Design Thinker for Large and Small Online Companies
Greater Boston Area
- Current
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- Design Thinker at Joe Ranft
- Past
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- VP Product & Design at Updown.com
- Design Thinker at Joe Ranft
- Vice President, User Experience & Design at Fidelity Investments
- information architect at ixl
- Web Site Producer at Morgan Keegan
- Education
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- University of Iowa
- University of Memphis
- Recommended
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2 people have recommended Joseph - Connections
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- Industry
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- Websites
Joseph Ranft’s Summary
Joe Ranft is a consultant specializing in product strategy and management, online strategy, design, customer experience, usability, and user research. His clients have included Fidelity Investments, athenahealth, Motley Fool, Weather.com, Cars.com, and several early stage Internet start-ups.
Joe has also held positions as VP of Product & Design for UpDown.com (www.updown.com) a virtual investing platform.
Prior to joining The UpDown, Joe was VP of User Experience for Fidelity Investments, where he managed the design teams for www.fidelity.com, 401k.com, Active Trader Pro, and several other Fidelity Web sites and Windows applications.
Prior to the Internet, Joe taught high school English and Spanish in Memphis.
Joseph Ranft’s Specialties:
Design Thinking, Online Customer Experience Strategy, User Interface Design, Redesigning Large-Scale Web Sites & Applications, Design Team Management, Usability, Information Architecture, Customer Experience Vision Design, Rapid Design Processes, Agile Development, Online Accessibility, Search Engine Optimization, Web 2.0, Estimates and Budgeting, Personnel Recruiting and Development, Design Presentations, Project Proposals
Joseph Ranft’s Experience
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Design Thinker
Joe Ranft
(Internet industry)
April 2009 — Present (8 months)
Design Thinking, Online Customer Experience Strategy, User Interface Design, Redesigning Large-Scale Web Sites & Applications, Design Team Management, Usability, Information Architecture, Customer Experience Vision Design, Rapid Design Processes, Agile Development, Online Accessibility, Search Engine Optimization, Web 2.0, Estimates and Budgeting, Personnel Recruiting and Development, Design Presentations, Project Proposals
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VP Product & Design
Updown.com
(Internet industry)
August 2008 — April 2009 (9 months)
Directed UpDown's product definition, design, and user experience.
UpDown.com is the leading social platform for virtual investing and a thriving internet business with a highly engaging virtual investing platform. By offering users a completely unique virtual investing experience, UpDown is doing what no other company in this space is doing.
UpDown.com is the only free investment platform that allows members to earn money with zero risk of financial loss. The stock market game lets members learn the ins and outs of Wall Street by giving members $1,000,000 in virtual money to invest. UpDown.com provides a platform for investors to improve their skills through collaboration, competition and aggregated wisdom - including stock tips from other members.
Dubbed by mainstream media outlets as "fantasy football meets the trading floor," UpDown.com was launched by three Harvard entrepreneurs last fall and has grown 500% since January 2008, with over 70,000 current registered members. -
Design Thinker
Joe Ranft
(Design industry)
March 2008 — August 2008 (6 months)
Design Thinking, Online Customer Experience Strategy, User Interface Design, Redesigning Large-Scale Web Sites & Applications, Design Team Management, Usability, Information Architecture, Customer Experience Vision Design, Rapid Design Processes, Agile Development, Online Accessibility, Search Engine Optimization, Web 2.0, Estimates and Budgeting, Personnel Recruiting and Development, Design Presentations, Project Proposals
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Vice President, User Experience & Design
Fidelity Investments
(Privately Held; 10,001 or more employees; Financial Services industry)
November 1999 — March 2008 (8 years 5 months)
• Developing online strategies
• Translating strategies into tactical projects
• Managing design teams
• Introduced the concept of information architecture to www.fidelity.com
• Directing design for www.fidelity.com, which is consistently awarded #1 in class by Watchfire Gomez, Dalbar, and Smartmoney
• Created vision for and directed implementation of Active Trader Pro
• Directed first large scale redesign of www.netbenefits.com
• Directed redesigns of Fidelity's broker-dealer and advisor windows applications and Web sites
• Planned and participated as part of the teaching team in a Fidelity sponsored course at the Stanford d.School
• Responsible for numerous design and customer experience and research innovations
• Helped create and refine the Fidelity design process
• Led the creation of the Fidelity style guide
• Hired, trained, managed and directed dozens of great information architects, visual designers, and copywriters -
information architect
ixl
(Public Company; Internet industry)
1998 — 2000 (2 years )
• Create strategies and solutions for large Web and other interactive projects
• Develop creative treatment, structure, market analysis, navigation guidelines, and content
• Conduct research and client interviews to identify audiences and goals
• Write high-level site design documents and site maps and outlines
• Create storyboards for individual pages to guide designers and programmers
• Manage staff of other information architects and writers assigned to large project development -
Web Site Producer
Morgan Keegan
(Public Company; Internet industry)
1996 — 1998 (2 years )
• Planned and developed Morgan Keegan's first public Web site
• Led the development, maintenance and support for the public Web site, a password-protected client site, and a corporate intranet
• Wrote and edited content
• Led the development and implementation efforts of new Web initiatives
• Wrote and edited HTML and JavaScript
• Created Web graphics with PhotoShop
Joseph Ranft’s Education
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University of Iowa
MA , English & English Education , August 1994 — May 1996
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University of Memphis
BA , English , August 1986 — August 1990
Additional Information
Joseph Ranft’s Websites:
Joseph Ranft’s Groups:
Creative Good Customer Experience Council, Stanford d.School
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UpDown.com -
Finance 2.0
Joseph Ranft’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- career opportunities
- consulting offers
- new ventures
- job inquiries
- expertise requests
- business deals
- reference requests
- getting back in touch
