Design Leader . Educator . Experience Strategist . Diving Aficionado
Vancouver, Canada Area
- Current
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- Creative Director . Director of User Experience at BigPark (Microsoft Game Studios)
- Creative Director at Transient Pod Design Collective
- Digital Design Instructor . Student Advisor at VFS
- Past
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- Creative Director . Master Instructor at Liquid Adventures
- Creative Director at Fiver Media
- Senior Creative Producer at Riptown Media
- General Manager at The Fossil Shop Inc.
- Education
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- D.A.N. (Divers Alert Network)
- Digital Design (VFS)
- Mount Royal College
- Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)
- Professional Development
- Recommended
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19 people have recommended MILES - Connections
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283
connections
- Industry
- Online Media
- Websites
MILES NURSE’s Summary
Words like process, brand, & user experience can be intimidating to organizations. They are the core areas of design but are often met with some level of intrigue and apprehension. Teams fear that "process" becomes "rules," rather than a frame work for creativity. Brands are often misunderstood and miscommunicated. They are seen as a logos instead of a consumers emotional attachment to a product or service. User Experience (UX) is seen as a scientific check list for validating design through usability testing rather than a philosophy that embraces the entire toolset of human centred design.
These are the challenges faced by designers in todays sophisticated environments. My strengths as a creative leader are in my ability to articulate the relationships between these core creative areas, while utilizing my experience with multiple interactive platforms (storytelling, interactive, web, games) to invoke meaningful user experiences.
A solid human centred design process is fundamental to the success of any project. It clearly identifies the problem or opportunity and creates the framework for incubating innovative user experiences. "Pure" design is not the art of coming up with the world’s greatest ideas, but understanding how great ideas can be effectively crafted into a product or service. Today's most successful design solutions are born through a thorough understanding of users, their motivations for using a product or service, and how they integrate it into their lifestyle.
MILES NURSE’s Specialties:
Crafting Product Vision, Innovation in Product / Experience Design, Creative Direction, Behavioural Design, Information Architecture, System Design, Brand Experiences, Team Building, Product Pitches, Curriculum Development, Goal Driven Development, Underwater Imaging,
MILES NURSE’s Experience
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Creative Director . Director of User Experience
BigPark (Microsoft Game Studios)
(Privately Held; Computer Games industry)
July 2008 — Present (1 year 5 months)
BigPark understands that participatory design is fundamental pillar in creating world class gaming experiences. As the Director of User Experience I am tasked with championing and reinforcing “user centered design” principles throughout our development process.
In addition I am responsible for strategic development, implementation, and community management of web based IP's and console gaming extensions. In this capacity I ensure quality and consistency in gameplay, brand messaging, front end development (interface & interaction design,) marketing and business strategy for the web.
Games:
Wizard Defense : www.wizarddefense.com -
Creative Director
Transient Pod Design Collective
(Online Media industry)
November 2007 — Present (2 years 1 month)
The Transient Pod Design Collective is a small focused group of extremely talented individuals who have a large creative range of skills and life experiences. A group who's core competency is about solving problems and communicating design. A collective who believes in their ability as a group to affect something or produce results beyond the abilities of a single individual. This is the essence of the Transient Pod Design Collective.
Transient Pod utilizes the power of all digital mediums to communicate the ideas, products and brand experiences of our clients through story driven design.
www.transientpod.com -
Digital Design Instructor . Student Advisor
VFS
(Educational Institution; Higher Education industry)
January 2007 — Present (2 years 11 months)
Working as an educator is an incredibly rewarding and inspiring experience. Emerging designers today are faced with an awesome opportunity. They are surrounded by hundreds of years of inventions, designs, and innovation for an "old world."
Everything we use and interact with in our environment needs to be re-designed to work better for today’s sophisticated demands. Todays designers must embrace change while remaining disciplined in delivering extensible, scalable, human centred design solutions.
Courses:
• User Experience (User Centered Design, Concept Development & Pitches)
• Interactive Design (Apply UCD to Interactive Web Experiences)
• Creative & Art Direction (Design Strategy, Advertising, Campaign Development)
• Portfolio Development (Messaging, Storytelling & Defining a USP)
www.vfs.com -
Creative Director . Master Instructor
Liquid Adventures
(Media Production industry)
November 1997 — June 2009 (11 years 8 months)
Liquid Adventures was a small boutique design agency that was founded to provide services for tourism and scuba diving organizations. Our mission was to provide a broad range of products, from basic exposure packages for the budget conscious start-up, to large scale web, underwater imaging and marketing strategies for established clients.
Projects:
Tourism, Service & Dive Organizations:
National Geographic, Sound Passage Adventures, Destination West, Poets Cove Seaside Resort, Deep Sea Divers Den, Ocean Frontiers, Performance Free Diving, Underwater Multimedia, Taka Dive Charters, Blue Sea Charters, Porpoise Bay Charters. Emerald Tide Ocean Sports, The Dive Shop Calgary, Deja Vu Charters, Vancouver in Motion, Director Cale Werake (Bushido,) You H20 Vitamin water, Adobe Reel Ideas, The Next Institute, GE & Van Isle Barge, The Fossil Shop Inc., Bridge Restaurants
Conservation & Educational Organizations:
Reef Teach, Project AWARE, Australian Marine Conservation Society, Divers Alert Network (DAN), BCSPCA,
Highlights:
• Led more than a dozen environmental conservation, research, and fundraiser projects
• Consistently had one of the highest ROI ratios in continuing education training, dive travel promotion and instructor level training programs.
Dream . Dive . Design.
www.liquidadventures.ca -
Creative Director
Fiver Media
(Internet industry)
January 2007 — July 2008 (1 year 7 months)
As a CD I touched many aspects of design, including brand strategy, developing product excellence & integration initiatives and leading a team of Creative Producers (CP's.)
My primary responsibilities where in fostering client (Product and Business) relationships while supporting our CP's in crafting a clear product vision / strategy for our interactive gaming & web experiences.
Highlights:
• Co-managed team of 70
• Established advanced R&D team
• Created core competency, professional development & review program
www.fivermedia.com -
Senior Creative Producer
Riptown Media
(Privately Held; Internet industry)
June 2005 — January 2007 (1 year 8 months)
As a Creative Producer at Riptown Media I was focused on interactive gaming (iGaming) for the Bodog Entertainment Group.
Highlights:
• Established core process & validation procedures
• Spearheaded ethnographic research project
• Developed large scale online casino brand & gaming experience
• Creating a unique goal driven / rapid prototyping process code-named “nimble,” which combined the methodologies of “agile development” & “user centered design.”
www.riptownmedia.com -
General Manager
The Fossil Shop Inc.
(Retail industry)
May 1993 — February 1997 (3 years 10 months)
The Fossil Shop Inc is a small business that specializes in providing rare collectibles and fossils to a broad international clientele. As the Manager I oversaw all daily operations, including accounting, marketing and managing a small staff.
Highlights:
• Leveraged market mind share to focus business strategy
• Maximized company exposure by designing a web presence, product catalogs, and marketing materials
• Managed external vendor relationships, VIP customers including many renowned private collectors and museums.
www.thefossilshop.com
MILES NURSE’s Education
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D.A.N. (Divers Alert Network)
Marine First Aid & O2 Provider ,
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Digital Design (VFS)
Motion, Interactive, User Centered Design
Graduate with Honors
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Mount Royal College
Athletic Training
Nutrition, Physiotherapy, First Aid & Psychology
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Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)
Master Instructor , Technical Training
• 4000+ Dives
• 650+ Cold Water, 250 Wreck, 600 Video, 30 Ice
• Master Instructor Rating
• Emergency First Response Instructor
• Specialty Instructor in 16 categories
• CYA Basic Cruising
• Bronze Five Sailing Certified
• Apeks, Sherwood, Aqualung Repair Tec- Activities and Societies:
- Divers Alert Network- Underwater Poker Tournament Fund raiser
International Underwater Clean Up Day Organizer
Shark Awareness and Reef Conservation Project.
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Professional Development
Casual Connect, 2008
• Casual Gaming Conference
• Seattle USA
The Leaders Discipline, 2007
• Executive / Team Coaching using GROW model
• Brentwood Bay Canada
Web Directions North, 2007
• Designing for Lifestyle : Kelly Goto
• Vancouver Canada
Persona Development Seminar, 2006
• Ginny Redish
• Vancouver Canada
Vidfest : Comunications Conference, 2005 -06
• Vancouver Canada
Global Gaming Exposition, 2005
• Las Vegas USA
DEMA : Diving Industry Conferences, 2001 - 04
• Las Vegas USA
Business Wise: Business & Strategy Conference, 1999
• Edmonton Canada
Additional Information
MILES NURSE’s Websites:
MILES NURSE’s Interests:
Collaborative Conceptual Projects, Media Slams, Interactive / Environmental Design, Eco - Green Projects, Underwater Cinematography, Motion Graphics, Visual Story Telling, Games, Interactive / User Experience consultation.
MILES NURSE’s Groups:
PADI, AIGA, VFS
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Interaction Design Association -
Gaming People - The Gaming People Expert Network (+9.500) -
Boxes and Arrows -
Canadian Interactive Experts -
Video Game Professionals -
Adaptive Path -
Society of Graphic Designers of Canada -
Linked:Vancouver
MILES NURSE’s Honors:
2009
Excellence in Teaching: VFS
• Vancouver BC
2006 -07
Best Online Experience: GOM Awards
• Vancouver BC
Best in Class: Bodog TV: Interactive Media Awards
• Vancouver BC
2005
Top Casino Experience : GOM Awards
• Vancouver BC
Motion Graphics Feature :Six Phases of Design : Adobe
• Vancouver BC
Contest Winner : Your Key to Sexual Safety: Blood, Guts & Gore Film Festival
• Vancouver BC
Special Feature : Wanted | BCSPCA Animal Cruelty Prevention
• Vancouver BC
Critics Choice Award - New Media Slam : Roman Holiday
• Vancouver BC
• Best Horror Film - Your Key to Sexual Safety : Science Fiction and Horror Festival
• Las Vegas USA
2000 - 03
• Awards of Recognition - Promotion & Continuing Education (PADI)
• Calgary AB
MILES NURSE’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- career opportunities
- consulting offers
- new ventures
- job inquiries
- expertise requests
- business deals
- reference requests
- getting back in touch
