I am a digital media enthusiast and an IT polymath (If I may be so bold!).  The info-graphic on my home page says a great deal about ME.  Using Wordle, I decided to plug in my resume, cover letter, and other miscellaneous information from blog posts, twitter,  etc. to find out what sort of “online image” I had (Note to self: Great app idea!) , and the result was honestly not a surprise.  As an Economics major, who went on to start-up his own Enterprise Software Company, I tend to live and breathe  the terms “Enterprise,” “Business,” and “Management”. What can I say, I find Enterprise Software Sexy… The entire industry is about helping people make better choices, and as a student of Economics I studied how to make good choices… Frankly, it is a natural fit.

I was very happy to see “Design” and “Experience” show up large on my info-graphic, as well.  One thing, that I have learned through my experience in the Enterprise Software Start-up world is that in today’s world of information glut, information architecture and design is critical in helping drive great decisions…. And  no, this does not mean pretty pictures on every screen.  I remember in early 2000, when BI and Dashboards were all the rage… A glut of BI dashboard company’s came onto the scene with fancy pictures to “help executives make better decisions.”  I am sure many executives were offended, because many of these products basically implied that a top executive’s job could be boiled down to a game of red-light, green-light.

Well designed software, architects information at the point of need for a user, empowering them to take appropriate actions.  It does not always tell them what that next step is…

With that being said… I see Information Visualization, UI design and UX design as the competitive edge in web 2.0 and 3.o software. Data is the new commodity, and finding effective and unique ways to tap and use it is the “secret sauce” driving competitive advantage on the web.  Functionality and ease-of-use are now defacto standards, and UI is now becoming synonymous with Quality. As a result, I believe Human-Centered Design principles should be a core component of almost every company’s operations strategy.

As you may have already surmised, I am passionate about the nexus of Business, Design, and Innovation. Between the lines of my info-graphic is the one word that I believe is missing: “strategy.”  I am a natural born strategic thinker.  I think one of the reasons I find the entrepreneurial life-style and the Enterprise Software Industry so appealing is that every component of their respective operations is strategic…. I love the challenge.

Nice to meet you and hope to hear from you.

Best Regards,

David