https://www.salimenastudios.com/apprentice-branding daily 0.75 2018-07-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1531783653515-J9NF200QL1R310WC1XV1/fullsizeoutput_621c.jpeg Apprentice Branding https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1531783653515-J9NF200QL1R310WC1XV1/fullsizeoutput_621c.jpeg Apprentice Branding https://www.salimenastudios.com/work daily 0.75 2025-05-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1531788734237-FD624QU0BIC51UVMWEU9/MLK_w_iphone.png Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1531790407156-KVGKQJSVATVB0FL0JN2F/TLC_home.png Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1457568971678-00REK85V6O9X2O17334W/illo-portrait-head.jpg Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1453307629720-VXU62V9OYQD7Z46LI3F0/main.jpg Work https://www.salimenastudios.com/new-index daily 1.0 2021-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619653700781-N8AWZ6AUGNYPL9LB2GNG/Nearstory-origin.jpg Work Nearstory Origin The Nearstory idea came about while on a trip with my father driving an old pickup from Portland, Oregon to Chicago, Illinois. I decided to pursue the idea at the Stanford Graduate School of Business campus while my wife got her MBA. I sketched out thoughts, flows, data models and screens on the whiteboards in the GSB Library. Brilliant minds would stop and chat and offer thoughts. I loved that environment! I decided to test out the idea at Stanford Startup Weekend since I had a free entry from being on the winning team from the previous year. Out of 60 pitches, Nearstory made it to the final 10 businesses selected by the participants to work on over the weekend. We were rewarded with the Toyota Info Tech award! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619667957568-4CJOXE89AQPISB7PCG5N/MLK_relive_the_moment.jpg Work I Have A Dream (the Great Speeches in History Podcast) One of the many speeches that you can hear on the platform and should never be forgotten. The application gives you the ability to stand on the spot where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his speech and remember his time, his words and his dream. I envision a day where you can experience other voices that were there that day and transport yourself into their shoes. Then, be able to connect those accounts to other stories and how that moment connects to your town, neighborhood, or another movement in history. Deepening your connection to place and people. Give it a listen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619667558644-M217OG917XJPDJCJ0BMG/1_history_where_it_happened.jpg Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619667558052-6OJD2HF9BPT8641KX0WF/2_directions.jpg Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619667554624-MIENV8U9B4T0OLVDA891/5_destination_or_journey.jpg Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619667556577-61UPB3CDHMRR9MX4TVWR/3_discover_stories.jpg Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619667556729-X632Q4RYIU4F4TIX4MA6/4_forgotten_stories_2.jpg Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619667554531-RMJZGAKV7J43UILSLJ3C/6_producers_websites.jpg Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619651636876-PIPENKMBHTHRJWOC4D6C/Nearstory_what_the_hell_are_we_doing.jpg Work “What The Hell Are We Doing? A Nearstory Manifesto I had to get my ideas out onto paper to begin the branding process. So I started a manifesto to capture “What The Hell We Were Doing”. It gave me a starting point to create our mission, values, company name and our 4 word story. While also allowing me to play with style, look and feel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619668263789-ODBJLDV58PY8H7KYE0WA/Sullivan_Brothers.jpg Work Remember The Sullivans (Iowa Public Radio Archives) We need to do the best we can to keep memories alive, because people forget…especially the young. A lost story of 5 brothers serving together in WWII on the USS Juneau, were all killed in action on its sinking around November 13, 1942. Give it a listen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1531871453927-ISP64SAR51JQJ3NZ195D/crown_point.png Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1531871454030-716D8TFVWKULJ7IU79WT/db_cooper_pdx.png Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1531871462825-AAN6IB5JJNOLKZIPQSK1/mlk_dc.png Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1531871461713-AI1OPQNOB9DWXG2PLWGS/sammy_davis.png Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619650761778-2NFFZARNAQCT1A6JOZS5/Nearstory_hook.png Work Nearstory Hook Screenshot of the first slide in my Nearstory pitch deck. I have my hook down. You see it in the text above. I took the audience through a quick drive through the Columbia Gorge and helped them understand all of the forgotten stories that surround us everyday. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619647414782-073SVO3WR6DOJ912WP4E/Brian_Doyle_quote.jpg Work Brian Doyle Quote A quote from the author Brian Doyle from his book Martin Marten, it captured the essence of Nearstory so well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1531860998198-3KYMN6SJH2731RCIM1JF/columbia_gorge_nearstory.jpg Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619654601817-E5IU1NNL8VV3W78UBD49/Matter_pitch.jpg Work Matter Accelerator Presentation I sent in a long shot application to Matter in San Francisco and was asked to present. I made it through the initial round of presentations and was asked to complete a project to test out my assumptions on desirability, viability and feasibility by talking to customers and experts and presenting it to the Matter team. I had the worst possible outcome, I was waitlisted. Which meant I had to act like I was in and get prepared, but the odds were against me on someone falling through. It was still an honor to make it that far in such a prestigious program. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619676603788-YD9GPYPHPJ1H2IYYU89B/Uchicago_Consortium_thumb.jpg Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1618988130882-OI9J3DLX2HP7LTB8WQLG/Resource-Areas-Consortium.jpg Work Storytelling The design I created allowed the UChicago staff to group and highlight the key topics thematically and then guide users through a suite of related but distinct bodies of research, data points, visuals, etc. In turn, users could follow a narrative story while gleaning insights and data from academic research that would otherwise be inaccessible. The navigation on the left allowed users to sift through highlighted studies that compiled years of research and documents. Meanwhile, users still had an easy way to navigate into deeper content and studies if desired. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1618955441797-26J0HR8BWYH9FP1KLB19/wireframes_key_insights_Top+Resources.png Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1618955574597-TA4N57DH621PSW1N3KOT/Wireframe_dig_in.png Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1618955722756-BSBHZX6UZ6L1RGOK3RTW/Wireframes_resources.png Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619033696962-704U7B50XGTR2IOCI970/user_journey_teacher.jpg Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1618991437430-ZM5Q8VK6MVN3S4WY20KW/Uchicago-Consortium-iPad.jpg Work Page types: distinct designs to serve distinct user needs White paper page layout (left) has key questions or findings at the top to help the user quickly understand what questions the researchers were trying to answer and the big picture takeaway was from the research. The right column had all of the different downloads that each user type was looking for to share information or present to audiences. Key findings rotator layout (center) displayed topic pages to show the key findings and data points for each section. Just below the rotator are the top resources for each topic so researchers can get the top information quickly and dig deeper. Large case studies layout (left) allowed the staff to tell a story about a particular research topic that could involve numerous white papers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1618955788047-OY6LT8X019243N7R17ZE/Wireframe_additional_info.png Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1618987853652-31ICPUHQG751AIWA5XGU/Uchicago-Consortium-Navigation.jpg Work Navigation System: A simple solution for complex information A sophisticated yet elegant navigation system was critical to accommodate different user types and idiosyncratic research styles. In my design, the top nav is UChicago Consortium information and search. The main navigation is broken into Student Oriented Research and information on Organizations and Systems. The third navigation is for main topic pages; it helps users get into the information they need the most. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619033347098-WDIGQUA6AK0JHJ4BIQA9/8.jpg Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619679703349-QTTI02A2SIL7II0SKVVE/test-design_2.jpg Work A Quick Test: Design Challenge Prior to Hiring The company issued a design challenge before hiring me for the work: I had one day to read through interviews and mock up design solutions for the furniture shopping app. While the design brief was for 3D product visuals, the consumer insights gleaned from the interviews pointed to different frictions and solutions. I challenged the brief and presented solutions better aligned to what users were saying drove conversion. Some of these solutions were adopted even before my client engagement formally kicked-off. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619036826967-RRJKAUYFM3IY3AEA8RZA/friction_and_moments.jpg Work User Journey Once fully engaged, I dove rapidly into user research and interviews. Then, I mapped the user journey and visually pinned friction points to significant moments that had a significant impact on the users’ experience with the product or service. From here, I could prioritize pain points in a working triad: CEO + CTO + UX strategy lead (me). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619671555754-FGMJBZVI68NXZAIQ0698/persona.jpg Work User Personas and Profiles I developed detailed, relatable, and research-based consumer personas. This allowed the founding team to stay focused and grounded on their target consumers as we worked through the user journey and friction points. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619126668616-KL0RL1S8A1SKE88WFS1K/Teamraiser_Personal_Page.jpg Work TeamRaiser Personal Page Updated personal page layout that leveraged CSS and Javascript to make the Convio table framework responsive on multiple screen sizes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619120912417-E3BVA50QSGPOP8OEIPWZ/circle_of_friends_screens.jpg Work Circle Of Friends So many media queries! The updated TeamRaiser design working across all screen sizes. At the time it was a thing of beauty and a huge accomplishment that I am still proud of. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619672217358-TQFDNHHT90T1RPBLMFUL/Lurie-Childrens-Header.jpg Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619122844319-RRXKKFSZKULB03VQMGYP/Teamraiser_Email.jpg Work Fluid Email In 2012 it was extremely difficult to create a stylized email that was fluid and accessible on all screen sizes. We tested the email in Litmus to make sure that it would degrade properly and still be accessible in all email readers . It was a tough nut to crack at the time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619036826967-RRJKAUYFM3IY3AEA8RZA/friction_and_moments.jpg Work Navigation System https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619048905759-A0B5L3JE8Q6FKRDNRZ41/test-design_2.jpg Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619033347098-WDIGQUA6AK0JHJ4BIQA9/8.jpg Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1531866402745-GOJK70W96RZBJOGCYKU4/caves_mt_hood.png Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619134693221-K8M13JZCKCZ4LYMMCYX4/Uchicago_Consortium_thumb.jpg Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619136374020-QIRSB83ARCKINVF7TST8/Poster_on_desk_8.jpg Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619144688127-PEAX388FD25TP18GU2GQ/Luries_Childrens_thumb.jpg Work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619728215879-KXPCW4GDHL74BE5XI1F8/nearstory_iphone.jpg Work https://www.salimenastudios.com/vanguard-bureaucratic-suspense daily 0.75 2025-05-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452634113588-M32DA4VU1QCEBLOKWCBV/main.jpg Vanguard: Bureaucratic Suspense https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452633698923-SREVHETD6RNYH16WLS5K/full-landscape.jpg Vanguard: Bureaucratic Suspense https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1457568654663-XU9XK3PJ7V4Q9PR3OM65/close-portrait.jpg Vanguard: Bureaucratic Suspense - I envisioned political figures stuck in Capitol Hill like fruit in a gelatin mold. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1457568654685-KJ1URBHJSVCK5D1PUG3U/close-portrait-2.jpg Vanguard: Bureaucratic Suspense https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452633699077-35U8OWGO56S54W2RF8TC/magazine.jpg Vanguard: Bureaucratic Suspense https://www.salimenastudios.com/kipp-harbor-times daily 0.75 2025-05-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1456767403805-KN8Z62OADRLLPKN8YA4P/nytimes-main.jpg Kipp Harbor Times https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1456767279224-813H6OYK1363VPX4Y0MT/nytimes-main.jpg Kipp Harbor Times https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452557556634-PO1XOYQ0KN2HX9ADYKH6/close-landscape.jpg Kipp Harbor Times - I looked into our 34th president’s accomplishments and was interested to discover that he created the interstate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1457566638051-1LLPLYCRXOBTE8WAK8XB/head-portrait.jpg Kipp Harbor Times https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1457566638081-R7T7CSD19BDYHKWBAWH3/header-portrait-2.jpg Kipp Harbor Times - So I incorporated the meandering patterns of our highways into the fragmented design. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1457566875204-QCVG0UNW807VF00ACAUV/close-portrait.jpg Kipp Harbor Times https://www.salimenastudios.com/the-finance-pulse daily 0.75 2025-05-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452896039354-F8P5FPCM3V9HMWHWZ0FE/main.jpg The Finance Pulse https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452896039354-F8P5FPCM3V9HMWHWZ0FE/main.jpg The Finance Pulse https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452895911180-L6DBH16UX5HSJKKQVZQI/close-portrait-4.jpg The Finance Pulse - Futurists and climate change researchers agreed that after oil, the next great precious resource would be potable H2O. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452895911018-5UG8G3WWA6Y9TIC2E0AG/close-portrait-3.jpg The Finance Pulse https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1453239494610-7UD2HPU09F11AQSZQL37/cima-photo-2.jpg The Finance Pulse https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1453239494985-ZBDN9ZAEGKVHFK2PRUUE/cima-photo-4.jpg The Finance Pulse https://www.salimenastudios.com/a-berlin-guide daily 0.75 2025-05-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1453940592760-5OWKFJCJKG133RHSDOMK/main.jpg A Berlin Guide https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452709802560-MA4IIRVPEJEIZMK853S0/main.jpg A Berlin Guide https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452618821440-8XPUING788I0YWT0XX24/close-landscape-2.jpg A Berlin Guide https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452618821584-JWB346UOFML3MA2TT65D/close-landscape.jpg A Berlin Guide https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452725592955-X1079CSG1RCX64FODOMV/close-illo-2.jpg A Berlin Guide https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452725592953-F8PQRBTAV5IKQ0YD8VJK/close-illo-3.jpg A Berlin Guide https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452725593001-WS8ERGG75D6RD8IDVYAO/close-illo.jpg A Berlin Guide - This was my first time mixing typography and topography with the intimacy of a physical object. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452725394220-4UAYP6OKBL4TM79RH4X5/map-crop.jpg A Berlin Guide https://www.salimenastudios.com/morale daily 0.75 2025-05-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452703235511-ICK6K56XYNMW587G3U6D/main.jpg Morale https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452703235511-ICK6K56XYNMW587G3U6D/main.jpg Morale https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452703233250-IM5BFXP1MAIXWP6BDQM8/relax.jpg Morale https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452703235173-J8VISCZ1CRJIS9GD40K9/work.jpg Morale - The result was a six-piece collection of motivational words that, for me, hold a lot of meaning. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452703234323-7H1DDQUVRD9GBFVJNMQX/tone.jpg Morale https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452703231449-OX10SZHWJMNCP33LPG7P/create.jpg Morale https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/563bdd38e4b0283238934c89/1452703232145-5IIRH99I5BE7J0EK2MQY/laugh.jpg Morale https://www.salimenastudios.com/about daily 0.75 2021-04-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b4d25a155b02ca833ac4a35/1619571234220-2HY6BT5M3HKWWD1KUMAK/kdimoffphotography+salimena+2019-11.jpg About Live from the stage/my workspace https://www.salimenastudios.com/new-page daily 0.75 2018-07-17 https://www.salimenastudios.com/contact daily 0.75 2021-04-29 https://www.salimenastudios.com/new-page-1 daily 0.75 2019-03-18