President & Founder
Nicholas M. Simonelli, Ph.D., CPE
Summary
Over twenty-five years experience in a self-owned consulting business and Fortune 500 companies conducting focus group research and user experience research (hardware and software); designing user-computer interfaces; creating and managing usability labs; rapid prototyping; developing research programs; increasing company awareness of ergonomics/human factors issues; and managing design and standards efforts. An established programmer, writer, lecturer, and presenter. Strong organizer.
Work Experience
| Performance Research & Design | 1993 - present |
Founder and President Consulting and training in User Experience research and software design. |
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| Prodigy Services Company | 1987 - 1993 |
Program Manager & Manager, Development Support Program Manager & Manager, Human Factors |
1990 - 1993 1987 - 1993 |
Established and managed the Usability Laboratories, including facilities, research programs, and personnel. Managed interface standards development and promulgation; software development projects; coordinated external consultants. |
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| The 3M Company | 1979 - 1987 |
Human Factors Engineering Specialist Senior Human Factors Engineer |
1982 - 1987 1979 - 1982 |
Provided company-wide usability product consultation, including user experience, safety and liability, warnings, controls and displays, user documentation, etc. Internally marketed the services of the Human Factors group, creating an expanded awareness of human factors and usability issues. |
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Other Experience
| Associate Editor, Ergonomics in Design | Since founding in 1992 |
A magazine format publication of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. |
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| Chair, Consumer Products Technical Group (CPTG) | 1987 - 1989 |
Technical Group of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. Duties included overseeing the biennial Interface symposium series. |
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| Editor, cp news (quarterly CPTG newsletter) Organized and chaired Interface 85 |
1984 - 1986 May 1985 |
The Fourth Symposium on Human Factors and Industrial Design in Consumer Products, St. Paul, MN. 220 attendees. |
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| Founded Simsoft | 1981 |
A company specializing in software for Commodore home computers; created TaxWare , tax preparation software for the Commodore 64. Successfully marketed the product and licensed it to a commercial publisher |
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Presentations and Teaching
| "Human Factors in Product Development" in The Concept Definition Phase of Product Development -- Gaining the Leadership Edge, Univ. of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 1986. |
| "Product Design" in Industrial Ergonomics - A Factor in Productivity and Quality Improvement. Indiana Labor and Management Council, Inc., Indianapolis, IN, 1986. |
| Course instructor in Graphical User Interface Design for Weinschenk Consulting Group. |
Selected Honors
| George E. Briggs Dissertation Award, The Society of Engineering Psychologists, recognizing original research in engineering psychology. | 1980 |
| Best student paper award, annual meeting of the Human Factors Society. | 1978 |
| Dartmouth College: First place, John G. Kemeny Prize in Computing Applications. | 1972 |
*Certified Professional Ergonomist. Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics (BCPE).
