Design Quality Assurance

SUSAN CULKIN

*****.******@*****.*** 703-***-****

SUMMARY

Created User Experience teams for major regional and multi-national corporations, Cablevision and Thomson-

West GSI to manage internet, TV, and mobile device UI design.

Recruit, mentor, and manage creative teams to design and produce first-rate solutions surpassing standards of

style, architecture, and information dissemination.

Lead design of Cablevision’s Online DVR application that increased DVR subscriptions by 4% in 30 days.

YTD 2010 saved Cablevision $56,625, and growing, in agency fees by engaging direct freelance resources on

strategic initiatives.

Raised customer retention with redesign of Optimum.net customer portals for Cablevision’s approximately 3

million customers.

Directed user interfaces that are compelling and easy to understand "out of the box", ensuring user satisfaction

and product competitiveness early and throughout the product development life cycle.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Cablevision, Bethpage, NY (Jun 2008 Present)

User Experience & Interaction Design Lead

Independently lead, manage, develop and motivate design team, including personnel reviews, as well as contract

with outside firms and freelancers for design, illustration, copy-writing, audio production, and deep-link flash

animation

Maintain accountability for overall quality of creative work, adhering to timelines and budgets.

Emphasize “three screens” internet, TV, and mobile devices in all interactive design projects to develop

industry-leading solutions that simplify and elevate the user experience.

Conceptualize and articulate ideas with prototypes (paper and HTML, low–fi and hi–fi), wireframes,

storyboards, site maps, scenarios.

Write protocols and conduct one-on-one user testing; synthesize results of testing and present recommendations

to management. Write UI Specifications with Technical team to ensure accurate implementation of final design.

Update interactive channel designs to Active Video Network (AVN) framework, emphasizing “10 Foot

Experience” and user limitations dictated by working with a TV remote.

Created and provide ongoing management of style guide and pattern library.

Computer Associates, Islandia, NY (Sept 2007 – May 2008)

User Experience Consultant

Created prototypes and User Interface Specification web-based application.

Analyzed user paths, user feedback/surveys, and usability test results to create and refine user interface

requirements.

Researched/defined personas for technical support site.

Conducted remote usability testing over Webex with international customer base.

Designed page mock-ups in Photoshop, prepped images for production.

Thomson West, GSI (now Thomson Reuters), Washington, DC (Feb 2006 – Jul 2007)

User Interface Product Manager

Established User Experience practice for GSI, a new Thomson West division.

Interfaced with business analysts and legal subject matter experts to create prototypes. Confirmed design with

one-on-one usability testing.

Susan Culkin page 2

Created new look-and-feel within strict brand guidelines, working with Thomson’s Westlaw Corporate Graphic

Design department.

Managed final delivery of user interface design implementation with pattern library.

Collaborated with technical teams to incorporate technology advancements such as AJAX and XML to existing

Westlaw application framework.

Keane Federal Systems, McLean, VA (May 2004 – Dec 2005)

Principal Consultant, Senior Business Analyst

Used Visio to flow paper-based process, identified weaknesses, designed application to bring up-to-date and

online.

Reconciled differing points of view and conflicting directions to negotiate an effective solution.

Set direction and goals for business analysis to evaluate and solve gaps or inadequacies in current business

environment/process.

Booz Allen Hamilton, Incorporated, McLean, VA (April 2002 – April 2004)

User Solutions Consultant

Introduced principle of user centric design to customers, including the Office of the Assistant Secretary of

Defense (OASD) and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).

Facilitated usability tests on existing and proposed web application prototypes.

Worked with internal designers and outside graphic design firms to deliver engaging look-and-feel with strong

emphasis on 508(a) web design standards for disabled and handicapped users.

Gathered functional and user requirements, created user profiles and scenarios, planned and executed focus

groups, user interview and requirements sessions.

IBM, Washington, DC (Aug 2000 – March 2002)

Creative Director, e business Services

Led team of 14 creative staff to produce captivating internet sites and applications for multi-lingual international

corporations, including Roche Diagnostics, NASCO and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Oversaw all design and

production phases.

Standardized product development workflow processes for artistic and engineering personnel, eliminating

redundancy, miscommunication, and wasted production cycles.

Managed/mentored Information Architects, Art and Media Directors, Graphic Designers, Technical Writers,

Front-end Developers, and Web Producers.

Directed front-end developers on clickable prototypes for concepts and usability testing.

Collaborated with Technical Team on use cases and implementation using RAD and Extreme Programming to

ensure smooth, timely delivery.

Deloitte Consulting, Washington, DC (Jun 1994 – Aug 2000)

Art Director

Established first graphics department for Deloitte DC office

Pioneered UI design for some of the first customer-facing web sites for corporate clients including as MCI (now

Verizon), Cable & Wireless (then a British telephone and cable company), and Cox Communications.

Recruited, mentored, and managed 13+ contractors to design and produce first-rate solutions surpassing

standards of style, architecture, and information dissemination.

Managed visual concepts for print and media designs using Illustrator, Flash, PageMaker, Quark and

CorelDraw

Built intranet and client web sites in Dreamweaver with Fireworks

Susan Culkin page 3

EDUCATION

George Washington University, Washington, DC 1992

Advanced Courses towards Design and Publications Specialist Certification Program

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 1989

Bachelors of Arts in Comparative Arts

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Project Estimating and Risk Management, Keane Associates 2005

Productivity Management, Keane Associates 2004

Technical Project Management, Booz Allen Hamilton 2002

Project Financial Management, Booz Allen Hamilton 2002

Macromedia Flash and Freehand, Piwowar and Associates, Incorporated 2000

Internet Project Management, Piwowar and Associates, Incorporated 1998

HTML, EEI Associates 1998

Adobe PhotoShop and Illustrator, Piwowar and Associates, Incorporated 1994

SECURITY CLEARANCE

Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) – Inactive Sep 07

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Development Tools: Adobe (Flash, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, PhotoShop, Illustrator, and PageMaker),

CorelDraw, Quark Xpress, HTML, Telelogic DOORS, Sybase PowerDesigner, ReqPro, Test Director,

Visio, Axure, Morae

Software: Microsoft (Project, Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint), Adobe Acrobat

SUSAN CULKIN

*****.******@*****.*** 703-***-****

SAMPLE SITES, INTERACTIVE TV CHANNELS, & MOBILE APPS

Can also provide samples of user experience delivery materials including process flows, wireframes,

prototypes, user profiles, screen comps, testing protocols, use cases, and comparative site evaluations.

Websites

optimum.net & m.optimum.net

Redesigned site to improve usability, emphasize company assets, and modernize look & feel and

user experience. Broad audience of Optimum TV, Internet, and Voice subscribers.

westlawbusiness.com

Features multiple specialized work centers on an integrated platform for the transactional law

community. Site offers in depth legal research on line for lawyers to extend the research traditionally

performed by legal librarians.

support.ca.com

CA introduced a new technical support site with knowledge base search and case management. Led

UI design including user evaluations with prototypes on new web app for product compatibility matrix

scheduled to be released in June 2008. Also integrated external web applications to support portal.

Managed re brand effort. Provided UI design and quality assurance on portal content and

applications, including designing new components for UI library.

mydoc.com

Quick on line access to family physicians, linking physicians and patients directly with pharmacies.

After patients answering a few triage questions, the doctors review the answers on line with the

patient’s medical records to diagnose and prescribe medication. Award winning site for e business,

overall website, best content and best interactive site.

myhcbenefits.com

Users go to this health insurance site to check on their benefits, claims, etc. Typical users are retired

persons who may not trust the web and are not savvy users. A large amount of data is extracted from

archaic databases and combined into an intuitive screen for insurance members and call service

personnel.

roche diagnostics.com

Partnered with German design firm to produce a strong Internet presence utilizing existing 200+ page

web site for pharmaceutical/diagnostics giant, Roche Diagnostics. Main user focus on medical

personnel and insurance companies worldwide, a secondary focus is patients seeking sense of

security.

absc us.com

First roll out of the company’s web site with new brand and corporate identity. Marketing to

government agencies, prime contractors, and supporting contract firms.

Interactive TV

Optimum Select

Interactive ad channel developed by outside design firm. Conducted usability study to increase ease

of use and improve overall user experience. Recommending design changes to align with Optimum

brand. (To learn more, go to Optimum Select on the iO TV menu or visit Optimum Select on

Optimum customer portal.)

iO Photos

Partnering with online photo sharing sites to display subscriber’s photo albums on their own TV. (In

development, scheduled to launch in July 2010)

iPhone and Android App

iO DVR

Allows Cablevision customers to search TV record programs to home DVRs and manage current and

scheduled recordings. (In development, scheduled to launch in July 2010) iPad design underway.

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