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Ryan Spohn

UX / UI / Visual Interaction Designer

Ryan Spohn

Boulder, CO

I’m currently working as a user experience designer in Boulder, Colorado. I specialize in the areas of user interface design, interaction design, visual design, graphic design, usability, and front-end web development. I’ve worked with several notable software/Internet startups including Pearl Street Software (acquired by MyHeritage 2007), HiveLive (acquired by RightNow Technologies 2009), and FamilyLink.com. I'm a creative problem solver, self motivated, and have a keen eye for detail.


303-731-5019 office
303-949-1309 mobile

Experience

  • Visual & Interaction Design Lead
    Provo, UT
    2009 - Present
    FamilyLink.com

    FamilyLink provides the platform for the family social experience.

    * Key member of the web development and product teams, focused on the creation of high quality user experiences and the design of the web application user interface for the commercial website, iPhone, and Facebook applications.

    * Collaborate with product managers, engineers, and directors across several departments to define strategy, site architecture and navigation, map out user flow and experience, and define high-level interaction.

    * Participate in all phases of the software development lifecycle, including: functional definition, standard information architecture documentation, user interface design, graphic design, page layouts, color palettes, wireframes, site maps, user flows, user scenarios, functional specifications, navigation schemas, prototyping, ongoing usability testing and assessment, and user scenario research.

  • User Experience Designer
    Boulder, CO
    2008 - 2009
    HiveLive

    HiveLive, Inc. offered a flexible building-block approach to creating custom-fit online customer communities. HiveLive was acquired by RightNow Technologies in 2009, and is now part of their CX social experience application suite (http://www.rightnow.com/cx-suite-social-experience.php).

    * Iterative specification, design and prototype of interaction flows
    * User interface design
    * Visual design
    * Wireframe design and information architecture
    * Usability analysis and testing for new product features

  • Interaction Designer & Front End Web Developer
    Boulder, CO
    2007 - 2008
    ArbolWorks

    Co-developer of WebTree.com - a free place online for families to store, share, and print their family history.

    * Developed the service's branding and visual identity.
    * Designed the web site’s overall visual appearance.
    * Client-side development of rich JavaScript application to parse and display family history data.
    * Worked with other developers to create a custom chart display engine, JSON-driven data API, and AJAX-based navigation.

  • Co-founder, Web / UI / Graphic Designer
    Boulder, CO
    2005 - 2007
    ProtectMyPhotos

    ProtectMyPhotos was an automated digital photo backup service that secured deals with ArcSoft, the number one distributor of photo software packaged with digital cameras and Best Buy, the number one retailer of digital cameras worldwide.

    * Leveraged client side technologies such as XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, AJAX, XML to create a sophisticated web-based file browser, mobile file browser, and corporate web site.
    * Visual design for Windows application GUI, web site, print advertisements, retail packaging and displays, and company collateral materials.
    * Developed the service's branding and visual identity.
    * Worked with other developers to transition the service to support 13 languages.
    * Created and maintained installers for the Windows application.
    * Helped to draft the service's privacy policy and terms of use.
    * Key contributor to the development of business strategies.

  • Graphic Designer / Web Designer
    Boulder, CO
    2003 - 2007
    Pearl Street Software
    • Graphic and web site designer for a leading provider of software and services for family history documentation. Pearl Street Software was acquired by MyHeritage in 2007.
      * Design, development, and maintenance of company web sites
      * Print advertisements - magazines, flyer inserts
      * Retail packaging design for globally distributed software program
      * Created company collateral materials
      * Formatted and contributed to 400-page user documentation for software
      * Provided technical support for users

Education

  • BFA in Industrial Design, Minor in Web Design
    Columbus, OH
    Aug 1997 - May 2002
    CCAD

    The Industrial Design program at CCAD taught me the design process, through lens of product design - a blending of form, aesthetics, usability, user ergonomics, engineering, marketing, brand development and sales.

    I minored in Web Design.

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