About Richard

A user experience professional with extensive experience solving problems through innovation, best practices, research data and standards to grow profitability and reduce costs. With over a decade of collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to conceive, design and implement improvements to user experiences.

Known for strong leadership and motivational skills consistently producing positive change. Skilled at completing projects within tight timelines. Able to motivate, energize and lead to successful outcomes. Highly articulate, demonstrating excellent interpersonal skills across all levels including management, employees, and external agencies.

Richard has extensive knowledge and experience working with large corporations in adapting, localizing and scaling their web presence internationally. He understands the challenges and allowances required to build a flexible structure for cultural and language variations.

Professional experience

User Experience Lead, LEVEL, a Rosetta company
2010 - Present
As user experience lead for LEVEL Studios I get to work with a variety of clients on projects that span weeks and months. My focus is getting to know, with precision, the crux of a project's goals while I'm also familiarizing myself with the product and the stakeholders. My experience allows me to compliment the skill set of existing UX teams as well as provide direction and leadership in projects where there are no teams or resources available. Highly adaptable to each situation and company, I have brought my blend of innovation and no-nonsense work ethic to the table to deliver results for companies such as eBay, NetApp, Cisco, Skype, Marvell, and Saba.

  • Gather requirements through stake holder interviews. Develop project plans, providing visibility into the process and setting expectations so that clients can have confidence in their project and agency.
  • Author site maps, wireframes, user flows, and other user experience artifacts to help clients visualize the scope of work and impact to user experiences.
  • Designed smart phone and tablet interfaces for B2C collaboration software.
  • Produce sketches and concepts to address responsive design approach for single code base web redesign.

Art Director, Meg Whitman for Governor 2010
2010 - 2010
Lead the design and direction of record setting political campaign's website and multiple facets of on and off-line marketing artifacts. Originally began my relationship with the campaign as a contractor through Tokoni Inc., and was later hired directly by the campaign. Work collaboratively with the Campaign Manager as well as the Director of Communications to deliver timely designs through email and website updates. Work independently on developing concepts for new sections to website to help achieve higher levels of engagement and time on site.

  • Rapidly move through requirement gathering into wireframes and creating prototype mockups of visual interfaces for stakeholders to respond to.
  • Created an interface on MegWhitman.com existing site tools and to enable the campaign and its supporters to reach further into communities and engage in conversations about topics that matter to them.
  • Bring cohesiveness and stability to a team while getting results in an environment with constantly changing priorities.
  • Helped scale the team responsible for Meg Whitman's web presence in order for her to reach a larger audience and get her message out more rapidly and in more languages.

Freelance Designer, De La Rosa Creative
Present - 2008
Helping businesses grow by providing my unique perspective and experience in creative problem solving, expert communication and design skills along with a dedicated old school work ethic.

  • Evaluate business environment and goals with clients to develop a clear objective and roadmap, through face to face interviews.
  • Develop a strategic partnership to help clients achieve goals on time and within budget. I've been extremely effective at guiding businesses to decisions that are the correct size and that will grow with as their profitibality grows.
  • Offer cost effective design solutions for the web, print and tradeshow collateral.

User Experience Manager, PayPal
2008 - 2003
Responsible for quarterly and annual planning with product and marketing managers, business unit directors and user experience design. Hired, developed and supervised achievement oriented professionals.

  • Prioritized strategic product and marketing initiatives that contributed to 59% year over year growth in the Small, Large and Enterprise business segments.
  • Designed a solution that helped businesses decide which service and product fit their business needs, helping drive PayPal's business goal of becoming ubiquitous in internet commerce transactions.
  • Responsible for all stages of design and development throughout project, assisting in resource planning and ensuring proper prioritization, key stakeholder involvement, nal signo and on-time delivery of assets.
  • Conceptualized, designed and delivered solutions that met project goals and influenced product strategy and direction while meeting deadlines and maintaining a high level of quality.

Web Design Manager, 3Com
2003 - 1999
Managed the visual integrity of the 3Com brand across the web for the United States and localized sites for Canada, Central and South America by providing direction to a staff of six visual designers.

  • Created images,flash animations, animated gifs, illustrations, symbols and icons for use on 3Com's website, online applications and presentations.
  • Produced web style guides for use throughout all international oces to ensure consistent branding and interactions.
  • Developed working html prototypes of 3com.com from Photoshop files provided by outside vendors.
  • Maintained art department areas that bridged the gap between the central marketing department and e-commerce website.