James Stark

James Stark

Summary

Innovative and highly motivated Senior Director of UX and UI design, with more than 15 years experience creating compelling cross-platform products for millions of customers. Uniquely positioned at the intersection of design, development, and product to lead concepts from inception, through implementation, to deployment. A proven communicator with all audiences, from executives to engineers. Built and directed new teams with the goal of pioneering user centered design thinking within the product organization, and the enterprise. After successfully envisioning and planning the next generation of video services, currently leading the effort to implement across all platforms.

• Designed and launched TWC video products on 8 platforms
• Built Lean UX and UI design teams embedded in engineering
• Created usability and accessibility research programs for video products
• Started content curation team for metadata enrichment and curation
• Manage 1 MM budget for external projects and research
• Experience on all platforms; STB, mobile, tablet, online, consoles, streaming boxes (Apple TV, Microsoft Mediaroom, FanTV.)

Experience

CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS

Time Warner Cable was acquired by Charter Communications July 2016

Worlds second largest Cable MSO with 14 million video subscribers. Operating as an advisor, consultant, and contributor to product and business strategy groups, as well as stakeholder and designer for client and hardware teams. Conceive of new customer back concepts, pitch to executive management. Manage a team of designers and a $1mm budget for testing and external resources.

SENIOR DIRECTOR of DESIGN, VIDEO APPS, July 2016 - PRESENT

Create vision and set direction for video product across all platforms, including set top boxes, streaming boxes, game consoles, smart TVs, mobile and web.

• Work cross functionally with executives from video product, architecture, and development teams to define future strategy
• Conceive of and pitch new concepts to executive leadership
• Lead embedded creative team responsible for visual design on all video platforms
• Partner with industrial design team to ensure continuity across software and hardware

TIME WARNER CABLE

SENIOR DIRECTOR of UX & UI, 2010 - 2016

Create vision and set direction for video product. Represent user experience and the voice of the customer in the video strategy organization.

• Work cross functionally with video product, marketing, and strategy to define future strategy
• Conceive of and pitch new concepts to executive leadership
• Lead embedded creative team comprised of designers and engineers
• Built curation team for the enrichment of metadata 
• Introduced Lean UX practices to expedite design/development cycles

CREATIVE PRINCIPAL, 2008-2010

Design and implement the next generation video experience across multiple platforms.

• Build UI / UX team embedded within TWCs Converged Technologies Group
• Pioneered customer-back usability and accessibility testing strategies
• Managed $1 MM budget for testing and external design resources

SENIOR ENGINEER, 2003-2008

Development lead for video applications on embedded platform deployed to 12 MM customers.

• Provide Flash and application expertise within the engineering organization
• Work with architecture and platform engineers to define application strategy
• Lead small team of application developers
• Create Flash applications for 12 MM cable boxes at peak, e.g. Guides, Video On Demand Menus, DVR, etc.
• Work directly with 3rd party Flash player vendor to originate patterns and best practices for one of a kind Flash implementation.

Z-AXIS CORPORATION

Leader in developing complex visual simulations and evidence for multi-million dollar litigation and patent infringement lawsuits. Lead team of animators, multimedia developers, and graphic designers in the creation of scientifically accurate demonstrative evidence to be used in trial. Created standards and best practices, and trained junior team members on production tools.

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, 2000-2003

 Lead a team of animators and designers. Set production standards and create best practices.

• Work directly with client to interpret and implement presentation strategy
• Create ActionScript components, expressions, and patterns that not only produce common and repeatable presentations, but also stand up under cross examination in court.
• Developed and managed the conversion of 31.6 million lines of finite element analysis data from Weidlinger’s FLEX and SAP2000 programs into effective visual evidence resulting in $2.2 billion verdict

LEAD ANIMATOR, 1998-2000

 Execute complex 3D animations, motion graphics, and technical illustrations.!

• Troubleshoot technical issues.
• Train team members on production tools.
• Create animations, multimedia presentations, and info graphics depicting complex scenarios and events as demonstrable evidence for large litigations.

Achievements

PUBLIC RECOGNITION

• Top Pay TV Distributor App - Fierce Cable, 2013
• Offscreen Magazine, Issue #3, From Pen to Pixel
• New York Times re: Silverstein Properties v. Swiss RE Insurance et al., 2004

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

• CableLabs Winter Conference, Social in the Enterprise
• CableLabs Winter Conference, Video Experience: Lessons Learned
• Time Warner Cable MVP Awards, Puerto Rico, 2010

PATENTS

• US 9100709 - Content Selection and Playback on a Network
• US 9860590 - Pausing Playback on One Device and Resuming on Another
• US 9930417 - Live Video Browser
• PENDING - Transitioning Video Between a Mobile Device and a Television

AWARDS

• TWC’s Converged Technologies Group MVP, Awarded 2009
• Inaugural Branded Customer Experience Champion, Awarded 2009

Education