Testimonials for Jim O'Brien

"Jim has a great knack for quickly building a rapport with his designers and supporting them in their day to day growth. He is an available manager who provided his team with dedicated, focused attention. Jim acts as a strong advocate for both their professional and personal needs with a particular focus on ensuring their personal needs are met. His teams were very fond of him as a manager and provided positive, unsolicited feedback of their appreciation for his management approach on several occasions.

Jim is an honest and sincere manager who approaches his professional life with the best intentions and goals. He is a team player above all else, working to drive the needs of the business or project above any personal desires or outcomes. His ability to organize a team, define and manage rituals and design methodologies, and provide mentorship to young designers would be an asset to any team."

- Jason Toth, Product Design Direct
Genesys

"I worked together with Jim for nearly two years. He is a superb colleague, friend and mentor. He is kind, friendly, and always share his experience and give useful advice. If he is in the room everything looks simpler.

I'd like to recommend him if you need an experienced manager or lead who can connect people easily, see problems in a right way, help his team growth as a designer and also personally...and make some fun."

- Tibor Hornyák, Product Design Manager
Genesys

"... Jim was a major asset to my team that consistently rolled up his sleeves and got the job done. He takes pride in his work and is passionate in every aspect of his role, which comes through in his deliverables and how he leads his team.

Jim was also an excellent manager and cared for his people through out his tenure at InsightGlobal. Any team that hired Jim would truly benefit from his experience and leadership. ..."

- Collin Taylor, Director of Digital Innovation
Insight Global

"... I have worked with Jim for several years and his work ethic and character are second to none. He has taken on several roles in the time that we have worked together, and he has excelled across the board, most recently as a member of our leadership team.

He is down to earth, easy to get along with, a master of his craft, and just a really great guy with high character and passionate about everything he takes on. ..."

- Zach Grieshop, Vice President - Technology & Innovation
Insight Global

"Jim is a very creative individual who will come up with solutions to challenges that will surprise you. He and I worked closely on an experimental project that ultimately became a new startup within Cox Automotive (Make My Deal). I thoroughly enjoyed working with Jim as we bounced ideas against each other, working toward a solution that eventually pleased both consumers and our primary client. I would be happy to work with Jim again any time in the future."

- Martin Krohne, Senior Manager Product Innovation
AutoTrader.com

"Jim leaves a strong impression with his contributions as a user experience architect. On my team, Jim was able to lend his well-rounded skill set to solve problems both large and small-feature-adds or holistic user paths were approached with equal passion and focus. Jim uses his drive for both detail and clarity to easily dissect any big picture into its many moving parts, and his enthusiasm for user-advocacy leads to smart, forward-thinking decisions."

- John Kay, Manager, Digital Experience Design
InterContinental Hotels Group

"Jim is a passionate and determined user experience designer. He always strives to place the user at the center of all design decisions and is very thoughtful about the little details that transform a product from simply good to becoming great. Jim strives to challenge that status quo and embraces product design innovation. In fact, he was the primary design on for a new product concept that Cox Automotive filed for a patent and has since become a new business."

- Kevin Gallagher, Sr. Director, User Experience
AutoTrader.com

"I have had the opportunity to work with Jim over the last four years across a variety of projects. Throughout those engagements, he has consistently been a trusted partner who can work through complex user interaction challenges with a simple, straightforward approach. Additionally, he always thinks through both sides of the interaction transaction which leads to holistic solutions that truly address the complete market need. As a Product Manager, I truly enjoy working with Jim because he often challenges the status quo and/or preconceived thinking which generates conversations that lead to a better solutions in the long run."

- Jason Remaley, Senior Manager, Product Operations
AutoTrader.com

"It is my pleasure to have worked with Jim for over 4 years, and I highly recommend him as a passionate, outspoken UX professional. He demonstrates a good rapport with project team members, and devotes himself to any assignment with a high degree of diligence. His interaction design acumen and project troubleshooting acuity have proven indispensable to our team."

- Peter Berndt, Visual Designer
AutoTrader.com

"Whenever I'm assigned to the same project as Jim, I know I can rest assured that the design phase will go smoothly. Jim's wireframes and other deliverables are always impeccable, and going beyond his job description to ensure the success of a project is just part of his routine. Even in a workplace with exceptional people at every discipline, Jim's combination of talent, effort and honesty makes him stand out."

- Andrew Golaszewski, Content Designer
AutoTrader.com

"Jim is an outstanding Interaction Designer. He delivers innovative solutions to complex problems and documents them with comprehensive UI specifications that clearly explain his work to others. His attention to detail is second to none. He enjoys reviewing the work of his peers, listening attentively and providing helpful feedback when doing so. I enjoy working with Jim very much and look forward to continuing to work with him into the future."

- David DeMumbrum, Interaction Designer
AutoTrader.com

"I had the pleasure of working with Jim on an AutoTrader.com project to redevelop the vehicle compare tool. Jim's contributions to the project went far beyond normal expectations, and the quality of his work is unsurpassed in my experience. Without impact to the project, Jim single-handedly raised the bar for user interaction design deliverables, and supported the team with pro-active collaboration, taking time to ensure all understood the intended user interaction experience, and that the design accurately reflected the needs identified by the business and product management. Would I work with Jim again? Absolutely, and without hesitation!"

- Dan Beckett, Consultant
AutoTrader.com

"Jim was a true asset to our project team. An articulate and incisive problem-solver, he was adept at simultaneously processing intricate details and assessing their potential impact on the big picture. Jim has proven himself to be a highly skilled interaction designer and the consummate professional."

- Justine Petruska, Sr. Content Designer
AutoTrader.com

"As Jim's peer, I have observed that he is adept at cutting through the issues and finding the path that will move a project forward. He is a committed advocate of the user and of the business needs driving the project. His work is always open to review by his peers so that his experience and sound judgment are augmented by his ability to listen and be flexible."

- Lon Hetrick, CUA, Interaction Designer
AutoTrader.com

"Jim and I worked together to strengthen site security at AutoTrader.com and I was very impressed with abilities: his designs were well-researched, highly usable and logical; he was customer focused (both external and internal); and he was pleasant to work with (he used his sense of humor to keep things positive and on track). Jim is a great interaction designer - I highly recommend him."

- Mark Carubia, Senior Product Strategist
AutoTrader.com

"Jim O'Brien is a thorough and detail-oriented interaction designer who is excellent at balancing design for user needs with an appropriate use of new technologies.He is persistent in his drive to "get it right" for end users, but he also understands the need to deliver a workable product, on time. Interesting, challenging, and often funny, he keeps his colleagues intellectually on their toes. A true professional in every sense of the word."

- David Johnson, Interaction Designer
AutoTrader.com

"Jim's strong analytical skills coupled with his experience with software and web development and design make him an excellent asset to our team. Jim digs deep into the problems faced on any project and explores all possible solutions to find the most appropriate one. While focusing on user interactions and information architecture, Jim has demonstrated a his broad knowledge of the full lifecycle dependencies in software development. I regularly engage Jim for honest and valuable feedback and respect his insights."

- Christopher Tranchina, Senior Interaction Designer
AutoTrader.com

"I highly recommend Jim as he is an outstanding interaction designer. Jim has tremendous knowledge and experience that he brings to every project he works on. He works quickly, but is also very thorough and detail-oriented. Given the opportunity, I would not hesitate to hire Jim."

- Matt Wallens, Manager, Interaction Design,
AutoTrader.com

"Jim is a consummate professional. He readily shares his working knowledge and is always striving to make things better. He can lead a team or add support and is always considered a valued member."

- Mark Sutton, Visual Designer,
AutoTrader.com

"Jim was the Product Designer when we revamped and significantly enhanced an existing data management web application. Jim took it upon himself to design a greatly improved user experience and provide very detailed and well written product specifications. His committment to excellence made my life a lot easier as the development lead. I highly recommend Jim and hope to have an opportunity to work with him again in the future."

- Matt Bauer, Software Architect,
Hanna Strategies

"Jim was a Product Designer for our Data Management team. He is very detail oriented, reliable and enthusiastic. Jim created very detailed and accurate specifications that could used by developers in the US and China to develop software. Jim could always be counted on to provide assistance to other projects and would get up to speed and add value very quickly. I would highly recommend Jim as an employee."

- Katy Lawrence, Development Manager,
Hanna Strategies

"You have contributed greatly to our projects, and I appreciate how much effort and care you put into your work."

- Patti Vrobel, Development Manager,
Hanna Strategies

"Jim proved to be competent as a designer and usability expert. Jim demonstrated a solid feel for the user and their experience and did a great job for Vertical Thought and our clients. I recommend Jim highly."

- Brian Leslie, President and CEO,
Vertical Thought

"I worked with Jim on a few projects where he acted as senior Information Architect. Jim is a great guy to work with; he's professional, methodical and always produced work of a high calibre. I look forward to having the opportunity to work with him again."

- Neil Kimber, Manager of Software Development,
Vertical Thought

"Jim took my very rough ideas and turned them into an award-winning website. Thanks to his expert design and development, my site is now the number one driver of clients to my small business."

- Cindy Crittenden, Owner,
Flourish Custom Fabrications

"Jim was an absolute pleasure to work with. He demonstrated the utmost respect for our team and presented us with great web and usability skills, Jim's great personality was a very welcomed trait for our team. Our only regret is that he left us!

I personally learned a lot from Jim and know that he will be a great member of anyone's team."

- Teresa Petty, Senior Creative Coordinator (Retired),
Georgia Technology Authority

"Jim has a reputation for being very strategic and yet is not afraid to roll up his sleeves. He proved to be very adept at understanding the significance of technological trends and recommending the appropriate implementation for the situation. His knowledge of both hand coding and user design experience is a valuable combination."

- Jeff Kuenn, Creative Studio Manager,
Georgia Technology Authority

"I worked with Jim on multiple projects and found him to be very professional and an excellent team member. Not only he did his part but also helped others in his team. He has a strategic approach towards projects and is current with his technical skills. He is a great asset for any team: Highly recommended."

- Nikhil Despande, Senior Creative Coordinator,
Georgia Technology Authority

"We collaborated to define customer requirements and deliver training to external customers. - Jim is sharp and focused, but not intimidating to non-technical users. - He constantly investigated options to make implementation easier for the customer. - Jim brings a "can do" attitude to the team and is a key player in a project's success."

- Nancy Rosenburgh, Business Process Consultant,
Georgia Technology Authority

"You have been able to help us clean up the mockups and figure out some major pieces of the information architecture of the site that were still undecided. I appreciate your guidance in this effort and your work over the past couple of weeks to get us as far as we are today with the UI."

- Karen Livius, Manager of Product Development,
Cox Search, LLC (Kudzu.com)

"Before he had been in place for six months, he had established the information architecture and interface framework for the future of all the products in the eQuality(TM) suite - no mean feat, given that these products range from a Business Analytics product, to an online learning management tool, to a recording and evaluation platform."

- J. Paul Harrison, Manager - Human Factors Team,
Witness Systems, Inc.

"Worked with Jim on pretty complex projects at Witness. He showed outstanding professional skills and passion for the work he did. One of the best UI specialists in Atlanta."

- Igor Babushkin, User Interface Designer,
Witness Systems, Inc.

"A valuable member of the web team & the mgmt staff. Successfully led the design on the complex adam.com project. Branding & web design for a subsidiary was revolutionary, which greatly increased market share within the Hispanic market. Responsible for a staff of designers and developers on multiple projects for our subsidiaries and web clients. Would not hesitate to work with him again."

- Raymond Yun, Manager of Information Systems,
DrTango.com, Inc./WebEntrada

"Jim was a highly effective member of the development team at DrTango.com. He served under me in the role of website layout website design and graphic design for multiple websites. He was a very conscientious worker and worked well in a team environment. I highly recommend him to be a productive part of any web development team."

- Mark Baker, CTO,
DrTango.com, Inc.

"Jim is a great designer and his work was often celebrated at DrTango."

- Isaac Dover, IT Manager,
DrTango.com, Inc.