Monster's Quiz Application

Technologies:
• XML
• ASP
• VBscript
• Javascript
• IIS
• WebTrends
• HTML
• CSS
• WSH

Description:
I consolidated Monster's many and varied quizzes into a unified system by converting them into XML format and writing an ASP application to parse them. Along with the front-end application, I also created a complete back end, which was capable of creating, managing, and promoting quizzes to the live site.

Due to both security and performance concerns, I chose to use XML files instead of SQL. This decision paid off when the benchmarking showed that the application functioned with minimal system load and proved impervious to the database load issues that Monster was suffering from at that date.

The other major goal of this project was to introduce ads to the quizzes. I added a side bar ad space that would reload with each question in the quiz. I provided the ad blocks with enough unique information to allow for both quiz and page-level targeting. This gave Monster the ability to make up to 10 cents per quiz taken. The whole project paid for itself within the first week of its going live.

Bowling Center Interface

Technologies:
• Javascript
• HTML
• CSS
• Photoshop
• WSH
• Batch
• PC Hardware

Description:
I created a touch-screen kiosk that is used behind the counter of a bowling center. It keeps track of which lanes are in use and how long the customers have been using them. It also calculates the cost to the customer.

I based the system on Internet Explorer (running in kiosk mode) and on a Windows XP platform. I created a start-up script that would boot the machine directly to Internet Explorer in full-screen mode. I had to design the interface with the touch screen in mind, and with novice users at the helm, I knew it had to be extremely simple to use.

The result was a simple touch interface, with the lanes listed on the left and the options on the right. I also accommodated the need to put a lane on hold and later reinstate or cash out the lane.

Overall, this was a fun contract because I was able to build both the computer and interface from scratch.

Business Partner Console

Technologies:
• Javascript
• HTML
• XML
• CSS
• XSLT
• ASP
• VBscript
• IIS

Description:

Library Tagging Application

Technologies:
• Javascript
• VBscript
• XHTML
• XML
• ASP
• IIS
• HTML
• CSS

Description:
The Advice tab of Monster.com is driven by the articles that were tagged with this tool. The redesign of Monster's content section required that the 2000+ hand-coded HTML articles be tagged and added to the core database. I was placed in charge of the data-tagging and conversion effort. In response to this challenge, I first created an ASP application that would import each HTML article, scrape out the core article text, and add the needed HTML tags to bring the code up to XHTML specifications.

I then created an intermediate SQL database and an ASP application to facilitate the editing and tagging that was required. The front end of this application is shown here.

This application was used by five editors over the course of a month to update, convert, and tag over 1500 articles. The process consisted of 11 steps, each being tracked by the system. When the article was completed, it was inserted into an SQL database, which was later added to Monster's master database.

This project took me two months to complete and was used by five editors who collectively put in over 800 man hours to complete the conversion and tagging effort.

Video Player Window

Technologies:
• Javascript
• HTML
• CSS
• ASP
• IIS
• Flash
• Video Convirsion
• WebTrends

Description:
This was Monster's first video player. I created it to fill a temporary but immediate need. Monster had just secured new video sources, including the Lost experience and Cube Fabulous, but had not yet secured a video-player solution. This flash video player was used for over a year, from 2007 to 2008, and provided Monster with ad revenue and the ability to serve up flash video.

I created this player in plain HTML with a flash SWF plug-in as its core. The player would play .FLV files that were served from Monster's FTP provider. All menus and ad blocks were hard-coded into HTML and uploaded to the live site.

I created a fully featured back end that would both upload .FLV files, and generate and check in the HTML needed to populate the pop-up's content. The back end application would also store the title, description, .FLV file, etc., in a local database. Using this application, I could preload video files and then schedule them to automatically go live at a later date.

This system was an interim solution, and, as a result, was replaced by Brightcove, which in some ways was less flexible, but it did have the major advantage of being a truly global solution.

Monster Newsletters

Real-Time Receipts

Technologies:
• XML
• XSLT
• ASP
• VBscript
• Javascript
• IIS
• WebTrends
• HTML

Description:
Constant Contact has a complicated billing system. As a designer, I was charged with simplifying the product selection page. The screen you see here is the solution I came up with, and the one in use today. The left side of the page provides users with a dynamic list of the potential products. It’s dynamic because, as the user changes options, the subproducts become visible and available for selection. The right side of the page is a running tally of charges, taxes, and savings accrued; this also dynamically updates.

This system works because of the discoverability it offers to the user. This page was tested on many users during two separate offsite usability studies. The results showed that every user (100%) walked away with a fundamental understanding of the pricing structure being offered. That was up from the 20% comprehension rate found from testing the original page.

Resources.Monster.com

I created resources.monster.com in 2007. The reason for doing so was to create a home for the various projects I was working on at the time. The site still lives today; however, it has since been gutted for its content.

When active, this space was host to many subdomains, including:

Education tab
Money tab
job fairs tab
Tool

These sites were tabs on Monster.com’s main navigation; they were created as microsites and sold to advertisers as such. I was responsible for their programming, upkeep, and site-traffic reporting. Accurate reporting was essential, as it provided a second confirmation that the paid ads were being properly charged.
I updated the sites hosted on this space many times a day, in response to new content and advertisers' demands. These were very well-trafficked sites, and, as a result, were very profitable subdomains.