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Career Profile

I am a seasoned designer focused on creating quality user experiences by combining both of my skill sets — creative and technical. I thrive on the challenges of addressing problems that can occur when people use technology. My goal is to improve online experiences for all people regardless of age, skill level or disability. I am a life-long learner, a leader by example and I am committed to the quality of my craft.

Professional Experience

UX Design Lead

Ascendio - Irving, Texas

(May 2010 to Present)

I work directly with clients, translating business goals and objectives into compelling design solutions. I manage a high volume of campaign-oriented projects for retainer clients. I'm entirely responsible for the visual design and front-end technologies to deliver a quality user experience.

My role as UX Design Lead requires me to wear many hats including project manager, copy writer, information architect and client counselor. For most projects, I'm expected to deliver wireframes, sitemaps, visual design mockups, and HTML prototypes, while adhering to aggressive project timelines. I am also heavily involved in CMS integration and deploying front-end code into our .NET framework.

Founder, Creative Director

Oaktree Creative - Frisco, Texas

(2004 to Present)

I have run a freelance design and consulting business since 2004. I find it to be a great way to keep my skills sharp and it gives me the opportunity to work on unique projects. I do everything from information architecture to design to copywriting to usability testing as well as meeting with clients, writing proposals and project managing.

Sr. Interaction Designer

Rosetta Stone - Arlington, Virginia

(May 2006 to September 2007; February 2008 to May 2010)

As a remote member of the Web Strategy team, I was responsible for the continuing enhancement and improved user experience of Rosetta Stone’s network of websites.

I provided an experienced "voice of the user" perspective to a team of marketers and product managers, creating wireframes, mockups and prototypes for web pages, landing pages and screens for our online application.

As the Design Lead, I worked closely with creative and production teams to suggest, experiment with and implement ideas for improving conversion while developing, enforcing and maintaining front-end coding and graphic design standards.

Interaction Designer

Sabre - Southlake, Texas

(September 2007 to February 2008)

As a member of the User Experience Team, I worked directly with product managers to make recommendations for improvements in the user experience for travel-related websites, online tools and other applications used by travel agents. I developed wireframes, mockups and high-fidelity prototypes to aid testing, development and release of web-based or desktop applications.

During my short time at Sabre I had the privilege of working on some very high-profile projects, such as the Travelocity iPhone site and leading the redesign of virtuallythere.com.

Web Designer / Front-End Developer

EDS - Plano, Texas

(June 2005 to May 2006)

I led front-end web development for re-launch of the Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI), one of EDS' largest and strategically important accounts, providing the Department of the Navy with a full range of network-based information services on a single, enterprise-wide intranet, linking more than 400,000 workstations worldwide.

I was responsible for architecting the development of re-launched Web site, including information architecture, navigation, custom graphics/branding elements, and front- end coding of HTML and CSS.

Communications Manager

Homecomings Financial - Dallas, Texas

(November 1997 to May 2005)

Primarily responsible for cultivating a strong connection between employee engagement and management goals and objectives. I built a communications platform within the loan servicing division to deliver information to an employee base distributed over three geographical locations. I worked closely with the senior management team to create and deliver monthly presentations, newsletters and management reports to employees.

I accomplished a complete transition of information delivery from a paper-based medium to an online medium. Through sustained achievement, I was able to grow a communications department, overseeing a team of communications analysts. During my time there, employee satisfaction rates were consistently high due, in part, to the efforts and success of the communications platform.

Technical Inventory


Education

Stephen F. Austin State University

Nacogdoches, Texas

Bachelor of Science, Agriculture (Landscape Design), 1995

Metadata


Portfolio
oaktreecreative.com/work

LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/chuckmallott

Dribbble
dribbble.com/players/chuckmallott

Book
Foundation Fireworks CS4 (ISBN 978143021618-6)

Guest Speaker
DFW Adobe Users Group (September 2007 and November 2009)

Awards & Certificates
GMAC-RFC Partner Award 2002-2005
GMAC-RFC Celebrate Leadership Award, 2002
Certificate in Web Design, Collin College

Notable
Freelance website/blog, Oaktree Creative, featured on several design showcase sites including CSS Vault, CSS Beauty, CSS Remix and Stylegala.

U.S. Government Security Clearance, Active

Recommendations

Chuck is one of the most talented visual designers I've worked with. His intuitive, natural command of look and feel resonates with the audience immediately. But what makes Chuck effective in his role as a UI designer is the fact that he ALSO has a command of front-end technologies that bring design to life. He understands the trade-offs that modern day Web designers must deal with every day — speed, markup, flexibility, standards compliance, accessibility, usability and aesthetic. And that combination makes him appreciated by marketing executives and developers alike. Need someone who can have an intelligent conversation about typography with your ad agency in the morning, then talk to developers about XHTML templates for your CMS in the afternoon? Talk to Chuck.
“Andrew Shearer Product Director, Ebay Checkout and Shopping Cart
Chuck is one of those hard to find web designers. He has a good sense of design and an excellent understanding of HTML and CSS. He knows the standards and he knows how to make them look good. We used Chuck in a Ruby on Rails shop and he was more than capable of diving into our dynamically generated code, making careful alterations, and doing all the layout work right along side the developers. A couple hours of Chuck's time is worth a great deal to a project!
“Doug Alcorn Programmer and Web Application Developer, Consultant
Chuck offers an unusual blend of technical competency and design skills. This blend allows him to not only produce satisfying design recommendations for web- based technologies but also implement these designs in highly efficient and technically maintainable ways. Chuck worked remotely and was absolutely reliable during that time. I'd hire him again or use him on a contract basis should the need and opportunity arise.
“Mike Corns Director of Software Development, Rosetta Stone
Chuck is the most advanced communications professional I've worked with in my career. He is extremely effective in the communications discipline, having the critical attributes of high creativity, technical savvy and a sense for practical application. He also brought the message to life, delivering well beyond my expectations.
“Kevin Brungardt Vice President, Fannie Mae
Chuck may be the most talented designer I've ever worked with. Not only does he have a deep technical knowledge of web presentation, but his instincts about the look, feel, and usability of the web are spot on. He combines this with a talent for image design and creation; his skill set is hard to match.
“Ben Vandgrift Consultant, Entrepreneur