paul hoover Software DESIGER
  |   Resume  |  Web Design Portfolio

 

Windows Ultimate
I was assigned to design Windows Anytime Upgrade and Window Ultimate Extras. Both features required layouts, icons and task-flow design. I created the features with a great multidisciplinary team where we quickly conceptualize and developed the products.

Windows Anytime Upgrade - This tool helps users upgrade from one version of Windows to another. I managed and collaborated with other designers to design its task-flow, look, and icons. Read more about Anytime Upgrade...

Windows Ultimate Extras - In the most expensive (Ultimate) version of Windows the customer can download new applications and additions to Windows. I was responsible for integrating this feature into Windows Update. I also managed the creation of the Ultimate Extras icon. Read more about Window Ultimate Extras...

 

WINDOWS VISTA TABLET AND LAPTOP FEATURES
For the past four years I have been a part of the amazing design team responsible for the tablet and laptop features that have gone into Windows Vista and XP. I have learned about interaction design, product planning, user research, user assistance, information architecture, sensor integration, and industrial design from some of the top minds in the field. I worked my way up from creating Flash prototypes for the product designers; to owning and designing parts of features; to being responsible for the visual and interaction design of a new software /hardware platform. For Windows Vista I was responsible for Pen Flicks, Pen & Touch Training, Pen Cursor visuals, Text Input Panel visuals, tablet control panels, Anytime Upgrade, and Ultimate Extras.
read more about tablet features...

Pen & Touch Training - I created the framework and navigational model that that housed the training. Winner of honorable mention in the Puget Sound Society for Technical Communication 2006-07 competition.

Pen Flicks was well defined when I was assigned to it. Responsible for visual design, increasing usability and discoverability of the feature, and designing the learning wizard. The wizard won Best of Show in the Puget Sound Society for Technical Communication 2006-07 competition. No other Vista features won awards in this show (besides Touch Training).

For Pen Cursors I worked with another product designer to come up with visual concepts that would express her interaction ideas. I worked with the developers to implement the animations correctly.

I created the final visuals for the glass frame on the Text Input Panel. I had to re-create all elements of Aero glass in four sizes to match DPI requirements.

As part of the design team I contributed to the ideation and critique of all of the features shown in the video.

 

Microsoft Reader OPTIMIZED FOR ORIGAMI
As part of an initiative to bolster the software offerings for the ultra mobile pc class I redesigned Microsoft Reader to work on a seven inch touch screen device. The main design challenge was to translate an interface designed for a mouse into one that would be accessible with the finger, while maintaining the simplicity of a paperback book.
Download...

 

Experience Pack for Tablet PC
For this pack I designed the installation launcher, the Snipping Tool, Ink Desktop, and Ink Crossword. I collaborated with program managers, user assistance, user research, testers, developers and other designers to transform the design vision into reality.
Microsoft.com demo... Download pack...

Pack Launcher/Installer - The goal of this application was to create a place where the user could discover the contents of the pack and install and launch the applications.

Snipping tool - A redesign of an existing screen capture tool that enables users to capture a free-form area of the screen and add annotations using the pen.

Ink Crossword - A redesign of an existing project that enables writing directly into a crossword puzzle.

Ink Desktop - A new application enabling the user to draw directly on the desktop.

 

AVAYA WEB FORUM
I created this web animation for Garrigan Lyman between Microsoft contracts over a 3 month period. I worked with a writer, editor, developer, and graphic designer to transform the videos and script they provided into a unique web presentation. I created five storyboards and collaborated with the graphic designer to come up with the visual direction. My most memorable part of the project was the thunderous applause when I first presented it to the entire group.
Watch video... (register with "paul@redsquirrel.com" to see all the videos)

 

Computer Associates
While working with Modern Digital through ArtSource I was assigned the design and implementation of this animation. I decided that a typographic treatment would be the fastest way to get the desired result. It took less than a week to produce and played for a while on the Computer Associates web site.
Watch video...

 

intellectual property sensitive projects
Many of my recent projects have either not yet released or were cut before they launched. These contain IP that I cannot put on the internet. I can show some of it in person.