Resume

Current Positions

Ideaplatz, LLC

Aug 2017 – Present: Principal Designer & Owner
Ideaplatz is a design education company and consultancy founded by internationally recognized designer Cheryl Platz. Our workshops and talks, including “Giving Voice to your Voice Designs”, “The Future of Voice”, and “Blank Page to World Stage”, have been seen live by thousands of designers in over half a dozen countries around the world, with another half a dozen on the way in the next few months.

Our consultancy focuses on emerging technologies, conversational and natural user interfaces, and design process topics like storyboarding and improv for designers. For design training, we offer pre-built workshops and also work with major corporations to create custom curriculums for their needs.

Unexpected Productions

April 2008 – Present: Ensemble Performer & Instructor
Perform in weekly improvised theatrical productions, and teach weekly improv classes at varying levels to adults.

Past Employment

Microsoft

Aug 2016 – October 2018: Principal Designer

  • June 2018 – Present: Design Lead, Cloud+AI Customer Care Initiative (Conversational AI tooling)
  • Oct 2017 – June 2018: Design Lead, Dynamics Admin Experience
  • Aug 2016 – Oct 2017:  Design Lead, Microsoft Azure Portal and Marketplaces

Amazon

Sept 2014 – July 2016: Senior User Experience Designer

  • 2015-2016: Solved platform-level design challenges for the Alexa Voice Service team. Owned design for Alexa Notifications. Represented design for Echo Look, Ford, and Sonos engagements. Contributed to Echo Show and Alexa for FireTV.
  • 2014-2016: Joined the fledgling Echo Look team as employee #3 and the first designer on the project. Provided instrumental product design vision, from storyboarding to complete voice designs.

Seattle Experimental Theater

June 2011 – June 2017: Digital Media Coordinator
Maintain multiple Facebook pages and a company Web and blog presence. Design and run ad campaigns on a per-production basis.

Microsoft

Nov 2007 – Sept 2014: Senior User Experience Designer

Products:

  • System Center Configuration Manager 2012
  • Windows Intune Wave C & D
  • Windows Automotive Next-Gen (codename Spa)
  • Cortana: Email, Messaging, Reminders and Meetings

IGNITE Worldwide

2010-2012: Vice-President of the Board of Directors
Focus on branding, community building, Microsoft partnership, and outreach.

Amaze Entertainment / Griptonite Games

Nov 2004 – Nov 2007: Producer

Shipped Titles:

  • Disney Friends (DS)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (DS/GBA)
  • Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (GBA)

Maxis / Electronic Arts

May 2003 – Nov 2004: Assistant Producer
Shipped Titles:

  • The Sims Makin’ Magic (PC)
  • The Sims Bustin’ Out (GBA, PS2/Xbox/GC, NGage)
  • Sims 2 (PC)
  • Urbz: Sims in the City (GBA/DS)

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts / Destination Disney On-Site

Summer 2002: Professional Intern, Interface Design
Designed and prototyped an interactive in-room hotel TV service, and prototyped the print and photo server framework for Disney’s Photopass.

Education

Carnegie Mellon University

B.S. in Computer Science and Human-Computer Interaction, 2002
Entertainment Technology Center Graduate Study, 2002-2003

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