https://ellysearle.com/resume/2023-02-28T01:40:20+00:00weekly0.6https://ellysearle.com/2012/09/17/mobile-language-learning-app/https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/micromandarin01.pngPhoto of sign in English and ChineseI was tasked with designing and conducting a field study to figure out how our team could use mobile phones to help people learn a new language. My partner and I did 32 in situ interviews.https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/micromandarin03.jpgScreenshots of the MicroMandarin interfaceI wireframed the interface in Balsamiq and our dev coded it. We ran a 4-week field study, and published the results at CHI 2011.https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/micromandarin02.jpgAnalysis of field study resultsBased on my analysis, we determined the group we could help the most was non-native speakers living in the target country who weren't close with a native speaker. In short, English speakers in China without close Chinese family, friends, or significant others.https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/screenshot-133-e1353353494714.pngMicroMandarin, an app for learning Chinese on the go2013-10-28T18:07:27+00:00monthlyhttps://ellysearle.com/2012/10/07/windows-8-website/https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/win8web02.pngVideo script excerptAfter working out the details, I wrote scripts for our video team. I worked closely with them to make sure each sequence was educational, beautiful, and reinforced our brand.https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/win8web03.pngWindows 8 overview sectionThe video are posted in the How-to section of www.windows.com. Check out the Get to Know Windows section for more examples.https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/win8web04.pngMouse and keyboard article for Windows 8I also owned several areas in the Support section. I worked closely with user research and customer service to figure out what people were struggling with and how to help them. This article on what's new with the mouse and keyboard in Windows 8 is particularly popular.https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/win8web01.pngWhiteboard wireframingI was tasked with creating the first videos that would explain the new navigation for Windows 8. I whiteboarded incessantly to find the best sequence that would educate and excite our customers.https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/win8-video-02.pngWindows 8 lock screen2013-06-29T08:02:51+00:00monthlyhttps://ellysearle.com/2012/09/17/custom-app-track-payments/https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/egt0043.pngegt004It was a fascinating cultural challenge. We had resources to take attendance with a bar code scanning system, but providing the refugees with any sort of ID opened up political issues the training organization didn’t want to deal with so we didn’t pursue that solution.https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/egt0014.pngegt001Entity Green Training wanted to improve attendance reporting, as this determines how much money each student gets as their stipend. After considering several options, I determined EGT didn’t have the time or money to implement and learn a new system. I focused on improving their current system. https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/egt0024.pngegt002Using linked cells, I turned the landing page into a form. The assistant found that the prompts made it much easier to track what data needed to be updated each session. https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/egt0034.pngegt003I used conditional cells, protected cells, and macros (written in natural language for easier troubleshooting) to make it easier to recognize significant changes in the data and to reduce errors.https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/camel2.jpgcamel2013-04-12T19:45:52+00:00monthlyhttps://ellysearle.com/2012/10/08/windows-8-apps-content/https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/win8-apps-011.pngPeople appWindows 8 was a great chance to think creatively and to really put our customers first. In this example, I focused on what people wanted to do (see fewer contacts) and any concerns they might have (that those contacts couldn't be found if they needed them). https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/win8-apps-05.pngWindows 8 Start screenhttps://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/win8-apps-04.pngTouch gesturesI worked on an app that teaches developers how to code and use the new touch language. Based on my field research and experience documenting the gestures, I advised reworking the descriptions and including the matching mouse gestures.https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/win8-apps-03.pngCalendar appThis example shows how interaction design and text work together. As the design changed, the text needed to change. We played around with different words and layout to make sure people could create a new event efficiently. https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/win8-apps-02.pngMail appHere's another example of keeping my user's needs and words as the focus. Most errors originally mentioned credentials, servers, and other technical terms. I reworked them to only use terms most people would use to explain what was wrong.2013-01-24T01:03:05+00:00monthlyhttps://ellysearle.com/2012/10/08/boeing-flight-deck-design/https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/boeing-05.pngboeing-05https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/boeing-02.pngboeing-02Working with a retired pilot, we laid out a realistic use case and storyboarded the main interactions. (Images drawn by a teammate.)https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/boeing-01.pngboeing-01My team worked with the Boeing Concept Center on re-imaging cockpits with a touch screen. After researching planes, pilots, and pain points, we sketched out ways pilots could research and collaborate better. (Larger sketch was made by a teammate.)https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/boeing-04.pngboeing-04A teammate used CAD to create the model flight deck, and another teammate used flash to animate our use case.https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/boeing-03.pngboeing-03Before coding a Flash version of our prototype, we wanted to test if our gestures and layout felt natural. We used a life-sized model to run through our scenario. It was great to discover that our imagined work flow and gestures felt natural.2013-01-23T11:03:18+00:00monthlyhttps://ellysearle.com/2012/10/08/mobile-activity-tracking-app/https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/stepintuit011.pngSketches of mobile screensThe challenge was to design a mobile app that used sensors to help people be healthier. I proposed a motivational pedometer. These are some early interface explorations.https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/stepintuit03.pngstepintuit03A partner and I created each screen in Power Point, and then our teammates used Axure to turn them into an interactive prototype.https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/stepintuit01-e1358739955155.pngstepintuit01https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/stepintuit02.pngstepintuit02We settled on a design style, and then ran a Wizard of Oz paper prototype study. This helped us identify and fix some navigation issues.https://ellysearle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/step_intuit_screenshot.pngPage from Step Intuit mobile app2013-01-23T10:13:08+00:00monthlyhttps://ellysearle.comdaily1.02023-02-28T01:40:20+00:00