Scott Downie |
Click a row to reveal details.
Motorola -- Skin Architect & Interaction Designer | 8/2006 to date
Design user interactions (flows, wireframes, mockups, and simulations) for multimedia applications. Create and maintain phone layout requirement specifications (i.e. blueprint wireframes). Negotiate media improvements with other design and development teams worldwide. Advocate cross-disciplinary collaboration using the latest web-based tools (e.g. wikis and content-management systems).
Product Links: Moto U9 phone promo | ROKR E8 phone promo
Freelance -- Web Consultant and Technical Writer | 2/1998 to date
Design and run web sites, including the site for Oscar- and Grammy-winning artist Randy Newman. Consulted with the Univ. of KS on a number of projects (before hiring on full time). Wrote book chapters: "Working with MIDI," Chapter 11 in Windows 98 Multimedia (Que, 1999) and "Multimedia," Chapter 14 in Windows 98 Professional Reference (New Riders, 1998). Wrote short technical articles for various publishers.
Univ. of Kansas -- M. A., Interaction Design | 5/2006
Specialized in audio and haptic user interfaces, design thinking, and design management.
Examples:Master's Thesis (PDF, 12 MB): Motion Picture Moods for Geeks and Non-Musicians An Automated, Intelligent Music-Generation System
Univ. of Kansas, Altec -- Systems Specialist | 2/2005 to 2/2006
Created prototype web sites (using Plone and Microsoft's .NET). Trained novices in the use of those tools.
Biodiversity Research Center -- App. Interface Developer | 1/2002 to 2/2005
Constructed web sites (e.g. Specify, KU Informatics, and Lifemapper) at the University of Kansas' Biodiversity Research Center (BRC). Authored site and documentation content. Supervised contractor work. Provided user-interface design guidance to the other BRC software developers.
Examples: SpecifySoftware.Org | Specify home page with original banner | Informatics | Lifemapper
background
article (PDF, 2.6 MB)
Euronet Worldwide -- User Interface Team Lead | 6/1999 to 3/2001
Coordinated Euronet’s software UI design work. Managed the documentation and quality-assurance teams.
Example: Euronet prototype UI screen shots
Netopia -- Senior Technical Writer | 11/1994 to 9/1997 and 6/1998 to 5/1999
Authored award-winning online and printed documentation. Supervised documentation localization into multiple languages.
Awards from the Society for Technical Communication: Distinguished Award for the Apple Guide online help, Merit Award for the printed Getting Started Guide, Achievement Award for the printed At-a-Glance card, Timbuktu Pro 4.8 (Macintosh), 1999 Denver | Merit Award, Timbuktu Pro 3.0 (Macintosh) Apple Guide online help, 1997 Kansas City, MO | Distinguished and Best of Show Award, Timbuktu Pro 1.1 (Windows) online help, 1996 Kansas City, MO
Examples: Apple Guide screen shots from Timbuktu Pro (1996) | Netopia Virtual Office Getting Started Guide
(HTML), 1997 | Timbuktu Pro Getting Started Guide (PDF, 136 KB), 1995
Intel -- Senior Quality Engineer | 10/1997 to 5/1998
Created the Product Qualification (PQ) Intel intranet site. Developed the VBA-driven PQTool spreadsheet containing Intel’s many quality specifications.
Gulbransen -- Electrical Engineer and Sound Designer | 8/1993 to 8/1994
Designed, managed the production of, and created demonstration sequences for Gulbransen’s (now MIDI 9's) electronic music products.
 PianoDisc -- Technical Director and Sr. Music Editor | 12/1991 to 3/1993
Designed, created demonstration sequences for, and managed the hardware and software production of PianoDisc’s microprocessor-controlled player-piano systems, most notably the PianoDisc PDS128.
Kudos: Letters of reference from PianoDisc (PDF), and PianoDisc's engineering subcontractor Design Labs (PDF), both from 1993.
Univ. of Oklahoma -- M. A., History of Science | 5/1991
Specialized in the history of science and technology between 1870 and 1950. Studied Greek and Roman civilization, ancient, early-modern, and modern science, 19th- and 20th-century intellectual history, and the philosophy of science. Passed reading proficiency examinations in German, French, and Latin.
Univ. of Oklahoma -- Graduate Assistant | 8/1987 to 5/1991
Performed research assistance, developed and assisted with various classes, and performed as a computer consultant and programmer (e.g. the Commbase biographical database).
Awards: John H. Patten Memorial Chamber of Commerce Scholarship, Norman, OK, 1989 | Rockefeller Foundation Program Graduate Assistant Award, Norman, OK, 1988 and 1989
Kansas City Kansas Comm. College -- Electronics Instructor | 12/1984 to 5/1987
Conducted lecture and lab sessions in digital electronics, microprocessors, lab instruments, mathematics, pneumatics, semiconductor devices, and DC/AC electronics.
Award: Outstanding Service Award for Teaching, Kansas City Kansas Community College, 1987
Univ. of Kansas -- B. M., Music Theory | 8/1983
Studied orchestration, music history, jazz improvisation, counterpoint, composition, piano, bassoon, organ, film music, and the business of music.
Freelance -- Sound Engineer and Keyboard Technician | 3/1979 to 12/1985
Set up, operated, and maintained sound reinforcement equipment. Rebuilt, repaired, tuned and moved pianos, harpsichords, and electronic keyboards. Also studied bassoon, jazz theory, U. S. history, and PASCAL programming.
U.S. Navy -- Electrical Engineer | 12/1977 to 12/1978
Analyzed Sidewinder air-to-air missile performance data. Also studied jazz guitar, literature, and philosophy.
Kansas State Univ. -- B. S., Electrical Engineering | 5/1977
Studied circuit theory, advanced math and statistics, electronic music, physics, acoustics, computer engineering, and various liberal arts. DJ-ed on the student radio station (KSDB-FM) for two years and wrote humor columns for the student paper (The Collegian) for two years.
|