Hi, my name is Nick, and I'm a UX and visual designer.

I love to make sites, interfaces, and experiences that are intuitive and compelling.

My Skills

  • Research
  • User Interviews
  • Persona Creation
  • Usability Testing
  • A/B Testing
  • Wireframes
  • Paper Prototyping
  • Omnigraffle
  • Balsamiq Mockups
  • Invision
  • Visual
  • Adobe CS
  • Sketch
  • Front-End
  • HTML5
  • CSS3
  • WordPress
  • Drupal
  • Git

My Background

I'm a designer with backgrounds in studio art, print design, and front-end development, and I've worked in cultural institutions, arts publications and nonprofits. I make not just products, but cohesive experiences & designed ecosystems. To that end, I see projects from conception all the way through to launch whenever possible.

My Process

Research & Ideation

I start with user research to determine needs & desires. This can include surveys, interviews, and card sorts. Generally results in user personas.

Next up is ideation, where my team and I generate tons of possible solutions. This is the part where we use tons of Post-Its.

Then, I create lo-fi wireframes of the best solutions. These help to determine user flows and user journeys.

Refinement & Implementation

From the lo-fi wires I create a clickable prototype. I'll put it online and in front of peers for usability testing.

I tweak the design and create hi-fi mockups in Adobe or Sketch. I'll work with a developer (or a few) in case they find any red flags.

I'm not often asked to do any front-end implementation, but I know enough HTML, CSS, and jQuery to be dangerous.

My Experience

User Experience Consultant at Signal • 2015-2016 • Chicago, IL

  • Conducted user interviews & developed detailed user personas in service of Signal’s adtech platform.

User Experience Design Immersive Student at General Assembly • 2015 • Chicago, IL

  • Completed four projects through various stages of the UX process, including research, ideation, wireframing, testing, mockups, and development.
  • Rounded out my UX skillset by focusing on rigorous research, quick ideation, persona creation, user flow mapping, documentation, and presentations.
  • Bolstered my wireframing skills in Omnigraffle and my front-end chops with hand-coded HTML & CSS.
  • Added a social & concierge app feature to an existing hotel brand.

Visual & User Experience Designer at The Field Museum • 2011-2015 • Chicago, IL

  • Grew the role & responsibilities of my position, advocating for & implementing a lean-startup-modeled UX & design process.
  • Underwent complete restructuring of the web department from a subsidiary of IT to a fully-resourced arm of marketing & communications.
  • Performed extensive user research, site analytics, and A/B testing as part of the Field's website overhaul in 2014.
  • Set graphic standards for main Field Museum website & other Museum-related online & social properties.
  • Developed a new single-page application template for Museum exhibition sites. Launched sites for the Vikings and China exhibitions and future-proofed template so it can be used for all new exhibitions in the foreseeable future.

Visual & User Experience Designer, Freelance • 2010-present • Chicago, IL

Projects included:

  • Hiromi Tanaka: Designed & launched a mobile-responsive artist portfolio site using WordPress.
  • Foodfeed: Researched, designed, and prototyped a recipe-finder mobile app for a client who was a novice cook.
  • Shanutherford: Designed full suite of Chicago-themed wedding invitations & programs.

Credentials & Speaking Roles

  • Presenter, The Basics of Mobile Websites, presentation at American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting • 2014 • Seattle, WA
Download Resume  

Like what you see? Contact me and let's work together!