EDUCATION
Master of Fine Arts, University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, 2009 Design, Housing, and Apparel (Emphasis in Interactive Design)
Bachelor of Science, University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, 2004 Graphic Design (Summa cum laude), Information Technology minor
INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
DESIGN STRATEGIST
Hennepin County Southeast Library—Research & Community Engagement Services (July 2014–Present)
Working on a team that includes another designer, graduate researchers, and a project lead to engage the public and lead an advisory committee in design methods that help to vision a new Southeast Library.
Methods include: Contextual inquiry, persona development, storyboard prototyping, affinity diagramming, photo studies
LEAD INTERACTIVE/UX DESIGNER
Gust, LLC (June 2011–Present)
Responsible for the graphic identity, UI , and UX design of pre-launch e-commerce service for small business owners.
Methods include: Persona development, usability testing
SENIOR DESIGN STRATEGIST
CAPI & AIGA Minnesota Design for Good Pilot Project (June 2013–September 2013)
Led a team that included a design assistant and public policy intern in a service-design project with CAPI, a community-based direct human service provider of anti-poverty programs for refugees and immigrants. Engaged an iterative design process to understand how CAPI might better leverage their Asian-specific food shelf to have a broader impact on the lives of the primarily Hmong immigrant clients.
Methods included: Photo studies, fly-on-the-wall observations, directed storytelling, personas, customer journey mapping, in-home user interviews
GRAPHIC & INTERACTIVE DESIGNER
Medication Management Systems, Inc. (June 2007–August 2013)
Responsible for identity and web design, promotional marketing, and integrative campaigns. Worked with a content expert to design and develop online training programs for pharmacists.
WEB DESIGNER
Street Factory Media (January 2010–February 2011)
Designed and developed the website for Buff & Coat®. Developed the Street Factory Media company website. (Both sites are maintained privately by the respective organizations.)
GRAPHIC & INTERACTIVE DESIGNER
University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy (June 2004–May 2007)
Worked with subject-matter experts to design and develop online Flash learning materials for undergraduate and continuing education online courses in pharmacy and health sciences. Supervised an interactive/graphic design intern to assist with these efforts. Created annual marketing plans, designed communications materials, and tracked ROI of campaigns for continuing education course enrollment.
SHORT-TERM CONTRACT GRAPHIC DESIGNER
The Arc Greater Twin Cities (March 2013 – September 2013)
Responsible for the concept and design of annual campaign materials.
National Scholastic Press Association (Summers, 2008–2010)
Designed the cover and page layout of Best of the High School Press (Volumes 14-16), an annual 100+ page publication highlighting award-winning yearbook designs from high schools nationwide.
LaSalle Development Group, Ltd. (June 2008–December 2008)
Wrote and designed the layout of RFPs for Owner’s Representation of multi-million dollar construction and development projects.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
// UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Des 3131: User Experience in Design (4 cr)
Instructor, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014
Check & Connect data collection conversion (Spring 2014) Students worked with University client partner, Check & Connect, to test the usability of their current program's documentation system and recommend prototypes and features for a new online system. Students conducted directed storytelling with users, created affinity diagrams to identify themes, tested wireframes, and presented their findings, recommendations, and prototype suggestions to client representatives. [See the final recommendations reports]
Southwood Nature Preserve UX evaluation and proposal (Fall 2013) Students partnered with the City of North St Paul through the Resilient Communities Project to investigate the usage and propose new programming for the city's unique Southwood Nature Preserve. They engaged design ethnographic methods such as fly-on-the-wall observations and contextual inquiry to evaluate the usage and quality of the existing space and investigate its competition. Students conducted speed-dating prototyping sessions with community members and stakeholders to evaluate their ideas before presenting final recommendations. [See example process work and final recommendations reports]
"Improving the UX of Downtown Minneapolis" (Fall 2013, Spring 2014) Students worked with the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District (DID) to evaluate the existing user experience of downtown Minneapolis, and propose ways that the organization could improve the public's perceived or lived experience of this space. [Watch project pitch videos]
FISDAP EMS Scheduler mobile app (Fall 2012) Students worked on a parallel prototyping project with local educational company, FISDAP, to design a mobile app for EMS students. [Watch final prototype demos]
City of Minneapolis website prototype (Fall 2012) Students worked in groups to create a revised website prototype for the City of Minneapolis’s Department of Animal Care and Control. Process included usability lab testing with pet owners and residents, content strategy, and wireframes of the new site proposal.
GDes 2385W: Design and Factors of Human Perception (4 cr)
Instructor, Spring 2011, Spring 2012
Groveland Food Shelf (Spring 2012) Students worked in groups to create a high-fidelity website prototype for the Groveland Food Shelf. In-progress interactive prototypes were tested in the Usability Lab. Groveland self-implemented the winning design in Spring 2013. [See the final prototype]
GDes 5341: Interactive Design (3 cr)
Instructor, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
MAGC website and identity redesign (Spring 2013) Partnered with Minnesota Association of Government Communicators to redesign their identity and website. MAGC selected a winning design by Anna Marie Vaughn, which they developed independently and launched in May 2014. [View screenshots of former site]
Roxie Realty (Fall 2011) Partnered with the U of M’s B-Tech Center to design targeted web-landing pages for small local business Roxie Realty.
DHA/GDes 3352: Graphic Design II: Identity and Symbols (3 cr)
Graduate instructor, Fall 2008, Spring 2009 and Instructor, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012
La Conexion de Las Americas (Spring 2011) Partnered with La Conexion de las Americas to redesign their graphic identity and collateral.
DHA 2334: Computer Applications (3 cr) Instructor, Spring 2010
DHA 4354: Graphic Design IV: Integrative Campaign (4 cr) Instructor, Fall 2009
DHA 2351: Graphic Design I: Text and Image (3 cr)
Midtown Greenway Association (Spring 2008) Students created promotional materials for the non-profit Midtown Greenway Association.
Rock Star Supply Co. (Now "Mid-Continent Oceanographic Institute") (Fall 2010) Students created campaign materials for a volunteer recruitment event; students competed in groups for the winning design, which was implemented in February 2011.
University of Minnesota Foundation (Fall 2011) Students created direct mailers for the University of Minnesota Foundation’s fall alumni mailing. Winning design saw a 10% increase in response rate.
CFANS Office for Diversity and Inclusion (Fall 2011) Students worked in teams to design integrated on-campus awareness and engagement campaigns.
DHA 4131W: History of Visual Communications (4 cr) Teaching assistant: Fall 2007
DHA/LA 1101W: Introduction to Design Thinking (4 cr) Teaching assistant, Fall 2006, Spring 2007
// BROWN COLLEGE
Des 204: Vector Illustration Adjunct Faculty, Fall 2009
// THE ART INSTITUTE ONLINE
G131: Typography Adjunct Faculty, Summer 2010
PUBLICATIONS
// REFEREED PROCEEDINGS
Tank, A. M. & Christensen, C.A. (January 2009). i+TiBET: A Community Effort to Preserve Tibetan Culture-in-Exile. Art and Design for Social Justice Symposium proceedings. Florida State University, College of Visual Arts, Theatre, and Dance, Tallahassee, Florida. (http://interiordesign.fsu.edu/symposium, p. 28-32)
REFEREED PRESENTATIONS
Wolfe Wood, S., Wang, A.M., Ong, S.J., & Lee, S. Design Thinking: Social Innovation through Empathy. (June 2014). 2014 Nonprofit Leadership Conference. McNamara Alumni Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Wang, A.M. (April 2013). Advancing Our Practice: Educating the Reflective Design Practitioner. AIGA Design Educator’s Conference—Blunt: Explicit and Graphic Design Criticism Now. Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia.
Tank, A. M. & Christensen, C.A. (January 2009). i+TiBET: A Community Effort to Preserve Tibetan Culture-in-Exile. Art and Design for Social Justice Symposium, Florida State University, College of Visual Arts, Theatre, and Dance, Tallahassee, Florida.
ACTIVE GRANTS
Design High. University of Minnesota, College of Design Dean’s investment pool. $14,662 to develop pilot version of an online graphic design curriculum for use in arts classrooms in Minnesota (2012). (Principal investigator: D. Jasper)
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
// TEACHING SERVICE
Faculty Advisor, STEM-Center Inventory Design. (Summer-Fall 2014). Currently serving as UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunity) faculty advisor to graphic design undergraduate, Kristi Poling. Research focuses on employing service-design and user-experience design methods in the design of an inventory space and related digital system.
Guest critic, Des 3331: Streetlife Urban Design Seminar (Fall 2012)
Invited to provide critique on graphic layout and application of interaction principles
Guest presenter, Minnesota Chapter of the Usability Professionals’ Association (Now UXPAMN) (May 2012)
Invited to present “A Peek into a UMN UX Course” highlighting the work completed in GDes 2385W. In turn invited graphic design students Leah Honsey, Naseem Rafiei, Sean Mateer, and Matt McVeigh to co-present their process and resulting work from the course.
Guest lecturer, Des 1101: Introduction to Design Thinking (Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Spring 2014)
Invited to give participatory presentation on UX design process and methods
Guest presenter, IDes 3606: Interior Design Studio VI (May 2011)
Invited to share presentation methods and critique with Interior Design undergraduate students; Co-presented with CDes Alum and Target Art Director, Brigette Lynch
Guest presenter, Des 3351: The Phenomenon of Everyday Design (May 2011) Invited to present on persona-driven designs
Honors Capstone Project Advisor , University of Minnesota (Fall 2010–Spring 2011) Provided instruction in identity design for GDes 2011 graduate, Jenny Zanatta
Directed Study faculty, University of Minnesota (Fall 2010–Spring 2011)
Provided instruction in website development and iPad app design for GDes 2011 graduate, Nahil Khalife
Internship supervisor, Rock Star Supply Co (Fall 2011–Spring 2012) Directed Ryan Webert (UMN GDes 2012 graduate) in the prototype redesign of the organization’s website and the design of informational graphics and posters
Adjunct Faculty Consultative Committee member, University of Minnesota (August 2009–Fall 2011)
College Curriculum Committee representative (2009-10) and Committee Co-Chair (2010-11)
Design Camp Teaching Assistant, University of Minnesota Design Institute (July 2006)
Provided direction and classroom assistance in the “Interacting” group, led by Mauricio Arango and Eddie Opara
// DISCIPLINE-RELATED SERVICE
3rd International Conference on User Science and Engineering 2014 (i-USEr 2014), (June 2014): Ad hoc paper reviewer
UMN Center for Teaching and Learning (Guest presenter, February 28, 2014 and May 19, 2014): How to “Kill” It: Composing, Designing and Performing Your Way to Better Presentations
tpt (National discussion panelist, November 21, 2013) “Is School Enough?” Engaged Learning in the 21st Century Classroom and Beyond
City of Lakes Community Land Trust (June 2010–June 2012) Public relations committee member
Give & Take (Guest presenter, May 2010) “Type 101: Useful Typography for Non-Designers”
Rock Star Supply Co. (April 2010–September 2013) Board member; Design and Communications Committee Chair
Art Buddies (Spring 2010) Volunteer art mentor
Catalyst (July 2007, June 2008, April 2011) Guerilla Art workshop leader (2007) and assistant (2008, 2011)
// PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Co-Artist in Residence, Art Shanty Project (January 2010) Co-curator of the “I’d Rather Be...” Stay-cation Shanty
Photopolymer plate printing class, Minnesota Center for Book Arts (Spring 2008)
// PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
AIGA
Minnesota Chapter of the User Experience Professionals’ Association