the accelerator

Susanne’s New Book

admin — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:04:20 +0000

Carry a Paintbrush: How to Be the Artistic Director of Your Own Career

visit www.carryapaintbrush.com to learn more

EI Solutions

admin — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:53:38 +0000

Microsoft

admin — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:07:25 +0000

Microsoft

admin — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:23:12 +0000

I was orginally contracted (through Ikonic Interactive) to produce and design the information architecture and user interface for the Microsoft Windows Family of Sites. The Windows sites were a great success, but I felt that there was a larger issue: Microsoft.com was so unorganized that finding the Windows sites was extremely difficult.

The Challenge: In early 1996, Microsoft.com was an unruly site that had no consistent look, feel, navigation or global toolbar. It was roughly 125,000 pages in size, all run off of different servers with different points of login and types of navigation — overall an extremely poor user experience. Users were unhappy, and Microsoft was not being successful in achieving their "web-first" marketing goal.

My Role: Based on my experience designing the Windows Family of Sites, I wrote a proposal to Rob Schoeben, then VP of the PBS group, outlining a re-architecture of Microsoft.com as whole. The proposal included adding a global utility bar, consistent content navigation and user-friendly "web-zine" points of entry into the site that would help users find what they needed in a convenient and helpful fashion. The idea was floated up to Steve Bush in the I/Net Systems Group. Before I knew it, I had an apartment in Redmond, where I spent the next 8 months working on campus to re-architect the Micrsoft.com web site.

The Results: These pages show the pilot "web-zine" that we built for System Professionals, now called TechNet. Still in existence on the Microsoft.com site today, these "zines" - now called Customer Sites - have become the primary method by which users move through the site. Amazingly, my original design, created in 1996, is now still implemented in an almost identical fashion. www.microsoft.com

Planned Parenthood League of MA

admin — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:35:57 +0000

I’m am currently working on a strategic plan and product strategy to help PPLM bring sex education and awareness to middle-schoolers as part of a Community Action Partners volunteer consulting team.

Museum of Science, Boston

admin — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:34:17 +0000

As part of a Community Action Partners volunteer consulting team, developed a strategic plan forbringing science, technology and engineering to kids grades K-12 during out of school time. Read my MoS case study

Social Venture Partners (SVP) Bay Area

admin — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:32:25 +0000

In late 1999, some colleagues and I formed SVP Bay Area, a San Francisco-based membership organization committed to creating better outcomes for youth. SVPBA partners commit time, money and expertise to create capacity-building partnerships with talented social entrepreneurs. Check out the SVPBA website.

Motivational Achievements Together

admin — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:23:10 +0000

MAT is an after school program serving underprivileged youth in the SoMA area of San Francisco. Started in 2002, MAT provides a safe, healthy and educational environment for kids in this less than desirable neighborhood. From it’s inception, I worked closely with the Program Director to devise a long-term strategy that will ensure collaborative communication, common vision and a sustainable development plan.

let’s green this city

admin — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 18:52:09 +0000

What: Pacific Gas & Electric kicks off inititative to make San Francisco the greenest city on earth In 2006, PG&E made a commitment to, in partnership with the City and people of San Francisco, make a truly "green" city possible. I was brought in by award-winning ad agency Venables Bell & Partners to concept the user experience on the web site.

The Challenge: I needed to design a site that would engage users to become pro-active in their lives offline, encourage an active community online and develop an architecture that was flexible and extensible enough to grow with the movement. And I had one week to do it.

My Role: The concept I developed was called "Utopian San Francisco", which created opportunities for content and community development around all aspects of living in the City, dividing them into groupings by where the activity took place.

The Results: As with all content-rich community-based sites, LGTC is a work in progress. Augmented with the launch of the offline GREEN IS campaign, users a finding ways to make small changes in their lives that can have large impact in the long run. www.letsgreenthiscity.com

energy innovations

admin — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 18:51:53 +0000

Energy Innovations Solutions hit is big when they were selected by Google Inc. to build the largest solar power system ever installed on a single corporate campus,

The Challenge: EI Solutions was providing great solar solutions to their customers, but their online messaging and presence reflect a company poise for exponential growth. Because of the impending Google announcement, there was not time to pursue a full-on brand-strategy exercise.

My Role: I was brought in by Propel Marketing to work with the EI Solutions team to develop a web presence and information architecture that befitted the customer they had just landed. I felt that my most important decision was in choosing a "concept" that would differentiate EI Solutions as a brand in the fast-growing field of alternative energy.

The Results: Smart Services came out of brainstorming and concepting sessions during which I helped the EI Solutions team clarify and define the process that they employ in order to recommend the most appropriate and "smartest" solution for each individual customer. This process, which we dubbed "integrated set of smart services" provided the backbone we needed upon which to develop their new web presence. www.eispv.com