I am web designer (and occasional developer) working as an Interaction Designer living and working in Columbus, Ohio.
My career began in 1999 as a Java Programmer for a large pharmaceutical distribution firm in Dublin, Ohio. I developed large-scale inventory management and reporting web applications used by health systems and pharmacies across the United States using technologies Java, Swing, HTML CORBA, and SQL.
Next came my first strategic career move from large corporation to very small web design firm where I was exposed a much wider array of web development technologies and techniques — and most importantly, I got to do actual REAL design. Considering that I did graduate as an art major, this was a big deal. Aspects that I loved most about this job was the many hats one can wear when part of a small organization. I did graphic design for print collateral, online marketing campaigns and affiliate marketing campaigns for various clients, developed ecommerce interfaces, created email marketing campaigns and newsletters, and designed client websites.
My second strategic career move came in the spring of 2004 when a friend tipped me off about a company looking for a UI Specialist for a large-scale state project — a robust web application that manages all aspects of the functions of child welfare at the county and state level.