1gs ID / UX / UI / IXD / GRDS
about
With design experience in a breadth of industries and an ever-expanding portfolio of print, digital, product, and multimedia design, I can be a valuable asset to your design team as a Product Designer, User Experience Designer, User Interface Designer, Graphic Designer, Project Manager, CAD Specialist, Creative Director, or Professional Nerd. My résumé reflects experience in agency work as well as corporate work. Much of my work I am legally prohibited from presenting publicly, but I would love an opportunity to discuss some of that experience in a conceptual overview format. I’m looking forward to speaking with you to discuss how I can be your company’s newest addition! Here’s how to reach me:linkedin.com/in/[email protected]
2 MATE
mate
The ChallengeComputer Supported Cooperative Works (CSCW) asked us: How can we use existing mobile and location technologies to enhance the experience of attending our 2010 conference in Savannah, GA through the forum of an iPhone game? Now, how can we make this experience fun and competitive?
So we defined some goals…We want to encourage our players to:-Learn through gameplay-Explore the city-Network through experimentation- Motivate conference participation and face-to-face interaction
Collaborators:Joanie JochamowitzIan OberholtzerNam NguyenGreg SimsMike DeluiseIan Ng
“Spreading a positive contagion through physical transmission...”
www.gregorysimsdesign.com/mate
3 MATE
After conducting some research into existing game mechanics, social media interactions, and geographical software, we developed an experience prototype, which can be seen at www.gregorysimsdesign.com/mate.
Mate became a social location-based game wherein players upload content to a communal map while they explore the city. This content is then “encountered” by other players as they physically move into new spaces. These photos, videos, and comments are scored based on whether they are “loved” or “hated.” A player’s overall score in the game is based on their content’s success through subsequent “generations” of viewers. All player scores are reflected on an event-centric leaderboard. The possibilities for using this leaderboard are event-specific and limitless.
This prototype served as a presentation demo for CSCW, and after a round of feedback and redesigns, we created an interactive prototype and imposed in the public at Geekend 2009.
4 MATE
After learning from live testing, we created the final prototype to be presented to CSCW and the development team at Yahoo! and Arizona State University. The deliverables package included the clickable prototype, a full, comprehensive style document Here are a few final screens:
5 IHG: The Sundowner Tour
ihg: the sundowner tour
The ChallengeIntercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) asked us, “how can we utilize existing social media platforms to increase our brand awareness, for our extended-stay hotels, Staybridge Suites & Candlewood Suites?”
A team of 6 collaborated to strategically research and plan social media strategies, with the primary aim of creating brand awareness for the Staybridge and Candlewood Extended Stay hotel brands of the Intercontinental Hotels Group. Starting with in-depth research into IHG’s People, we tried to understand the existing outreach of the brand. After the initial research we brainstormed on how to increase brand awareness using a limited budget. This resulted in a series of initial campaigns which were represented through experience prototypes. After receiving feedback from the client we immersed ourselves into looking at the feasibility of these concepts with a holistic approach so that they would be executed over a period of time.
“A strategy for rapidly and radically increasing brand awareness...”
www.gregorysimsdesign.com/the-sundowner-tour
6
The Research ProcessPeople research for Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites was almost exclusively conducted through first person accounts. We received information and profiles from IHG that we used as a starting point for our research. Because we were unable to travel to franchises outside of the Savannah area, TripAdvisor was referenced to gain insight into past guests at various Staybridge and Candlewood locations. A key interest in our research was to differentiate between the Staybridge and Candlewood customers based on information obtained from IHG. Here is some information about the “target customer” for Staybridge and Candlewood Suites according to this data.
IHG: The Sundowner Tour
Target Guest“The Neighbor You Like”
• Upscale travelers, 5+ nights• Predominantly male• Age 35-49• Enjoy family time• Relish in career• Striving for balance• Celebrate success• Self-Assured• Social
Target Guest“The Self-Sufficient Traveler”
• Value-seeking travelers, 7+ nights• Predominantly male• Age 35-54• Relaxed, casual lifestyle• Sociable, not overly outgoing• Value conscious• Independent• Do-it-yourselfers
7 IHG: The Sundowner Tour
The Research ProcessAfter looking at this information, we began to develop our strategy for learning more about the Staybridge and Candlewood guests. We started by building questionnaires with the intention of distributing them online and physically handing them to current guests. However, we felt that the questionnaires were limiting and impersonal, lacking the human element—specific stories and real people—not statistics.Knowing that people generally enjoy talking about themselves, we conducted loose interviews that attempted to maintain a natural conversation in order to discover how people live in Staybridge and Candlewood during their stays. Some people were more talkative than others, but overall,this approach was very successful. The guest experience at the downtown Savannah Staybridge is very different from any other Staybridge franchise due to its prime, downtown location which attracts mostly tourists. The travelers who come through are mainly transient instead of extended stay. Since this is an anomaly, our focus shifted to the Staybridge and Candlewood properties near the Savannah Airport. After a few visits, we had gathered enough data to draw conclusions.
Key FindingsOur interviews led to some insights about the Candlewood and Staybridge guests. Our personas show that there wasn’t a vast perceived difference between the lifestyles and personalities of the Candlewood and Staybridge guests. Also, the majority of the guests were not active social media users. They seemed to prefer e-mail, phone, and face-to-face conversations, and they rejected the “impersonal” nature of social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and others. Many of the guests were traveling for business and had their stay booked by their company. Therefore, the individual guest didn’t have much say in choosing Staybridge over Candlewood and vice versa. However, they were happy in their respective hotels, so it is clear that once a guest stays at a Staybridge or Candlewood, they are apt to come back at least a second time.
Research Process Flow
Staybridge
Gather information
Candlewood Distribute Surveys
Build Questionnaires
Personal Interviews
Current Guests
Previous Guests
Create Personas
Demographics
Psychographics
A Day in the Life
Customer Lifecycle
Facebook Pages
Current Guests
IHG Data
TripAdvisor
8 IHG: The Sundowner Tour
The Sundowner TourAfter initial concepts & refining, we found that the methods we designed to broadcast the brands was not sufficiently viral, so we began to look for inspiration from other sources. We found it in the form of Brammo Motorcycle’s ShockingBarack.com campaign. By broadcasting a story on a personal level through all the various online channels, Brammo managed to garner the attention of 17 million online users in one week.
The final campaign concept we achieved is to broadcast a similar story of two brand representatives traveling in search of what’s comfortable, all the while bringing the Sundowner to events nationwide—creating an engaging experience for prospective guests. We’re calling it the Sundowner Tour.
The inspiration behind our marketing plan came in the form of the campaign that Brammo Motorcycles employed with shockingbarack.com. Using current event and political topics as a jumping-off point, Brammo captured the attention of the nation, journeying across the country on their electric motorcycles at the cost of about four dollars per rider. This was intended as a response to auto industry CEOs arriving in Washington in private jets to request bailouts. Brammo used various social networks to broadcast their mission and solicit couches and plugs to add distance to their trip. They managed to garner the attention of 17,000,000 social media users in less than a week and were able to complete the journey across the country, thanks to their involvement in social media. Our marketing plan rides the coattails of this idea. We want to use social media networks to cover the exploits of Mr. and Mrs. Staybridge and garner attention from the nation. People will follow them on each of their social networks and each network will be linked in some way to the others so users may explore them freely.
Inspiration: The Brammo Journey
9 IHG: The Sundowner Tour
Mr. and Mrs. Staybridge will act as the “voice” of Staybridge throughout this journey.
In order to be selected for this position, the managers of Staybridge Suites will nominate an employee that embodies all the brand principles. They would be the employees that all the guests rave about; they’d be outgoing, amiable and the type of person that really
makes the guests feel at home. The chosen employees would then have a competition between the franchises that results in just one male and one female winner. These winners will then become Mr. and Mrs. Staybridge and would start preparing for their big adventure.
Who are Mr. & Mrs. Staybridge?
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The Staybridge Truck
Mr. and Mrs. Stybridge will travel the roads in a customized truck with a glass trailer. The glass trailer will feature newly remodeled suites of Staybridge, as designed by SCAD’s interior design department. The inside will be completely visible and will be equipped with Staybridge’s new, modern furniture. This unique truck will be eye-catching and will stand out to onlookers while on the highways and at the events. People will be allowed to go inside the
truck to explore the features of the new Staybridge suite when Mr. and Mrs. Staybridge host Sundowners at each of their destinations.
The truck trailer is 24 feet long by 7 feet, 8 inches wide. In order to highlight the suite component of the Staybridge guest rooms, 20 feet of the trailer will be devoted to the social component of the suite, including the lounge, dining, and kitchen areas. This allows people
to use the furniture and socialize in the main portion of the truck. As this only leaves 4 feet for the guest suite, a backlit image of the guest room will be featured against the back wall of the trailer, giving the illusion of a full suite. In order to make this limited space more realistic, a side chair, floor lamp, and draperies are also placed in the sleeping portion of the space.
IHG: The Sundowner Tour
11 IHG: The Sundowner Tour
Conclusion
The Value Proposition for IHGThe Staybridge and Candlewood brands, needing an inexpensive but effective means of broadcasting their brand values and qualities, could benefit from a little crowd-sourced marketing. This campaign effectively employs such a scheme with an extremely small overhead cost compared to traditional (and even some non-traditional) advertising methods. The payout for such a strategy is limited to the cost to rent and run the truck, salaries for those involved for a few months, and the cost of event tickets. This campaign is well within the proposed budget of $75,000 but has a return potential of well over that amount. The story of Mr. and Mrs. Staybridge is intriguing enough to capture national attention, and the game and prize quality of the campaign is sure to garner participation--everyone loves freebies. We feel as though such a campaign fits for IHG and the Staybridge and Candlewood brands. The brand pillars are well-represented and will be featured every step of the way.
12 3M: Collaborative Learning
3m: Collaborative LearningThe ChallengeIn 2011, the talented engineers at 3M showed us a new type of touch display technology that can simultaneously recognize up to 60 unique touch points at once. So they asked us: “How can we show it off?”
The 3M brainiacs challenged us to generate highly-gestural multi-touch concepts to enforce the fidelity of their new touch technology. We did this by applying highly-metaphorical UI gestures to various social contexts for its use. After ideation around contexts such as mass transit, retail, restaurant & bar, and more, we finally arrived at utilizing the technology to enhance the experience of collaborative learning in the classroom of tomorrow.
www.gregorysimsdesign.com/3m-collaborative-learning
Collaborators:Priya TirthaVince LosanesOscar Acosta VargasJoe ChoGreg Sims
13 3M: Collaborative Learning
The ProcessTo prepare for generating designs, we researched existing multi-touch interfaces and gestures and we generated a proprietary library of gestures for use with such a high-fidelity prototype. Additionally, we created a comprehensive list of form factors and possible usage scenarios for the new technology.
After settling on the education setting and large form factors, we concluded that multi-touch equals multi-user, so we generated the concept “collaborative learning.” Large-format multi-touch surfaces and boards lend themselves to being used by multiple students and instructors simultaneously, eliminating the two-users, one-device method of collaborative projects. Gone are the days of one mouse-and-keyboard user and a team of onlookers. Now we can have every team member contributing simultaneously towards a common goal.
For more detailed information, visit www.gregorysimsdesign.com/3m-collaborative-learning
14 EventScape
EventScapeA work in progressEventScape is a tool for finding and attending local events. Unlike most other event listing resources, EventScape will contain information about small, local events such as school theatre productions, bands in nightclubs, gallery openings, and much more usually found only in local classifieds.
This is an independent project-in-progress and is subject to copyright protections. More information will be available for this project very soon.
15 3D Projects
3d projectsHere you’ll find a few examples of miscellaneous 3D models and renderings. If you would like to see process work or hear more about a specific project, please feel free to contact me.
Standard Issue Headphones, 2009Modeled in Rhino, Rendered in Keyshot
Motorcycle, 2010Modeled in Rhino, Rendered in Keyshot
16 3D Projects
Guitar, 2009Modeled in Alias, Rendered in Hypershot
Wastebins, 2012Modeled in Rhino, Rendered in Keyshot
Cufflink Case, 2008Modeled in Rhino, Rendered in Hypershot
17 Graphic Design Work
GRAPHIC WORKHere you’ll find a few examples of miscellaneous graphic design work. If you would like to see process work or hear more about a specific project, please feel free to contact me.
Papa Bear Band Medallion, 2010 Backyard Jam II Event Poster, 2013
18 Graphic Design Work
Birthday Jam Event Poster, 2014 Backyard Jam III Event Poster, 2014
LiveMusic
LIVE
MU S I C
P.M.
990 simpson mill rd. locust grove, ga
DONATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED TO BENEFIT CAMP BRAVEHEART
3:00
SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY JEFF ROBINSONOF THE BARRY RICHMAN BAND
SHOW CLOSES WITH AN OPEN JAMBRING YOUR INSTRUMENTS!
19 Graphic Design Work
Outlaws Baseball Team Logo, 2015
O.A.S.I.S. Music School CD Jacket, 2015OUTSIDE
1. Muddy Waters by Phil Rosenthal 3:21; Cottonwood 2. Edelweiss by Rogers and Hammerstein 3:13; Harpers Bizarre 3. Sandy Boys ; Traditional 2:01 ; Blue Ridge Mt. Sounds 4. I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water by Joe T. Babcock 5:02 ; Oasis Jam 5. Lee’s Waltz by Doug Felt 3:18; Blue Ridge Mt. Sounds 6. Fire on the Mountain by George McCorkle 3:03; Oasis Jam 7. Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream by Ed McCurdy 2:43; Harpers Bizarre 8. John Stenson’s #2; Traditional 2:02; Blue Ridge Mt. Sounds 9. If I Give My Heart by John Harold Pennell 3:24; Cottonwood10. Rosin the Bow; Traditional 2:47; Blue Ridge Mt. Sounds11. Until Then by Stuart Hamblen 3:21; Oasis Jam12. I’ll Fly Away by Albert E. Brumley 2:03; Blue Ridge Mt. Sounds13. In Moments Like These, author unknown 3:00; Harpers Bizarre14. Life’s Highway by Richard Leigh and Roger Murrah 4:21; Cottonwood15. My Grandfather’s Clock by Henry Clay Work 3:50; Harpers Bizarre16. Wagon Wheel by Bob Dylan and Jay Secor 4:27; Oasis Jam17. River by Bill Stains 3:14; Blue Ridge Mt. Sounds18. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere by Bob Dylan 3:19; Cottonwood19. Mississippi Sawyer; Traditional 1:18; Blue Ridge Mt. Sounds20. Remember When by Alan Jackson 4:35; Cottonwood21. Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss; Traditional 1:48; Blue Ridge Mt. Sounds22. Jenny Lind Polka ; Traditional Irish 2:20; Harpers Bizarre23. There Is A Time by Rodney Dillard and Mitch Jayne 3:49; Oasis Jam24. Today by Randy Sparks 3:44; Harpers Bizarre
Project Inspiration: Don Cordier, Coordination: Jennifer CordierProduced and Recorded by Laurie Cannon of Wing/N A Prayer ProductionsSession Musician: Laurie Cannon playing Bass, Concertina and PennywhistleCD Cover design by Gregory Sims of Gregory Sims Design
20 Graphic Design Work
SCAD New Show Event Poster, 2011 Markit GDP Visualizer Design Challenge, 2013
Phillips Brothers Business Logo, 2013
Fill in the Blank Band Logo, 2013
21 Graphic Design Work
Top Choice Masonry Business Logo, 2012
Savannah Draft Supply Business Logo, 2013
GS ID / UX / UI / IXD / GRDS
CONTACT
Here’s how to reach me:linkedin.com/in/[email protected]
THANKyou
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION