eCommerce and Intelligent Brick & Mortar Retail

ROSETTA ICE™ - In-store Customer Experience Platform

Challenge: When the world was predicting the slow death of brick-and-mortar retail, our team took the initiative to envision the future of retail and build a platform to support it.

Solution: Influenced by my final project in grad school, which focused on ubiquitous computing in brick-and-mortar retail, my team created two tools to support robust omnichannel retail experiences: Rosetta ICE (in-store customer engagement platform) and the Nexus OS. Rosetta ICE is a platform that leverages Nexus to power enhanced in-store experiences, like beacon-enabled store check-ins, assisted selling, and intelligent fitting rooms. The Nexus OS supports seamless sharing of information between eCommerce platforms (IBM Websphere Commerce and Demandware), POS systems, Marketing Platforms (Adobe Marketing Cloud), Analytics (online and in-store), and other discrete platforms that hybrid retailers leverage in their business. The first commercial implementation of ICE resulted in $10MIL in revenue directly attributed to the venue between Black Friday and Christmas.

My Role: Director of User Experience @ Rosetta (now PublicisSapient), UX Lead @ Rosetta Innovations

My Responsibilities: I led and was responsible for conducting research and developing the overarching experience and innovation strategy for the ICE platform. I was the Design Lead for the platform and personally executed a significant amount of its UX Design, Interaction Design, and Information Architecture. I was one of the core product evangelists by presenting and supporting conference keynotes and talks, meetups, and client presentations.

Links: Perform Conference Keynote, Rosetta ICE (PR), Nexus OS (PR), Principles of Pervasive Retail Application Design (pdf).

VF Corp Portfolio of Brands Websites Redesign & Replatforming

Challenge: VF Corporation approached my team while developing a foundational eCommerce platform based on the IBM Websphere Commerce extended sites model. We worked in a multi-agency collaboration to redesign several of its brand’s websites, integrate them into the new platform's core platform, and expand on its evolving shared design system.

Solution: My team focused on the design and launch of Smartwool, Timberland (UK), Lee Jeans, Wrangler Jeans, and Lucy Activewear (merged with The North Face) while providing ad hoc support for Vans and The North Face.

My Role: Director of User Experience @ Rosetta (now PublicisSapient)

My Responsibilities: User Experience Design. Team Leadership.

Links: Lee.com, Wrangler.com, Smartwool.com.

Kraft Recipes / Comida Kraft - Recipe and eCommerce Platform

Challenge: Kraft Recipes is the second most trafficked recipe website globally. The homegrown backend systems were outdated and made up of a highly complex web of databases that had grown organically and without a centralized strategy for years. Kraft asked my team to redesign and re-platform the core Kraft recipe platform and Comida Kraft, its Spanish language sister site, focusing on enhancing its users' cooking experience. Additionally, Kraft asked our team to develop the foundation for eCommerce by creating a complete catalog of all Kraft and its subsidiary brand products.

Solution: Our team redesigned and redeveloped the Kraft recipes platform and websites from the ground up. Features were added to enhance the user's experience. Cooking mode isolated the recipe so users could check off steps in the process. Local shopping deals dynamically identify products in ingredient lists to find money-saving deals nearby. The newly redesigned websites won the prestigious L2 Genius Award and Gartner Digital IQ Genius Award (#1 following launch). According to Kraft leadership, home cooks bookmark or share the recipes from the combined platforms on social media more than 1 billion times a year.

My Role: Director of User Experience @ Rosetta (now PublicisSapient)

My Responsibilities: I led a team of up to 16 at a time. It consisted of UX Designers, Information Architects, User Researchers, Visual Design (UI), Interaction Designers, and Content Strategists. We developed the Experience Strategy, including experience principles. Even though I was the team lead, I also had to contribute to UX Design efforts directly. I led and supported the Content Strategy team and co-created the product and recipe taxonomies with our dedicated Information Architect. Lastly, I led the development of the on-page advertising strategy - the core revenue-generating feature of the website.

Links: Kraft Recipes (now MyFoodandFamily.com) - English and Spanish.

Additional Experience

Neebo.com (now Follett) | Designed and Developed the online bookstore and book rental platform. We utilized IBM Websphere Commerce Extended Sites model to accommodate more than 240 university bookstore websites.

IBM Websphere Commerce B2B out-of-the-box template | Designed the out-of-the-box template for B2B websites based on complex e-commerce scenarios.

Smart Home & Connected Products

GE Lighting Strategy & Smart Home Product Line

2022 IDEA Silver Award Winner (Cync Smart Home Family of Products)

Challenge: GE Lighting wanted to evolve its former strategy of sourcing and rebranding smart home products and develop a new line from the ground up. Their leadership team asked our team to help them understand the smart home customer and identify GE’s most significant opportunities to compete in the space. Early in the initial strategy project, GE announced it was looking for buyers of its lighting brand; our stakeholders’ secondary goal was to attract smart home brands to purchase the lighting brand.

Solution: Our team identified key insights that led to the design and development of eight products designed by Balance and launched as of December 2021. Thanks to the success of the newly branded GE Cync smart home line, GE Lighting was acquired by Savant, a high-end home automation brand.

My Role: Director of Innovation Strategy @ Balance Innovation & Design.

My Responsibilities: Research and strategy lead. Research execution. Strategy development.

Links: GE Cync, Wire-Free Controller, Indoor Camera, Smart Switches.

Moen Innovations Smart Home Strategic Vision

Challenge: Moen Innovations wanted to understand if the Moen brand could compete in the smart home. Their Director of Innovation asked our team to identify areas of opportunity in the smart water space and, if there are opportunities, to help sell the idea to executive leadership.

Outcomes: Our team identified multiple areas of opportunity for Moen to compete in the smart home space and developed concepts and storyboards of more than 16 products. In less than a week after the conclusion of the 6-week project, executive leadership approved moving forward with the development of smart home products.

Services: Innovation Strategy, Service Design, Experience Strategy, Conceptual Design (digital & physical).

My Role: Director of Innovation Strategy @ Balance Innovation & Design.

My Responsibilities: Research and strategy lead. Research execution. Strategy development. Workshop facilitation.

Links: Moen Smart Home*
*Balance did not design Moen’s smart home products; our project focused on identifying opportunities to compete in the smart home space and supporting their efforts in moving the concepts forward.

Additional Experience

Horizon Global | Connected Brake Controller App for trucks with trailers.

Lincoln Electric | Connected Predictive Maintenance App for robotic assembly lines.

Oatey | Experience Strategy for a connected residential main water shutoff app. Nick Dauchot (UX Designer) portfolio entry.

ADT & ATT My Digital Life | Ideation, Strategy, and smart home SME (consulting)

Insurance and Risk-based Products & Services

State Farm

Challenge: State Farm hoped to grow its banking line of business by providing potential customers a quick, simple, and self-guided method to apply for vehicle loans on its website. The solution must allow the user to enter information about any vehicle, camper, or trailer to get a quote and close the loan in a single session. It must be responsive to support loan applications from any device.

Solution: State Farm Bank Vehicle Loan Application System. Due to internal limitations, State Farm launched the application as an internal tool to expedite loan processing.

Services Provided: Experience Strategy. Service Design, User Experience Design, Visual Design (UI), Front-end Development & Prototyping, Content Strategy, User Testing, Team Leader (14-person cross-functional team),

My Role: Director of User Experience @ Rosetta (now PublicisSapient)

My Responsibilities: Experience Strategy and Service Design lead, Team Co-Lead (design and development - up to 14 members). On-site integration lead (with sister teams at Razorfish, SapientNitro, and BDO)

1848 Ventures | Westfield Insurance

Challenge: Soon after forming, the 1848 Ventures team consisted of three full-time employees. As an innovation partner, they reached out to our team to augment and educate their team and help them develop a pipeline of innovations and business offshoot companies. 1848 has consistently partnered with our team for four years (2017-2021).

Solution: Our teams have explored over a half dozen opportunity spaces and launched two brands following our innovation strategy framework and lean-product development methods. Weather Warranty - hyper-accurate short-term insurance protecting construction companies from costs incurred from weather delays; and Yellow Hat - gives small sub-contractors the legal support of the big construction companies. I also designed the Weather Warranty quoting application that construction equipment rental dealers can use to quote warranties in real-time.

My Role: Director of Innovation Strategy @ Balance Innovation & Design

My Responsibilities: Research and Strategy Lead. Research execution. Strategy development. Workshop facilitation. User Experience Design, Visual/UI Design, Prototyping (interactive), User Testing.

Links: Weather Warranty

Additional Experience

Andover Insurance | Experience Strategy + Lean Product Development project. Currently under NDA as the resulting software system is currently in development.

BBH & Wilmington Trust | Website redesigns

Medical Mutual | Website Redesign - Individual policy quoting tool

Bowne (now Donnelley Financial) | Bowne Quote Information Communicator (application design and development) - reduced the billing cycle by 45 days. (2002)

Medical Products & Services

CareRight | FirstEnergy Innovations

Challenge: Develop a medication administration system that guides school nurses to 100% accurately deliver and monitor students’ medications.

Solution: CareRight, a simple-to-use product (software and hardware), guides school nurses through entering, administering, and monitoring students’ medications. The experience ensures the nurse follows each step in the 5 Rights: Right Student, Right Medication, Right Dose, Right Route, and Right Time.

My Role: Director of Innovation Strategy @ Balance Innovation & Design.

My Responsibilities: Research and Strategy Lead. Research execution. Strategy development. Workshop facilitation. User Experience Design, Visual (UI) design.

Status: In the process of acquisition.

Steris Surgical Lighting

Challenge: Design a surgical lighting system that serves the needs of surgeons and nurses in and out of the sterile field.

Solution: The Harmony AIR A-Series LED Surgical Lighting System light heads and wall controller app. The Wall Controller UI was optimized for monitoring from a distance to gauge the relative intensity and status of the lighting (sterile field monitoring) and fine-tuned lighting control at a close distance (non-sterile field control). Balance built a mock OR and utilized our internal VR library to emulate the experience of being in surgery throughout the design process.

Services Provided: Experience Design, UI Design, Digital Prototyping, Specification Development (software), Industrial Design (ID team).

My Role: Director of Innovation Strategy @ Balance Innovation & Design.

My Responsibilities: Research Lead (digital and OR experience), User experience design, Visual (UI) design, Interactive prototype development (Axure). Product specification development.

Links: Harmony AIR A-Series LED Surgical Lighting System, Behance Case Study.

Additional Experience

Cleveland Clinic | More than a half dozen projects where our team worked closely with the Cleveland Clinic Innovations team to vet and refine product and service innovations. This work is under NDA. I led Innovation & Experience Strategy and User Experience Design.

Several more products are currently in development and, at the moment, under NDA.

Prestan | Connected CPR Training App. Research, Experience Strategy, and User Experience Design of an App that connects to a CPR training dummy to provide accurate, real-time information and assistance to people training for CPR certification.

Thermedx | Endoscopic Fluid Management Device. Research, Experience Strategy, and design of the next-gen device. Designed the digital UI and informed physical product design (ID and ENG).

Premier Healthcare | eCommerce Website Design (search & product taxonomy)

Other Recent Projects

Canadian Tire | Multiple Brands | The Future of Home Organization (2024) - Research & Strategy Lead

Cuisinart | Smart Kitchen Innovation | Corporate Position/Strategy Support (2024) - Research & Strategy Lead

Cuisinart | Morning Rituals | Countertop Kitchen Appliance Innovation (2023) - Research & Strategy Lead

Cuisinart | Soho Product Line Development (2023) - Research & Strategy Lead, Interaction Design

Worthington Industries | Level 5 | Drywall Solution Innovation (2024) - Research & Strategy Lead

Canadian Tire | Premier Paint | The Future of DIY Painting (2023) - Research & Strategy Lead

Canadian Tire | Simoniz | The Future of DIY Detailing (2022) - Research & Strategy Lead

Canadian Tire | Golfgreen & Yardworks | The Future of DIY Gardening & Landscaping (2022) - Research & Strategy Lead

Wolters Kluwer | Case-based Nurse Education Platform Strategy & Design (2022) - Research, Strategy, & Design Lead

Andover Insurance | Policy Quoting Platform Strategy (2022) - Research, Strategy, & Design Lead

Canadian Tire | The Future of Garage Storage (2018) - (40+ products and accessories in production) - Research & Strategy Lead

Canadian Tire | The Future of the DIY Oil Change (2019) - (multiple products in production) - Research & Strategy Lead

Canadian Tire | The Future of DIY Cooking (2020-21) - (<$30 innovations in a highly saturated market) - Research & Strategy Lead

Marriott Innovations (2014) | Food & Beverage Ordering App & Backend Managment System - Research, Strategy & Design Lead

Adobe (2013) | Adobe Experience Manager UI design - Strategy & Design Lead

Cisco & Salesforce (2012) | iPad Sales Dashboard App Strategy & Design - Strategy & Design Lead