Dave Nelson

Current

Digital Strategist at VML

Past

Account Planner at Saatchi & Saatchi X
Human Factors Engineer at Sprint
User Experience Architect at Barkley

Interaction Designer at ALTEC
Training and Data Manager at United Parcel Service

see less...

2 more...

Education

University of Kansas

Recommended

14 people have recommended Dave

Connections

220 connections

Industry

Marketing and Advertising

Websites

Dave Nelson’s Summary

Non-traditional Planner with an Interactive Design background, who understands Environmental Design, and strives to craft dynamic experiences that propel brands where competitors can’t follow.

I bring to the table a broad range of experiences and a diverse background. From usage focused Industrial Design, interaction oriented User Experience Architecture and strategy driven Account Planning, I have a passion for changing people's lives through design. I seek organizations with a desire to iterate, evolve and positively impact the world.

Design isn't about Art, it is about meeting the human condition. In my range of professions, every audience had a different name: consumers, users, teachers, shoppers, Moms, etc. Even each job focused on a different place or a different tactic to reach them. But no matter someone's designation, there is always the need for empathy, emotion and an enjoyable experience.

Dave Nelson’s Specialties:

Retail Experience Planner that strengthens the consumer experience both in the physical and digital environments

Dave Nelson’s Experience

Digital Strategist

VML

(Public Company; 201-500 employees; Marketing and Advertising industry)

May 2008 — Present (5 months)
Account Planner

Saatchi & Saatchi X

(Marketing and Advertising industry)

September 2006 — March 2008 (1 year 7 months)

Global shopper marketing agency specializing in creating solutions that increase purchase behavior. On the Wal-Mart team, focused on crafting strategies that made shopping a big-box retailer intimately relevant for today’s consumers.

With a collection of in-store marketing tools, worked to mine insights and frame shopper problems that fit total-store situations. Working closely with the Account, Insights and Creative teams, wrote briefs and modeled store experiences that direct presentations, and provided guard rails for concepts and creative executions. Unlike other areas of the company focusing on in-store tactics, we sought understanding for how people shop the entire store, and how Wal-Mart could impact improving shoppers’ lives.
Human Factors Engineer

Sprint

(Public Company; S; Information Technology and Services industry)

July 2006 — August 2006 (2 months)

Worked in the Interaction Design group for sprint.com evaluating existing interfaces, architecting new information structures and providing usability expertise for various internal clients. It was a great experience that confirmed my abilities as an Information Architect, Graphic Designer and Usability practitioner. I also learned that was not where I am passionate.

I can perform all of the technical functions of such a role, but needed to be in an environment where we talk to people, iterate through fast design solutions and move on to the next mountain to climb. It was a great opportunity, but just wasn't where I wished to stay.

My short tenure reflects an urgently swift hiring by Saatchi & Saatchi X.
User Experience Architect

Barkley

(Privately Held; 201-500 employees; Marketing and Advertising industry)

February 2005 — June 2006 (1 year 5 months)

Full service regional advertising agency striving to create great work that remains relevant to client and consumer. Wore many hats and frequently adjusted processes to budget size and time scope.

Conducted research from clients to kids for large scale internal web-applications to small external micro-sites. Producing design direction and use-modeling through every stage of rapid prototyping and iterative testing to final interaction documentation. Evangelized user needs throughout development, then measuring completion. Also piloted a process for holistically plotting a map of consumer touch points to strategically manage the series of sensory take-aways a consumer has across the overall brand experience.
Interaction Designer

ALTEC

(Non-Profit; E-Learning industry)

August 2001 — February 2005 (3 years 7 months)

Advanced Learning Technology in Education Consortia,
Center for Research on Learning at The University of Kansas

Grant funded nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing learning and integrating technology into education. Researched students and teachers to produce highly usable digital tools and design assets for active use in traditional and high-tech classrooms. Worked closely with multicultural development teams to produce a range dynamic web and handheld applications.
Training and Data Manager

United Parcel Service

(Public Company; UPS; Package/Freight Delivery industry)

May 2000 — August 2001 (1 year 4 months)

Package Level Data Manager, Night Sort
Managed Hub computer package-tracking system and office employees while monitoring and trouble-shooting system errors within the operation.

Part Time Supervisor of Operations Training, Night Sort
Managed and trained new employees to hub specifications for safety and performance while assisting with area management.

Also was on the Retention Committee and a Safety Committee Representative.

Dave Nelson’s Education

University of Kansas

BFA, Industrial Design, 1997 — 2003

Human Factors Psychology concentration

Activities and Societies:

Delta Chi Fraterenity

Additional Information

Dave Nelson’s Websites:

Dave Nelson’s Interests:

iteration, innovation, cognitive psychology, action theory, language and the mind, abstract expressionism, sailing, jazz, motorcycles, photography, user-centered design, methodologies, taxonomies, interaction design, industrial design, architecture, philosophy, meta-planning, meta-cognition, meta-just-about-anything, etc....