I work with smart, creative people in designing user-centric, elegant products combined with focused, goal-oriented design strategy. And I have fun doing it, too.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
User Experience Lead | Microsoft, Redmond, WA
November 2006 - Present
Right now, I'm leading a team of user experience designers, working with research and writing to help build the next generation of Microsoft's internet search offerings. With a goal to better integrate user experience engineering with Program Management and Development, we've created a scalable design process that includes rapid wireframe prototyping and clear cross-group collaboration. We weave solid design process, research and excellent creative solutions into the product cycle.
Product Designer | Microsoft, Redmond, WA
April 2004 - Present
Worked on developing the interaction designs for several products within Microsoft's Windows Live suite of online services. Recent work includes helping oversee the core strategic integration of Windows Live Search within almost a dozen vertical sites. I have also spent the majority of my time within the Customer Design Center as the lead designer for Windows Live Local, our local search and maps offering. As of late, I've been shifting my role from pure tactical interactive design into helping define the design strategy for Windows Live moving into the next year.
Art Director | MSNBC.com, Redmond, WA
September 2001 - April 2004
As an art director, I've worked specifically on multimedia broadband interactive experiences on MSNBC.com which involved original reporting, production, graphics and video/photography. I am currently redesigning MSNBC.com, with emphasis on relevance functionality, user-focused design and visual simplicity. Previously, as senior designer, I was responsible for daily graphics, illustration and coordinating special projects that appeared on MSNBC.com and NBCSports.com.
Graphic Designer | Epinions.com, San Francisco, CA
May 2000 - May 2001
I worked with a four-person creative team to develop a new look and feel for the web's premier source of consumer reviews and opinions. Also responsible for all visual sales tools, marketing materials, and creative business development solutions to help in both offline and online capacities.
Art Director | Chicago Tribune, Chicago, IL
February 1999 - April 2000
At the Tribune I was responsible for the design of daily features sections, including KidNews, Good Eating and Tempo. In my daily capacity, I art directed studio photos and illustration and designed several Tribune special sections, including holiday gift guides, regional news sections and the Chicago Dining Guide Magazine. I also worked on redesign committee for the Tribune's weekend section, Friday, and worked to solve various redesign issues paper-wide for a May 2001 relaunch.
Features Designer | St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, FL
May 1996 - February 1999
Designed daily features fronts and weekly Weekend tabloid covers, as well as doing illustration, art directing photography and in-house graphics, copyediting, headline/blurb writing and feature writing.
Graphic Designer | The Miami Herald, Miami, FL
May 1995 - August 1995
Served as a summer graphics intern, designing daily graphics, illustrations and feature page design.
EDUCATION
Bachelor's Degree in Journalism, cum laude | U. of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
SKILLS
Well-versed in graphic design, creative art direction, web design and user interface, illustration, page layout, typography, informational graphics, column writing, feature writing, news reporting, copy writing, critical writing and editing.
I am proficient in Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop/ImageReady, QuarkXpress, Macromedia Dreamweaver/Flash, Microsoft PowerPoint.
I've won several awards from the Society for News Design and the Florida Newspaper Association for newspaper design and informational graphics as well as for interactive journalism from Editor and Publisher for my work with MSNBC.com.
References and work samples available upon request.
email: gp@gperez.org | o: 425.707.1302 | m: 206.409.6126