Company

CNN

Designed

2010–2013

Role

Principal visual designer

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From 2010 to 2013, I led the visual and interaction design of the new premium digital video destination at CNN.com. An immersive experience focusing on the delivery of large high-definition video, it also allowed for the simultaneous discovery of editorially curated video content and marked Turner's first move toward letting cable and satellite subscribers stream a live TV broadcast across devices.

Desktop

The key challenge in designing the desktop experience on CNN.com was finding a way to give users the ability to watch and browse videos simultaneously. After designing a number of concepts and implementations, we eventually settled on a solution that involved two modes: a cinematic view and a browse view.

In cinema mode, the focus was the large, high quality video player and the currently active playlist. In browse mode, the user could select videos from a number of editorially curated playlists while the active video played in a smaller, docked player. Tabs at the top allowed users to view different categories of content.

Core player

In tandem with the redesign of CNN.com's video page, we redesigned the player to be fluid based on the user's browser window size. We created a simpler, bolder set of controls and integrated closed-captioning and video quality settings. We then expanded this player to work in live experiences featured on the CNN.com homepage and in embeddable players.

Mobile & 10-foot

As part of TimeWarner's broader ‘TV Everywhere’ initiative, we integrated CNN and HLN's authenticated live TV streams into the existing CNN iPhone and iPad apps as well as then then-new Google TV.

Company

Turner Broadcasting / upwave

Designed

2013–2014

Role

Design director

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upwave was a health and lifestyle media brand launched by Turner Broadcasting. I led the design of upwave’s digital experiences from its launch in August of 2013 to the brand’s close in May of 2014. During that time, the multi-platform, digital-first start-up grew from nothing to 1 million average monthly uniques, 27.2 thousand registered users, and 9.5 million total visits in only 8 months.

Color

Each of upwave’s five content verticals were assigned a unique color. Along with the standard upwave red, this comprised the primary color palette. The secondary palette was made up of a limited color range anchored by each of the 5 vertical colors. The use of pure black was avoided in lieu of a softer dark charcoal, giving the experience a less severe, more approachable feel.

Typography

The primary typeface used across upwave was Graphik, a clear and stable neo-grotesque-style face that was tracked tightly at larger sizes. While Graphik made for impactful headlines, it had poor readability at smaller sizes. As a result, we introduced Open Sans for body copy. Designed with on-screen readability in mind, its more varied letterforms made for easier, effortless reading.

UI elements

Interactive elements across the site were designed for touch, even those used primarily on larger browser sizes. This made for larger, clearer actions on all platforms.

Grid

upwave was designed responsively using a 12-column grid, which was broken up into three primary content columns. Cards were used as the building blocks of the structural system.

Cards

Cards were designed at three relative sizes that fit cleanly into the grid, providing page layouts with consistency and flexibility. The smaller card sizes were designed to be used on both desktop and mobile and the structural system itself was designed to withstand incremental expansion (i.e., additional card sizes).

Challenges

Challenges offered users a clear, structured program to achieve a particular goal over a given period of time. Once users initiated a Challenge, they could check off a series of steps linked to bite-sized achievements that moved them closer to their goal. An interactive dial gave them feedback and encouragement along the way.

TrackIt

TrackIt was a web app that pulled together users’ lifestyle apps and devices and collected their data in one easy-to-find spot. Tracker Cards displayed individual data feeds (steps, local weather, coffee consumption, etc.) that could be pulled onto a staging area and plotted against each other to tell a unique story about a user’s activity.

Company

tastytrade

Designed

2013–2016

Role

Art director
Principal designer

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tastytrade empowers and inspires active investors at all levels through its namesake financial broadcast network, and dough, its innovative and highly visual interactive trading platform.

As Art Director from 2014 to 2016, I spearheaded a variety of digital and branding projects, including a complete redesign of tastytrade.com, where users could view the live broadcast, watch pre-produced content, and read articles about a variety of investment strategies.

Theo app

In late 2014 I developed the brand for the Theo app for iPhone and Android. Theo offered an innovative way for traders to keep in-touch with their trading positions around-the-clock. It allowed them to see what their brokerage account was doing when the markets rallied overnight.

Company

CNN

Designed

2010–2012

Role

Principal visual designer

Content verticals

I led a re-branding and redesign of CNN's digital politics, entertainment, and tech coverage in 2010. The stated goal was to create a set of independent destinations for niche news coverage. The endeavor necessitated an overhaul of each section front on CNN.com as well as the CNN Political Ticker and The Marquee Blog.

CNN Trends

I led the design and branding of CNN Trends, which was a trending news aggregator powered by Zite. CNN Trends surfaced the top ten trending news topics from around the web. Each topic was anchored by a CNN story and included stories from other reputable sources, giving users a well-rounded picture of the news of the day.

Indie Asia

CNN partnered with Sub Pop Records to create a series of videos chronicling the indie rock duo Handsome Furs' travels through Asia. Armed with flip cams and notebooks, Dan and Alexei guide viewers through the indie music scene in several Asian countries.