erik s. piazza
Web design, development and management specialist
I became specialized in web design and development in 1998 following nine years as a graphic designer and print production artist. To my art and design expertise, I added skills in front- and back-end web programming, e-commerce platforms, Flash animation, and more over the next several years as I worked at a variety of companies ranging from small dot-coms to national corporations and interactive media agencies. In 2006 I joined Toshiba's Digital Products Division (Computers, TVs, Consumer Electronics) as the lead designer on their direct sales website and later helped to create and ultimately drove the creative end of Toshiba's primary brand and product showcase websites for the US and South/Central America markets.
In 2012 I was promoted to manage the team on which I had served for the previous 7 years. Leading a group of web producers, content managers, web designers and front-end developers, I was tasked with the creation of a new online experience that combines the strengths of both of Toshiba's existing Consumer Electronics web properties into a single site focused on growing direct e-commerce sales while also providing a strong branding and marketing platform.
I am now in search of a new opportunity to help an organization build beautiful and effective user experiences on the web and in mobile and desktop applications.
Professional Specialties & Core Strengths
Training of Web Teams and End-Users
Evaluating/Managing of 3rd-Party Systems
Ensuring Brand/UX/Content Integrity
Analysis of Site/System KPIs
Developing Project Timelines
Presenting to Executives and Stakeholders
Visual Design
UI/UX Design
Front-End Web Development
Project Management (PMP Certified)
Creative Direction
Production Processes and Workflow
professional experience
2016 - Present
UI/UX Designer @ Orange County Fire Authority
Lead and execute user interface and user experience activities for proprietary web-based applications used by firefighters, emergency command center operators, and fire prevention personnel.
Responsibilities
Plan UI/UX activities for internal application development projects.
Design and prototype new interfaces utilizing traditional design tools (ie: wireframes, mock-ups) and functional prototyping tools such as Axure RP.
Lead project steering committees to gain important input, provide progress updates, and facilitate user testing within functional groups.
Develop responsive, web-based user interfaces using HTML5, Javascript, CSS and frameworks such as Bootstrap, JQuery, etc.
Create graphic assets such as iconography systems and website images.
Act as champion of the science of UX research and design and how it can benefit the Fire Authority and the citizens we serve by creating better, more efficient user experiences for first responders.
Notable projects include:
Led the UI/UX design and development on enterprise level incident reporting and investigation system, which was completed ahead of schedule and substantialy under budget.
Designed and implemented OCFA’s Electronic Plan Review portal which allows users to electronically submit building plans for Fire Prevention review and approval as well as pay related fees online.
Created Sharepoint-based application for the tracking of OCFA resources as they travel outside of the primary jurisdiction.
Developed fully responsive user interfaces for Records Management and Incident Reporting system which collects extensive information satisfying state and national reporting requirements.
2012 - 2016
Manager - Web Content, Design and User Experience @ Toshiba, Digital Products Division
Manage a team of Web Producers, Designers, Front-end Developers, and Content Managers in the creation and maintenance of us.Toshiba.com, the online store and product/brand showcase website for Toshiba Consumer Electronics for the United States and its sister site for South and Central America.
Responsibilities
Lead and/or execute visual, content and user experience design activities
Design and develop wireframes, workflows and visual interfaces
Assess requirements provided by product teams and provide site development/content recommendations
Respond to changing business requirements by developing new web experiences
Evaluate website analytics to determine trends and areas requiring improvement
Work directly with the direct sales team to provide guidance and production support for the online store
Develop technical Business Requirements Documentation for use by Toshiba IT Web Team for the development of new back-end functionalities
Provide direction, support and professional development for a team of direct reports
Manage vendor relationships with external agencies and technology providers
Evaluate third-party tools
Manage annual budget for external content creation and third-party systems that are integrated into Toshiba websites
Notable projects include:
Served as Content and UX Track Lead on the 18-month migration from a proprietary commerce and content management system to Oracle Commerce utilizing my own internal team as well as two separate offshore teams.
Introduced and implemented Agile/Scrum methodology improving team efficiency and cohesiveness while increasing transparency to stakeholders.
Led the complete design and front-end development of a new Toshiba website, which combined the content and functionality of three existing sites in an effort to consolidate web traffic, provide a more consistent brand experience, and better drive direct sales.
Led annual "April Fools" website projects including videos and webpages which consistently led to over 100,000 video views and 30,000 website visits in a single day
2006 - 2012
Sr. Web Designer @ Toshiba, Digital Products Division
Utilize web design and functionality knowledge to develop product content and ecommerce sites that engage customers and provide an optimum user experience. Recognized for successfully building sites that maintain branding guidelines and which meet business objectives of improving customer knowledge, engagement, and site traffic.
Responsibilities
Provide design and functionality guidance/recommendations to content managers
Lead the design, development and maintenance of web pages and templates; Create requested graphics, HTML and other assets to provide to development team
Act as a liaison between external design agencies and internal team to ensure projects are completed on-time, on budget, and per specifications
Ensure optimum user-experience by carefully reviewing site/recommending changes
Actively participate in brainstorming sessions and provide creative and technical recommendations on seasonal/launch projects
Work with multiple 3rd-party systems such as Endeca, BroadVision, BizaarVoice, Digital River, and Omniture
Notable projects include:
Launch of a sales channel-neutral content/branding site (us.Toshiba.com); utilized supplied design templates to create a full-scale website
Created a microsite utilized by Human Resources; led efforts to build the information architecture and designed the site. Received a corporate team award for completed work
Worked diligently to meet corporate requirements and required changes for the launch of Windows 8; in a short period of time, successfully updated numerous product pages to meet Microsoft's branding requirements
Designed all of latin.toshiba.com site utilizing a template framework to allow easy site maintenance with minimal technical resources or costs
2005 - 2006
Web/Graphic Designer @ Diverse Solutions
Designed and developed a catalog of Real Estate industry-specific website templates and the user-interface for a customer-facing Content Management System. Also provided creative direction and design of company branding and marketing materials.
Responsibilities
Managed all web project including the design and development of site template designs, CMS user interface designs, flash templates/applications, and print ads
Assisted clients in gaining familiarity with content management system
Worked closely with the programming team in order to maintain high standards in user experience and visual design in finished products
2000 - 2005
Web Design & Development Consultant @ Ikon Studio
Responsibilities
Managed all interactive client projects from design to implementation
Acted as a lead project manager and provided client administration/support
education & certifications
Laguna College of Art & Design
Completed key coursework towards a degree in Graphic Design
Won spots in several juried exhibitions both on and off campus
Was invited to participate in student round-table discussions with the State Accreditation Committee during the college's canidacy for accreditation
Served one year as Student Body Vice President
Project Management Professional
October 2012 - Present
technical skills & tools
Visual and User Experience Design
Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Axure, Balsamiq
Web Design and Development
HTML, CSS, Javascript, JQuery, Bootstrap, AngularJS, SQL
Web Analytics and Tools
Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, OpinionLab, BazaarVoice, iPerceptions
Productivity and Collaboration
Sharepoint, Jira, Office