Dawn is a professional interactive designer who integrates user-centered design approaches and best practices. She creates conceptual wireframes during an initial project phase, gathers user feedback to refine the design, and ultimately delivers clean, clear, comprehensive user interfaces.
Task analysis and contextual inquiry are Dawn’s favorite methods of user research. Dawn acquires first-hand knowledge of end users to determine what is working well, or what can be done to improve their experience: “With this rich data you know you are better able to help people accomplish their goals, and that can be very satisfying.” Her focus on the user experience is the keystone in saving users from unnecessary and often frustrating tasks.
Dawn’s high profile projects include the research and design for audit and accounting, time and billing, and marketing applications. She has also gathered and analyzed data to design intranet and pharmacy websites. Further, her familiarity with current software technologies and professional usability studies contributes to the recommendation of relevant design solutions.
Dawn was the manager of a user experience team at RSM McGladrey, Inc. where she helped to establish repeatable usability practices. Moreover, she integrated usability methodologies with business analysis and project management methodologies. Her team was better able to propose project management strategies based on the team’s established user research techniques. Being in the trenches, her training and practical knowledge helped to propel her team to deliver successful user interfaces on time and on budget.
Dawn’s latest work includes the redesign of an application for middle and high school students. One interesting challenge for this project was to make the software intuitive and stimulating for users while maintaining the client’s desire to remain authoritative and essential. A recent usability test captured a comment from an 8th grader, “Wow, this is cool.”
Dawn has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a studio emphasis in photography from the University of South Dakota, and an Associate’s Degree in Visual Communications from Brown College. Dawn also gained expert knowledge of design software and became an auspicious candidate to later instruct at her college. She taught Quark, Computer 1 (MAC OS) and Design Production at Brown College.
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