education

University of California – Santa Cruz, CA
Masters of Science – Games and Playable Media; 2016 – 2017

University of California – Berkeley, CA
Masters of Information Management Systems/ HCI; 2002 – 2004
Berkeley-Stanford Vertex Innovators Challenge Finalist (funded)

University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, MI
Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Science & Neurosciences; 1994 – 1998

tools and languages

Production/ Workflow Management: Jira, Trello, Asana
Game Engines/ Tool Kits: Unity, UnReal, Google ARCore, Apple ARKit
Prototyping and Graphics: Blender, 3D Max, Maya (model editing), Omnigraffle (wireframing), Figma and Invision (app prototyping)
Standard : Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator
Languages: C++, C#, Java, CSS, JavaScript, JSP, PHP, ASP, XML, XSLT, UNIX

experience

Accenture, August, 2022 – Present – Remote
Metaverse Group Product Manager (Technology Innovation Strategy Consultant)

  • Managed team of 12 to created Virtual Reality co-working space with integrated AI modules in Microsoft Mesh (private) platform.
  • VR world included : AI bot integration with Chat GPT and AI driven 360 room to change entire environment dynamically.
  • World also included : Interactive design tools for design thinking and coworking.
  • Pushed limits of platform VR and web capabilities to report back to Microsoft for future integration.
  • Responsible for client relationship, setting overall product strategy and roadmap, team planning and budget monitoring, running standups, jira tracking, team cohesion for 12 person team including : art, modelers, animators, engineering, designers, and sound talent.
  • Received recognition for innovation and client appreciation for enjoying our team, vision, and work.

Anita Wilhelm Designs, January, 2011 – present Project Specifics
Product Strategy (Management), Design, & Research;

  • Store No8 (Walmart Ventures & Incubation Lab) – Metaverse Product Strategy & Design (2022)
  • Tornado Tower VR – Producer (February, 2017 – present)
  • Denver Angels Early Stage Startup – Product Manager & UX Designer (2019 – 2021)
  • Pixo VR – VR Game Designer & Product Manager (2019)
  • FrontVu Kitchen Remodeling – AR App Producer & Designer (2018)

  • General Motors – User Experience Strategist, Global Connected Services & Infotainment (2016)
  • RepairPal – UX Strategist (2015)
  • LiteBrite Immersive – Unity UX Designer (2014)
  • Urban Airship – Technical Product Manager/ New Product R & D (2014)
  • DocuSign – Mobile UX Lead (2013)
  • Fig Mobile – UX Director (2012)
  • HP/ Palm – UX Strategist (2011)

Proxi, March, 2018 – Sept, 2018 – Berkeley, CA
Producer

  • Internal production responsibilities of Will Wright (SIMS Creator) new mobile NFT/AI/neuroscience based game.
  • Manage & organize agile development process with team of artists, devs, marketing, & leadership. Coordinate play testing.
  • Game design, ux design, and prototyping in Unity individual contributor.
  • Management of budgets, consultants, and strategic relationships – mainly with Unity and TenCent.

Phase2 Industries – P2UX, July, 2016 – April, 2018 – Santa Clara, CA
Product & Design Manager

  • Managed new product creation of prototyping platform for both designers and developers.
  • Extended platform into compatibility with VR simulations for automobile infotainment screen user testing.
  • Created product strategy docs and involved in investor relations / pitches.
  • Managed visual design direction & created ux wires. Managed new brand creation with an external agency.

Samsung UX Innovations Lab, Aug, 2011 – June, 2012 – San Jose, CA,
UX Lead Strategist : Infotainment

  • Conceptualized new cloud-based infotainment platform which spans phones, tablets, TV, desktop, and scanners.
  • Designed first new mobile games and apps for platform : Children’s Chore Game, Family Emergency Locator; Family Calendar.
  • Product specifications and game logic, business strategy, and UX Wires.
  • Managed design and worked with user researchers, business strategist, and visual designer to define concepts.
  • Family mobile wallet patent drafting and research.

Fjord GmBH, October, 2008 – October, 2010 – Berlin, Germany
Service Design Lead (Manager)

  • Service Design Lead for Fjord GmBH. New products for clients: Nokia Social Location Services, Volkswagen R & D, and Deutsches Telekom R & D.
  • Design Lead : Managed teams of designers and developers (up to 12) for client projects, creative execution, and project implementation.
  • UX Designer (within Nokia) : Designed developers API toolkit and building blocks, as well as internal social services.
  • Responsible for both project creative direction as well as internal project management and budgeting.
  • Involved in hiring visual and ux designers to grow the agency, as well as created new business pitches, deep market research dives, and creative design patterns.
  • Deliverables: product definiton, roadmaps and backlogs, strategic presentations, pattern visualizations, ux wires and specifications, project reports, performance reviews of team members.

scanR, May, 2005 – Jan, 2008 – Palo Alto, CA
Mobile Product Manager

  • Product Manager Jan, 2007 – Jan, 2008; UX Designer May, 2005 – Jan, 2007
  • Responsible for design and development of all mobile clients for new mobile photo based service, including BREW (Verizon and Kddi, Japan), Java (ATT and open-ware), Mobile Web, Symbian (Nokia), and Windows Mobile.
  • Create interaction and visual designs of all mobile products.
  • Develop prototypes and conduct user testing of handset clients.
  • Managed app store submission processes. Coordination of engineering and QA progress to ensure on-time client delivery.

Caterpillar Mobile, Sept, 2004 – Jan, 2007
Co-founder – Product Design & Strategy

  • Designed and created Caterpillar Mobile, with technical partner Jeff Towle, based on mobile social research conducted at UC Berkeley.
  • Drafted all business strategy and product roadmaps for mobile social media sharing and gaming platform.
  • Presented business plans and lead all interactions with outside parties and investors.
  • Created all product design documentation: personas, competitive analysis, information architectures, screen and widget designs for mobile consulting clients.

Graduate Student Researcher, May, 2003 – May, 2004  Old Work Portfolio
UX Design Lead 

  • Lead UX Designer for Garage Cinema Research : Mobile Media Metadata Project.
  • Designed system interface and researched image sharing and meaningful image metadata acquisition based on social network effects and image processing technology on first multimedia smart phones (Symbian – Nokia 3650).
  • Yahoo! – Berkeley Labs and Caterpillar Mobile spun off from this work.

publications/ talks/ advisory/ teaching

Metaverse Worlds Winner 2022. Art gallery and event space in NoWhere was selected as winner in world building competition.

San Francisco State University – School of Design. Lecturing Professor for User Experience Design (627) School Year 2019-2023. Taught fully studio course teaching fundamentals of User Experience Design. Helped create industry link project in Equity and Inclusion.

Vice Games 2018. Interviewed as part of Vice documentary on game creators and game making process. Watch Video

Each, Inc – Design Advisor. Creating a system for connecting orphaned children to homes in third world countries. Working with gvm’t agencies and VeryNice Designs.

Mindtoon Labs – Product Advisor. Teaching meditation practices through games and meaningful play. Available in iTunes.

March 7-11, 2008 – SXSW Interactive Advisory Board (Mobile vertical) – Advisory board member for SXSW Interactive Conference. Involved in speaker/ panel selection process for Mobile/ Wireless area.

More Early Mobile Talks and Research Publications