
Designing human experiences, based on story and biological neural processes for interactive video ++ben.sykes@gmail.com
San Francisco Bay Area

Designing human experiences, based on story and biological neural processes for interactive video ++ben.sykes@gmail.com
San Francisco Bay Area
Dev design hybrid with 14 years experience designing human experiences, based on story and biological neural processes. USER EXPERIENCE / USABILITY / ★ ARE YOU CLICKABLE?™
// CAREER HIGHLIGHTS //
• Using JavaScript frameworks, created a way to “Drag & Drop” in Microsoft SharePoint for the GFS Ignition Portal at Microsoft.
• Conceived, Created and designed the search engine Information.com. (Global top 500 sites on the web – Alexa Rank)
• Successfully led the creative UI vision of the music website American Idol Underground from conception to over 1 million unique hits a week.
• Designed Siderean’s Seamark UI which was named by KMWorld, as one of the Top Trend-Setting Products of the Year! (2006).
o User Experience Design & Leadership
o Usability Testing and Contextual Inqury
o Neuro Design
o User Experience Evangelism WorldWide
o Motivation and People Management
o Iphone Application Development
o Facebook Application Development
o User Research
o Neuromarketing
o Heuristic Evaluation
o Human Computer Interaction
o Web 2.0 Application Development
o Interactivity in RIA’s utilizing technologies such as HyperVideo and interactive flash video.
(Internet industry)
2009 — Present (less than a year)
// PROJECTS //
• Experience & interaction design consulting
• Interactive video / hypervideo widgets
• Mobile application development / Iphone UI design
// TECHNOLOGY //
• Affiliate advertising
• Actionscript/Flash
• Fireworks/Photoshop
• Sprout API
• XML/CSS/JavaScript
• Facebook/Iphone SDK
• Premiere/Chroma Key
• Amazon (AWS)
(Public Company; CSCO; Computer Networking industry)
2008 — 2009 (1 year)
// PRODUCTS //
• WebEx & WebEx Connect
• Cisco Unified Personal Communicator
• Enterprise Instant Messaging Clients
• Web 2.0 Management Portal
// TECHNOLOGY //
• Adobe Suite (all)
• Visio
• MS Project
• Expression Suite
• Visual Studio
• XAML/WPF
// RESPONSIBILITIES //
• Requirements capture & UI/Design spec development
• Team & vendor management, evaluation, scheduling & hiring globally
• Interaction design, information architecture & wireframe development
• Coordinate WebEx Connect design (ixd, ia, wireframe) into the Cisco Unified Communicator
• Coordinate and design (ixd, ia, wireframe) Cisco IM client integration into IBM Sametime & Microsoft Office Communicator.
(Public Company; MSFT; Computer Software industry)
2006 — 2008 (2 years)
// PRODUCTS //
• GFS/MSN Ignition Portal - Microsoft Sharepoint
• TSP Plug-in for Visual Studio (VSTF)
• Microsoft Online Suite (saas)
// TECHNOLOGY //
• Adobe Suite (all)
• Visio
• MS Project
• Expression Suite
• Visual Studio
• XAML/WPF
// RESPONSIBILITY //
• Requirements capture & UI/Design spec development
• Product managed the marketing strategy and wrote the usability testing plans.
• Worked closely with disparate development groups to establish product functionality, scope and delivery.
• Led team in experience design, Interaction design, information architecture & wireframe development
• Assisted in user contextual inquiry and usability tests. Translated user findings into affinity diagrams, event sequence diagrams, and use cases.
• Created & managed the creation of multiple high fidelity Flash driven clickable prototypes.
(Internet industry)
March 1996 — 2007 (11 years)
// PROJECTS & CLIENTS //
• 200 plus client base
• Gary LeMel - Warner Brothers Music
• MGL Entertainment
• 5G Wireless (UCLA Portal)
• Siderean Software (NSA, NASA, Oracle)
• Venice Nutrition
• Hollywood Aid
• Crowne Limousine
• Informercial Host: Forbes Riley
• Inhost Web Hosting (Wyenet)
• Globe Motorsports
• IDT Technologies: EZCD Stack
• Designer Tracy Ross
• Comedian Carl Labove
// RESPONSIBILITIES //
• Web development
• Company direction & market strategy
• New business development
• RFP/RFI response & bid
• Requirements capture & UI/Design spec development
• Contextual inquiry / usability testing / usability participant recruitment
• Rapid prototyping
• Hypervideo & interactive flash video
• Worked closely with disparate development groups to establish product functionality, scope and delivery.
• User experience design, interaction design, information architecture & wireframe development.
(Military industry)
October 2001 — 2006 (5 years)
o Operation Iraqi Freedom
o Provided humanitarian support.
o Part of the "21 Days to Baghdad" documentary.
o Took part in numerous press interviews from agencies all over the world.
o Secured Saddam’s Palace in Tikrit, Iraq
o Secured the UN Bldg in Baghdad.
o Secured the Special Republican Guard Headquarters.
o Made decisions under extreme pressure and noise
o Combat Leadership
(Internet industry)
September 2005 — August 2006 (1 year)
// PRODUCT //
• Social network for fans and artists separate from
the TV show, yet under the American Idol brand
• Print collateral (Rolling Stone, Music Connection)
// TECHNOLOGY //
• Adobe Suite
• Actionscript/Flash
• ASP.net
• MS Project
• XML/CSS/JavaScript
• Visio
• Agile - Scrum
• Visual Studio/Subversion
// RESPONSIBILITIES //
• Design direction for both site & magazine collateral & UI/Design spec development
• Team & vendor management, scheduling & Fremantle engagement.
• Usability planning/testing & hotspot analytic tracking.
• Interaction design, information architecture & wireframe development
(Privately Held; Internet industry)
2004 — 2005 (1 year)
// PRODUCTS //
• Search engine: Information.com
• BlogSource - Social blogging platform
// TECHNOLOGY //
• Adobe Suite (all)
• Visio
• WAP/WML
• Agile - Scrum
// RESPONSE //
• Conception of a “multi-search” engine harnessing untapped vertical engines and providing a tools layer.
• Technical requirements capture & UI/Design spec development
• Responsible for revenue modeling, market strategy & stakeholder pitch.
• Extensive new business development & strategic partnership creation.
• Coordinated / conducted all usability tests and A/B testing - tracking.
(Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Computer Software industry)
May 2002 — January 2004 (1 year 9 months)
o Project Director – EMTM (Interactive Training)
o Sr. Web Developer – Digev Corporate Web Site
o Project Manager / Dev – Corporate Intranet
o Sr. UI Designer – Sony APG Intranet
o UI Designer – Nissan Brand Performance System
o Flash Developer – The Zenith Insurance
o Lead Developer – Hewlett Packard CRM Site.
(Entertainment industry)
December 1998 — February 1999 (3 months)
+ Provided all panaflex video monitor feeds for the Director Sam Mendes, Writer: Alan Ball, and producers.
+ Worked closely with the 1st & 2nd A.C.'s and Director of Photography Connie Hall.
I M D B http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003777/
(Entertainment industry)
December 1993 — January 1994 (2 months)
+ Director: Marc Rocco
+ Production Company: Three Marks Productions
+ Northridge Crew
(Entertainment industry)
June 1993 — August 1993 (3 months)
+ Filled in during the double episode season.
+ Assisting in managing of the production office, and acted as a fill-in liaison to cast and crew for production team.
(Entertainment industry)
1991 — 1993 (2 years)
Films Include:
o Money for Nothing - Dir. Ramon Menendez
o Blind Spot - Hallmark Hall of Fame
o The Fire Next Time - CBS Entertainment
o The Cemetery Club - Dir. Bill Duke - Touchstone Pictures
o Hoffa - Dir. Danny Devito - Jersey Films
o Citizen Cohn - Dir. Frank Pierson - HBO Pictures
o Innocent Blood - Dir. John Landis - Warner Brothers
o Striking Distance - Dir. Rowdy Herrington
o UPA – Usability Professionals’ Association
o AIGA – American Institute of Graphic Arts
o ACM SIGCHI - Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction.
o HFES – Human Factors & Ergonomics Society
o STC – Society for Technical Communication
1. Numerous design awards.
2. Awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.