Erica Olsen Firment

Erica Olsen Firment

User Experience Designer, Linden Lab

San Francisco Bay Area

Current
Past
  • Research Assistant at School of Information, University of Michigan
  • Teacher at Flint Public Library
  • Web Developer/Researcher at Digital Sources Center - Michigan State University
Education
  • Cornell University
  • University of Michigan
  • Michigan State University
Connections
256 connections
Industry
Computer Games
Websites

Erica Olsen Firment’s Summary

Specialize in gathering user requirements, translating requirements into functional specs, and designing usable and modern web application interfaces.

Using Ajax, CSS, Java, Struts, and XML to build accessible and enjoyable tools to display large digital collections.

Applying user-centered design to reduce complexity and create a seamless user experience.

Erica Olsen Firment’s Specialties:

User experience, User-centered design, Product management, Web development, Information architecture, Web standards, Accessibility, Usability testing, Grant evaluation, CSS, Flash, Motion graphic design, Educational software design, Managing large digital collections


Erica Olsen Firment’s Experience

  • User Experience Designer

    Linden Lab (Second Life)

    (Privately Held; Computer Software industry)

    June 2007Present (2 years 6 months)

    Design recommended behavior for software features. Work with open source and sustaining engineering groups to prioritize usability improvements. Started user research program. Product management.

  • Owner

    Librarian Avengers (Sole Proprietorship)

    (Sole Proprietorship; Myself Only; Internet industry)

    April 1998Present (11 years 8 months)

    I run a website catering to disgruntled librarians. I emphasize the humor inherent in librarianship, a profession encompassing some of the world’s finest minds who have chosen to anonymously help better your life, your research, and your children’s future at the expense of their own glory and paycheck.

  • User Experience Manager

    Cornell University

    (Non-Profit; 51-200 employees; Internet industry)

    June 2006June 2007 (1 year 1 month)

    Help manage a diverse team of Software Developers (Java/JSP), Database Managers, and Computer Science students to develop animalrecordings.com - the world's largest online collection of animal recordings.

  • User Experience Designer

    Cornell Lab of Ornithology

    (Non-Profit; 51-200 employees; Internet industry)

    February 2004June 2006 (2 years 5 months)

    Design and build interfaces for the world's largest online collection of animal recordings. Memeber of a web application development team at the Cornell Lab of Ornithlogy's Macaulay Library. Gather requirements from users, translate to engineering specifications, design user interface templates, code JSP & JavaScript, build graphics and css layouts, design print materials, run usability tests, participate in grant evaluation.

  • Digital Research Fellow

    Cornell University Library

    (Educational Institution; Higher Education industry)

    February 2003February 2004 (1 year 1 month)

  • Research Assistant

    School of Information, University of Michigan

    (Higher Education industry)

    January 2001December 2003 (3 years )

    Research assistant to Dr. Joan Durrance. Helped conduct outcome-based evaulations of library community information services. Conducted focus groups with children. Developed and maintained project web presence. Qualitative data analysis. Prepared manuscripts for publication. Prepared research documents for human subjects review board. Assisted with final grant evaluation. Participated in IMLS Outcome Based Evaluation training.

  • Teacher

    Flint Public Library

    (Primary/Secondary Education industry)

    September 2000December 2000 (4 months)

    Taught a web design and development class to a group of at-risk students at the Flint Public Library as part of a research project studying the effect of library services on the digital divide.

  • Web Developer/Researcher

    Digital Sources Center - Michigan State University

    (Educational Institution; Higher Education industry)

    September 1998December 2000 (2 years 4 months)

    ColdFusion, XML, XSLT development, Conducted digital archival research leading to the digitization of the Vincent Voice Library, the world's largest collection of spoken word recordings. Created audio digitization workflows, trained audio archivists, taught web technology to library patrons.


Erica Olsen Firment’s Education

  • Cornell University

    Various courses 20042006

    Activities and Societies:
    Member Cornell Women in I.T. , Ballroom dance club
  • University of Michigan

    Masters Information Science , Human-Computer Interaction, Library Science , 20002002

    Margaret Mann Award, Fall 2002

    Activities and Societies:
    Community Information Corps, Research Assistant, Arbor Vitae
  • Michigan State University

    B.A. , English , 19941998

    Graduated with Honors in English. Minored in History and Anthropology. Overseas Studies Program: One semester at Trinity College Dublin, focus on Irish literature. National Merit Commended Student, 1994. Michigan Competative Scholorship, 1994-1998.

    Activities and Societies:
    Science education classroom volunteer. Ballroom Dance Club. Lyman Briggs School of Science (one year).

Additional Information

Erica Olsen Firment’s Websites:

Erica Olsen Firment’s Interests:

managing geeks, information architecture, web standards, information science, web accessibility, user experience design, radical librarianship, design for democracy, free culture, comic art, ballroom dancing, science education, video game interface design, educational gaming

Erica Olsen Firment’s Groups:

CHI, ALA, ALA Social Responsibility Roundtable, Full Plate Collective

  •    University of Michigan School of Information
  •    Interaction Design Association
  •    UX Professionals
  •    Cornell University Alumni and Faculty Network
  •    Startup Specialists
  •    Design Research

Erica Olsen Firment’s Honors:

2007 Digg - Top 10 placement for animalbehaviorarchive.org

2006 Visualization Award, 2nd place Educational Interactives - Science Magazine

Margaret Mann Award - Established in 1938 by the U-M Library Science Alumni Society in honor of Associate Professor Margaret Mann. Awarded annually as an academic honor, based on demonstration of ability and promise of professional development.


Erica Olsen Firment’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

  • career opportunities
  • consulting offers
  • reference requests
  • getting back in touch

Public profile powered by: LinkedIn

Create a public profile: Sign In or Join Now

View Erica Olsen Firment’s full profile:

  • See who you and Erica Olsen Firment know in common
  • Get introduced to Erica Olsen Firment
  • Contact Erica Olsen Firment directly

View Full Profile