Sonny Steele

As the Head of User Experience, I brought a unique blend of strategic leadership and hands-on involvement in crafting user experiences. My role involved guiding the strategic direction of UX initiatives, fostering collaboration between design, development teams, mentoring team members, team alignment, planning and designing innovative solutions to elevate user satisfaction while increasing conversion rates.

Key Accomplishments:

• Implemented Full Story data tooling to expose deficits in code and illuminated where users are experiencing friction within the user experience. This lead to a recovery of 12 million annually in improved conversion rates after all fixes were introduced into production.
• Built and lead the UX team from ground up which included restructuring the vertical and championing resources, tooling and processes to run an efficient team structure.
• Managed and lead cross pollination of UX, engineering, and product teams to create a successful process of communication and project build outs from start to finish.
• Lead offshore teams and contractors to fill gaps where UX resources were light and needed help to complete projects.
• Evangelizing UX within the org. and developing with sr. leadership the roadmaps and strategy for UX and the product direction across 3 of their products.
• Developing the UX strategy, process, planning and resource management for the vertical.

As the senior director of UX, I was brought on to introduce and build the UX vertical where one did not exist at FCP Euro.

• Hired and managed a team of 3 designers which successfully increased the conversion rate in the shopping cart funnel by 6% or realized gain of 6 million per year.
• Successfully restructured the product pages and overall website touchpoints into a more minimal design, increasing user throughput by 10% and reducing bounce rates by 14%. (We simplified the information architecture based on customer research)
• Provided leadership and strategy: developed and implemented a comprehensive UX design strategy aligned with FCP Euro's vision, and business goals and introduced user needs.
• Hire, Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of talented UX designers, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and innovation.
• Oversee the end-to-end UX design process, from research and ideation to prototyping, testing, and final implementation. Ensure all design solutions are user-centric, data-driven, and meet high standards of usability, accessibility, and visual design.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Sr. leadership, technology, and product teams to ensure cohesive and consistent user experience across all touchpoints.
• Implement and Lead user research initiatives to gain deep insights into user behaviors, needs, and pain points. Utilize qualitative and quantitative (Google) data to inform design decisions and measure the effectiveness of design solutions.
• Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of UX initiatives. Continuously optimize the user experience through A/B testing, usability testing, and other feedback mechanisms. Drive a culture of continuous improvement by regularly reviewing and iterating on design processes and practices.
• Identifying existing user interface elements across the FCP Euro that should be improved (Heuristic Evaluation)
• Communicate and present ideas, ideology, process, planning, and strategy to executive teams
• Decrease call center inquiries related to shipping times, information and incorrect shipping information by 45% (We adjusted and clarified address and shipping information)
• Setup strategy and call center data around customer issues to track current Ul issues
• A/B testing elements to increase customer conversion rates with ease of use and user journeys in mind.
• Research customer journeys and personas that include personas, UX designs to improve the experience.
• Partnering with development to understand capacity and velocity while increasing UX team's efficiency and needs of development.

Senior UX Design Manager providing guidance, strategy, process, and design to Wayfair’s supply chain teams. Responsibilities include managing a team of five which includes UX Designers, Content Writers, and PM’s. Clearly define the strategy and process in which we work and create deliverables that will increase the usability and profit margins of the Castlegate Product.

Summary:

Reduced time on task for customer success managers by 18 hours per week by adjusting the information architecture a supplier used to enter products.

Designed a machine learning system that reduce supplier onboarding and product entry by 8 hours (average time.) This resulted in 16 million in realized/saved revenue for Wayfair.

• Create, conceptualize, and refine wireframes, navigation models, and interaction models.
• Design and create high-fidelity comps.
• Oversight of Design and Implementation
• Create and refine the process for the UX team
• Define the Strategy and Global vision of the Castelgate system
• Lead design critiques and manage partners involved in Castlegate and connected applications
• Onboarding new team members and refining that process
• Report to Stakeholders the current status of designs and deadlines for multiple teams working within teams
• Managed and provided guidance for underperforming employees and successfully guided 2 off of a PIP.

As the principal designer, I was responsible for all aspects of the user experience for clients. Acting as a consultant, I reported to a creative director but managed the projects mostly on my own from start to finish.

Exxon Mobile – Safety and Sharing Responsive Application

Responsive site design for safety videos and sharing that allows users to upload content via a Content Management System. The CMS was a separate design and build that pushed content to a responsive site with 3 breakpoints for mobile, tablet, and desktop

Activities:

• Create, conceptualize, and refine wireframes, navigation models, and interaction models.
• Design and create high-fidelity comps.
• Oversight of Design and Implementation
• Create style guides and interaction documentation for development

Zipcar : On-boarding Mobile Application

Interaction Design and concepts for ZipCar presentation to show a functional prototype that allowed users to connect via Bluetooth with their reserved car. Android application allowed users to schedule and reserve a car that provided in-dash navigation and an end-of-drive parking finder.

Activities:

• Create, conceptualize, and refine wireframes, navigation models, and interaction models.
• Design and create high-fidelity comps.
• Create aworking prototype to present to ZipCar client.

“Outsider”: Running Mobile App

Interaction Design and concepts for the Weather Channel running an application that utilizes RWI and calendar integration to plan runs. The Weather Channel requested that we create a running application for native iOS based on weather planning and running. The application gathers local weather data and allows the user to plan their runs based on a Run Weather Index or ”RWI”. This app currently resides in the app store.

Activities:

• Create, conceptualize, and refine wireframes, navigation models and interaction models.
• Create high-fidelity annotated wireframes for design reviews.
• Develop and document interaction patterns and design patterns.
• Create UI specifications and Interaction design patterns.
• Gathered and managed all required UX-related documentation for the development and design phase.

Panera Bread

Interaction Design and Visual Design for Panera Bread. Platforms ranged in complexity and mediums across retail web, native iOS, kiosk (iPad), catering (web), and responsive mobile platforms.

Activities:

• Create, conceptualize, and refine wireframes, navigation models and interaction models.
• Create high-fidelity annotated wireframes for design reviews.
• Develop and document interaction patterns and design patterns.
• Create UI specifications and Interaction design patterns.
• Visual Design and product assets for engineering.
• Develop Style Guides and Design specifications.
• Gathered and managed all required UX-related documentation for the development and design phase.

Garmin : QNX Car 2 (Tech Stack : HTML 5, CSS 3, Jquery and Sencha framework)

Designing the new navigation system for Garmin’s next generation OEM system. QNX will replace common consoles and dashboards in newer cars to allow for an integrated and informative driving experience.

Activities:

• Create, conceptualize and refine wireframes, navigation models and interaction models.
• Create hi-fidelity mock-ups for design reviews.
• Provide visual design templates and assets to engineering.
• Develop and document interaction patterns and design patterns.
• Create style guides, UI specifications and Interaction design patterns.
• Gathered and managed all required UX related documentation for development.
• Supervised the development team along the entire development lifecycle.
• Presented concepts, ideas and prototypes to Garmin’s leadership team.

Sharp Aquos : Next Gen Screen (Tech Stack : HTML 5, CSS 3)

Review interaction design documentation and recommend improvements and new concepts via rapid prototyping tools. Apply visual design to conceptual interface. Design a mobile application solution to allow television navigation by Bluetooth connectivity.

Activities:

• Design mobile app. solution to control and navigate television from Bluetooth connection.
• Create hi-fidelity mock-ups for design reviews.
• Provide visual design templates and assets to engineering.
• Develop and document interaction patterns and design patterns.

HP – Agilaire: Jetstream Project (Tech Stack : Silverlight, HTML 5, CSS, Mobile and Web )

Complete redesign for passenger service system for American Airlines, as well as other major airlines such as Swiss Air and Virgin Atlantic. Mobile and interaction design for IOS and Android type devices.

Activities:

• Lead user focus groups to conceptualize expectations of products.
• Designed for mobile and web interactions for unified design and consistency.
• Design for IOS and Android OS on both Tablet and Smartphone platforms.
• Implement “Responsive Design” methodology to encompass Web and Mobile Platforms.
• Create, conceptualize and refine wireframes, navigation models and interaction models.
• Gathered and documented use cases and requirements.
• Create hi-fidelity mock-ups for design reviews.
• Provide visual design templates and assets to engineering.
• Create simulations and clickable prototypes from mock-ups and wireframes in Silverlight.
• Create clickable prototypes for usability testing groups utilizing HTML, CSS and Javascript.
• Develop and document interaction patterns and design patterns.
• Create style guides, UI specifications and Interaction design patterns.
• Present designs, wireframe and scenarios to client for review and discussion.
• Process feedback and refine wireframes, designs and scenarios.
• Shadow end users and process tasks and roles for UI improvements.
• Lead and present “Echo Sessions” to review and discuss best practices with UX design colleagues.

Med Assets Analytics Software (Tech Stack : Silverlight )

Design front end of medical analytics toolset for Baylor Hospitals.

Activities:

• Lead user focus groups to conceptualize expectations of products.
• Created competitive analysis document comprised of content analysis and offerings.
• Gathered and documented use cases and requirements.
• Design front end dashboard to display patient related data for Silverlight application.
• Design and mock-up front end with Silverlight as technology targeted.
• Design task flows, interaction patterns as wireframe.
• Develop Silverlight prototype from wire frame and visual design comps.
• Conduct working sessions with focus group for discussion on Silverlight prototypes.
• Create style guide and hand off assets to engineering for second development phase.

Valuation Advisory Services (Tech Stack : HTML, CSS, JavaScript)

Re-design the Fox Pro “Valuation Advisory Services” system. This system tracked properties assets, owners, rental condition, and history throughout the global properties for C.B. Richard Ellis

Activities:

• Lead user focus groups to conceptualize expectations of products.
• Created competitive analysis document comprised of content analysis and offerings.
• Interaction design, Visual design and front end development.
• UX project lead with four team members for design and development of project.
• Gathered and documented use cases and requirements.
• Interacted with clients in design and conception sessions.
• Provided wireframes and mock-ups to clients to ensure development consistency.
• Created style guides and visual assets to create front end.
• Created front end for hand off to developers utilizing: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Ensured product branding was adhered to while maintaining consistent design.
• Provided informal usability testing on product to gather data.

Utility Insight

Silverlight project which compiled all utilities usage data for properties under the CBRE umbrella. Utility Insight displayed all water, sewer and electrical usage data via KPI’s and widgets.

Activities:

• Lead user focus groups to conceptualize expectations of products.
• Created competitive analysis document comprised of content analysis and offerings.
• Interaction design, Wire framing, Visual design and front end development.
• Ensured product branding was enforced across application.
• Created visual design and vignettes.
• Created style guides and assets to create front end.
• Created front end with Expression Blend using MVVM model.
• Created and maintained style libraries within Expression blend.
• Created custom components and component libraries.

Next Gen Project Operations (Tech Stack : WPF, WCF)

This project contained 23 individual applications that managed cable television stations daily activities. The Next Gen application utilized Windows Presentation Foundation and allowed end users access to everything from contracts and billing to what was being aired.

Activities:

• Create and designed a dashboard interface that allowed the applications to be accessed via one window.
• Collaborated with B.A.’s to gather and build requirements as well as use cases.
• Create, conceptualize and refine wireframes, navigation models and interaction models.
• Create hi-fidelity mock-ups for design reviews.
• Provide visual design templates and assets to engineering.
• Create simulations and clickable prototypes from mock-ups and wireframes.
• Develop interaction patterns and design patterns.
• Create style guides and UI specification documentation.
• Create and document process and design workflows.
• Present designs, wireframe and scenarios to client for review.

Next Gen Project Automation (Tech Stack : WPF, WCF, Flex, Air)

The automation side of VCI Solutions was a plug-in that extended the Next Gen Project for use in Radio and advertising. This tool allowed the management of Radio Stations to be handled with VCI Solutions suite of tools.

Activities:

• Created and designed Plug-in type interface for application.
• Collaborated with B.A.’s to gather and build requirements as well as use cases.
• Re-used navigation and interaction models for plug-in.
• Re-used style guides and visual assets in creation of plug-in.
• Provide visual design templates and assets to engineering.
• Created front with Expression Blend following style guides.

Girl Scouts Cookie Campaign (Tech Stack : Flash, HTML, CSS, PHP)

The cookie campaign was an extension of the Girls Scouts of America website. I created a pure flash page which allowed the girls scouts to review prizes and cookie types that were being sold.

Activities:

• Created and designed Flash page utilizing Action Script 2.0 and Adobe Flash.
• Created hi-fidelity mock-ups to display for marketing approval.
• Collaborated with marketing on theme and visual design style.
• Applied page theme to “cookies page” via php scripting and css.
• Performed informal usability testing on flash piece to find bugs.

Video On Demand (Tech Stack : HTML, CSS, JavaScript )

Video on Demand service introduced Amazon into the online media market. User could download and

Watch television programs or movies via the V.O.D. interface.

Activities:

• Interaction design, Wire framing, Visual design.
• Collaborated closely with B.A.’s to gather requirements for project.
• Reviewed Amazon interaction models and navigation model documentation.
• Created user requirements documentation and use cases.
• Created wire frames from requirements gathering and documents.
• Ensured product branding was enforced with Amazon.com approved brand.
• Created CSS and HTML for front end hand off to engineering.