Chap Ambrose
chapambrose@gmail.com
(215) 359-5228
HighNoon
Deadline management for print, design, and web shops.
HighNoon automates the delegating of tasks based on templates. It brings clarity and order to teams managing 25+ projects who are unsatisfied with Basecamp's flexibility.
I completed all research, design, and programming.
My partner, Andy Mullins, is an expert in the design and printing industry and is heading up sales and marketing.
Anthillz
The business network powered by trust.
A small startup in Philadelphia where I spearheaded user experience.
I facilitated contextual research with the team and was responsible for interface design and programming.
Backdrop Pro
Online contact sheets for film photographers.
Like most of my work, this project grew out of a real need. Josh Goleman, professional photographer and close friend, was unsatisfied with the current tools and was interested in improving collaboration between himself and his clients.
Daniel Nadeau has joined the team as a partner as we near the end of our private beta and prepare for public launch.
CircaStudy.com
Online flash cards for art history students.
In college Stefanie Danhope-Smith and I were challenged to create a study ad for art history. We used contextual research and HCI methods to develop and refine the idea for CircaStudy.
After graduating I decided to revisit this project and "make it real". Struggling through the creation of CircaStudy forced me to learn programming.
Hypothermia Database
A reporting tool for the PENN Hospital and the Children's Hospital to track the success of an experimental hypothermia treatment.
I was responsible for the site architecture and user interface.
This project was a collaboration with the gentlemen at Neomind Studio.
Skills
- Programming Ruby, Rails, HTML, CSS, (learning Javascript, Objective-C, Cocoa, Processing)
- Information Architecture process flow diagrams, concept mapping, entity-relationship models
- User Testing think aloud studies, heuristic evaluations, cognitive walkthrough
- Contextual Research contextual inquiry, participatory observation, interviews
- Software Adobe suite, Microsoft Office, Final Cut Pro, Mac & PC
Experience
- Partner, Sasparilla Software | Current
A two man shop focused on crafting web applications for screen printers. Individually I am responsible for all interface design, front-end programming and back-end development. - Developer, myJambi; New York, New York | 2008
A social startup focusing on the buying and selling of personal services. I was part of the small, distributed team that maintains the primary product and develops new features. - Head of Design, Anthillz; Philadelphia, PA | 2008
A small startup in Philadelphia where I spearheaded user experience. I helped introduce a user-centered process to our iterative development cycle. - Outcomes Management Specialist, Project HOME | December 2006 - March 2008
I was challenged to improve the flow of communication throughout the organization. I took the initiative to create a web-based tool for recording emergencies and incidents after experiencing the breakdowns of the existing paper system. - Interaction Intern, Lextant Customer Research; Columbus, OH | Summer 2005
I gained first hand experience with qualitative user research, information design, usability facilitation, and strategic brainstorming. - Designer, Shepherd Boy Creative; Tulsa, Oklahoma | 2000 - 2005
This after-school internship grew to a full position where I produced T-shirts, brochures, CDs, websites, and other marketing materials for clients.
Education
- Savannah College of Art & Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts | June 2006
Industrial Design Major, Interaction Design Minor - Presenting Data and Information | March 2005
Edward Tufte; Atlanta, Georgia
Other Work
Baseball Deconstructed
A visual explanation of the large and complex domain of baseball describing the patterns, systems and relationships that develop throughout a game.
This design was printed on A2 poster board to give a detailed overview of baseball for novices.
Ambient Atmos
A digital lifestyle and fashion accessory that illustrates the natural sky's current conditions. It connects to a nationwide wireless network to display the hue of the sky at your exact location.
Developed with Daniel Nadeau. Sketches by Meghan Kinder.
Houseless Cards
A simple retail display containing playing cards that would be placed at coffee shops. Instead of giving a person that is experiencing homelessness your pocket change, you ask them to sit down and play cards.
The basic needs of people living in the US can be addressed by the uninspired systems and public services we have in place. However, a social barrier still remains between mainstream society and people in need. This product attempts to encourage interaction and dialogue between these two groups.
Enhanced Media Control
This was a four week project to rethink the interaction between people and their TV. Initial research included contextual observation and think-aloud usability studies to understand trends in home entertainment and identify issues with current systems.
Video filmed by Josh Goleman.