Laura Simpson
User Experience Designer
NYC
I've a strong interest in designing intuitive user experiences, with a passion for user research and product improvement. As a skilled user experience designer with strong prototyping skills, I also excel at product management from conception to execution.
Experience
Senior UX/UI Designer
October 2016 - Present
Case Commons, NY NY
- Leads UX Design for Case Commons’s first native mobile app for Child Welfare, by creating a mobile-first workflow, UI library and interactions.
- Plans and conducts user requirements analysis, task analysis, information architecture design, interaction design, and usability testing.
- Produces user requirements, personas, scenarios, flowcharts, navigation maps, design prototypes, user interface mocks and design specifications.
- Collaborates closely with a cross-functional team, C-suite management and our clients to meet product and business goals.
UX Designer
June 2012- October 2016
Mcgraw-Hill Education, NY NY
- Leads UX Design for Connect feature sets by designing key interactions and workflows.
- Plans and conducts user requirements analysis, task analysis, information architecture design, interaction design, and usability testing.
- Produces user requirements specifications, personas, scenarios, flowcharts, navigation maps, design prototypes, user interface comps and design specifications.
- Owns design projects from idea to launch, and then through subsequent iterations, working closely with development teams to ensure that design specifications are implemented.
- Collaborates closely with other Designers, Engineers, Product Managers, Technical Writers and Business Development Managers.
- Executes on user interface and interaction design that scales across mobile and web on screens of different sizes.
- Supervises freelancers and vendors per project.
- Mentors and guides junior designers.
UX Designer
May 2012-June 2012
Freelance
Drafted design briefs and timeline for the term of the project. Conducted Stakeholder interviews and gathered user requirements. Produced user requirements specifications, personas, scenarios, wireframes and prototypes for mobile application Snapsta.
Associate Interaction Designer
Jan 2012 - May 2012
Huge, Brooklyn NY
As part of Huge UX School, planned and conducted user requirements gathering and analysis,
competitive research and conceptual modeling. Designed user experiences and information
architecture using participatory and iterative design techniques of user research and usability testing. Produced user requirements specifications, personas, scenarios, wireframes and prototypes for mobile app Calendr.
Interactive Developer
Oct 2011-Jan 2012
Freelance
Designed collaboratively with remote visual team and programed interactive data visualizations using Javascript Framework D3 and live data APIs for a data visualization start-up.
New Media Designer
Oct 2010- Aug 2011
Parsons, The New School For Design, NY NY
Designed, fabricated and programmed the fiber optic, LED, fibre hybrid installation “Cinderella’s Illuminated Gown” for MFA Design and Technology Thesis at Parsons The New School for Design. Consulted graduate thesis students on interaction design for emerging technology with touch interfaces, remotes and installation spaces using sensors.
Directed video production team for mini documentaries in conjunction with Parsons:
- Translife International Triennial of New Media Art, Beijing, China
- Black Studies in Art and Design Conference, New York, NY
- Pictoplasma NYC Conference, New York, NY
Interaction Programmer
Jan 2010-Aug 2010
Freelance/Harvestworks, NY NY
Designed and programmed sensor based interactive installation for Parsons’ BFA Graduation exhibit. Organized Harvestworks' presence at Make Music New York Festival and coordinated participating interns. Taught other visiting students one on one Max tutorials.
Interactive Programming Teaching Assistant
Jan 2009- May 2009
Concordia University , Montreal Canada
Taught beginning Interaction Design, Max/MSP programming environment, integration with sensors, motion capture, sound processing and 3D rendering, MIDI and processing outside data and advanced programming with Max/MSP.
Education
Parsons, The New School of Design
2011
MFA Design and Technology
University of South Florida
2008
BA Electronic Media
Smith College
2003
BA Computer Science
Publications
Awards
Skills
User Experience Design
Information Architecture, Wireframing, User Testing, User Research, Lean UX, Competitive Analysis, Web and Mobile prototyping, Site Mapping , Copy Writing, Omnigraffle, Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch
User Interface Design
Web UI, Mobile UI, Style Guides, Icon Management Adobe Creative Suite 5
Product Management
Requirement Gathering, Agile methodology, User story writing, User story grooming, Feature Prioritization
Technical Skills
HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, C/C++, Processing, JSON, API programming, MAX/MSP,
Arduino, Physical computing