John Herman Gnuechtel

Interactive Strategy, Management, Design, and Production
(321)356-1983 John@amazingcheese.com
10 Ridgley Place, Weehawken, NJ 07086

Summary

  • Over 9 years of professional User Interface design experience
  • Successfully managed and produced projects spanning both gaming and web environments, utilizing expertise in project management, team management, graphic design, technical design, user acceptance testing, information architecture, and rapid prototyping
  • Project developments have met extremely tight deadlines on often highly accelerated schedules
  • Can work proficiently as both a team member and an individual with excellent team development, communication, and design skills

Skills

General
Complete User Experience design with formal scripting and artistic training; Branding and Linelook strategies; Information design for games and web applications; Rapid UI prototyping; Information structure/flow design (project architecture)

Technical
Games: UI design and production optimized for PC, HDTV and SDTV (both NTSC and PAL); Controller navigated information architecture; Unreal Engine 3 UI and Unrealscript; iStudio and C (EA's proprietary production environment); Flash and ActionScript for consoles; Xbox Live implementation; PS2 Online Implementation; Technical design for PC, Xbox 360, Xbox, NGC, PS3, PS2, PSP; Console manufacturer TCRs; Basic understanding of Xbox 360 SDK
Web: UI design and production for use with Navigator and Internet Explorer; Information architecture; Flash; Director; DreamWeaver; Hand HTML; Simple JavaScript
Graphic Design: Photoshop; Illustrator; After Effects
Misc.: MS Project; Visual Studio; Source Safe; Perforce; DevTrack; AlienBrain; CodeWright

Experience

3/2006 – present
THQ/Kaos – Manhattan, New York: Senior User Interface Designer
Managed a team of UI artists, programmers, and associate producers; From the ground up, designed and produced front-end and in-game UI for Frontlines: Fuel of War, with emphasis on cross-platform portability; Provided additional consultation for studio best practices; Designed new tools and workflow to be used with the Unreal Engine 3 that allowed artists more freedom with their designs; Collaborated with producers and engineers on ensuring the design and fit of screen deliverables; Used play testing feedback to improve UI designs and interactions.

10/1999 – 2/2006
Electronic Arts/Tiburon Entertainment - Orlando, FL: User Interface Designer
Responsible for the architecture, graphic design, and production of front-end and in-game UI for Madden NFL 2001, NASCAR Thunder 2002 and 2003, NFL Street, and NFL Street 2; Also contributed to NCAA Football, NFL Head Coach, Madden NFL 06, Arena Football, and Superman Returns; Helped design iStudio, Tiburon's proprietary UI production tool; Wrote iStudio instruction manuals for new users; Helped design architecture with standardized usage for EA's implementation of Flash and ActionScript for consoles; Managed other UI artists' schedules, and counseled them on UI best practices; Introduced fully-database-driven technical designs that allowed UI artists to more easily separate graphical design from scripts; Contributed graphical designs to the EA Sports Linelook and style guides.

8/1998 - 10/1999
Trans Continental Media, Inc. - Orlando, FL: Graphic and Web Designer
Trans Continental Media was a start-up funded by Trans Continental Records, who were the first to sign N*SYNC, the Backstreet Boys, and Mandy Moore.
Responsible for designing HTML, Flash, and Shockwave (Director) based web content for the above artists; Managed updates to web content; Worked directly with customers as well as with art directors; Designed printed materials for live performances

Education

Full Sail Center for the Recording Arts - Orlando, FL
Specialized Associate's Degree in Digital Media
2/1997 - 5/1999

Eastern Illinois University - Charleston, IL
Majored in Music Performance and Education
8/1995 - 5/1996

EA University - Orlando, FL
Courses on Maya, Photoshop, Flash, After Effects, scripting techniques, and art design for media

*References available upon request.