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CV of Alex Horstmann

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An experienced and creative user experience professional with a proven record in UX architecture, usability, people management, branding and innovation. Responsible for the user experience and design of several high profile, big brand web sites and enterprise software applications.

EDUCATION:

1993 – 1997BSc. (Hons)
National University of Ireland, Cork, Ireland.

1998 – 1999
H.Dip Comp Sci. (not completed)
National University of Ireland, Cork, Ireland

SKILLS:

User Experience:
Information architecture; Expert reviews; User Testing; Persona, roles, scenario and task analysis; Wireframes; High fidelity prototypes; flow diagrams; User centered design methodologies; Usability; requirements analysis.

User Interface Engineering:
Interaction Design, Usability, Web Accessibility, Web Standards, Creative Web Application Interface Design, Internet/Intranet Design

Product Management, Innovation & Development:
Market problem analysis; Competitive analysis; Win/Loss analysis; Market research; Business case creation; Product roadmap management; Innovation; Ideas generating; rapid prototype development.

Project Leadership:
Project Management, Team Leadership, Development Lifecycle, Agile Usability, Risk Analysis, Change Control.

Technical:
Javascript, CSS, DHTML, XHTML1.1, HTML4.01, JSTL, ASP.

Leadership:
Project management; Team leadership; Development lifecycle; Agile usability; Risk analysis; Change control; Client facing.

FURTHER TRAINING COURSES COMPLETED

April 2008 – Product Management Certification (Practical Product Management)
September 2003 – Project Management in New Media
September 2002 – Flash Actionscript (Intermediate)
October 2001 – Advanced JavaScript
September 2001 – CSS and DHTML

CAREER HISTORY

Aug 2008 – present

VIRGIN MEDIA

160 Great Portland Street 160 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5QA, UK (www.virginmedia.com)

Consultant User Experience Architect

Virgin Media is a leading a television, Internet, mobile phone and fixed-line telephone service provider.

Providing consulting expertise for several streams of Virgin Media online projects, including a redesign of virginmedia.com, expansion of the entertainment site and cross platform interactive television projects on a contract basis.

Jul 2008 – Aug 2008

TULLOW MARSHALL WARREN (TMW)

81 Kings Road, London, SW3 4NX, UK (www.tmw.co.uk)

Head of User Experience

TMW is a leading digital marketing and integrated communications agency based in London.

Head of User Experience, reporting to the Executive Creative Director. Managing the User Experience team, providing overview, work estimates and expertise for all usability and IA projects for all TMW clients.

During my first few weeks at TMW I identified that the company structure, post redundancies made just prior to my joining, did not support a Head of role, and instead needed a team led by a senior information architect.

Aug 2008 – Jul 2009

CHANNEL FOUR TELEVISION CORPORATION

124 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 2TX, UK (www.channel4.com)

User Experience Manager

Channel 4 is a leading UK public-service television broadcaster.

User Experience Manager, reporting to the Head of Design, New Media, on a fixed term contract covering maternity leave. Head of the User Experience team of 1 full time and 2 contract information architects, responsible for the experience design, usability and accessibility of all Channel 4 online assets.

Responsible for the IA, UX and interaction design of Channel 4’s archive video proposition, where the back catalogue of programmes was put online.

Responsible for:

  • Head of the UX team responsible for the redesign of channel4.com.
  • Solely responsible for the IA and UX of the new Channel 4 online video offering, 4oD, which resulted in a huge upturn in traffic to the site, video views per visit and video adverts watched.
  • Providing user experience advice and expertise on all Channel 4 new media projects.
  • Scoping and planning all user experience work on Channel 4 new media projects.
  • Ensuring a user-centred design approach is planned into all Channel 4 new media projects.
  • Managing and carrying out regular expert reviews and usability testing.
  • Developing Accessibility and Search Engine Optimisation requirements and ensuring that these are met.
  • Selecting, briefing and managing appropriate external suppliers of user experience work, such as user research, information architecture, usability testing and accessibility audits and testing.

Apr 2004 – Aug 2008

TIDEWAY SYSTEMS LIMITED

Anchor House, 15 – 19 Britten Street, London SW3 3TY, UK (www.tideway.com)

Senior User Experience Engineer

Tideway Systems is a private company that develops software products for large IT organizations. Tideway’s flagship product, Foundation, allows enterprise customers to run IT like a business by providing a complete and authoritative source of IT configuration intelligence.

Senior User Experience Engineer, reporting to the CTO until 2006 and then the newly appointed VP of Engineering. Responsible for all aspects of the User Experience, Usability, UI design and implementation for Foundation. Head of the UI team and a key innovator and influencer within the company.

  • Responsible for the design, look and feel and usability of the UI for Tideway’s cutting edge, flagship product Foundation, as well as other Foundation sister products.
  • Led a team the conducted requirements gathering User Interviews and produced Personas, Scenarios, Wireframes and High Level Prototypes.
  • Regularly gave demonstrations to existing and potential Tideway customers of existing and new product features, as well as high level needs and feature gathering meetings.
  • Regularly dealt with large multi-national clients in the Investment Bank, Telecoms and Manufacturing arenas, including JPMorgan, Dresdner Kleinwort (DrK), Daimler Chrysler and British Telecom (BT).
  • Involved in the implementation of Tideway’s Agile, User Centric Development methodology.

Apr 2001 – Apr 2004

DECARE SYSTEMS IRELAND LTD (DSI LTD)

Unit 1A, University Technology Centre, Curraheen Road, Cork, Ireland (www.decaresystems.ie)

Senior Web Designer / User Interface Engineer

DeCare provides software development and Internet solutions for a select market of worldwide health care and retail organizations. DSI’s customer-centered focus and expertise in delivering solutions across a number of platforms leads to a flexible approach in building mission critical applications for clients.

Senior Web Designer/User Interface Engineer (promoted from Web Designer) responsible for the UI of a major CRM system and a number of high profile B2B and B2C websites.

  • Senior UI person for client projects, including Mastercard, Avon Cosmetics and Penguin Books.
  • Ran requirements gathering and needs analysis meetings with clients for an Enterprise CRM system.
  • Developed a User Centered Design (UCD) toolkit, based on a broad range of UCD methodologies.
  • Designed a Semantic Information Architecture for an Enterprise Content Management system and a Document Management System.
  • Developed sites to meet all W3C standards for XHTML, HTML, CSS and WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).

Jan 2001 – Apr 2001

PREMIER RECRUITMENT INTERNATIONAL

85-89 South Main Street, Cork, Ireland (www.lacreme.ie)

Internet Manager

Premier Group is one of Ireland’s largest recruitment companies, with four separate divisions. Internet Manager responsible for the design and implementation www.lacreme.ie.

  • Recruited to design and implement www.lacreme.ie.
  • Worked with a targeted user group to determine the best content for the site.
  • Designed and developed the site, including the backend ASP database integration.
  • Maintained this site when it went live on a contract basis.

Dec 1999 – Jan 2001

96 & 103FM (RADIO COUNTY SOUND LTD)

Broadcasting House, Wellington Road, Cork, Ireland (www.96fm.ie)

IT Manager

96FM is Ireland’s largest independent radio station, comprising of 96FM in the city and 103FM in the county, a newspaper (Inside Cork) and an advertising agency. Internet Manager, recruited to establish, design and develop 96fm’s first ever website, as well as websites for 103FM and the Inside Cork newspaper.

  • Recruited to design and launch three websites for Ireland’s number one independent commercial radio.
  • Solely responsible for all IT and Internet policies, including all marketing of the 3 websites, as well as upgrading the live studio and production studio to use digital equipment.
  • The 96FM site quickly became the most popular in Cork city and one of the most successful sites in Ireland.

July 1998 – Dec 1999

ACCOMMODATIONS OFFICE, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK

6 Carrigside, College Road, Cork, Ireland

Webmaster and Office Manager

  • Responsible for all departmental IT and Internet policies.
  • Designed, developed and maintained the Accommodation website for UCC.
    This site included a detailed resource for international students, whereby they could
    choose and book their accommodation online. Prior to my implementing this, all booking was
    done by postal mail.
  • Established a comprehensive database of all rental accommodation for students.
  • Led a team of 7 people who worked in the office.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  • Winner of the PIMA Marketing Methods Competition for www.securiandental.com
  • Guest writer on Internet Accessibility strategies at www.pandia.com
  • Moderator of the HTML & Browser and Flash fora at www.webmasterworld.com (as BlobFisk) from 2004 – 2009.
  • National University of Ireland, Cork Person of the Year 1997
  • Twice appointed as a Governor of the National University of Ireland, Cork
  • Elected to the full time position of Deputy President, NUIC Students Union (1997/1998)
  • Twice elected Auditor of the UCC Science Society
  • Certificate Holder in First Aid
  • Member of the Usability Professionals Association
  • Member of the Information Architecture Institute