Misty Speck • Netgrafix
Seattle, Washington

A Few Sample URLs

Curated Science Fiction
Curated Mysteries
Curated Children's Books
Woodinville Women's Clinic
Zack Corporate Housing
Purple House Dirt Foodie Blog
Craft Architects
Cultural Detective
Seattle Jobs
Able Opportunities

Experience

iPhone/Android Apps, Internet & Mobile Web UI & UX, User Interface & Corporate Event Print Designer, Netgrafix, 1987 - current

Corporate web design, user interface design, presentation design, and all areas of print design. Love designing for iPhone/Android Apps as well as streamlined websites for mobile phone browsing optimization. Have coordinated and designed multi-pronged projects involving web/print/mobile deliverables for many local Puget Sound startup companies. Was recently the sole designer working on print/web/interface/user experience design for Microsoft's IdeAgency for over 2 years. Also provided UI design for Paul Allen's company, Vulcan, for a handheld PC, the Flipstart. I've worked steadily for Microsoft in a variety of divisions, both as a contractor and an independent vendor: Sync & Go (part of the 2002 XP Plus! Pack's Digital Media Edition), where I was also the sole user interface designer for every aspect (prototyping, storyboarding, mock-ups) and both platforms (desktop and PPC) of the product with the exeception of the help dialogs; other recent projects involved online ad design for bCentral, and inter-/intranet design for the Microsoft Consumer Experience Center, as well as a plethora of internal Finance and HR groups. Outside of Microsoft are a number of other clients: Trimergent, SeattleJobs.org, Bellevue Community College, International Marine Management, Spark Online, GlobalGate, WebAccommodate, Starrow Manufacturing, Microscan, Dexter+Chaney, NBBJ, Onvia, Sierra Online, PetShelter, Davis Wright Tremaine, Sellen Construction, The Seattle Times, Northwest High Tech Career Expos, Northwest Brewwerks, PAWS and many more.

Currently operating as an independent consultant for many of Microsoft's corporate intranets, as well as for their Research division.

UI Design, Microsoft's NetDocs Group (ArtSource) July 1998 - August 1999

Assisted in the design and production of the user interface for a new, web-based, not-yet-released application. Responsibilities centered on prototyping design concepts for usability testing and working on consistency and interoperability issues. Provided the development team gif files in 5 states: default, hover, active, released and disabled. Was also responsible for the creation of help file animated gifs...as well as overall product visuals and mechanics. This position required frequent contact with Program Managers, Developers and Product Planners.

Web Design, Microsoft Finance Group (ArtSource) 1997 - present

High-end, but easy-access graphic design of 110 internal corporate finance sites (FinWeb), navigation UI, logos, themes and animations. Concentrated on creative ideas and imagery to convey each site's identity and message with visual impact, all in a consistent navigational atmosphere. Position also included prototyping, multimedia and print design projects such as top-notch canvas banners and booth graphics for trade shows, demo CD covers & labels, high-end brochures and customer guides...even group apparel graphics. FinWeb was one of Bill Gates' most-demonstrated and touted intranets.

UI Design, Asymetrix Corporation (ArtSource) Fall-Winter 1996

Worked on Toolbook II Assistant UI design, template and button design for user libraries, plus the Features Tour demo's animated narration character and other animated scenes. Responsible for conception, designing for tiling and fixed frame interfaces (16- to 256-color) and creating transparent gifs of final artwork for incorporation into Win32 format.

Art Direction/Web Design, Washington CEO Magazine, 1995 - 1996

Redesigned and expanded the magazine's website and updated the site monthly; designed in-product special sections, created series identity logos, and designed covers and article illustrations and maps.

Graphics/Art Direction/Creative Services Management, NW Media, 1987 - 1995

Began as a Graphic Artist for advertising, was promoted to Advertising Art Director and left as marketing's Creative Services Manager. Projects ranged from advertising design to full-color custom marketing and sales presentations. Responsible for innovative charts, graphs, maps and editorial illustrations, as well as organizing and ordering outside jobs, including stock and ink selection, blueline proofing and cost control. As Art Director, was responsible for team member recruitment and training, as well as maintaining a smooth, trouble-free workflow between Advertising and Production departments.

Skills & Software

Adobe: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Streamline, LiveMotion, Dimensions. Microsoft: PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Word, Excel. Quark Xpress. On the web side: FrontPage (with VSS control), HTML, Gifmation and Fetch.