Erova Studios LLC

call me: (202) 281-4573 • info@erova.com

user experience consulting by Chris Avore

Chris Avore provides user experience consulting services to a variety of clients in multiple disciplines and industries. While these services may be as diverse as information architecture, user-interface design, usability consulting, and semantic code implementation, the fundamental mission never changes: make it work, and make it simple.

Chris Avore is a Washington DC web designer and certified Flash professional, and offers web design, CSS, and programming services in Maryland, Virginia, and DC.

important info:

Summary

I am a multimedia and technology consultant.

I help small businesses, design studios, government agencies, and associations deliver interactive multimedia applications and usable, effective web sites.

I offer agency-quality creative talent; I provide technical solutions that work.

That's creative application design.

Professional Experience: Jobs, Gigs, Assignments, Projects, etc.

2008 - Present

Folio Investing

Director of User Experience | January 2008 - present

  • Responsible for the design and delivery of the information architecture, code structure, look and feel of www.folioinvesting.com, launching Summer 2008.
  • Evaluate, recommend and deliver design and interaction-based solutions to ease and enhance the overall user experience as a FolioFN customer.
  • Collaborate with senior management to understand how business needs can coexist with user or client expectations.
  • Provide standard UX-related deliverables to development staff and senior management, including conceptual drawings, task analyses, competitive analyses, wireframes, mockups, clickable/functional prototypes, and usability assessments of new web products.

American Chemical Society

Information Architect, UI Designer, CSS consultant | 2007 - present

  • Provide CSS implementation support and recommend best practices throughout the association’s redesign process, culminating in the launch of www.acs.org in October 2007.
  • Provide mockups and interaction flows for an e-commerce ACS online storefront
  • Troubleshoot cross-browser display issues and confirm acceptable results in non-standards compliant browsers, printers and handheld devices.

University of Maryland

User experience and design consultant | 2003 - 2008

CC Pace

User Experience Consultant | 2007 - present

  • Design wireframes and mockups of personal financial management web application.
  • Work with development teams to integrate user interface design with the functional application via CSS and standard markup.

Interfolio

User Experience Consultant | 2007 - 2008

  • Provide usability and user experience analysis of existing web applications based on best practices and heuristic evaluation.
  • Design wireframes and the user interface of a proprietary higher-education application management system.

2007

FINRA (formerly National Association of Securities Dealers)

Information Architect and Enterprise Web Application UI Designer | 2005 - 2007

  • Interpret use cases and technical requirements to deliver a working site map, wireframes, and functional prototype for the securities regulator’s mediation enterprise application.
  • Provide user interface specification documents to establish nomenclature, color, and interaction guidelines.
  • Design and document processes used while developing the user interface of a Microsoft Sharepoint 2007 (MOSS) portal system to share knowledge management across NASD.
  • Design the user-experience strategy and interface elements for an AJAX-enhanced web application.
  • Examine an inventory of legacy Java Server Pages and make UI enhancements, provide streamlined semantic markup and compliant CSS to prepare for re-launch. 

ProShares Advisors

User Experience Consultant | Summer 2007

  • Recommend layout enhancements to prioritize usability and findability.
  • Provide CSS and semantic markup recommendations, including streamlining existing code, maximizing code structure, and optimizing existing CSS properties.

National Geographic

Usability Specialist | Spring 2007

  • Conduct a series of user-testing sessions to determine whether new design prototypes enhance the National Geographic user experience.
  • Provide written summaries, recommendations, and observations based on the tests.  In coordination with Dan Brown and Eight Shapes LLC.

Queen Bee Design Studio

Flash consultant | Spring 2007

  • Produce pre-designed Flash web site for a Washington DC marketing firm
  • Recommend user-interface design solutions to enhance usability, efficient editing, and the overall user-experience.

2006

Georgetown Public Policy Review Online

Consultant | 2005-2006

Design and develop the interface, blog, and Cold Fusion custom content management system for the online magazine of the Georgetown Public Policy Review.

Ranablue LLC

Consultant | 2006

Provided CSS and PHP consulting services; streamlined Dreamweaver workflow.

American Historical Association

Consultant | 2006

Provided streamlined, standards-compliant, table-less CSS and templates based on existing design and site structure.

The Nation's Triathlon

Consultant | 2006

Adapted designer's layout into Cold Fusion-based templates and CSS; site maintained via Contribute.

2005

Corcoran College of Art and Design

Adjunct Faculty | 2005-2006

Taught Web Design I and II where students studied and practiced new media design principles and technology. Curriculum included interface design, layout, CSS, typography, imagery and graphic optimization, design trends, and usability norms.

InfoReliance

Sr. Multimedia Consultant: National Park Service account | 2004-2006

Design and develop Flash applications utilizing Cold Fusion, Flash Remoting, XML, and advanced ActionScript.

See: http://www.nps.gov

EstcoNet

Consultant | 2005

Designed user interface for a major United States and world news magazine's annual college guide and other features as needed.

National Geographic

Consultant | Summer 2005

Developed two Flash and XML menus promoting National Geographic Commercial Assignment photographers.

View NG Photographers

View NG Specialites

ACPA

Consultant | Summer 2005

Designed and programmed a Section 508 and standards-compliant online newsletter for this Washington DC higher education association.

Site utilizes Cold Fusion-based templates and a table-less layout for ease of maintenance and performance for all users.

View ACPA's newsletter Developments.

Vizual, Inc.

Consultant | Summer 2005

Designed and programmed a brief Flash presentation for home page brand re-inforcements and to strengthen awareness and identity.

Cantilever Twentieth Century Art and Design

Consultant | Spring 2005

Developed database and Cold Fusion functionality for modern furniture small business in Bethesda, Maryland.

Site consists of administrator capabilities to add new pieces and upload images, track sold and unsold pieces, and delete pieces when necessary.

Consumer site features recently added images of new pieces and online forms to contact Cantilever staff to inquire about furniture details.

Click to view Cantilever Twentieth Century Art & Design

Berman and Company

Consultant | Spring 2005

Developed robust Flash quiz application featuring limitless number of exams, score retention, user-registration, and question and corresponding image addition/deletion.

End user can leave quiz and return later without starting over. User can measure performance from the previous attempt at completing a quiz, and can see the average score of all users attempting the quizzes.

Total application consists of Cold Fusion MX, Microsoft Access database (later converted to SQL Server), Flash, and XML.

Swim Design Consultants

Consultant | May 2004 - 2006

Develop xHTML and CSS solution for the Brooklyn Museum, ColdFusion maintenance for the Smithsonian Institution, and production and maintenance for the Shakespeare Folger Library and Theatre.

Maryland Public Policy Institute

Consultant | Fall 2002 - 2004

Redesigned and developed usable site that could be updated by non-technical employees.

2004

National Latino Council on Alcohol and Tobacco Prevention

Consultant | 2003 - 2004

Re-design and develop existing web presence of Washington DC-based association. Site launched June 2004.

EDS

e-Learning systems engineer: Flash programming, interface design | December 2003 - October 2004

Designed SCORM compliant learning objects, SQL and ColdFusion MX learning management system, and Section 508-compliant graphic user interface for the U.S. Army medical logistics software programs.

Link Studio

ActionScript consulting, Flash & graphic design | Spring 2004

Program custom drag and drop learning interactions, scorekeeping, and interactive feedback for e-learning modules. Acted as sub-contractor for Baltimore web and illustration boutique Link Studio.

2003

Arora Engineers

Consultant | Spring 2004

Design, develop and deploy an interactive CD-Rom marketing campaign.
Released Spring 2004. View project.

KEI Pearson

Sr. Web Based Training Developer | February 2003 - December 2003

Design and develop an online training application for the Military Health System.
Responsible for testing, interface usability, and deployment via web and cd-rom.

American Council on Education

ColdFusion template design, web design, content production, Flash programming | Winter 2003

Design and develop user interface design enhancements and ColdFusion templates. Also developed a Flash application that randomly displays quotes at intervals set by non-technical employees.

New Trend Media Sports

Design and develop the online brand and web presence of New Trend Media Sports.

Brightline Media

Develop as-needed, work for hire Flash applications and animations for local design and marketing firm.

Technology, Automation, and Management, Inc.

Consultant | May 2003 - July 2003

Developed and troubleshot existing Flash-based project management application.
Designed interface for PHP-driven chat feature.
Proprietary product consisted of PHP, MySQL, and Flash MX.

2002

The Heritage Foundation

Interactive Designer | 2002

  • Designed user interface and other design elements of heritage.org web site, in use from 2002 to 2006.
  • Produce rich internet application tribute to President Ronald Reagan utilizing Macromedia Flash, XML, Flash Remoting, Cold Fusion MX, and SQL. Project consists of video, interactive timelines, dynamic photo gallery, and quotation database.

1999 - 2001

Santee Cooper Power

1999 - 2001

Corporate webmaster and interface designer of South Carolina's public power utility.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Interface design consultant | Fall 2001

Section 508 Compliance and usability consulting; lead interface designer

Rabil + Bates Communication Design

Production consultant | Fall 2001

Content producer, assistant designer for Rabil + Bates client Archdiocese of Brooklyn.

Collaborex

Design consultant | 2000 - 2001

Designed and developed e-learning applications for Johnson & Johnson and WebMethods integration.

Also designed portal pages for Dupont, Northside Hospital, and B2E Markets.

Lippencott Williams & Wilkens

Multimedia Developer | 1999

Tested, developed, and deployed e-learning applications for Baltimore healthcare publisher.

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