ERIC J. HULL 4012 39th AVE S. SEATTLE WA 98118 206.722.1327 EMAIL: eric@erichull.com PORTFOLIO: http://www.erichull.com SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS * Product and Interaction Design. Product and Program Management experience designing features and UI for products ranging from handheld electronics to next-generation MS-Windows tools. Also responsible for information architecture and interaction design for websites. Several UI patents filed. * Game Design and Production. Game Designer and Game Producer on several released online community titles, including Looking Glass, Snow Globe, Dive!, and Katiki. * Usability Studies and Focus Groups. Developed and ran usability studies.  Designed physical models, software simulators, and prototypes.  Organized focus groups and "vox pop" street team events in the U.S. and Europe. Analysis of the quantitative and qualitative results directly fed the feature and UI specification process.  Particular experience working with teenage subjects. * Management. Managed Game Development, Usability, and Feature Design teams. As I.S. Director, managed all aspects of my company's information systems, including oversight of web development, budgeting and resource allocation. * Relationships. Consistently chosen to perform liaison duties between departments. Traveled extensively both nationally and internationally to gather user data and test features, and maintain strategic partner relationships. Extensive work in vendor and client relations. * Writing and Editing. Strong experience with user-facing reference materials, technical specifications, online text, and marketing copy. Published writer and poet. * Technologies. OS: (Windows, Macintosh, Linux). MS-Office Suite: (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access). Graphics: (PaintShop Pro, Visio). Web: (Notepad, Homesite, FrontPage). Project Mgmt: (MS-Project, TestTrack Pro, RAID, Source Depot, VSS, Product Studio). WORK EXPERIENCE 2005 – present Big Fish Games Director of Immersive Community * In charge of a team producing online community in a persistent virtual world * Chief designer for community features and game mechanics * Direct the creative and development teams 2004 – 2005 Infinium Labs Group Program Manager, Senior Product Designer * Part of the core team designing hardware and software for a next-generation PC game console * Managed the Program Management team * Led the User Interaction Design team 2002 – 2003 Freelance and Contract PM at Microsoft, placed by Volt * Feature and User Interaction design for several components of the Natural User Interface software used in MS-Windows. * Gathered user requirements, wrote software specifications. * Handled cross-team coordination of development. 2001 - 2002 Wildseed Ltd (software company) Senior Product Designer / PM / Usability Specialist * Gathered requirements from inventors and marketing for a new cell phone handset aimed at teenagers. * Designed a unified navigational metaphor and complete UI specification. * Designed and performed usability studies and tested users with prototypes, physical models, and software simulators. Took the results of these studies, iterated the prototypes, and settled on working designs. * Wrote the UI and Software Specifications for the product. * Drove communication between the art, dev, exec, and test teams. 2000 - 2001 Chromium (software company) I.S. Director * They promised me that if I built the I.S. infrastructure from the ground up for this software startup, I could transition into Product Design.  And that's what happened (See Wildseed Ltd, above). Specified and installed servers, networks, hardware, and software. Created and documented all Run Book procedures. * Supported the developers, testers, executives, and sales teams in all computer related issues. * Did whatever needed to be done. In a startup there is no room for prima donnas. Did ad-hoc program management, performed facilities duties, and worked on the web site. 1997 - 2000 Seattle Weekly (newspaper) I.S. Director * Did UI and database design work for the web site, and performed HTML code reviews with developers. * Managed I.S. and Web Development teams. * Designed and coded various utilities in VB and created a shared sales tool using Outlook and Exchange Server custom forms and scripting. * Worked with a national multi-newspaper team in planning and rollout of corporate projects like Y2K compliance, WAN administration and upgrade, and internal software development. * Developed comprehensive computer training programs for internal staff 1987 - 1997 Northland (cable TV company) Programmer, Systems Mgr, Director of MIS, Vice President * Team-building, budgeting, and project planning at the corporate office and 40 field sites around the country. * Responsible for the entire on-time delivery process of our flagship software package, including usability testing and specification, UI design, programming, QA, installation, training, and maintenance. EDUCATION Seattle University, Matteo Ricci College Humanities Program. B.A. in Literature and Mathematics PATENTS * Mobile Electronic Communication Device with Lights to Indicate Received Messages. Co-inventor. Patent issued 2004. * Wireless Mobile Image Messaging. Co-inventor. Patent Pending. 2002. * Unified Message Inbox for Wireless Mobile Communication Devices.  Co-inventor.  Patent Pending.  2002. * Single Threaded Conversation for Wireless Mobile Communication Devices.  Co-inventor.  Patent Pending.  2002. * Method and Apparatus for Backlighting of a Keyboard for Use With a Game Device. Co-inventor. Patent Pending. 2005. * Video Game Platform and User Interface. Co-inventor. Patent Pending. 2005. * Multi-Position Multi-Level User Interface System. Co-inventor. Patent Pending. 2005. * Modified Keyboard and Systems Containing the Keyboard . Co-inventor. Patent Pending. 2005. PUBLISHED WORK AND AWARDS * “The Spider.” Fragments Magazine. 1980. * “Vortex” and “The Sand.” Fragments Magazine. 1982. * “Gleaners.” L. Ron Hubbard Writers Of The Future contest, Honorable Mention. 1990. * “Christmas List.” Seattle Weekly. 1998. * “Chatterboxes of the Future.” Seattle Weekly. 1999. * “From My Window.” The Noon Quilt. Anthology. Sue Thomas, editor. 1999. * “Gameworld.” National Novel Writing Month, Winner. 2002 * “Ashes.” National Novel Writing Month, Winner. 2003 * “Palimpsest.” National Novel Writing Month, Winner. 2004