I keep certain criteria at the front of my mind when I meet a new Interactive Design challenge:

  • Is it simple and Usable? Does the work say what I and my client would like it to say, no more, no less? It's easy to get caught up using visual elements which are attractive but which obfuscate the message.
  • How does it look? How does it look on a Mac? How does it look on a PC? How does it look in Firefox or in IE? I test to make sure the elements are in place which insure legibility across browsers and platforms.
  • Is it accessible? I believe that making work that is accessible to people with disabilities, whether they must use assistive technology or are simply colorblind, makes the final product better for all users.
  • Do I really know the story? Do I know my client's story or the story of their users? Research is fundamental to good design practice.

When each of these elements has been taken into proper account and I'm creating on a sound structure the result has a beauty and symmetry which goes beyond just "cool".

All of the websites featured here have been done since January 2007 and are projects on which I continue to do maintenance.

Interwoven, Inc. HCI, Software UI Design

Extreme Organizing, Website

Oyango Oketch, Website

Design Angel, Website

Argo Consulting, Website

Wendelken Piano Studio, Website

Scroll across the buttons at the top to view work.

Visual & Interaction Design, Human Computer Interaction
Interwoven, Inc. Chicago, IL

September 2005 - current

  • Developed a uniform, “Common Look and Feel User Interface” (CLF-UI) design for all current and newly acquired Interwoven software products.
  • Work with development teams across the US, Europe and Asia to insure that this CLF-UI is consistently adopted. Created templates and graphic libraries so that both web-deployed and client-side applications can make the change easily.
  • Work with engineering teams at newly acquired or partner companies to insure their interfaces are consistent with Interwoven branding and interface standards.
  • Coauthored company wide style guide so that engineers may create visually and behaviorally consistent interfaces across all products. Authored chapters covering Navigation, Typography, Visual Elements, Standard Elements and Handicapped Accessibility. Provided visual diagrams and examples throughout entire guide.
  • Work with engineering teams through all planning and development stages to insure that all products meet high standards of interaction design.Create and maintain a library of all icons used across all products.
  • Collaborate with writers in creating documentation for the software
  • Research current product users for needed usability improvements.
  • HTML, CSS, Javascript, ExtJS

Interwoven about screen

Format for About / login screen (generic version)


Tabs, pull down menus & pop out menu
Common Look & Feel adapted to a template for use in ExtJS. This can be most easily adopted by development teams creating browser based applications.

Icons are all designed to be legible by color blind individuals

Pull down menus &tabs

Installation screen. Info flows to the right of window

Window with tabs. Alerts use redundant cueing.

Interaction Design
Extreme Organizing, Inc. , Chicago, IL

  • Website for a professional organizer specializing in home offices and closets. She already had a logo and wished to continue with it and use that color extensively.
  • I researched stock imagery that would truly represent her work and which would compliment the photos she had from her clientele's homes.
  • We went through several design revisions to find a way of selling her services without in any way confusing the user. A big issue was making sure that the site said "organized home" and not "interior design".
  • Project Management, Designed look and feel of website.
  • HTML & CSS
  • visit Extreme Organizing

Extreme Organizing, home screen
Extreme Organzing, projects screen
Extreme Organzing, sub page

Interaction Design
Oyango Oketch

  • Site for an incredibly talented Kenyan sculptor. He had a basic idea of the colors and titles and lots of photos of art.
  • I worked the images into a structure that I felt also spoke to the nature of his work, which has many elements inter-layered and pressed together.
  • HTML, Javascript & CSS
  • visit oketch.com
Oyango Oketch, home page

Oyango Oketch, subpage

Oyango Oketch, art page

Interaction Design
Design Angel, Chicago, IL

  • Site for a designer specializing in interiors, branding and print design.
  • As a designer she had strong ideas of how she wanted the site to be laid out. I worked with her to make her visions more web-centric and to insure a seamless flow of information.
  • HTML, Javascript & CSS
  • visit Design Angel

Design Angel, home screen

Design Angel, home screen

Design Angel, home screen

Interaction Design
Argo Consulting, Inc., Chicago, IL

  • A global company specializing in Lean Transformation and strategy development had a website which conveyed only basic information and in no way reflected their sophistication. They wanted to keep their company logo and carry the colors into the design of the entire site.
  • Through the entire process I worked directly with the President & COO. I started by researching the company to understand their work and their competition. I looked at other sites that they liked even if those had nothing to do with Argo's work.
  • I managed the project, researched stock stock imagery that matched their work places and practices, kept track of text content, maintained a password protected site where all interested parties could preview site development.
  • HTML, CSS & Flash
  • visit Argo Consulting

Argo Consulting, Home page

Argo Consulting, subpage

Argo Consulting, subpage

Interaction Design
Wendelken Piano Studio, Tampa, FL

  • Award winning piano studio had a very poor site which did not attract new students. I talked extensively with the studio owner to get a sense of her tastes. I brought her into the stock photo search process as well. Her studio already has a very strong reputation. So, she didn't want "more dull pictures of piano keys" but was hoping for something "elegant".
  • Because the studio also specializes in other kinds of musical training, we decided on images that were less literal about "piano" but which spoke to ideas of structure and harmony in nature. We decided to go with a warm, rich palette of colors.
  • This site has become a way for current students to keep track of upcoming class and performance dates as well as various competition deadlines.
  • HTML, CSS
  • visit Wendelken Piano Studio

Wendelken Piano Studio, home page

Wendelken Piano Studio, sub page

Wendelken Piano Studio, sub page