Max McNeil

Current

• Design Director at mtwentythree.com

Past

• Director of Design at AOL Time Warner
• President / Design Director at CO2 Media, Inc.
• Creative Director/Discovery Channel Redesign at CO2 Media, Inc.

• Senior Designer at Tele-TV
• Senior Designer at Franek Design
• Media Lab Director at The Maryland Institute, College of Art

see less...

3 more...

Education

• The Maryland Institute College of Art
• Roanoke College

Recommended

8 people have recommended Max

Connections

105 connections

Industry

Online Media

Max McNeil’s Summary

WWW.MTWENTYTHREE.COM

Executive level design director and consultant with 20+ years experience and focus in strategy, user experience and design. Strong creative and management experience spanning entertainment, television, information technologies and internet. On the leading edge of where media, technology and business intersect for over a decade, including co-founding an award winning interactive firm, designer for the earliest explorations in interactive television and providng trend forecasting and next generation prototyping solutions for one of the largest online media companies.



Recipient of over 50 design awards including;

- Award of Excellence in the Graphic Arts / Mead Top 60

- 3 Gold and 6 Silver Awards in the National Casebooks

- Recipient of 43 ADDY Awards

- 4 FCAF Best of Show ADDY Awards
- 4 Gold AAFC ADDY Awards
- 2 Silver AAFC ADDY Awards



Work has been published in numerous distinguished publications including;

- Graphis

- Novum Graphik 

- Graphis Interactive Design

- Cutting Edge Design: The Next Generation

- In Your Face 2

Max McNeil’s Specialties:

RESEARCH, STRATEGY, USER EXPERIENCE AND DESIGN INNOVATION

Max McNeil’s Experience

• Design Director

  mtwentythree.com

  (Design industry)

  January 2008 — Present (1 year 7 months)

  Strategic Consulting and Creative Direction engagements concentrating on strategy, user experience and design.
  
  Strategy centers around engagements with senior level management within organizations to evaluate, formalize and develop strategic initiatives. This often involves research, experience specifications and mapping, persona development, trend forecasting and product/service positioning. Also has involved performing analysis around business and creative operations, which can lead to blueprints for defining or redefining workflow processes, team structures, product and service standards and innovation benchmarks.
  
  User Experience & Design engagements involve the spectrum of the user experience for product and services. Concepting, prototyping, demos, site mapping, user interface development, visual design, branding and messaging.
  
  To learn more and see samples of work visit,
  www.mtwentythree.com

• Director of Design

  AOL Time Warner

  (Public Company; TWX; Internet industry)

  2002 — 2007 (5 years)

  Director of Design for AOL's Experience Prototyping Lab (XPL). Lead & managed a team that provided research, methods and models to assist AOL in gaining more detailed and relevant understanding of users increasingly complex lives. Using a rapid-fire approach to creative brainstorming, design and iterative prototyping, visualized solutions that inspired the organization to innovate upon all aspects of the service.
  
  Worked on strategic next generation initiatives for AOL's video, social networks, gaming and vertical programming lines of business, including AOL.com, AOL Music, News, Sports and Health.
  
  Provided creative direction for the redesign and relaunch of vertical business channels including AOL.com, AOL Body and Pixcetera.com.

• President / Design Director

  CO2 Media, Inc.

  (Online Media industry)

  January 1995 — March 2002 (7 years 3 months)

  Founder, President and Design Director for CO2 Media, a multi-disciplinary communications firm that provided creative strategies in identity/brand development, information and user interface design, content development, and traditional integrated communication materials.
  
  Managed and directed a team of designers, user interface and technology specialists to craft and implement award winning solutions for a broad rage of clientele including Discovery Channel, National Geographic, AOL, BBC America, PBS, Bell Atlantic, Iridium, Philips/Magnavox

• Creative Director/Discovery Channel Redesign

  CO2 Media, Inc.

  (Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Online Media industry)

  April 1996 — August 2001 (5 years 5 months)

  CO2 Media Project Highlight: Discovery Channel Redesign
  Within a turnaround of three months, was responsible for the strategy, site design, coordination and implementation of all elements for a successful redesign effort. Focusing on the importance of creating a site to Discovery Channel’s core educational audience, a emphasis was placed on the abundance and variety of original online content; such as timely scientific news, daily dispatches from the field and complementary content that supported and expanded the appeal of Discovery Channel’s specials and shows.
  
  The success of the redesign effort forged a strong, long-term relationship and DCOL next looked to my services to assist in the strategy, creation and launch of over a dozen other online content sites. This included Discovery Adventures, Discovery Pictures, Discovery International, Discovery Travel, the Discovery Channel Global Education Fund, Crocodile Hunter for Animal Planet, and Trauma: Life in the ER for TLC.

• Senior Designer

  Tele-TV

  (Privately Held; 501-1000 employees; Online Media industry)

  June 1991 — December 1994 (3 years 7 months)

  Senior Designer at Tele-TV’s Digital Production Studio in Reston Virginia, a company formed by three telecommunications companies, Bell Atlantic, Nynex and PacBell. Designed Tele-TV’s broadcast identity system, and the interface and interactive models for their MMDS service, one of the first of it’s kind video-on-demand application. Being in the forefront of the design of interactive applications, also designed multiple on-screen interfaces and promotions for Bell Atlantic Video’s interactive Stargazer video-on-demand application, which used ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) technology over existing copper phone lines for delivery. While at Tele-TV I also became adept at digital video editing and special effects using high-end SGI workstations and FLAME software.

• Senior Designer

  Franek Design

  (Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Media Production industry)

  July 1988 — May 1991 (2 years 11 months)

• Media Lab Director

  The Maryland Institute, College of Art

  (Privately Held; 501-1000 employees; Online Media industry)

  January 1986 — June 1988 (2 years 6 months)

Max McNeil’s Education

• The Maryland Institute College of Art

  Design, Communication 1990 — 1993

• Roanoke College

  Communication

Additional Information

Max McNeil’s Interests:

Like to camp, hike, stargaze - Currently taking flying lessons. - Music. Albums recently bought: Collen; The Golden Morning, Sigur Ros; Takk, Brian Eno; Neroli, Stars of the Lid; Avec Laudem; Nine Inch Nails; With Teeth

Max McNeil’s Groups:

•    The Creative Talent Network
•    MICA - Maryland Institute College of Art ALUMNI Group ONLY
•    Ogilvy PR Worldwide/ 360° Digital Influence
•    AOL CONNECTIONS

Max McNeil’s Honors:

CARRER AWARD HIGHLIGHTS

Discovery Channel Online
www.discovery.com
FCAF ADDY Award
AAFC Golden ADDY Award
Top 5% of all Websites, Pointcom
High Five Award
Site of the Day, USA Today Online
“Discovery Online: One of the Best Getting Better”- USA Today
Family Channel Seal of Quality, USA Today.
Top Website, The Net, March

Discovery African Elephant Kingdom
FCAF ADDY Award
AAFC ADDY Award
Finalist, Graphis Interactive Design Annual
Art Directors Club oif Metropolitian DC
How Interactive Design Annual

PBS/MPT Alenxander The Great Website
FCAF ADDY Award
AAFC ADDY Award

MICA Online
FCAF ADDY Award. BEST OF SHOW
Selected for inclusion in In Your Face: The Best of Interactive Interface Design

MICA CD-ROM Techtile Stimuli
FCAF ADDY Award. BEST OF SHOW
Finalist, Graphis Interactive Design Annual

Max McNeil’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• career opportunities
• consulting offers
• new ventures
• expertise requests
• business deals
• reference requests