Jeff English

Informing design decisions with user research.

Jeff English
jeffenglish@yahoo.com

Professional Profile

I enjoy working with customers, designers and engineers to create products that are innovative and successful in the marketplace. Over the past 10 years I have successfully completed research and design projects for:

I am a team leader experienced with all phases of user-centered product development including:

Education

MS, Human Factors and Ergonomics, San Jose State University

Thesis - "Posture and Internet Navigation: An Observational Study." Presented at the 43rd Annual Human Factors and Ergonomics Conference, Houston, TX, 1999.

BS, Environmental Studies with Distinction, minor in Economics, San Jose State University

Experience

Ellie Mae   Sr. User Experience Manager    1/2006 - present

Ellie Mae connects mortgage originators, service providers, real estate professionals and their customers through Web and desktop software tools. At Ellie Mae, I manage the User Experience team responsible for the design and user validation of desktop loan origination software Encompass, web-based transaction services, and the Encompass WebCenter.

Oracle (formerly PeopleSoft)    Sr. User Experience Manager    6/2002 - 1/2006

I established PeopleSoft's user experience team of Usability Engineers and Interaction Designers supporting Procurement and Supply Chain Management products. I worked closely with Product Managers and Software Engineers to match research and design goals with product needs by obtaining feedback from product users. I helped establish performance metrics and report the effects of design changes. I led the SCM team's contributions to Oracle's next-generation Fusion products, and previously led the SCM contribution to PeopleSoft's strategic Total Ownership Experience to improve product design and usability.

Talaris (now Rearden Commerce)    Sr. User Interface Manager    2/2001 - 6/2002

I designed the information architecture and user interaction for an enterprise-level services procurement product for mobile sales professionals. The Talaris solution unites supplier services, content, and business processes into a single application. I was responsible for designing the entire user interaction and product behavior from account creation to service procurement to notifications via email, SMS, and automated voice messaging. Our initial deployment was at Sun Microsystems.

I directly managed the development of the product's visual design and product documentation. To inform the design process, I gathered product requirements from potential customers through interviews and observation of work activities. I then translated those requirements into prioritized recommendations for improvements in design and functionality. I designed user interactions for the Web, Palm OS and WAP.

NetObjects    Usability Design Manager    11/1999 - 2/2001

Redesigned the user interface and enhanced the functionality set for the company's flagship web site creation tool, NetObjects Fusion. Learned about productivity issues that small business owners had with the product through direct observation. Interpreted results of user research and proposed several solutions to the development team.

Changes made to the product in the NetObjects Fusion MX version included: New site building wizard for novices including starter content and new design styles; a reorganized UI using subdued colors; an HTML "dashboard" that kept track of product updates, special offers and recent sites; and simplified publishing of the completed site.

A review from c|net builder.com (03-28-01) rated NetObjects Fusion MX an 8 out of 10. "Extremely easy to use; extensive style choices and add-ons; professional-looking results for first-time users..."

IDEO Product Development    Human Factors Design and Research    1/1997 - 11/1999

Utilized direct observation and interview techniques to inform the design process for medical, industrial and consumer products. Collaborated with Industrial Designers and Mechanical Engineers to identify design opportunities based on user research. Designed and conducted user-centered design exercises for IDEO Innovation Workshops that were presented to multinational corporations.

Clients included IBM, McDonald's, Pepsi, Fujifilm, NEC, Evenflo, Medtronic and Sun Microsystems.

Santa Clara Valley Water District    Risk Management Specialist    1995 - 1/1997

Researched the relationships between personnel, tasks, equipment and materials to identify potential hazards and recommend risk-mitigating control solutions. Developed equipment recommendations and conducted employee training on proper process and task procedures.

Sterling & Associates    Risk Management Consultant    1992 - 1995

Retained by clients to identify, prioritize and mitigate health and safety issues at industrial, manufacturing and commercial operations. Conducted training and certified individuals in compliance with government requirements. Clients included CalTrans, Xerox PARC and National Semiconductor.

Design Recognition

Selected Presentations & Publications

Affiliations