Christopher Anthony Email: alchemy.anthony11@gmail.com
Medway, MA 02053 Portfolio: https://www.designalchemy128.com/portfolio-2/
C: 954-593-0810 LnkIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alchemyanthony11/
Career Objective:
My passion is leading design efforts/design organizations to create “Simple, Powerful & Must Have” products/services.
I am pursuing roles that can leverage my expertise in UX Product Design and Creative Brand/Marketing innovations. My software product design experience is extensive (and is my strongest skillset); including Cloud, SaaS, Mobile (all-devices), Web, and Enterprise Systems. My greatest asset is my analytical problem-solving and natural user empathy abilities, along with being strategically aimed at the ‘epic’ or business focus, while delivering tactically across many scrum teams.
I can methodically improve product design systems, and architecture(s), develop great talent, find and On-boarding talent, Atomic UI standards, Asset production efficiencies, ADA, and other Creative cost efficiencies. My technical skills are architecture level and I bring with me a Strategic Business acumen, comfortable with C-level sessions and R&D efforts.
Some of my favorite projects and roles:
Layout design for Vogue magazine in 1995, Navy Nuclear/DoD Submarine tech. Illustrations (DOD - Secret. 1996), and the redesign of the NBA.com site in 2000; This was one of the first adaptive/responsive sites on the internet using a custom CMS.
I also developed Amazon's first WebUI, from just books to all products (1999-2000 @DTAS).
One of my greatest challenges was multiple rebranding projects and IA rework of the Citrix product suites across the enterprise (in 2003, 2007, and 2010), resulting in more than 50 product design awards. Additionally, developing a cutting-edge Iconic language (using 1500 visual metaphors), a world-class asset-management strategy, and custom asset tool deployment, Saving Citrix more than 20mln a year in resource costs.
At Staples, in 2014-15, I developed a touch-first UX strategy and rebranded the entire Staples eco-system including 20 mobile and 30 web products over 5 brands, 16 languages, and all mobile device platforms.
At BCBSMA developing a UX & Product design solution to develop a true ecosystem for BCBSMA customers and partners. From 1000+ disjointed sites, into a dynamic & responsive design ecosystem leveraging the best 3rd party tools and an Acquia CMS starting with a Mobile 1st UX Design strategy.
Software skills: Adobe Suite, Sketch, Figma, Canva, Invision, Jira, Axialis, Balsamiq, Axure, MSOffice 365, SAP systems, Monday, Morae/Ovo (UX testing), Visio/CAD, AI creative suite, Film Editing/Creative suites, Build - Vantive/Perforce, CMS – (OpenText) RedDot/ Interwoven.
Relevant UX & Consulting Expertise:
ADA Designing for Accessibility (508/WCAG 2 AA), Extensive Adaptive/Responsive App/Website and Content Management System (CMS) design, which includes - Standardizing UI and IA, Localization of UXs, and Developing Style Guides/Libraries for full product ecosystems.
Education:
Northeastern University - Bachelor of Science in Art BOSTON, MA
Concentration BS-Art - Triple degree in Graphic Design, Fine Art, and Film
Volunteer work: Boston MMS, Museum of Fine Art tours for the blind. Speak to the Design community at NEU a few times a year and Mentor the Post-grad. Students through a few programs. CTO & Marketing - For the oldest local Fraternity organization at Northeastern.
Employment:
AdvisoryCloud
Board Member - UX Consultant (Freelance) 2024 to Present (P/T Remote) 7/1/24 - Present
Advisor and Board member to a slew of exciting startups! mMoreto come...
Simplicify Studio, LLC. Greater Boston, MA 7/13-Present
UX and Product Design Mastercraftsman (founder)
(mid-2015 - Kicked off Simplicify studio, formally ‘Tap 2 Interactive, LLC.’ Starting in 2013)
I am a world-class UX & Product designer and an ADA expert (design for everyone). I can be an arm of a client’s project team as a UX full-service designer (able to play many different UX roles, seamlessly transitioning between many projects). I love untangling complex design problems, as a Product Design ‘Mastercrafter’ and always looking for fun projects. A seasoned User Researcher and have 20+ years of multi-verticals/multi-channel design skills. I pride myself on my design judgment, consumer empathy- and delivering best-in-class products & services.
Additional Entrepreneurial Ventures - Herk Industries, llc, Accident Pros, llc
TIAA (Through Accrue partners) Boston, MA 5/18 – 12/23
Principal UX Consultant (leading Pension and Annuity work)
Principal UX Consultant at TIAA, through AccruePartners. Working across multiple teams to develop world-class (fintech) products for TIAA and its partners. Working across multiple agile teams to develop world-class (fintech) products for TIAA and its B2B partners. Helped design the latest visual and UX design systems for an enterprise of TIAA products.
Collaborated with teams to Discover, define, strategize, and implement enterprise design and mobile UX strategies.
Leading Product UX across OMNI channels, to develop innovative experiences, using modular and responsive design systems.
BlueCross BlueShield MA Greater Boston, Ma 1/17 - 12/2017
Principle UX Consultant (Acting Head of UX)
For BCBSMA & Curate partners, developed a strong plan to innovate the BCBSMA stack. Creating a 21st-century Brand Ecosystem for B2B, B2C, and Medicare customers (OmniChannel & within 508/WGAC 2.0 ADA compliance).
Developed a set of molecular design tools, (starting atmobile-firstt) to make BCBSMA a 5-star trusted partner/advisor for All customers. Built a multi-level experience team, developing product design processes to fast-track migration and redesign of products, content, and visual voice.
Altisource Boston, Ma 1/16 - 12/2016
UX Product Design Strategist (Principal - Contractor)
Led UX Design Strategy for AltiSource's Global Products across 30 brands. Focusing on advancing Market share, Continuous improvements of web & mobile properties,s and being the 'voice of the customer' in product design strategy and planning across brands. Developed flexible UX Guidelines for each vertical, industry, and ry and across our brands' products (digital devices and viewers).
Staples (Omni Retail and e-Commerce) Framingham, MA 2/14 - 8/2015
Director – Global Product Design (UX and Creative)
As Head of Worldwide product design, I’ve led the 'Staples Digital Re-Invention' into cutting-edge Digital and Mobile properties by building a world-class UX team (Process, lifecycle, asset management, and tools), into the third largest online e-retailer in the world. Revamped toolkit to lead with ‘Design for Everyone’ ADA advancements to metadata on assets, simple terms for global translation,n and smart use of color for faster browsing.
I developed my Global User Experience department to contain all UX talent pools, including Creative, User Research, Usability Testing, Taxonomists, and Information Architecture Design across 9 locations, I built a team from 5 to over 35 UX pros.
My leadership included; Head Product Design, UX Design, and Global Creative Director, overall Staples digital brands (B2B (Contract - US, EU and Canada), Staples.com/.ca/.eu, more than 20 mobile sites and apps, also the Quill Brand) - Totaling more 50 digital products, and 14 billion in annual sales revenue from eCommerce.
Fidelity Investments Boston, MA 5/2011 - 6/2013
Principle UX Architect
Thought leader and evangelist for mobile product innovation of the Pro product line (Broker, Advisor, Wealth Management, and Power Self-Investor user groups).
Mobile design strategist and expert for Click-to-Tap translations of legacy products to mobile devices. Led a team of UX, Research, and Creative designers to develop Institutional Financial mobile products. My tactical and strategic playbook led with Mobile First and ADA-focused product design.
Citrix Systems, Inc. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 2/2003 - 2/2011
Global Product (UX) Design Director (Chief Product Designer)
Pioneered a Creative UX department as lead Creative. I was the Information Architecture expert for the Software suite of products (Cloud, VM, SaaS, and Admin.). Architecting cutting-edge and Intuitive new interaction models for a multitude of technologies.
My product suite focus included, helping transform a disjointed set of products, into a multi-billion-dollar software bundle ($2.5+ bln) over 8 years of leadership. This effort resulted in more than 75 industry excellence and ‘Best of’ products, cementing Citrix as a Platinum partner award 5 years in a row (2005-2011) for our Award-Winning Products. The suite was a combined product set of over 700 UIs across ALL systems, devices, and browsers. I was the Creative visionary for new design themes and innovative approaches to our software presentation.
I led Product Design Training to Increase cross-team, cross-product, and cross-division intelligence. Built UX-focused communication and UX alignments with more than 75 global development teams. Created a best-of-breed Iconic language to help globalize the software user experience. Developed a CMS solution to solve UI standards, Asset Management, and Media Repository to catalog/maintain more than 50,000 image files across 140 different product features.
Created a universal naming convention, and advanced search capabilities, while leveraging the world-class global iconic language. Developed consistent product visual architectures for Mac, Windows, Web, Linux, and Mobile devices (iPhone/iPad, Blackberry, Android, Symbian, and WinMobile) – to allow intuitive sessions across platforms.
DIGITAS Boston, MA 12/97 - 3/01
Principle UX Designer / ACD Creative
New Business (creative) Board member and Online Rebranding Team Co-leader, final products winning more than 30 Gold and Silver Web Design awards for my managed accounts (1998-2001). Led the Nba.com CMS redesign, Xerox partnership project, FedEx/NFL sweepstakes, and Bausch Lomb. Designed User Interface, Information Architecture, UX Models, content management strategies, technical specs writing for web technologies, content & competitive assessments, and Information Design for Solutions with Global Factors.
Designed and Produced - llbean.com, gmc.com, Pontiac.com, GM Heavy Duty.
Pontiac, GMC, GM heavy duty (1999-2000) Primary design lead for GMC and Pontiac, created all new vehicle launch campaigns and landing pages. Created a standard Information Flow, style guide, and process - for all GM sites to follow.
Developed Custom illustrations for demo and motion graphic sections. Created the entire template system and UI philosophy for both sites. Developed a single UI philosophy, to ensure that browsing both sites would stay intuitive to Users (UI strategies stayed in place for multiple redesigns). Creative images are systematically refreshed but Information Architecture stayed solid for more than 10 years. Offline Print Art Director / Designer (Digitas/BSH) – DM Print Advertising (12/97 – 6/99) Won Many Print AD awards from 97-99 for print work done with Digitas (18 total).
Additional Freelance and Contract roles;
Simplicify Studio, LLC Greater Boston – Global 2013-2020
Worked on Product Design and User Research projects for; SoftNas, Osprey Software, Ascendle, Carbonite/Mozy, Altisource, and some smaller local clients, from 2013-2020.
Camaxx Design Group, Inc. (www.camaxx.com) Boston/FTL 1997 – 2004
President (founder), Creative Director - Camaxx.com – As founder and managing leader, I lead our projects with creative direction and product design. We created branded solutions for clients through multi-channel media creative campaigns and created UI and Segmentation software wireframes for CMS systems, e-learning, and e-comm solution technology to implement development solutions. Created digital workflow plans for multi-tiered architectures and complex global web builds (managing budgets, scopes, timelines, resources, ADA, and localization).
MADTEK L.L.C. Web technologies Cary, NC 5/0 – 2/03
Creative and UX CMS Architect - Madtek (2002) C.C.O. and UX Architecture for Madtek’s branded look and feel of the web technology products (CM systems (CMS), e-learning, and intranet workflow applications). Creative, UX, and UI Functionality expert developing award-winning SaaS Software flows for e-learning, CMS, intranet, and TV/Kiosk products.
John Hancock Graphics Services Boston, MA 9/97-12/97
Graphics Specialist - Received problem files PC and Mac to work in a cross-platform environment; created film, trapped using a Scitex system; stripped film and burning plates for printing; set up print jobs for Color Docutech; and upgraded software and drivers.
Software Systems, Web Projects, and URLs:
nba.com (+ all-star), pontiac.com, gmc.com, xerox.com, digitas.com, Eastpak.com, Yankeegroup.com, alliancecapital.com, camaxx.com, Brassbulls.com, Coolaudio.com, ge.com (geplastics), jamesbpirtle.com. Hypowerinc. brassbulls.com, abacon.com, tenebraex.com, highwired.net, fordfinders.com, acstelebroker.com, prcnet.com, prcnet.com/energy, Curriculum Bank project, Bank Atlantic intranet, Madtek UI design for CMS systems (25 sites), Gammaphikappa.com, pbsj.com, fedex.com (NFL sitelet), and intranet Genzyme, virgin, Xerox, pbsj, and sports authority.
Citrix Products (’03-‘12); CPS/XenApp version 1.8-7.0, MSAM/Access Gateway 3.0-11.0, Password manager 1.0-6.0, XenDesktop 1.1-6.5, All clients (WI, ICA, Receiver, Edgesight, Secure Gateway from 2003-2012), plus over 350 product feature products. Fidelity FI mobile products (WealthCentral and StreetScape/MySS). SoftNAS – Cloud Products.
Organizations and Awards:
Society of Industry Leaders/S&P (’08-present) – speaker, consultant, and expert in the field of software, UX, virtualization, and new technology trends – Often Published on UXMatters.com
Industry print and web awards (40+ various gold - bronze) for Design campaigns from 1996-2001
More than 70+ industry software design awards while at Citrix and Fidelity (XenApp, Password manager, Access gateway, and Wealth Central/Streetscape, plus others…) - 2003-2011, 2011-13
National Register of Who’s Who 2003-04 for Web Technologies
DOD – Secret Clearance, (Link-Palm) - 1990-91, 1996-2000
American Marketing Association – Board member 2004 – 2006 (Web Technologies Specialist)