bio
Ruth brings nearly 25 years of design experience with her to each job she tackles. She excels at translating brands into visually engaging, integrated online experiences.
Ruth formerly worked as a senior art director at AGENCY.com: Boston. During that time, she was the creative lead on CIGNA.com, a multi-million dollar Web site that translated CIGNA's brand online. She also was one of the creative leads working on projects for Liberty Mutual's South American operations.
Her interactive career began at THINK New Ideas, where she was a senior designer and then an art director, creating Web sites and CD-ROM projects. Her clients included Fidelity, Evergreen and Progress.com.
Ruth's graphic design career started at WHDH-TV, Boston 's NBC affiliate. As assistant art director, she developed branding and visual solutions for local programming, news and public affairs campaigns.
Her awards include a Gold award from Broadcast Designers Association, a Bronze award from Broadcast Designers Association and a MIMC award.
Ruth received a bachelor's degree from Rhode Island School of Design, and an MBA from Simmons College School of Management.
Ruth formerly worked as a senior art director at AGENCY.com: Boston. During that time, she was the creative lead on CIGNA.com, a multi-million dollar Web site that translated CIGNA's brand online. She also was one of the creative leads working on projects for Liberty Mutual's South American operations.
Her interactive career began at THINK New Ideas, where she was a senior designer and then an art director, creating Web sites and CD-ROM projects. Her clients included Fidelity, Evergreen and Progress.com.
Ruth's graphic design career started at WHDH-TV, Boston 's NBC affiliate. As assistant art director, she developed branding and visual solutions for local programming, news and public affairs campaigns.
Her awards include a Gold award from Broadcast Designers Association, a Bronze award from Broadcast Designers Association and a MIMC award.
Ruth received a bachelor's degree from Rhode Island School of Design, and an MBA from Simmons College School of Management.
EXPERIENCE
Fidelity Investments, Boston, MA
10.2011– current
UX Design Lead
Consultant, Boston, MA
09.2001– 10.2011
Self employed
AGENCY.com, Boston, MA
11.1999 – 09.2001
Senior Art Director
CIGNA Corporation:
Liberty Insurance:
THINK new ideas, Boston, MA
05.1996 – 04.1999
Art Director
Major Clients: Fidelity Investments, Progress Software, Evergreen Investments, Manulife Insurance, Stratus Technologies
WABU-TV, Channel 68, Boston, MA
03.1994 – 05.1996
Design Director
WHDH-TV, Channel 7, Boston, MA
02.1987 – 03.1994
Design Supervisor
EDUCATION
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence RI | BFA, 1986
Simmons College, School of Management, Boston, MA | MBA 2002
TOOLBOX
Fidelity Investments, Boston, MA
10.2011– current
UX Design Lead
- Design lead for retail (pre & post login) pages and customer service areas in a responsive design site environment, which reaches millions of users
- Work closely with teams of designers, business leads, UXD developers and off-shore developers in the Agile process
- Maintain consistency and scalability of design systems, including visual assets and UI patterns
- Support 8 teams (15 designers) reviewing design, communicating visual styles
- Support and communicate site design system, UI patterns to business leads
Consultant, Boston, MA
09.2001– 10.2011
Self employed
- Design lead for a variety of clients in the insurance, managed care and financial industries
- Projects involve establishing a consistent look and feel in line with brand attributes over internet, extranet and intranet
- Work closely with third party vendors (technology) for consistent translation from design to production – includes Oracle Portal vendors
AGENCY.com, Boston, MA
11.1999 – 09.2001
Senior Art Director
CIGNA Corporation:
- Design lead for a multi-million dollar, 1000 page, award-winning redesign effort for a major AOR relationship for AGENCY.com. A site described as "right on brand" by the client.
- Communicated extensively with client, pitching brand and creative solutions.
- Worked with client’s technical team and third-party vendors, translating expectations and implications of redesign.
- Developed and produced a print and online style guide process for redesigned site – a standardized ROI vehicle for AGENCY.com – used to instruct clients’ internal and external teams on best practices and consistency of navigation, look and feel, font, link and image treatments.
Liberty Insurance:
- Led a team of designers for a broker/consumer site redesign for the company's Brazilian affiliate.
- Developed a consumer site establishing a consistent use of brand and positioning across the organization.
THINK new ideas, Boston, MA
05.1996 – 04.1999
Art Director
- Led a team of junior and senior designers in a redesign effort for Progress Software, a key client.
- Established creative solutions for a variety of multimedia, web and CD-ROM projects.
- Worked with account managers to establish creative budget projections.
- Designed award-winning site for Lois Paul & Partners. A site delivered on schedule and within budget.
Major Clients: Fidelity Investments, Progress Software, Evergreen Investments, Manulife Insurance, Stratus Technologies
WABU-TV, Channel 68, Boston, MA
03.1994 – 05.1996
Design Director
- Established and supervised the brand identity for the television news station through promotion, scenic design, show opens and interior graphics, collateral materials and invitations.
- Supervised design, freelance, and interns in the process of on-air graphics from concept to production.
WHDH-TV, Channel 7, Boston, MA
02.1987 – 03.1994
Design Supervisor
- Developed designs and conceptual approaches to the station’s overall look, campaigns and promos (both events related and topical).
- Hired, trained, and developed interns and freelancers in the production of print and on-air projects.
- Designed award-winning collateral materials, sales packages and print advertising.
EDUCATION
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence RI | BFA, 1986
Simmons College, School of Management, Boston, MA | MBA 2002
TOOLBOX
- Figma
- Sketch
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Mural
- JIRA (Agile)
- Microsoft suite of products
- Working knowledge of: HTML, CSS, Javascript
- Mentor junior designers
- Conducted training sessions for business partners - “UX in Action”, which included an overview of the Design Sprint process
- Participated in:
- Design Thinking sessions
- Design Sprint sessions
- Unmoderated testing using usertesting.com
- Design Thinking sessions