VirZOOM believes that everyone can get fit while having fun at the same time! So grab your VR headset and let's go cycle the world, command tanks, pilot helicopters, fly a Pegasus, and more!

Standard Magic is now Alakazam! We're laser-focused on making immersive 3D (aka the Metaverse) as easy to spin up as a website, and re-envisioning what that XR experience will be for everyone across all touchpoints.In my end-to-end role, I continue to work hand-in-hand with our leadership and development team to lead the functional Product design and UX design of our XR SaaS platform, both at the strategy and implementation levels. I also continue to provide leadership support to the design and development of our 3D spaces from a creative and UX perspective, as well as supporting our customers' individual project and customization needs from a functional, creative, and UX perspective. Role highlights:• Design and delivery of the new UX and tech-agnostic UI of our flagship metaverse platform• Optimizing UX strategy and release planning for mobile and VR experiences, along with additional UX Ops, desktop iterations, and future tech-stack offerings.• Collaborating with the CTO, Product Owners, and Project Managers to manage time/budget and resources for all UX needs, ensuring efficient use of both while still delivering on competing project must-have needs.

As Director of UX, I leveraged my 20+ years of game industry and corporate design and leadership experience to design innovative and on-point experiences for all of Standard Magic's diverse VR, 3D, Metaverse, and Crypto/NFT projects. Role highlights:• Led the design of a new flagship product: a turnkey desktop, mobile, and VR metaverse platform.• Directly contributed to startup strategy, operations, sales and marketing, team and project management, grant writing, fundraising, business development, and client management.• Provided mentorship, direction, support, and design contribution to the Creative Content Team.• Developed and managed strategy, planning, time/budget, and resources for all UX needs.

Standard Magic specializes in creating rich and immersive experiences across all forms of media within the extended reality spectrum. This includes: Augmented / Virtual Reality, Metaverse & Blockchain, Spark AR Effects & Marketing Campaigns, A-Frame Three.js / WebGL / WebXR Development, Game Development, Virtual Worlds, and Mobile Apps. Role highlights:• Led UX and Visual / UI design for a portfolio of client needs relating to Metaverse, NFT / Crypto, 3D Simulation, VR, and AR projects for consumer, higher-ed, medical, and agency/global-brand clients.

ToneStone is a new disruptive music creation app and platform. It's designed to make producing music easy, even for those without any musical experience. It blends music creation with social, progression, and the visual experience of gaming, while building community and making it easy to share your music and remix songs that others have made.Starting as a consultant, and then joining this startup’s leadership team as Director of UX, contributions included:• Working with the founder to fundamentally re-think what the music creation experience can be.• Hyper-innovating on the UX of music creation, skill progression, community sharing, and remixing.• Collaborating with the senior leadership group to optimize UX strategy and roadmap.• Creating innovative 2D and 3D UX and UI / Visual designs for implementation and release on cadence.• Managing, mentoring, and coaching junior designers.• Supporting collateral development for brand identity, business development, and fundraising.

STAi is on a mission to transform speech therapy for hundreds of millions of people around the world! We're focused on dramatically expanding access to speech therapy and creating new ways to engage through patient, caregiver, and practitioner-focused innovation. This mission became extremely relevant and urgent during COVID-19. My hands-on contributions covered Product and UX design, operations, and leadership, including:• Working with the founders to fundamentally re-think what an online speech therapy experience can be.• Acting as both Product Owner and Principal Designer, designing a new full-service platform (admin system + client application), including systems, features, workflows, interactions, and content including all visual and audio direction and game and character design for initial and future iterations.• Optimizing product release strategy and roadmap. • Providing operational guidance along with SME-level Agile Project Management leadership.• Managing, mentoring and coaching external content developers.

For this 7 month contract with Accenture (via The Brixton Group), I provide UX expertise and leadership to Accenture’s Fortune 500 clients. My key role attributes at the assigned project level, across projects, and within the client’s internal design community, include:• In a SAFe Agile development environment, serving as a key point of accountability for UX efforts.• Advocating for user-centered design approaches and ensuring adherence to UX guidelines at the project level. • Practicing collaboration, experimentation, agility, and vigorous inquiry, while maintaining high standards and attention to detail. • Providing continuous feedback on UX best practices and objectives. • Planning, organizing and facilitating UX workshops for cross-functional stakeholders from across the company.• Supporting UX research and testing efforts.• Translating workshop and research findings into design solutions.• Creating artifacts that include personas, journey maps, user workflows, service and process blueprints, information architecture, wireframes, and interactive prototypes.• Providing input into the evolution of internal design systems and best practices that account for user needs and context, while reinforcing brand values and standards.• Informing UX resource allocation during ideation, prioritization, development, and quality assurance phases of projects.• Continuous learning and advancement of best practices across domains including UX design and processes and those specific to the client.

As a one-man product design and start-up consulting solution, I helped numerous very early-stage indy app/platform and game development startups. Across this spectrum of clients and projects, I provided Design and Operations leadership, including:• High-level creative direction, focusing on “idea to working prototype” rapid design• Pre-design process and outputs, including basic research, mental models, and experience/journey maps• SME-level Agile project management including backlog creation, release planning, and sprint management• Visual, Art, and UX direction including for the overall look and feel, UI, characters, asset design, FX, and animations• Coaching and mentoring for non-industry stakeholders as well as students and interns• Creation and implementation of design guidelines for marketing needs

Studios I've worked with, include:• Skymap Games (Bit Fry)• Venan Entertainment (In-house + Kabam, EA, Zynga)• Vicarious Visions / Activision• Floodgate Entertainment (In-house + Bioware, Disney, EA, Jamdat, Microsoft, Nokia)20+ Shipped products. Genres include: • Flight, Motorcycle, Car, and Sports sims• First-person shooter• Action games• Casual, Serious, Educational games• Digital Board games• MMO/RPG/Social games20+ Years of Direction, Management, and individual contribution, including:• 2D and 3D Art Direction and Content Creation (PC/Console/iOS/Android)• Visual Design and content creation, including UI and UX• Mobile First design Premium, F2P, Apple Arcade• UX / UI Design for touch, mouse, and keyboard, console game controllers, and specialty controllers• Department Organization, Management, and Leadership• Organization, Management, and Mentoring of individuals and teams• Project Management including Agile Management (waterfall/scrum/kanban/hybrid)• Operational Management• Leadership Team SupportRole Responsibilities included:• High-level creative direction and continuous visual direction at the production level• Continuous improvement of visuals through creative design, attention to detail, and diligent consistency• Design Leadership and hands-on contribution to UX / UI at every stage of development• Design and asset creation for marketing needs• Planning, organizing, and management of all aspects of art production across multiple concurrent projects• Management of external contractors• Mentoring artists in leadership, skills development, and quality standards • Performance Reviews, 1:1 meetings, and career development• Actively maintaining collaborative environments across disciplines• Continuously improving project management methodologies and leadership skills• Supporting any and all company and corporate operations and management needs

This was a very unique Art Department Management position at Vicarious Visions - Activision, so I think it best to call out these responsibilities separately:* Managed all staff artists, including Lead Artists, Art Directors, and Technical Artists * Mentored artists in leadership, skill development, and quality standards* Managed staffing for concurrent projects with competing resource needs on a weekly basis* Managed, tracked and documented timecards for all art staff, including PTO and overtime* Managed staff success and progress through weekly 1:1 meetings throughout the year* Oversaw the hiring of artists, retention of key performers and advocate for new staff positions* Managed and participated in portfolio reviews, technical screens, and on-site interviews * Improved art direction capabilities of Lead Artists and Art Directors* Improved effectiveness of the project review process for art* Modeled and reinforced professional attitudes and relationships with clients among staff* Advocated for artist and department needs to production and executive management* Collaborated with producers to address common project level issues* Facilitated idea and process sharing among artists* Collaborated with other department managers to research industry standards, to identify and resolve common issues, to develop and share best practices, to refine the company's overall development and management process and to continuously improve finished product quality. * Performed detailed quarterly performance evaluations.* Performed detailed year-end performance evaluations, and evaluated and distributed salary increases* Developed and executed group plans for skills training, tools and resource support and goals and activities of internal specialty art forums.* Worked directly with production management to communicate customer and company goals for artistic standards* Worked directly with other group managers and executives to manage company-wide layoffs

• Created 2D & 3D cinematic animations, UI, and real-time in-game assets• Elevated and set visual standards, including development of UI• Provided project management and led other game artistsStudios/agencies included: • Looking Glass Studios• Mad Doc Software• Westwood Studios• Knight-Ridder Tribune

For my non-profit and for-profit clients:• Introduced project management frameworks and expectations for all departments• Managed and reduced overall tech budget while providing better internal services and solutions• Restructured workflows between departments to remove dependencies• Managed development and delivery of ongoing website enhancements• Provided leadership on business continuity and disaster mitigation• Managed internal staff, external contractors and vendor relations• Researched, tested and recommended cloud and other tech solutions providers• Provided project management and design for web applications, databases, and games• Reviewed and managed vendor RFP responses and project plans• Provided due diligence of vendors’ stated key roles, team members and responsibilities• Managed legacy code issues, and related active development issues• Established cross-departmental processes and standards for internal product/feature design • Managed client relationships, sales team relationships, and business development opportunities• Developed RFP responses and negotiated final project scope, definitions, and pricing• Provided client-facing communications, including design negotiations, escalation, feedback, etc.• Managed development/refinement/expansion of in-house technology and content creation tools• Managed external contractors (design/art/engineering)