Ted Slater
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OVERVIEW
Simplify! That's been a passion of mine for decades — to digest the complex and present it in a way that the audience can easily and enjoyably grasp. Through the years the "audiences" I've served have been:
- single Christian adults
- users of various online banking applications
- people interacting over the phone with a voice application to make flight arrangements
- developers using our in-house tool to facilitate their application development
- tradeshow attendees visiting our booth
- potential clients clicking through our corporate website
- C-Level executives popping in an interactive CD-ROM
- a classroom of international students learning English
- indigenous teenage students deep in the mountainous jungles of Mexico
And in each case, I've enjoyed treating them with the respect they deserve, making it a snap to accomplish the goals before them, while at the same time satisfying the requirements of the client.
It's my intention that this resume and website give you a sense of who I am, and how I can become a contributing member of your team. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via email.
You can download a PDF version of my resume, or the Word version if you'd rather have that.
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ROLE
Versatile Online Editor and UI Developer (website, GUI, VUI, print) with business analyst experience
PURPOSE
- Gather, analyze, and evaluate clients' complex concepts or processes
- Help identify and document project requirements
- Present those concepts or processes in an intuitive, pleasant, and brand-reinforcing way to the user
- Maintain compatibility with our developers' competencies and toolsets
KEY SKILLS
- 12+ years designing and creating a variety of websites and editing print publications
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including conversational fluency in Spanish; excellent understanding of APA and AP styles
- Proficient with GUI and VUI concepts and applications
- Proficient with print and web publication (Photoshop, BBEdit, Word, Acrobat, InDesign, Illustrator, Visio, PageMaker, Freehand, PowerPoint, Excel, Flash, Fetch, CVS, etc.)
- Proficient studio engineer and producer (music, voiceover work, Protools, Soundtrack, Audacity)
- Proficient with video production (Final Cut Pro 4.0, iDVD, DVD Studio Pro, Premiere, Camtasia screencam application, QuickTime)
- Proficient with both Macintosh and Windows operating systems
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Boundless Webzine/Focus on the Family (2005-present); Colorado Springs, Colo. As editor of Boundless.org, I'm responsible for both the editorial and technical side of the webzine. This includes contracting with existing and new authors for articles adhering to Boundless style and message, editing according to AP style, developing the site layout and design, and exploring and incorporating new features such as blogs and podcasts.
Fluency/netdecisions/OOP (2000-2004); Chesapeake, Va. Through two company restructurings, my role varied from Art Director to Lead UI Developer to VUI Developer.
Responsibilities included managing corporate internet and intranet websites, defining corporate and product branding (including logos and styleguide), assisting with requirements gathering and rapid UI prototyping, designing much of the UI for the primary tool our developers use to create voice applications, creating several marketing videos, designing numerous product brochures, and creating multi-platform CD-ROMs for tradeshows.
One of my voice application projects had me heading up the Dialog Design for a flight itinerary-gathering voice application for a major U.S. credit card company. This included working with our client to ensure all requirements were met, conducting call center call analysis, documenting user-intuitive "solutions" for various steps in the application, identifying the functionality of new components necessary to implement those solutions, editing grammars in XML format, writing the "script" (including main prompts and error recovery prompts), defining the "persona," identifying and recording the voice artist, preparing the WAV files for inclusion in the application, and working with our developers to "tune" the application.
CBN/Compass Technology Management (1997-2000); Virginia Beach, Va. As an internet and new media front-end developer, I designed and maintained websites and multimedia presentations, edited video and audio, and made miscellaneous print publications (ads, flyers, forms, etc.).
Jubilee Tech International (1996-1998); Virginia Beach, Va. I designed websites and localized software and software manuals for various international clients, including several located in Asia, Germany, and France.
Business International Networks (1996-1997); Virginia Beach, Va. As manager of the Graphical User Interface department, I coordinated the design and development of a technologically progressive international business-related website.
Regent Times (1994-1997); Regent University; Virginia Beach, Va. As alumnus adviser and editor of the student newspaper, I performed copy editing and all photo editing, design, and page layout.
Virginia Beach Adult Learning Center (1995); Virginia Beach, Va. I completed a semester-long internship teaching English as a Second Language.
Operacion Bendicion (1993); Bogota, Colombia. As a volunteer desktop publishing consultant, for seven weeks I assisted the editors of the monthly Spanish-language periodical Desafio better utilize their software and understand contemporary layout design and communication theories.
EDUCATION
Master's degree in Intercultural Communication, 4.0 GPA; Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA
Master's degree in Education, emphasis in English as a Second Language, 4.0 GPA; Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA
Bachelor's degree in English, minor in Journalism; Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI
Bachelor's degree in Spanish; Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI
Completed several VUI courses with Nuance Speech University
PORTFOLIO and REFERENCES
Please view the Website / UI and Audio / Music sections of this site for more information.
Additional samples, as well as references, are available upon request.
