Professional Summary

• - Dynamic leader with proven quality assurance and project management experience including but not limited to: strategic planning, operational efficiency, supervision and training, product creation and management, quality assurance, design control and process improvements
• - Possess expertise in user needs analysis, usability testing, requirements gathering, user interface design and systems analysis; conducted over 300 usability tests
• - Strong writing background (journalism degree); Documentation skills and experience
• - Navigation and Information Architecture expertise; SEO specialist
• - Knowledgeable in current practice for design and coding of accessible web projects
• - Customer Service expert; strong communication and interpersonal skills
• - Ability to work independently or in a team environment; excellent problem-solving skills, detail-oriented, self-motivated, and dependable
• - Solid organizational and planning skills; track record of gaining greater efficiencies from existing resources
• - Superior project development and management skills; understanding of end-to-end project cycle; responsible for identifying the business needs of clients and stakeholders to help determine effective solutions
• - Analytical thinker that consistently resolves ongoing usability issues; often called upon to consult on problems that have eluded resolution by others
• - Creative and design management experience including: diagrams, specifications, flowcharts, wireframes and demos

Specialization

Information Architecture / Interaction Design

• User Experience & Usability

• Quality Assurance

• E-marketing

• Content Strategy / Copywriting

• Search Engine Optimization

• General Business & Web Strategy

 

Sarkissian Mason
New York, NY; February 2009 - July 2009
Interactive Consultant

• - Project Planning, Brand Strategy, Information Architecture & User Experience, Content Strategy
• Client: Zappos.com, 6PM.com
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Digitas
Chicago, IL; October 2008 - December 2008
Interactive Consultant

• - Project Planning, Brand Strategy, Information Architecture & User Experience, Content Strategy
• Client: Kellogg's All-Bran, Devry University
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IP Pixel
Chicago, IL; July 2008 - October 2008
Interactive Consultant

• - Project Planning, Brand Strategy, Information Architecture & User Experience, Content Strategy
• Client: Beyond February Microsite, Suaza Tres Generaciones Microsite, Oreo RFP, Pixel Portal
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Critical Mass
Chicago, IL; April 2008 - July 2008
Interactive Consultant

• - Develop overall product taxonomy
• - Create development plans for web content; recommend content types and organization based on user needs and marketing goals, identify content gaps
• - Create development plans for web content; recommend content types and organization based on user needs and marketing goals, identify content gaps
• - Developing content models for CMS implementations (defining elements and classification schemes)
• - Develop innovative solutions for content presentation
• - Identifying opportunities and defining requirements for business analysis, qualitative consumer research, and web analytics tasks
• - Become the authority on our client's business sector, and provide key information and perspective on the client's strategic direction in relation to its and its competitors
• - Planning, executing and coordinating pertinent research and analysis activities
• - Analyzing and presenting the results of these activities to clients and project teams
• - Define lifecycle measurement strategies to derive key insights for website strategy development and optimization
• - Provide thought leadership in site measurement, research and usability; and propose approaches that improve our clients' economics and customer management capabilities
• Client: Moen.com Taxonomy and Guided Navigation Project
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Euro RSCG
Chicago, IL; March 2008 - April 2008
Interactive Consultant

• - Develop overall content strategy based on client business objectives and user need
• - Create development plans for web content; recommend content types and organization based on user needs and marketing goals, identify content gaps
• - Defining research requirements for web strategy
• - Developing content models for CMS implementations (defining elements and classification schemes)
• - Develop innovative solutions for content presentation
• Client: Michelob.com Site Refresh Content Strategy, Potbelly.com Site Refresh IA and Strategy
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Ogilvy One
Chicago, IL; June 2007 - March 2008
Senior Content Strategist

• - Competitive site analysis and benchmarking in content breadth, organization and presentation
• - Develop overall content strategy based on client business objectives and user need
• - Create development plans for web content; recommend content types and organization based on user needs and marketing goals, identify content gaps
• - Work with brand strategist to set guidelines for the editorial tone, style and voice of all content
• - Present content strategy deliverables to clients
• - Select and evaluate content; maintain site content inventory
• - Defining research requirements for web strategy
• - Developing content models for CMS implementations (defining elements and classification schemes)
• - Develop innovative solutions for content presentation
• Client: Allstate.com Site Refresh, CDW Microsite, Hotel Indigo Microsite, Kraft, Suave
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The Royal Order of Experience Design
Chicago, IL; June 2007 - March 2008
Senior Information Architect

• - Concept generation and modeling
• - Site Structure definition, Process flow generation
• - User research
• - Wireframe design, Solution prototyping
• - Identification of tools, templates, and techniques that evolve existing approaches
• - Project planning and requirements gathering
• Client: Kohler, Sub-Zero, Mozilla, Crate & Barrel
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Sapient
Chicago, IL; March 2007 - June 2007
Senior Information Architect and User Experience Strategist

• - Conduct and analyze audits of competitive and existing sites
• - User experience audits or evaluations
• - Concept generation and modeling
• - User profiling and scenario generation
• - User research
• - Site Structure definition, Process flow generation
• - Wireframe design, Solution prototyping
• - Design user interactions and interface requirements
• - Innovate ways to document all of the above including site maps and screen schematics
• - Identification of tools, templates, and techniques that evolve existing approaches
• Client: CDW Site Redesign, RFP Response
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Tribal DDB
Chicago, IL; January 2007 – March 2007
Information Architect

• - Provide written and visual documentation to communicate functional and interface requirements for creative and technical team
• - Build and foster relationships with the client, ensuring their understanding of the role of User Experience, as well as their own involvement in the development process
• - Identify opportunities to validate design work through user testing (including formal and informal usability testing, focus groups, online surveys, etc.)
• - Analyze clients online and offline processes for possible optimization
• - Analyze user and stakeholder research
• - Work closely with creative and technical teams to ensure understanding of interface and process flow issues
• - Work with the Project Manager to ensure all deliverables and deadlines are met within budget
• Client: Robert W Baird
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VSA Partners
Chicago, IL; September 2006 – November 2006
Information Architect and User Experience Strategist

• - Develop an understanding of a clients business situation in the context of their industry, economic environment and competitive landscape
• - Organize content and functionality into a usable web experience that meets both the needs of the client and the end user
• - Support new business development by contributing web knowledge to client proposals
• - Analyze clients online and offline processes for possible optimization
• - Analyze user and stakeholder research
• - Conduct and analyze audits of competitive and existing sites
• - Assist in creative development of new sites; including concept, interface design and voice
• - Design user interactions and interface requirements
• Innovate ways to document all of the above including site maps and screen schematics
• Clients: IBM, First Data, Cook Medical, Catholic Healthcare West, General Electric
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Allstate/Tek Systems
Chicago, IL; February 2006 – August 2006
User Experience Architect

• - Participate in functional requirements sessions
• - Contribute functional requirements
• - Create initial user interface design solution to facilitate requirements discussions
• - Produce initial UI mock-up and iterations
• - Provide UI illustrations for inclusion in Component Description Document
• - Review requirements documents
• - Lead and conduct usability testing of UI mock-ups
• - Update user Interface Design Standards and Visual Design Guidelines to accommodate this new functionality
• Client: Allstate
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Devlin Internet Architects
Toronto, ON; June 2005 - February 2006
QA and Content Manager/ Information Architect

• - Create effective site structures
• - Assist in developing efficient and comprehensive project plans and procedures
• - Develop implementation specs for the team
• - Create demos and present to client as required
• - Acts as expert resource in accessibility and search engine optimization to the design and technical team
• - Plan and conduct usability testing and analysis when required
• - Conduct ongoing research in the field of accessibility, and present to the team when appropriate
• - Project Management/Relationship Building: provide ongoing dealer support and perform content management for the Toyota and Lexus Dealer Web Studio, and Lexus.ca
• - Write and execute test plans and test cases in highly structured and loosely structured development environments and perform all types of testing (functional, installation, acceptance, browser compatibility, usability, performance etc.)
• Clients: Lexus Canada, Toyota Canada, Toronto Public Library, Ryerson University
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Go Travel Direct/Zoom Airlines
Ottawa, ON; February 2005 - May 2005
Operations Coordinator

• - Operations Coordinator (Las Vegas/Orlando)
• - Contract procurement and relationship building for Las Vegas market
• - Product Management – Responsible for advertising and tracking Las Vegas sales, loading and creation of vacation packages and website content creation and management
• - Worked collaboratively with co-workers to identify usability issues within company website
• - Responsible for creating payment schedule and ensure all payments are completed in a timely fashion
• - Responsible for making bookings in an exterior booking system, tracking requests, confirming availability, special requests and deal with any resulting customer relation issues
• - Flexible with work hours; Worked a lot of overtime (salaried position)
• - At times responsible for delivery of flight manifest and catering orders to international airports
• - Consulted in regard to new functionality introduced to web site; responsible for usability analysis
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Magma Communications
Ottawa, ON; February 2004 – November 2004
Project Coordinator / Internet Architect

• - Conducted competitive analysis studies on new and existing web sites competitor
• - Re-wrote company website to increase market performance (http://websites.magma.ca)
• - Developed marketing material promoting various usability services
• - Responsible for delivering usable web sites on time and within client budget
• - Project coordinator for www.gotraveldirect.com, www.flyzoom.com and www.cvtravel.net
• - Coordinated web development team in design of websites, databases, and e-commerce applications
• - Simultaneously managed usability studies on multiple web sites that catered to a variety of audiences
• - Worked closely with graphic designers, editors, and senior business analysts to develop process flow and maintain consistency in design, editorial, and brand
• - Responsible for ascertaining business requirements from clients and translating these into additional functionality for the web sites
• - Responsible for the creation of implementation specs for team and documentation
• - Responsible for the creation of project process and documentation of existing process
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Due to legal concerns surrounding the confidential nature of the artifacts housed in my portfolio I have relocated it to a new URL and it is now password protected.  Please contact me for immediate access.

B.J. Honours(Bachelor of Journalism), Minor in History, Professional Degree
Carleton University, Ottawa, ON.

• - All course work completed; specialization in Online Publishing and Web site Development
• - Well-developed researching, writing, and editing skills (knowledge of professional techniques)
• - Ability to analyze and evaluate information from a variety of sources
• - Extensive knowledge of desktop publishing and web publishing
• - Experienced with editing and production of various hard news stories, press releases, reviews, feature articles, interviews, public service announcements
• - Producer of numerous television and radio news stories; also experienced with professional studio equipment
• - Experienced in the use of clear and functional language (CP Style)
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Working on E-Commerce Webmaster Certificate Program,
Algonquin College, Ottawa, ON.

• - Designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for seeking employment in the web-development area
• - This certificate provides its graduates with hands-on experience and a complete set of skills necessary to set up, maintain, troubleshoot, program, secure and monitor an E-commerce web server. From designing a database to setting up and securing a web server to troubleshooting TCP/IP services to developing a complete dynamic website, this certificate teaches the fundamental skills that every serious webmaster must know.
• - Completion of 40%: Developing Web Pages Using Multimedia, Fundamentals: HTML, Java Script, CGI, Intermediate Client Side JavaScript, and Internet Essentials
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E-marketing Certificate Program,
Canadian Marketing Association

• - Professional certification program designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to design/develop a website, cultivate customers online, building an online media plan etc.
• - The Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) is the largest marketing association in Canada representing the integration and convergence of all marketing disciplines, channels and technologies
• - Six month intensive program, graduated with honors
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Programming Languages

- HTML, CSS, Client Side JavaScript, Ajax

 

• Software/Databases

• - Acrobat, Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver, MS Excel, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Project, MS Outlook, MS Frontpage, Omnigraffle and much much more...