UX, usability engineering, Web Design, SCRUM, Agile, PMP

Sorflaten, John, PhD

Fairfield, IA 641-***-****

Usability/Systems Engineer/Agile Team Lead

*************@*****.***

Summary of Qualifications

More than 25 years of innovative business systems requirements and usability engineering in all phases of web and application design: clear problem definition for enterprise and project levels, winning proposals, cost-sensitive planning and on-time management, requirements analysis that meets the real needs of stakeholders to include customers and end users, motivating clients for follow-on projects, top-level training and mentoring, and efficient, productive meetings. Well-honed project management skills: situation analysis, goal-identification, team problem-solving in workshop settings, facilitating stand-up training/presentations with interactive, engaging style. Bridge gap between customer community and the development team; manage requirements specification, verifying their fulfillment through traceability. Excellent written and oral communication, clear thinking. Provide functional/technical guidance with detailed specifications. Trained in Project Management and Microsoft Project. Candidate for PMP. Team lead & Scrum master experience with JIRA, VersionOne and Rally. Rapid adaptation to varied venues: D oD, government, cyber, financial brokerages, insurance, medical equipment, manufacturing, national chain management, health, military, ecommerce, intranet, customer service, education, information, point-of-sale kiosk interaction, telecommunications and travel. Specialize in cross-team collaboration: coders, training, DB modeling/admin, middleware, sys admin, program management, testing, usability.

Security Clearance

● TS/SCI Cleared with FS Poly

Education

● PhD, Instructional Design and Technology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

● MA, Foundations of Education, Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, IA

● BA, Cinematography, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Certifications

● Certified Usability Analyst (CUA) #20

● Certified User Experience Professional (CUXP) #242 Training

● Completed (and subsequently taught) 6 courses offered by Human Factors International: User Centered Analysis (3 days), U sability Testing (2 days), W eb and Application Design (3 days), P utting Research into Practice (2 days), P ractical GUI Design (3 days), Essentials of Usability (2 days).

● Graduate of leading student-centered training method taught by w ww.bobpikegroup.com

● Trained in Fundamentals of Project Management, University of Maryland, PMP candidate. Honors & Awards

● Named “Employee of the Year” at world’s largest user interface design firm, Human Factors International

(HFI).

● Won “Best of the Fed” award for design and branding of National Institutes of Health website www.ninds.nih.gov. Wrote and consulted on this proposal for HFI’s biggest dollar project to that time.

● Since 1998, consistently chosen as lead instructor for course “Putting Research into Practice”. Received excellent course evaluations in this and 3 other courses offered in HFI’s “Certified Usability Analyst” program, teaching thousands of professionals over 20 years.

● Won competition for University of Iowa prestigious “Visual Scholar’s Program” fellowship sponsored by Eastman Kodak. Won “Best Dissertation Topic” award from Phi Beta Kappa.

● Co-applicant on patents for computer-based training, help system and keyboard layout algorithms for Japanese word processor. Layout algorithm saved 40% on training time and increased typing speed 10%, beating the Japanese touch-typing champion of that period.

● Distinguished graduate of Air Force Officer Training School. Won competition for training in Cinema degree at USC. Attained rank of Captain and assigned Commander of Audio Visual Unit within two years of beginning officer career.

● 2015 proposal selected for presentation to the NSA think tank LAS (Laboratory for Analytic Science at NC State). Content included methods for utilizing “big data” for Command and Control of analytic services in the intelligence community. Presentation scheduled for May, 2016. Employment History

Omnyon LLC, Columbia, MD April 2016 – December 2017 Business Process Analyst, Agile Team Lead, Media Design/Producer, Sr. Usability Engineer– Retained to evaluate, advise and re-engineer contract acquisition processes for an advanced technology innovations group. Reviewed extant practices and conducted interviews regarding organizational goals and current processes. Researched solutions and socialized alternative approaches. Recommended workshops in “innovation” planning using the established method of alternate futures scenarios. In a second venue, served as team lead/system engineer to support mission management collaboration applications. Participated in demos to new organizations, internal brainstorming of new functions; coordinated with usability and development staff. Wrote the user-centered user manual within Confluence media environment. Documented changes in the completion-based contract and coordinated with the government client. Monitored, measured and reported Agile work projects in Confluence and JIRA. Served as Co-SCRUM Master. In a third venue, selected to produce videos and articles while curating a knowledge base on cloud database topics. This position involves best practices associated with usability engineering including user research, design of media content, outcome evaluation and website navigation. In a fourth venue, performed SCRUM Master duties as well as unit testing of an nextensively revised mission management software application.

Prophasys, Columbia, MD April 2015 – November 2016 Principal Usability Engineer - Selected to redesign with short time window a major DoD innovation in 2

web-based data utilization by analysts. Worked with non-local development team in JIRA Agile context. Toured facilities with stakeholder team to gain awareness of contexts, user types, tasks and environments. Built on prior design efforts, bringing new insights into how search and discovery should be conducted, with an eye to extensibility for future functions. Utilized Balsamiq to create low fidelity mockups for usability testing with end-user team and communication with stakeholders and developers. Published a design patterns standard to guide others in their design efforts. Worked with graphics designer in creating high fidelity mockups using the Google Material design language (Angular). Successfully completed for timely delivery: information architecture

(high level navigation) and designs that were tested and reviewed against stakeholder requirements. Usability design phase completed on time, as planned.

Vencore (formerly the SI Organization, Inc), Laurel, MD September 2014 - April 2015 Usability and Systems Engineer, Sr. Staff – S erved as Usability and Systems Engineer performing multiple functions for a high-priority, user-visible projects. Performed systems engineering and requirements analysis, usability review, concept of operations visioning, training strategy and execution, navigation design and testing, detailed usability design and testing, and documentation services. Researched and designated user groups, scenarios, use cases, design standards and proposed interactions with supporting applications. Evangelized project as ideally suited for other funded demonstration projects within the larger organization. Utilized JIRA for Agile support, created “Usability Nexus” information center within a Confluence environment. Prototyped and conducted card sorting with available tools including PowerPoint; reverse engineered structure and function of existing application with analytic tools including Excel pivot tables. Provided 80 recommendations for improvement of the user experience. Also served as a Field Site Systems Engineer, with responsibilities for tracking, maintaining, and configuring government information technology systems. Northrop Grumman Information Services, Annapolis Junction, MD August 2013 - March 2014 Sr. Usability Engineer - S ole usability consultant for multi-application, fast-tracked mission management modernization suite under Congressional purview. Provided user profiles, screen standards, design artifacts; requirements verification, prioritization, validation through user interviews/use cases; task flow simplification, screen design, mockups, documentation, training reviews and user testing. Collaborated on OWF, GWT, EXT-JS, CSS and JQPLOT cross-team software development activities. Supported strong Agile/SCRUM methodology using Rally. Prototype tools: Axure, Balsamiq, Gliffy, Visio, Powerpoint.. Brought design and coding solutions from prior projects into the current project. Briefed large team of developers and SE on principles of good design and layout; provided documentation. Utilized prior contacts, ad hoc teams, project knowledge and institutional objectives to speed solutions for current projects; created requirements traceability docs/test plans, pushed boundaries of what is possible to build best solutions. Uncovered hidden agendas, brought out essential requirements through one-on-one and group interviews; evangelized and coordinated high-level navigation approach with welcomed enhancements to client’s original proposal. Successes allowed client to divert usability funding and position to much needed coding positions. Leidos (formerly Science Applications International) Columbia, MD February 2010 - April 2013 Principal Usability Engineer - L ead usability consultant on various classified projects involving collecting and 3

documenting user characteristics, workflows, scenarios and task requirements. Vetted requirements with stakeholders and project management. Created and tested interface designs in low and high fidelity prototypes with Axure, PowerPoint, Visio, iPlotz; familiar with iRise. Broke ground with proposals for semantic technology to data exploitation by diverse end-users. Project tools include IBM Rational ClearQuest, Agile/SCRUM, JIRA, VersionOne, MS Office Suite, DoDAF architecture products, CONOPS, test plans and requirements/design documentation with traceability to origin Three major projects over three years plus completed institutional screen design standards for large government client. Gained familiarity with cyber workflows, challenges, and technical solutions with attention to detail. Also, supported successful upgrade of the user interface to a major knowledge base used by 6,000 government analysts. Selected to provide Sr. advisement and consulting on congressionally funded OWF-based cyberdata modernization project that used 4 other usability engineers: developed user experience from concept to completion, analyzed, verified and traced requirements; insured requirements comprehensibility, consistency and feasibility, including NOTA3rd party test preparations. Gained technical understanding of semantic technology solutions.

Worked with developers, managers, systems engineers and stakeholders. Planned, conducted and analyzed surveys. Integrated systems taking into account both COTS and custom software tradeoffs, coordinated multiple stakeholders/business needs. Commended for collaborative skills and solution oriented designs that met constraints of time, cost and development resources. Taught 8 usability brown bag seminars for SAIC developers and systems engineers. Located vendor and researched/wrote outline for SAIC internal course

“Visionaries Introduction to Semantic Technology”. User Experience Works (my consultancy) Fairfield, IA... December 2008 – January 2010 Principal Usability Consultant - P rovided range of usability services to High Point Insurance (web site usability testing); HFI London (planning and conducting focus groups for Nokia); Ringtail Design (usability job aids for defense contractor); Peach Pit Press (technical book editing); various (web site reviews). Human Factors International, Inc., Fairfield, IA April 1988 – Nov 2008 Usability Specialist 1988-1997; Project Director 1998- 2008 - I nsured usability of web and applications designs. Touched on all aspects of the design and testing life-cycle (given above). Supervised one or more specialists including successful mentoring of off-shore HFI employees. Championed “institutionalization” of usability; mapped HFI’s ISO 9000-approved methodology to Rational Unified Process (RUP) methodology and CMMI and SDLC. Used waterfall and spiral methodologies prior to industry adoption of Agile. Promoted effective usability skills u ser interface design and prototyping (web and applications), usability testing

(remote and lab), information architecture, user experience design, user interaction design, instructional design, computer-based training, process improvement, change management, and management of off-shore support personnel.

Engagements often represented $5 million -$15 million total software development investment by the client and affected 500-15,000 end users or more. E.g., enterprise design and standards projects for the financial sector 4

(among other sectors) include Pershing (Workstation), Reuters (Income 3000 traders station and DAC permissioning system), Electronic Joint Ventures (EJV) (UniView bond analysis tool). Experienced in a wide range of research protocols, statistical methods. Prototyping tools include Axure, iRise, Balsamiq, iPlotz, Visio, PowerPoint, Visual Basic. Innovated accessible design standards and testing, plus content management authoring for the Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke public web site (see w ww.ninds.nih.gov) . Conducted full cycle of usability methodology. See PowerPoint presentations at my LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=3664087&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile Usability projects include credit application forms for Volkswagen, bill re-design for Sprint, seminar scripting for Social Security Administration, consumer product instructions for Avery-Dennison (over 20 sets of printing instructions). Wrote design standards for enterprise B2B and B2C clients such as Platinum, Allen Bradley (now owned by Rockwell Collins), J&H/KVI (employee benefits services), McKesson-HBOC, Prodigy, World Span and others.

Chosen to create the first paper and web-based generic Web standards offered by HFI as a stand-alone product. Selected to produce video product of HFI founder Eric Schaffer instructing on GUI design. Initiated program of PR via web for HFI by writing trade articles. (See Publications list.) Lead instructor 1988-2008 - S uccessfully taught all HFI seminars over 20 years in the U.S., U.K., Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Norway, Mexico, Philippines and India. Addressed cultural differences for instruction. Seminars included U ser Centered Analysis (3 days), Usability Testing (2 days), W eb and Application Design (3 days), P utting Research into Practice (2 days), P ractical GUI Design (2 or 3 days). Often incorporated client design challenges into the course offering. Encouraged workshop atmosphere to excellent effect. Selected to produce and host important video courses for in-house HFI training as well as for the HFI flagship training product “ Essentials of Usability” .

Innovated engaging topics on usability methods such as “winning at usability politics”, “active listening”,

“online testing” and “faceted navigation in support of decision-making”. Among top 20% of instructors at HFI. Received evaluations of “best instructor” and “very engaging interaction”. Unedited evaluation reports available upon request. Organized panel session on popular and well-received “Winning at the Politics of Usability” for the 2008 Usability Professionals Association meeting. For this slide set and other presentation materials see http://www.slideshare.net/johnsorflaten/NewBestPractice/ . Summary of specific technical skills/tools/products 5

● Lifecycle tools: competitive analysis, use cases, personas/profiles, task analysis, requirements management, scenarios, usability testing and reporting

● Collaboration with developers and graphics designers, writers, software architects

● Rich Internet Application (RIA) environment and future technologies, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Section 508 and accessibility, internationalization (I18N), OWF application environment

● Agile, SCRUM and traditional waterfall methodologies; VersionOne, Rally, JIRA, Confluence

● Wireframe prototyping tools such as Visio, Axure, Balsamiq, iRise, Gliffy, etc.

● PMP training, qualified in Microsoft Project

OTHER RELATED EXPERIENCE

OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE TRAINING, Fairfield, IA (my consultancy) Instructional Designer, User-interface Designer, Writer

● Created easy-to-use documentation manuals and demos for Atrium Group. Received excellent reviews in PC Magazine for documentation of application subsequently acquired by Computer Associates.

● Innovated “information mapping” for DB2 best practices standard for Ford Motor, Inc.

● Re-designed nationally promoted 3-day seminar on computer-based training design.

● Successfully brought user-centered design to several small businesses including: w ww.artselect.com, a kiosk placed in grocery stores h ttp://www.nutritionanalysis.com, another art site w ww.gallerydirect.com and several other start-up web projects. Consulted on enterprise spa reservation system for www.theraj.com . Provided critical usability services for web entrepreneur The JACI Group. GLOBAL INTEGRATION TECHNOLOGIES, Fairfield, IA

Training and R&D Specialist

● Invented ergonomic optimization for Japanese word processor that resulted in a 40% decrease in training time and a 10% increase in typing speed. Patents applied for.

● Invented software designs to automate touch-typing task analysis and instructional sequencing. Co-wrote computer-based-training specs and manual.

SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY, San Jose, CA

Taught TV Production and Broadcasting

MAHARISHI UNIVERSITY OF MANAGEMENT, Fairfield, IA Taught TV Production and Usable Web and Application Design U.S. AIR FORCE, Orlando and Tampa, FL; Vietnam

Motion Picture Production Officer, Captain, Unit Commander (top secret clearance) at U.S. Strike Command

(now Central Command).

PUBLICATIONS and PROJECT LIST

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(Available upon request.)

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