion in 2007)[1].
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Created the interaction solution for a new global navigation system that needed to work
across multiple properties.
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Worked on the integration of a new header with existing legacy pages.
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Led the interaction design for the new front end for Google Advertising Professionals (GAP)
program. (GAP certifies individuals and agencies that have completed training and gained
expert knowledge of various AdWords subjects.)
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Created flow charts, wire frames, design specifications and prototypes to effectively
communicate interaction and design ideas.
Helped gauge the usability of new and existing features, and made suggestions for change.
View recommendation on Linked In
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SupportSoft
Senior Consumer User Experience Designer | Full-time
5/2007–4/2008
SupportSoft, Inc. provides software and services designed to make technology work for various
companies worldwide. It operates through two segments, Consumer and Enterprise.
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Provided leadership in defining, creating and maintaining the consumer brand, support.com.
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Made usability, content and messaging recommendations to improve and enhance customer
experience on acquisitions sites, as well as client tools and software applications.
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Lead the development of all visual and interactive design elements, including page layouts,
site navigation and information architecture.
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Worked with UI designers, product management and engineers to develop products that met
performance, scalability, and reliability goals.
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Provided creative direction across all company offerings.
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Mentored junior visual designers in US and India.
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Worked closely with product management and engineering in an Agile development model.
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Worked closely with partner companies to define white label experiences.
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Standardized the support.com brand as it applied to all online properties and client tools.
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Created UI design components that were extensible and reusable.
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Remained current with the latest online marketing trends and best practices.
View recommendation on Linked In
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Limina User Experience Consultants
User Experience Designer | Consultant, contract basis
Client: Veoh Video Network
11/2006–5/2007
Worked as a consultant assisting an online video sharing & broadcasting network in the
development of a broadcast experience. (This is the portion of the site dedicated to broadcasters
who want to monetize their videos, distribute them automatically to YouTube, MySpace, and
Google Video.) Assisted with the information architecture, interaction and visual design, and
standardized online branding across the entire site.
EarthLink (PeoplePC Online)
User Experience Designer | Full-time
1/2006–10/2006
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Provided leadership in creating and maintaining User Experience strategy for PeoplePC Online.
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Made usability and content recommendations to improve and enhance customer experience on
member and acquisitions sites, as well as other key online processes.
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Standardized the brand as it is applies to all Web properties.
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Lead the development of all visual and interactive design elements for Web properties,
including page layouts, site navigation and information architecture.
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Worked successfully with interdisciplinary teams and collaborated with business units, internal
clients/stakeholders and researchers.
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Managed relationships with external Web design resources and provided art direction.
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Developed the Web Properties Design Services methodology.
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Reviewed all work in QA to ensure quality delivery of visual designs during development.
Linking Arts Web Design and Development
Creative Director | Long-term contract
Featured Project: OpenExhibition Media Arts Assistant
2004–2005
Performed all visual design and front-end tasks for a browser-based Open Source Web application
& CMS for film and media arts organizations. Designed the look and feel, created a logo and brand
identity, defined graphic standards, documented User Experience requirements, performed
usability review, built standards-compliant XHTML/CSS templates and performed general QA for
the application. View recommendation on Linked In
Terrace Consulting
User Experience Specialist | Consultant, contract basis
Client: Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH)
2003–2004
Performed all visual design and front-end tasks for an ecommerce site and information portal
containing home and garden project details and other valuable consumer information for Orchard
Supply Hardware, a Sears Subsidiary. Redesigned the look and feel, defined graphic standards and
brand aesthetic, global navigation, and documented User Experience requirements.
Performed usability review and built the HTML/CSS templates while working with back end
developers on implementing a content management system that enabled the business user the
ability to create, manage, and publish both Web content and direct mail campaign content.
Terrace Consulting
Senior Creative Designer, User Experience Group | Full-time
2000–2002
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Created visual and information design solutions based on User Centered Design principles.
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Determined content and functional requirements for the front-end of Web sites and browser
based applications.
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Worked with developers and architects to build applications based on technical, end-user and
business requirements.
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Created documents defining navigation, User Experience requirements, training processes,
test case scenarios and graphic standards guidelines.
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Created prototypes, images, HTML and CSS templates and rich media for various projects.
Tested across platforms and on all supported browsers, optimized pages for load time.
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Public Media Center
Art Director and Lead Web Designer | Full-time
1992–2000
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Designed, developed and maintained agency and client Web sites.
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Visual design, typography and color theory for print, environmental and publication design.
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Created or revised brand identity, including logo development.
Mentored junior designs and provided creative direction.
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Account Executive | Full-time
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Managed national communication campaigns in print and other media.
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Directed creative teams, worked directly with clients and third party vendors.
1990-1992
SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE AREAS
User Experience Design
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Designing consumer facing Web sites and applications, including Software as a Service (SaaS)
and Social Media applications.
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Designing user interfaces for enterprise applications.
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Creating graphic standards and branding guidelines.
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Creating low and high fidelity interactive prototypes.
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Front-end programming: XHTML 1.0, CSS 2.0, Flash, working with JavaScript and Web 2.0
technologies such as AJAX.
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Design software: Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Fireworks, Acrobat, Visio, Omnigraffle,
various online tools for optimization and testing.
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Familiarity with W3C specifications for valid markup and Web Standards.
Understanding the principles of visual design and branding, User Experience Design and User
Centered Design.
Creating interaction design deliverables such as wire frames, personas, flow charts and other
diagrams.
Defining information architecture, navigation, and user orientation strategies.
Familiarity with User Experience research, usability standards and best practices.
Formal and informal usability testing and analysis, communicating and implementing usability
fixes and enhancements.
Page construction, QA, testing, and implementation.
Copy writing and editing.
Content, feature, and messaging recommendations.
Traditional Media & Graphic Design Experience
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Print design, environmental design and publication design.
Principles of visual design, typography and color theory.
Brand identity and logo systems, graphic standards and usage guidelines.
MEMBERSHIPS
Digital Web Magazine, Contributing Writer
AIGA Experience Design Community
BayCHI
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References available on request
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