Helium Case Study

Background

Helium Inc. was an online content platform that allowed writers to publish articles on various topics, share knowledge, and earn revenue. It provided a unique environment where users could write, rate, and earn from their content, fostering a vibrant community of writers and readers. HeliumContentSource.com was an associated platform enabling publishers to source quality content for their needs.

As a Senior UI Designer at Helium Inc. from 2009 to March 2014, I led the UI projects for Helium.com and HeliumContentSource.com. My role involved managing projects from high-level content strategy and information architecture (IA) to page-level wireframes and UI in a fast-paced agile development environments.

Key Responsibilities

1. Project Management:

• Led UI projects from high-level content strategy to detailed wireframes and UI design.
• Managed projects in an agile development environment, ensuring timely delivery and iteration.

2. User Experience Optimization:

• Optimized user tools and interaction design based on user polls, usability tests, and data analysis.
• Communicated with high-level stakeholders to address immediate user needs and UI corrections.

3. Development Collaboration:

• Provided detailed design specifications and flats to development teams.
• Collaborated with engineers to identify the best solutions for project requirements.
• Followed projects through QA to ensure successful implementation.

4. Advocacy for Responsive Design:

• Championed responsive web design and mobile-first principles across all projects.

5. Brand Management:

• Created, defined, and established Helium brands.
• Safeguarded brand standards across web, social media, print, and sales materials.

Key Achievements

1. UI Design and Development:

• Designed, prototyped, and followed through QA the design and development of key features including:
• My Helium
• Assignment System
• Inbox
• HowTo Guides
• News and Topic Pages
• Homepage redesign

2. Brand Restructuring:

• Played a key role in Helium’s brand restructuring.
• Brainstormed, designed, and developed the Helium Content Source and Helium Media brands.
• Managed the securing of intellectual properties and domain names.

3. Crowd Pleaser Publishing:

• Established and led Helium’s Crowd Pleaser Publishing initiative, overseeing the creative and editorial process.
• Published books written and edited by Helium.com’s user community on Amazon.com and Kindle.

4. E-commerce Platform Development:

• Key player in the design and development of the HeliumContentSource.com e-commerce publisher platform.
• Enabled publishers to self-serve, post assignments, and directly purchase stock content through this platform.

Outcome

Through these efforts, I significantly enhanced the user experience and streamlined the UI design process at Helium Inc. My work on brand restructuring and the development of new platforms and features contributed to the overall growth and success of the company.