Ian Niklas

User experience leader UX/UI

ad3kmq@r.postjobfree.com

612-***-****

DESIGN APPROACH

I marry data with creative insights to deliver successful user experiences for desktop and mobile. By incorporating user needs and business goals, I make form and function work together through rapid iteration and prototyping. This results in digital experiences that offer utility and human connectivity. I take pride in building simple solutions to complex problems.

SUMMARY OF SKILLS & ABILITIES

Advocating for transformational user experiences by applying user-centric design methodologies.

Supporting UX initiatives and creating user interface design solutions through the process of design iterations in agile development and modernizing legacy designs when needed.

Collaborating with cross-functional teams and managing the entire design process, including: facilitating ideation and critique sessions, planning and conducting user research and testing, scoping the design process and proposed solutions to teams and clients, rapid prototyping, heuristic analysis, addressing accessibility concerns, and delivering final wireframes.

Working with clients to understand detailed requirements, and designing complete end-to-end user experiences that meet client needs and vision.

Leveraging pattern libraries for consistency and quality across multiple UI/UX deliverables.

Hands-on experience designing for responsive web, iOS and Android mobile applications.

Bridging the gaps between UX research and business while listening carefully and communicating efficiently on how to balance user needs and business goals.

Delivering UX solutions in the form of sketches, wireframes, and prototypes using tools such as Sketch, Figma, InVision, Axure, Adobe Creative Suite, and Microsoft Office.

Mentoring, managing, and scaling teams of designers to support business needs.

EMPLOYMENT

Thomson Reuters, Minneapolis, MN (2018 – Present)

Lead UI/UX Designer

Responsibilities: Work closely with product teams to uncover business needs, develop design strategies and communicate design solutions. Partner with the research team to design and specify the product experience using iterative design techniques including design studios, customer interviews and usability testing. Use data and leverage user-centric design to create transformational end-to-end experiences. Play a key role in human design process to find relevant solutions and to provide a seamless experience. Deliverables: Produce designs such as sketches, scenarios, wireframes, mental models and prototypes. Effectively communicate research findings, conceptual ideas and detailed design rationale aiming to solve complex business requirements through UX design solutions. Help define and maintain a global patterns and guidelines library. Evangelize experience design throughout the organization.

Niklas Design, Minneapolis, MN

Freelance Sr. Designer, Art Director, UI/UX Designer (2002 – Present)

Responsibilities: Working with Creative Directors and Copywriters to design effective visual communication solutions targeting print and web solutions to a diversity of audiences and clients including B2B and B2C projects. Deliverables: Identity design, branding, print design, brochures, product sell sheets, style guides, editorial design, web design, web content management, infographics, RFP designs, form designs, print/online ads and e-blasts. Clients: University of Florida, Target, Exhibitor Magazine, Jennie-O, Carapelli, Pillsbury, General Mills, Coca Cola, Sony, American Express, AIGA, Imation, 3M, McNally Smith College of Music, City of St. Paul, Masonic Charities,

HF Hope.

Booking Holdings Inc., New York, NY (2018)

Lead UI/UX Designer

Responsibilities: Designing intuitive and customer-centric experiences that work seamlessly. Choosing the right tools for the right problem, fluidly moving through different stages of the process from sketching to low- and high-fidelity prototypes. Grounded in observations, research and analytics to come up with ideas and then validate through testing. Believe universal design is the best design, and design for people of all abilities. Deliverables: Work with researchers, content strategists, product managers and engineers to develop and improve products and services for millions of our customers worldwide, every day.

Christopher & Banks, Minneapolis, MN (2018)

Lead UI/UX Designer

Responsibilities: Designing and conducting both user-focused product design research and usability tests for websites and other digital experiences across various platforms including desktop, mobile and tablet at a large retail client. Identifying user needs and goals, task and workflow modeling as well as regularly scanning the competitive landscape. Based on a clear understanding of business goals, assist in developing the UX design and research strategy while planning for each project, including validation of user needs. Deliverables: Contribute to requirements and design documents by designing, conducting and managing user-focused product design research for new projects; conducting ongoing research of user needs - before, during and after product implementation and facilitating sessions to document requirements from users and stakeholders.

Praeses LLC., Minneapolis, MN (2015 – 2017)

Lead UI/UX Designer

Responsibilities: Working with Information Architects (IA) and Developers to design mobile apps. Creating all the design UI/UX requirements to replace older applications. Defining and streamlining a new workflow and set a precedent industry-wide. Strong attention to detail and creating a better user experience from the navigation and usability stand point. Bring consistency across the board using UI/UX, Visual Design on branding throughout the company. Deliverables: UI/UX, mobile apps, wireframes, prototypes, branding, print collateral, white papers, architecture UX, web development support, infographics.

Equus Holdings Inc., Minneapolis, MN

Sr. Print and UI/UX Designer (2010 – 2014)

Responsibilities: Strategic use of branding to visually communicate in-house brands to their audience. Working closely with copywriters and business units to create visual solutions which are sales driven and translate from print to web -- Business Units -- Equuscs.com, Intequus.com, ServersDirect.com,

Cliqstudios.com, 6Squarecabinets.com, RazorSync.com. Deliverables: Identity design, branding, print design, print collateral, white papers, product sell sheets, style guides, print/online ads, infographics, web design UI/UX, wireframes, prototypes, architecture UX, mobile apps, web development support, web content management,

and e-blasts.

M Design Interactive, Minneapolis, MN

Sr. Print and Web Designer UI/UX (2009 – 2010)

Responsibilities: Worked with the creative director and account directors to strategically identify the client needs and deliver visual communications tailored to meet their needs. Deliverables: Identity design, branding, print design, web design, print collateral, print and online ads, direct mail.

ShopNBC, Minneapolis, MN

Senior Designer (2004 – 2008)

Responsibilities: Worked directly with copywriters and the marketing team to meet brand guidelines by sustaining the look and feel of a luxury-driven brand for premium lifestyle products. Created conceptual branding solutions for print and web marketing campaigns. Managed photo direction, art direction, supervised immediate team, managed freelance staff on assignments and managed budgets. Deliverables: Identity design, print design, print collateral, catalog design, brand extensions, web design UI/UX, web development support, print/online ads, direct mail.

Design Smith & Co. Minneapolis, MN

Graphic & Packaging Designer (2002 – 2004)

Responsibilities: Worked with the creative director to research and identify packaging design hierarchies.

Concepted, designed and implemented branding and packaging solutions for CH Robinson brands including; Fresh1, Tropicana, Mott’s, Welch’s. Deliverables: Branding, package design, style guides, product sell sheets print ads and print collateral.

Baker Associates, Minneapolis, MN

Packaging Designer (2002)

Responsibilities: Worked with the creative director, art directors, designers and illustrators to identify branding and packaging design hierarchy. Conceptualized, designed, and implemented consumer packaging designs for Nabisco brands including; Cheese Nips, Oreo, Nutter Butter, Ritz, et al. Deliverables: Branding, package design, print ads and print collateral.

Tiger Oak Publications, Minneapolis, MN

Art Director (2001)

Responsibilities: Designed and art directed for the Twin Cities Parent Magazine, Minnesota Bride Magazine and other custom publications and projects. Worked with the Editor to define the creative direction of each publication. Managed photo direction, art buying, styling, project management, freelance photographers, illustrators and other staff on assignments. Deliverables: Editorial design, web design, print ads, direct mail.

John Ryan Company, Minneapolis, MN

Graphic Designer (2000)

Responsibilities: Designed a range of promotional materials for print and environmental design. Conceptualized with marketing strategists, created client presentations and produced a variety of branding and print campaign materials. Clients: Bank of America, Guaranty Bank, Berlitz and John Ryan Creative. Deliverables: Branding, print, collateral, brochures, environmental design and client presentations.

DESIGN SKILLS

Computer Knowledge

Adobe Creative Suite (CS) • User centered design (ucd)

Sketch, Figma, AdobeXD • User driven development (udd)

InVision, Miro, UXPin • Design pattern library (dpl)

Axure, Proto, Marvel • Journey mapping, storyboards

Squarespace, WordPress • UX architecture, design systems

Mobile, Responsive design • Lean design, agile, HCI

Wireframes, Prototypes • Styleguides, usability testing

Acrobat, Office 365 • Infographics, white papers

HTML, CSS, Java • Material design, analytics, SEO

CLIENTS:

University of Florida, Target, Exhibitor, Magazine, Jennie-O, General Mills, Sony, Coca Cola, American Express, AIGA, TKDA, Imation, 3M, McNally Smith College of Music, City of St. Paul, Masonic Charities, Best Buy, Medtronic, Marvin Windows.

EDUCATION:

St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN (2001), Graduate coursework in studio art

and interactive design

Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA (1999), BFA in Graphic and Packaging Design

St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN (1998), BFA in Graphic Design

Pasadena City College, Pasadena, California (1997)

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