Multidisciplinary Skills
Bill has a multidisciplinary background and always brings this perspective to his work. He finds that being able to look at problems from many perspectives helps him "think outside box", enhance his creativity and innovation, and can lead to novel solutions. It also helps him communicate more effectively with a wide range of co-workers, users and other stakeholders. Here then is a sampling of some supporting skills that enhance Bill's work as a consulting User Interface Architect.
Hardware Engineering
14 years spent developing electronic and computer hardware, first as an Engineering Technician, and Later as an Electronic Engineer, has taught Bill the capabilities and limitations of the hardware on which all software runs. Bill has experience ranging from test equipment calibration, to light emitting diode (LED) production-line testing, to scientific calculator development, to personal computer (Apple 1, Apple 2, Macintosh) and peripheral (disk drive, video, networking, etc.) development.
Bill has been a Technician, Engineer, Technical Lead and Project Manager. He has experience with purchasing, engineering documentation, bills of materials, design and production validation testing, breadboarding, debugging, RFI and EMC testing, continuation engineering, FCC compliance engineering, and the overall R & D process.
Bill can often trace the connections from the user interface through the software APIs and all the way down to the control logic on the motherboard. Thus he's able to dig as deeply as needed to work problems at the most efficient level, and to design user interface solutions that are implementable with the underlying software and hardware.
Facilities Design
Bill has participated in the designs of four R&D facilities, two for Apple Computer and two for Documentum. He has worked issues of functional group adjacency, capacity planning, floor plan layout, traffic patterns, aisle widths, cubicle layouts, office seating, task lighting, facility lighting, air conditioning, colors, fabrics, flooring, counter tops, artwork, indoor plants, door placement and security issues. He has developed innovative solutions to problems of noise management, cubicle design, seating assignment, workspace customization, and logistics.
Photography
Bill has been an avid amateur photographer for many years and has made a study of the technical issues involved in controlling image variables. He owns a full suite of digital imaging hardware and software; including professional grade film and flatbed scanners, a digital imaging workstation, color calibration equipment and a large-format fine-art printer.
This hobby has given Bill both technical and aesthetic skills which transfer directly to the design of computer user interfaces.
Japanese Language and Culture
Bill's second language is Japanese, which he speaks well enough to get around and reads well enough to get on the right subway train. He lived in Japan as an adult to study Japanese culture and the martial art of Aikido, in which he holds a second-degree black belt. In Japan Bill made many friends, and had the honor of being invited into a number of Japanese homes.
Living in a distinctly different culture has expanded Bill's awareness of cross-cultural design issues, and has made his thinking more flexible and adaptable.
Public Speaking
Bill is an experienced speaker, presenter, master of ceremonies, demonstrator and instructor. He has made presentations at MacWorld Expo, to Apple user groups, at developer conferences, and to private organizations. He has given classes, lectures and mini-seminars on both technical and nontechnical topics. He has been an auctioneer at charity fundraisers. His presentations have been described as lively, informative, inspirational and thought-provoking.
These skills come in handy when making presentations to audiences ranging from technical teams to executives in the course of consulting engagements.
Performing Arts
Bill has given live vocal and musical performances in the United States and Japan. He was the founding president of a community theater group, and has participated in many amateur stage productions; usually as director of lighting, sound and special effects, and occasionally as an actor. Bill has experience with sound reinforcement and audio recording, and once produced and hosted a radio interview program.
Live performance has given Bill a sensitivity to the way an audience responds to parameters such as rhythm, timing, pace, tone, and intensity. Technical theatrics, such as lighting and special effects, has given him an understanding of what it takes to produce believable illusions in an artificial and contrived environment. All of which applies to the design and management of the computer-user experience.
