Interface Design

When people ask what I do, I usually spare them the term "Interaction Designer." Instead, what I say is that I'm like an architect for a web site - I decide what the types of pages are, how you move around among them, and how they work. I produce the blueprint, or specification, and then hand it over to programmers to actually build. Then again, I've been known to get my hands dirty in the coding and graphic design, too.

Below you'll find the various skills that go into user interface design, and below that you'll find publications and a detailed resume. You can also download a printable resume.

Skills

User Interface Design (Conceptual)
A conceptual design implements high-level requirements and typically consists of detailed sketches of key screens, templates of each screen type for an application, and a navigational map of a user interface. I produce these items as well as a conceptual prototype that allows for usability testing to validate the concept and also serves as a tool to communicate the design to management.
User Interface Design (Detailed)
Developers should be able to code directly from specifications without having to make assumptions or continually ask questions. I produce detailed specifications provide developers with all the information they need to create screens. Typically, specifications include a graphic component for screen layout and a data component for field contents, interaction notes, and error messages.
User Analysis
Project teams usually begin projects with a set of assumptions about their customers, some true and some not. I choose the user analysis technique that best answers the questions the project team has. Using methods from Contextual Inquiry to interviews, cognitive walkthroughs, and card sorting, I clearly describe users, their work, and their mental models. I also turn that information into requirements and conceptual user interface designs.
Graphic Design
After establishing the feature set and interaction design for an application, it is time to establish its graphic design. I provide logos, color schemes, font choices, icons, and illustrations to make sure the final product is both attractive and clear.
Project Management
Usability activities must fit into an overall project in terms of schedule, scope, and budget. I secure stakeholder buy-in and produce schedule and cost estimates for the most appropriate activities. I also make appropriate trade-offs when needed to achieve the project goals and track activities and hours to ensure that the project stays on track.
Usability Testing
The best way to ensure an interface's usability is by observing customers while they use it. I coordinate the logistics of usability tests, write test scripts, facilitate or observe during the test itself, analyze the results, and present recommendations.
Expert Usability Review
Heuristic reviews, or expert usability reviews, of a user interface are a quick and cost-effective way uncover usability issues. I inspect a user interface and note where it deviates from usability best practices. I also assign a severity to each observation to assist with analysis and prioritization.
Product Team Facilitation
At the beginning of a project, the entire team must be clear about a variety of usability issues: user groups, usability goals, business goals, business model, etc. The team must also be clear about management issues: scope, schedule, budget, roles, responsibility and accountability, etc. I lead team workshops to document these issues and better align business goals, IT goals, and user goals.
Training
User interface design and usability techniques, while common sense, are not always obvious. I provide workshops and training sessions at which participants learn these techniques and apply to them their workplace projects.
DHTML
Turning a proposed design into an actual functioning web site is best left to professional coders. However, it is often useful to prototype a quick design with HTML, CSS, XSLT, and Javascript. I use them to produce interactive prototypes for usability testing. If the web application is simple, I implement the site itself.

Publications

Academic Manuscript Submission: A Case Study in Interaction Design
McDaniel, S. (2007) Academic Manuscript Submission: A Case Study in Interaction Design. User-Centered Design Stories: Real-World UCD Case Studies. Morgan Kaufmann. 289-316. Available at Amazon
Planning Usability Tests for Maximum Impact
McDaniel, S and Snyder, L. (2004) Planning Usability Tests for Maximum Impact. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Society for Technical Communication. 345-349.
Designing Search Pages
McDaniel, S. (2004) Designing Search Pages. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Society for Technical Communication. 296-300.
Selling Usability: Scope and Schedule Estimates
McDaniel, S. (2003) Selling Usability: Scope and Schedule Estimates. Intercom, 50:12, 22-25.
Uncovering True Motivations: The Whys and Wherefores
McDaniel, S. (2003) Uncovering True Motivations: The Whys and Wherefores. Usability Interface, 10:2.
What's Your Idea of a Mental Model?
McDaniel, S. (2003) What's Your Idea of a Mental Model? Boxes and Arrows. http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/whats_your_idea_of_a_mental_model_
The Big Dig: Mining Nuggets of Value
McDaniel, S. and McDaniel, M. (2002) The Big Dig: Mining Nuggets of Value. User Experience, 1:2, 20-29.
Surrogate Tests: When You Can't Get to Your Users
McDaniel, S. (1999) Surrogate Tests: When You Can't Get To Your Users. Usability Interface, 6:1.
A Heuristic Evaluation of the Usability of Infants
McDaniel, S. (1999) A Heuristic Evaluation of the Usability of Infants. Intercom, 46:9, 44.

Experience

Work History

Lockheed Martin
Interaction Designer
2004 - present
Designed products for the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), part of the National Library of Medicine. I introduced User Centered Design practices to NCBI. I managed user interface design projects for biotechnology databases and tools, including PubMed. I introduced standards and practices such as user analysis, user requirements, and wireframe page mock-ups.
Cognetics Corporation
Senior Interaction Designer
2000 - 2004
Consulted on a wide variety of user interface projects. I established product concepts, analyzed user tasks and needs, designed and specified user interfaces, and performed detailed usability evaluations. I also trained clients in these areas and managed many of the projects on which I worked. Clients included Reed-Elsevier, Freddie Mac, ADP, Library of Congress, and StorageTek.
SAIC
Technical Writer
1998 - 2000
Managed documentation projects and produced print and online documentation, incorporating usability and user-centered design into SAIC's products. Our primary client was the Environmental Protection Agency, whom we provided with a Lotus Notes system allowing the submission and processing of grant applications.
MIL 3, Inc. (now OPNET Technologies)
1996 - 1998
Technical Writer
Managed documentation projects and developed print and online tutorials, manuals, and other documentation. MIL 3 produces OPNET, a network simulator, and I documented not only the simulator's user interface, but also its API and network protocol reference material. In addition to writing duties, I also administered the MIL 3 web site for one year.
Garcia Consulting, Inc.
Technical Writer
1994 - 1996
Managed documentation projects, wrote online and print documentation, and designed user interfaces. Our primary client was the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, and I worked primarily on patent search and retrieval systems.

Technologies

  • HTML, CSS, JavaScript
  • XML, XSLT
  • MS Visio, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat

Education

  • BS in Psychology, James Madison University, 1992
  • MA in Experimental Psychology, University of Rochester, 1994

Associations & Activities

Usability Professionals Association (UPA)
Served as Vice-President of the Washington DC chapter
Society for Technical Communication (STC)
Founded the STC Washington D.C. Chapter's Special Interest Group for Usability