Lorraine (Lori) Nichols

* Partners with Product organization to conduct formative research and shape project vision. * Responsible for identifying key research questions and objectives taking into consideration product, design, and development teams as well as selecting the most effective research medium. * Guides the direction, requirements, and designs based on user feedback. Responsible for planning, managing and executing all aspects of studies with users including recruiting, logistics, moderation, and data collection. * Synthesizes and analyzes data and findings to help guide project vision. * Translates research findings into insights and recommendations. * Leads interviews and usability studies with clients and prospects. * Manages early stage design direction definition activities, including ethnographic research and interviews, creation of personas, journey mapping and leading brainstorming sessions. * In charge of designing and conducting user research studies, including surveys, in-depth interviews, field studies, focus groups, prototype testing, and beta programs. * Combines quantitative metrics and qualitative feedback into recommendations for actionable improvement and product design. * Represents the customer's wants, needs, and wishes and advocates customer empathy. * Works collaboratively with cross-functional teams and involves them in research process. * Presents and champions UX approach to senior leaders and at company meetings. * Conducts industry research. * Builds usability tests and surveys using UserZoom and Qualtrics. * Responsible for project management and on-time, on-budget delivery of all UX Research projects. Leads daily call, manages project intake, estimating, budgeting, prioritizing based on strategic value, scheduling, deliverables, documentation, and communication. Developed team processes to streamline production and deliver on time and on budget.

Consultant for Websites, Ad Banners, and Marketing Landing Pages. User Testing, ad rating and optimization, user interface design and usability reviews. Mentored two digital Art Directors.

FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS Group Manager, Digital Design (Note: Frontier acquired Verizon business and employees in CA on April 1. I was part of mass transfer of 12,000 people and was laid off in November.) * Managed and led the internal digital design team providing responsive visual design & U/X for Web, mobile and social media. Developed marketing landing pages, emails, banners, Website pages, infographics and content for social media, digital branding, strategy, discovery, competitive research, marketing content, best practices research, and online ordering pages. * Led user testing projects using UserZoom. Utilized metrics to identify issues and improve user experience and results. Responsible for Development, Design and UX Vendor selection. Worked closely with external design, usability, development, and ecommerce vendors on wireframes and flows. * Developed process maps, journey maps, visual design and brand artifacts, design library, sketches, wireframes and prototypes. * Optimized Frontier.com Website for SEO and Accessibility.

Verizon Digital Design Led and managed the Verizon Digital Design team providing 100% day-to-day user interface design and content for www.Verizon.com, (Web & Mobile), supporting Digital Marketing Customer Acquisition Retention for Residential and Small Business, Consumer Engagement & Support, Chat, MLPs, Ordering, and SEO. Provided UX reviews, wireframes, visual design and content for new and existing customers. * Worked closely with internal clients and agencies to translate business needs into creative display marketing solutions. Execution of key Verizon key digital marketing and advertising initiatives for national, regional, and personalized content for new and existing customers, both desktop and mobile contributed to 8% improvement in consumer & SMB new customer site conversions. Provided design strategy, creative direction, content and usability. Provided strategy, research, and competitive analysis. * Managed internal team consisting of Web, mobile, video and multimedia artists, writers, U/X, QA, coders and PMs across four states and two countries. Launched, grew, and optimized new digital design offshore services team of 10 based in Costa Rica at 88% lower costs than agencies. Handled significantly increased workload, with quicker speed-to-market, while ramping up team and maintaining high quality product. Output increased 25% Y/Y. * Project management - Averaged 650 completed projects per year. (Marketing Landing Pages, Offer Updates, Banners, Marketing Web pages, Flash) Leveraged analytic data and research to creative and implement optimized creative. Manages clients, provides creative strategy. Budgeting, estimating, tracking productivity and costs, reviewing and approving invoices, streamline production processes, and day-to-day deliverables. * Improved the overall design of the site by analyzing data and improving the experience to reduce registration/...

LLC Responsible for sales, content, creative direction, user interface design, usability and Web site management for Verizon Online Channel's Strategic 14 product sites. * Managed Verizon's Online sales channel consisting of 14 strategic product sites. Designed DSL Marketing Sites and streamlined DSL Online Ordering, resulting in tripling of online sales within the first month and consistent growth since launch in January 2002. * HFI Certified Usability Analyst. Completed numerous site redesigns resulting in improved take rate, sales, and customer satisfaction. Utilized metrics and click stream analysis to redesign sites/customer experience and improve sales results. * Optimized sites and improved sales results through numerous redesigns, A/B testing, funnel analysis, multivariate testing, upsell/cross-sell, click stream analysis, (WebTrends/Site Catalyst and Omniture data), customer surveys, and driving platform functionality. Increased 2012 online ISP site new connect conversion rate by 30%. * Managed Site Rebranding through Corporate Merger. Interfaced directly with senior management, brand, marketing, product management, IT, test, and project teams. * Recruited, trained, and managed project teams of 10-20 members including designers, copywriters, developers, online help SMEs, usability experts, & compliance testers.

Creative Director responsible for Web and creative services for GTE.net, GTE.com, and Verizon Online ISP. Managed day-to-day publishing of GTE.net and Verizon.net Online ISP Intranet, and Internet marketing Web sites, customer portals-both Dial-up and DSL broadband Web sites servicing over 1,000,000 customers and containing over 1,500 pages of content and 20 online applications. Managed design, video, online help, ISP, and compliance testing teams (50+). * Strategically expanded new channels including first standalone GTE.net marketing site, first standalone broadband GTEDSL.net ISP site. * Developed and managed GTE.NET content partner relationships (SNAP, PeopleLink). Designed and developed NBCi, Infospace, and Compaq co-branded site designs and user scenarios. * Designed ISP CD-ROM DSL Installation tutorials, Getting Started Tutorials and interactive flash for Phonemart, MSN tutorial, Broadband Beat, HomeNetworking, and Product Advisors. * Managed internal team of 15, plus external vendors, agencies, contracts, & creative staffing, (R/GA Design Agency, Nielsen Norman Group, Kefta Personalization, Volt, Bezwax, Aquent, McKinley Marketing).

Video Game Product Development & Creative Direction * Production and art direction for company game projects on various platforms including Sony PlayStation, Sega-CD, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, 3DO, Windows and Mac, Philips CD-I. * Product Development - Internally produced and designed TIMELAPSE, a top-selling adventure CD-ROM adventure game that sold over 250,000 units worldwide and was localized into five languages. Managed external game vendor, Cyberflix. * Built and Managed 2D/3D computer graphics department team of 20 3D artists, animators, coders, writers, and designers utilizing SGIs (Alias, DFX Composium) and Macs/PCs (Photoshop, Illustrator, Debabelizer, AfterEffects, Macromedia). Build video and multimedia studio.