Pondering Possibilities

The Portfolio of User Experience Designer Tamara Olson

"You know, like nunchuk skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills... Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills."

My Skills: (Projects are featured here)

Visio, Omnigraffle, Photoshop, Keynote

Information Architecture

I prefer using a hybrid of Omnigraffle and cocktail napkins to begin brainstorming (though I prefer Omnigraffle, I am also fluent with Visio). If I need to show more developed graphics or interaction to prototype something, I usually use Photoshop and Flash. I develop all presentations using Keynote.

Photoshop

Visual Design

I try my best to keep my Photoshop toolbox fresh, current, and inspired. I revel in the creative, artistic aspects of graphic design and typography, and actually enjoy the constraints and challenges provided by designing for the Web.

HTML, CSS, Javascript

Front-End Development

I am proficient with standards-compliant HTML and CSS, and very adept with cross-browser compatibility (I use Parallels on my Mac to ensure that my sites are identical in IE 6, 7, and 8; Firefox for PC; Firefox 2 and 3; Chrome; and Safari).

Flash, Actionscript

Animation

I have been working in Flash for over ten years and am proficient with both timeline animation and Actionscript. I modeled this fun animation, for example, after the Jib Jab cartoons.

Written and Visual Communication

In my undergraduate field of study, Media and Cultural Studies, I carefully honed my writing skills. I am extremely fluent with Powerpoint and Keynote, and have a consistent record of delivering compelling and creative presentations to large groups of people. In June 2009 I delivered a speech on the principles of branding and social media for the Scripps Institution of Oceanograophy.

Final Cut

Video Production

Though by no means an expert in video production, I have experience editing in Final Cut, Premiere, and iMovie, and studied documentary filmmaking for a semester at NYU. I also studied the business and technology behind internet television, and am interested in effective ways of using video technology on the web.

Scheme, PHP, MySQL

Programming

In college through a course in Scheme, I learned the basic principles of coding. At ITP, I took a course in dynamic web development which taught me the basics of PHP and MySQL. I used PHP to create The Song Lyrics Generator, a site that uses user input to write cheesy pop songs. I also used my programming skills for my thesis Wanderlust.

Arduino, Processing

Physical Computing

Though not my forte, I had fun my first semester at ITP experimenting with physical computing (certainly my first foray into soldering wires together). Check out this video to watch me, Aichen Lin, and Keith Conway explain our drink selector final project: We used RFID technology, Arduino chips, and Processing (along with a few trips to the lumber yard and Canal Plastics to build the hardware) to create the final iteration.