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TwitterHi, I'm J.J.
Skill Set I'm a Digital Art Director positioned at the intersection of UX Research, UI Design, Interactive Prototyping, Front-end Development & Photography.
Tools & Frameworks I've built several different kinds of websites from scratch. Many are built on the WordPress platform. I'm able to code HTML, PHP, CSS and Javascript by hand for a polished experience that looks right and feels right. I'm comfortable prototyping in After Effects and other tools. I've been using Sketch as my primary design tool since 2016, and most recently, Adobe XD & Figma. Tools change all the time and I'm unafraid to embrace new ones. I began my career working with Flash, after all.
How I Operate Through the years, I've gained experience directly managing client expectations when carrying small to medium projects all the way from conception to completion. More importantly, I've learned how to tell the client things that they might need to know, but are afraid to hear. I'm well versed in working remotely and independently and consider myself to be a self-starter. I'm comfortable within a narrower UX, UI or Development role as part of a larger team, and I'm often used as a bridge, or a liaison, between design and development. I consider myself to be a Designer above all, so if I'm in a situation where all I'm doing is programming, I value having a voice with regard to creative implementation, interactions, style and taste.
The Great Fran Tarkenton goes rogue and says a few outlandish things about me.
Design Process
I believe in sharing work early in the design process. I always get my ideas on paper during a short sketch process with the intention of building a proof-of-concept as soon as possible. My next priority is to leverage internal and/or team feedback to validate or invalidate my initial assumptions about possible solutions, adjust those assumptions, and then branch off into new directions. A generous amount of hours in this discovery phase almost always results in a more fruitful and considered end-product.
What sets me apart? Having practical knowledge of the development process allows me to design experiences that feel natural and can actually be built. Sometimes happy accidents discovered during implementation influence the design in return. I'm able to work without an ego, and generate my own ideas. Humble when fleshing out someone else's ideas. I value precision while also maintaining a mindful awareness that "Done is better than perfect." I know when to sacrifice quality for speed, but also how to be resourceful at balancing the two.
Previously I've done work for KB Home, AtEdge, Ford, Atomized, P&G, Gap, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, MetroPCS, Valvoline, North American Properties, Coca-Cola, Wrigley, Sunrun, Walmart, Publix, Cadillac Jack, Equifax, IHG.
Archived: MetLife and Reynolds Plantation, ForeverHome, Turner Sports, Ogilvy & Mather, Artistry, Windmark Recording, GoSmallBiz, Tarkenton Financial, Finestone & Morris, Who's Next, All Out Custom Cycles.
ET Cetera
- As part of their Fall 2014 Fashion Campaign, Gap reached out to a handful of influential Instagrammers in each of the following cities: Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta & NYC. I was proud to be among six selected to represent the South.
- Hiring Rails developers to build Local Menus introduced me to scope creep and is the catalyst that encouraged me to learn how to code.
- Built Game of Thumbs, a rating site focused on UX & game design that was a good idea until it wasn't.
- I was a young designer on a segment of reality tv a long time ago. It's silly, don't watch it.
The Last 5 Years
