Annette Leong

Tel. 415.902.5900

Objective:

To utilize my creativity and technical skill in user-centered designs crossing multiple platforms in communication and entertainment devices.

Experience:

Microsoft, Mountain View, CA

Oct 2007 – present

Visual Designer

Unify user experience across variety of devices, including the mobile devices, the web, and automobiles.
Lead in motion graphics, and build conceptual and functional prototypes in After Effects, Flash, and Apple Interface Builder.
Conceptualize, create and refine layouts, which effectively communicate the content to the users, include graphic design, screen layouts, storyboards, color palettes, iconography, illustrations, typography, and user interface elements.
Collaborate with User Experience designers to develop design ideas, concepts, and recommend product direction based on design research and functional requirements.
Participate in concept development, design ideation, and practical design solution, within a user-centered design process.
Implement and produce work in Flash, CSS, DHTML, and JavaScript. Provide detailed and complete design specifications. Work closely with front and back end engineers and QA during implementation and pre-release activities.
Partner with designers, product and project managers, engineers, and QA to communicate project objectives, scope, timeline, roles, and meet each targeted release.
Develop brand center to document, organize assets, and guidelines for working with external agency, and contractors.

Yahoo! Inc., Sunnyvale, CA

Mar 2005 – Oct 2007

Visual Designer

Created visual designs that effectively communicate the content to the users, included visual design of screen layouts, storyboards, color palettes, illustrations, typography, and user interface elements.
Participated in concept development, and design ideation within a user-centered design process.
Collaborated with visual and interaction designers to develop design concepts, and recommend product direction based on design research and functional requirements.
Supported design researchers in research studies collateral and collaborate on developing actionable recommendations to enhance the visual design.
Partnered with product and project managers to define project objectives, tasks, timeline, deliverables, and achieved each milestone.
Worked closely with engineers to communicate design specifications and provide oversight during implementation and pre-release activities.
Collaborated with various UED teams on brainstorming practical design solutions.
Defined, developed, and documented visual standards, best practices, and interaction patterns.
Implemented Flash prototypes on various projects to transform concept into interaction medium for usability research.

Red Herring Inc., Mountain View, CA

Sep 2003 – Feb 2005

Web Content Specialist

Provided graphic and web design for Red Herring’s marketing communications collateral. Developed typography and color palettes for the website using Photoshop and Illustrator.
Led creative and production efforts in website, monthly PDF newsletters, promotional email, and Red Herring Spring and Fall conference campaigns.
Performed various multimedia job duties, including designing, developing, testing/QA, and implementing the Red Herring website.
Worked closely with external developer agency (Marsys) to deliver the specifications and guidelines to engineers to program for website releases.
Worked with Editorial, Illustrator and Marketing on article layout that included banner advertisements and illustration/graphic with specified sizes and file formats.
Managed the banner creatives display methods on impressions, rotations and positions using 24/7 Real Media online tool that a certificate was gained.
Focused on quality assurance, marketing materials, presentation collaterals, worked with Sales and Marketing, Business Operations, Editorial and Engineers. Initiated and managed multiple tasks with scheduled conference campaigns.
Designed electronic billboard (SiliconView) for Red Herring online publication and conference that displayed on Highway 101 Northbound and Southbound.
Implemented DHTML prototypes to transform concept into interaction medium for usability study.

Wessling Creative, San Francisco, CA

Nov 2000 – May 2003

New Media Designer

Digitally promoted Wessling Creative, Plexus5 and Caducent by designing, programming, testing/QA, and maintaining websites, interactive CDrom, web banners, and promotional email.
Developed typography and color palettes for websites using Photoshop and Illustrator. Programmed in Flash, HTML, DHTML, and CSS for website releases.
Worked with Creative Director, Design Manager, and clients on designing and programming small to medium-sized B2B and B2C websites, targeting SEO and placing websites on search engines to increase websites traffic.
Focused on quality assurance, web design, web programming and managing Wessling Creative website, promotional emails, newsletters, presentation collateral, and interactive CDrom. Handled multiple tasks with scheduled website launches.
Developed and maintained company's Virtual Ticket Database that stores and tracks resources, creative brief, billing methods, contracts, and timeline of each project.

Education:

Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA

Jan 1999 – May 2002

Bachelor of Fine Art in Computer Arts New Media

The One Academy, Sunway, Malaysia

Jan 1997 – Aug 1998

Graphic Design

Taylor's College, Subang Jaya, Malaysia

Jan 1996 – Dec 1996

Certificate in South Australian Matriculation Program Economy and Accounting

Skills:

Research and development
Competitive design audit
Design problem solving
Strong skills in Flash, CSS and DHTML
Quick sketching/storyboarding
Documentation, specifications and guidelines
Motion graphics, 3D rendering and animation
Familiarity with Blog and JavaScript

Software Skills:

Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, Flash, After Effects, Premier, Dreamweaver, Image Ready, Fireworks, Sound Edit, Audacity, Streamline, Font Lab, Lightwave, Drupal, MovableType, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Snapz Pro, iTunes and Virtual PC

Platforms:

Mac and PC

Languages:

Fluent in English and Mandarin, proficient in Cantonese and Malay

Recognition:

Bronze ADDY Award – 199 New Montgomery website, 2005
Golden Web Award – Plexus5 website, 2004
Top Branding & Design Consulting Firms – for the Wessling Creative Group by San Francisco Business Times, 2002
HOW Design Magazine – Rose Resnick Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired website, 2002