Tania Choi
taniachoi@thinkvisually.com

  Synopsis
Expert interface and interaction designer, usability specialist, and user experience strategist
10+ years of user interface/ interaction design experience in consumer-oriented environments and research labs
Successfully collaborated on cross-functional teams of business, engineering and content developers .
Effectively functioned as project lead/manager as well as individual contributor
Experience working with cutting edge experts in the human computer interaction/ product design Terry Winograd and David Kelley as well as in Apple's Advanced Technology Group

Usability Engineer ( consultant )
Scout Labs
( ongoing )
Design usability study and task script for application UI and needs gathering
Conducted in-person usability study
Documented and analyzed results and data

User Interface Designer ( consultant )
GoWaza ( Social Networking travel website )
Pre-IPO Startup
( 2008 )
Designed and produced application landing page for first interface with customers.
Designed graphic templates for individual AJAX modules
Designed logo and identity branding
Worked with engineers to supervise template compliance

UI/Usability Designer ( consultant )
Boorah ( Natural language search engine for restaurants )
Pre-IPO Funded Startup
( 2008-2008 )
Designed study gathering user-behavior and needs
Designed 3-4 interactive and paper prototypes for the above study
Analyzed and documented results and data
Visualized recommendations for models of new interaction.

User Interface Designer
Greystripe ( Mobile game advertising for cell phones )
( 2007 )
Designed and produced application landing page for first interface with customers.
Designed and produced graphic templates for customer sign up pages
Designed and produced graphic templates, customer interaction and information design for ad-upload wizard
Worked with engineers to supervise template compliance

Interaction Designer/ Researcher
Stanford University
AAA Lab
( 2002-2004 )
Synthesized IBM’s management training content and created relevant controlled vocabulary, nomenclature scheme
Created detailed design and functionality documents including storyboards, workflows, mockups, prototypes
Created high and low fidelity prototypes for user evaluation
Plan, designed and conducted usability tests using heuristic walkthroughs, 1:1 discount usability sessions and cognitive walkthrough
Provided specific art direction requirements of applications including mocking up designs in Fireworks and HTML
Worked closely with engineers and content developers to integrate interface requirements with technical constraints.
Grant Description



UI Designer/Content Developer
Sun Microsystems
( 2001-2002 )
Produced four Sun ONE Middleware courses that are among the Top 10 selling training products
Gathered product requirements from white papers, subject matter expert interviews and marketing requirement documents.
Project-managed and led development team, managing milestones and deliverables from the design document through implementation
Analyzed and interpreted results making recommendations for interface improvements
Consistently delivered projects on time or ahead of schedule.

Usability Researcher/Interaction Designer
Excite@Home
( 2000 - 2001 )
Responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of Excite@Home's customer training tool in reducing phone traffic to call center
Planned, designed and conducted usability tests using in-home observation field study, forms, interviews and cognitive walkthroughs
Analyzed and interpreted data collected from surveys, interviews and field observations
Produced interface and interaction guidelines
Made recommendations for interface and interaction changes given the findings from the study

Usability Engineer
ATT Bell Labs
( 1999- 2000 )
Responsible for defining user-interaction/experience models of a propriety audio instant messenger application
Viewed and analyzed recorded footage of on-field user usage
Identified and coded user-interaction models/scenarios from printed user-logs
Planned, designed and conducted additional user testing to clarify proposed user models
Produced report documenting findings and design implications.

Art Director
Medscape ( now GE Medical Systems )
( 1999- 2000 )
Worked closely with engineers, product managers and designers to gather product functionality and interaction requirements for electronic medical record application
Planned, designed and conducted usability sessions testing product functionality and user interaction
Drove the strategic and interface design process for patient portal patient portal AboutMyHealth
Managed vendor relationships (design contractors, print vendors, professional photographer)

Program Manager
Oracle Corporation
Employee Development and Recognition Program ( EDRP )
( 1998 - 1999 )

Spearheaded the strategic repositioning and re-branding of company intranet
Collaborated across departments gathering functionality requirements
Project-managed and led development team, managing milestones and deliverables from gathering site requirements to implementation
Coordinated speakers and chaired Lunch and Learn Events

Senior User Interface Designer
Oracle Corporation
( 1998 - 1999 )
Worked closely with engineers and subject matter experts to define user interaction models for Oracle's top-selling online training product (Introduction to SQL )
Developing high level, and detailed storyboards, mockups and prototypes to effectively communicate user interaction
Produced reusable technical graphic elements for graphic repository using Illustrator and Photoshop
Created universal templates and interface guidelines consolidating Oracle Education Worldwide sites
Produced user interface templates and interaction models for Oracle's migration of computer-based training to web-based training

Human Computer Interaction Researcher ( intern )
Apple Computer, Advanced Technology Group
( 1996 )
Developed user-interaction model for a relevance information browser/finder using direct manipulation
Produced iterative storyboards, mockups and prototypes refining user experience using Photoshop and Director
Presented findings, prototype updates to inter-departmental teams

Adjunct Professor
Modesto Junior College
( 1997- 1998 )
Developed previously non-existent curriculum teaching basic graphic design principles to graduating seniors
Executed curriculum in multi-age and multi-cultural classrooms
Lectured about and mentored graduating students in portfolio preparation
Lectured at Asian American Cultural Forum

Stanford University
MA '01
Learning Design and Technology

Rhode Island School of
Design,
BFA '96
Graphic Design,
Honor student

Brown University,
BA '94
English & American
Literature

National Junior College,
A levels '91
Humanities Scholarship,
Art Elective Program

Nanyang High School,
O levels '89
Honors Award,
Art Elective Program

 
 

 

Skills

In depth knowledge of user interface design principles, human factors and user centered design processes, interaction design guidelines, usability methodologies, industry standards and trends, platform standards, and software development process.

Experience running usability tests using methods of contextual inquiry, heuristic evaluation, paper-mockups, survey design, field studies, focus groups,

Experience producing low to high fidelity prototypes


Solid working experience with design tools including Flash, Fireworks Photoshop, Illustrator, Visio, etc.