Experience

Informed XP

• United States
• IT Services and IT Consulting
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Innovation and Experience Lead for Informed XP at National Science Foundation

  • Oct 2021 - Present

  I'm the engagement lead for an innovation and design project at NSF to evaluate and improve the customer experience (CX) for administrative, security, facilities, and meetings/events support services in today's unprecedented and rapidly evolving hybrid work environment. I love having the opportunity to improve the everyday work experience in uncertain times for NSF's professional staff and science specialists, and to work with an amazing design, research, and strategy team. Day-to-day, we are busy with stakeholder, customer, and secondary research, landscape and trends analysis, synthesizing and presenting findings, forecasting, creating CX assessment tools, mapping user journeys, and creating a roadmap to a better-than-ever, high-impact customer experience at NSF. We pioneer remote collaboration through our everyday work by using virtual whiteboarding and metaverse platforms while we introduce these practices to a government context. We also use collaborative presentation techniques to improve participant engagement, so we're always designing new workshop activities and bringing innovative remote facilitation techniques into our work.



stickycomics.com

• Cartoonist + Illustrator

  • Jan 2007 - Present

  My humor comics appear on Cosmpolitan.com (weekly from 2012-16), as well as regularly on my own website, stickycomics.com. I have also been commissioned to create comics for online publications like BuzzFeed and BiteTV. My freelance cartoon illustration work includes t-shirt designs, greeting cards, book covers, spot illustrations, maps, infographics, and diagrams. My cartoon work is regularly licensed for use in books, presentations, t-shirts and other merchandise, and appears in syndication on Andrews-McMeel Universal's GoComics.com.



xiann.com

• China

• Innovation/Strategy/UX Design Consultant

  • Dec 2018 - Oct 2021

  As a consultant, I draw on experience as a designer, user experience strategist, information architect, entrepreneur, app developer, and more. I focus on: - Design ideation: Highly collaborative lateral thinking - Conceptual visualization: Articulating complex ideas visually - Generative research: Uncovering unmet needs through research - Strategic design: Designing with foresight, planning for impact In practice my work can vary between user, business, and market research, design thinking workshops, infographic design, storyboarding, rapid prototyping, field research, product strategy, wireframing, and product design. My most recent clients have included strategy firms such as ParsonsTKO, with whom I've worked with globally known organizations such as Brookings Institution, Atlantic Council, New America, and others. With the PTKO team, I've contributed UX leadership, design thinking, and long-term strategic planning to develop and enable high-impact digital outreach.



Product School

• Iran
• E-Learning Providers
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Featured Speaker at Product School

  • Jan 2020 - Jan 2020

  Founded in 2014, Product School is the world’s first technology business school. As a featured speaker, I help inspire the next generation of Product Managers to create innovative products and apply best practices in their work. Founded in 2014, Product School is the world’s first technology business school. As a featured speaker, I help inspire the next generation of Product Managers to create innovative products and apply best practices in their work.



Phase2

• United States
• IT Services and IT Consulting
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Senior UX Strategist

  • Jan 2014 - Dec 2018

  Among my accomplishments at Phase2, I led a UX design team to deliver a groundbreaking digital patient experience platform for Northwell Health, a major New York hospital network. Before that, I led the Information Architecture design initiative to relaunch IRS.gov, one of the most used government websites in the United States. I also brought collaborative design thinking and information innovation to successful initiatives at the United Nations, Stanford University, Harvard Business School, and many others. Responsibilities & accomplishments: -Designed innovative digital experiences and products as UX Lead / Senior UX Strategist. -Practiced user-centered design through user research, rapid prototyping, and iteration. -Collaborated closely with clients, designers, developers, copywriters, and others to make our designs a reality. -Worked with fellow UX practitioners to plan and grow our company-wide UX practice, including leading an internal UX training initiative within the company. -Brought fresh insights into emerging technology to company meetings and sales pitches in areas such as Virtual and Mixed Reality (VR), location-based & predictive tech, and voice-based user interfaces.



Saforian

• E-Learning Providers

• Information Architect

  • Aug 2012 - Dec 2013

  UX (User Experience) lead and functional designer for websites and mobile apps. Created wireframes, prototypes, content type definitions, database models, and other IA (Information Architecture) deliverables for Saforian's clients including FHI360, the UN Foundation, and No Kid Hungry. Designed and built functional prototypes for the company's internal products to improve client and internal communications. UX (User Experience) lead and functional designer for websites and mobile apps. Created wireframes, prototypes, content type definitions, database models, and other IA (Information Architecture) deliverables for Saforian's clients including FHI360, the UN Foundation, and No Kid Hungry. Designed and built functional prototypes for the company's internal products to improve client and internal communications.



Bubbly

• France
• Advertising Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Co-Founder

  • Feb 2009 - Jan 2013

  Bubbly Crowdsourcing Platform was an online tool designed to help organizations crowdsource their creative projects to a dedicated, enthusiastic community. Bubbly was a collaborative project between Fab Apps and CoolTown Beta Communities (creativecrowdsource.com). Bubbly Crowdsourcing Platform was an online tool designed to help organizations crowdsource their creative projects to a dedicated, enthusiastic community. Bubbly was a collaborative project between Fab Apps and CoolTown Beta Communities (creativecrowdsource.com).



Fab Apps

• Italy
• Software Development

• President & App Maker

  • Jun 2006 - Jan 2013

  Fab Apps was my small app company formed to create original, user-friendly web and mobile apps focused on reading, learning, and collaboration. The company also provided design, development, and consulting services to nonprofits and creative startups. (Fab Apps has closed.) Fab Apps was my small app company formed to create original, user-friendly web and mobile apps focused on reading, learning, and collaboration. The company also provided design, development, and consulting services to nonprofits and creative startups. (Fab Apps has closed.)



Digital Division

• United States
• Advertising Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Senior Web Developer & Instructor (Consultant)

  • Dec 2000 - 2011

  I worked for Digital Division off and on since 2000 in many roles, from teaching the firm's week-long Webmaster Boot Camp and shorter classroom courses to developing web-based applications to managing larger technology projects. Major projects included the STAR universal ATM locator and the Endocrine Society's main web presence and annual conference websites. I worked for Digital Division off and on since 2000 in many roles, from teaching the firm's week-long Webmaster Boot Camp and shorter classroom courses to developing web-based applications to managing larger technology projects. Major projects included the STAR universal ATM locator and the Endocrine Society's main web presence and annual conference websites.



consultant

• United States
• Advertising Services

• Integrative Web Technologies Consultant

  • Jul 1997 - Dec 2010

  As a web development/technology consultant, I focused on integrative web technology -- fixing the glitches that occur where the rubber meets the road -- and Big Picture communication/outreach strategies. As a web development/technology consultant, I focused on integrative web technology -- fixing the glitches that occur where the rubber meets the road -- and Big Picture communication/outreach strategies.



Multi-Media Training Institute

• United States
• Education
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Youth Web Design Instructor / Special Projects

  • Dec 2006 - Jan 2008

  Taught web design and multimedia skills to at-risk youth in a community television studio in Washington, DC. Helped develop websites and other online fundraising tools for the organization. Taught web design and multimedia skills to at-risk youth in a community television studio in Washington, DC. Helped develop websites and other online fundraising tools for the organization.



Green America (formerly known as Co-op America)

• Senior Web Developer

  • Oct 2004 - Nov 2006

  Designed and developed web sites, applications, and online campaigns for national environmental and social justice organization. Helped develop online outreach, communications, social change, and fundraising strategies. Contributed to organization-wide technology planning and implementation. Participated in screening green businesses based on social and environmental metrics. Designed and developed web sites, applications, and online campaigns for national environmental and social justice organization. Helped develop online outreach, communications, social change, and fundraising strategies. Contributed to organization-wide technology planning and implementation. Participated in screening green businesses based on social and environmental metrics.



Corcoran Gallery of Art

• United States
• Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos

• Adjunct Faculty, Graphic Design, School of Art + Design

  • May 2002 - Jul 2003

  Taught Web Design with Dreamweaver in Macintosh computer labs to degree-seeking and adult students. Taught Web Design with Dreamweaver in Macintosh computer labs to degree-seeking and adult students.



Peregrine Computer Consultants Corporation

• United States
• Computer and Network Security
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Web Developer, Perl Programmer

  • Sep 2001 - Jan 2003

  Part-time contract position Part-time contract position



PickTheHits.com

• United States
• Online Media

• Web Developer, Perl and PHP Programmer

  • Sep 2001 - May 2002

  Developed online contest, opt-in email delivery technology, etc for music-industry website Developed online contest, opt-in email delivery technology, etc for music-industry website



PSINet

• Chile
• IT Services and IT Consulting
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Web Developer, Web Server Administrator, Perl Programmer

  • Jan 2000 - Nov 2000

  Developed web-based project management portal for enterprise level web hosting clients. Participated with project management and security teams. Supervised junior web developer. Developed web-based project management portal for enterprise level web hosting clients. Participated with project management and security teams. Supervised junior web developer.



TV on the Web

• IT Services and IT Consulting

• Web Developer

  • Feb 1999 - Jan 2000

  Designed and developed streaming media websites Designed and developed streaming media websites