Alexei Rebrov

Nissan & Infiniti Autoshow iPad Stand

I was an UX designer on a project for Nissan & Infiniti Autoshow iPad Stand. I made team presentation and delivered wireframes and clickable prototype.

HomeSense iPhone Application

I was a Senior Information Architect on a project for HomeSence with Uproot team. We designed an app which lets business owners advertise new furniture collections and lets users find HomeSense store locations

Nissan Innovation Challenge, 2011

I was a Senior Information Architect on complex Nissan Innovation Contest project. I created User Flows, Site map and annotated wireframes. This project had multiple stakeholders and I had to be sure to include opinion of everyone into all documents I delivered. Complex user flow affected site structure and layout of most pages.

Travel & Escape, 2011

Through our common friends Mighty Digital team invited me to work on IA for complete site redesign of Travel & Escape site promoting travelling TV show.

During multiple brainstorming sessions we figured out digital strategy and a site structure. Those meetings were full of creativity and humour. It was close collaboration of account and creative teams.

I delivered sitemaps and fully annotated wireframes. Client loved our work.

Integrated Cancer Screening, 2011

I love working with Proximity team. The process always is well defined and accurately monitored. This project was no exception. I worked on IA for Integrated Cancer Screening site of Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.

The challenge with government sites is always to convey a message and its importance within constrains of templated page layout and complex site structure.

Proximity team was very professional. We delivered IA in time and within a budget.

Working It Out Together, 2011

I am happy to be a part of a Working It Out Together  project based on famous TV show with the same name.
I created a complete set of sitemap and wireframes in close collaboration with account and tech teams.

Precima, 2011

Working on Precima.ca I met great team at Direct Antidote and Capital One. Through multiple working sessions included client we defined site requirements and general functionality.

Direct Antidote team is great and they always know how to make client happy.

Jonah Group for RouteOne, 2010

Jonah Group engaged me as Senior Information Architect for one of the company main client's site redesign.

During 12 hours interview session with the client team I figured out main goals for the site and clients business model. I put together detailed sitemap and wireframes followed by client presentations.

Client was very satisfied with process and delivered visual documentation

Best Buy Blog, 2010

I was a Senior Information Architect on a project for Critical Mass team for Best Buy blogging project. We had to find a solution for main and contextual navigation.

I developed sitemap and annotated wireframes.

Syncapse for BlackBerry, 2009 - 2010

Over time I was involved as Senior Information Architect in various RIM BlackBerry projects for Syncapse such as BlackBerry channel on YouTube, BlackBerry widget for iGoogle, BlackBerry page on Facebook, Mobile BlackBerry and My BlackBerry.

All projects are functionality oriented and all wireframes have to be fully annotated.

It's always exciting to work with Syncapse team.

Labatt - Beer Fridge Facebook App, 2009

I created userflows and wireframes for Labatt Facebook application.

I had to discover Facebook and PayPal API requirements and incorporate all findings into userflows diagrams and wireframs.

LiveCareer Online Resume Builder, 2009

It was an ambitious project to build a web-based text processing engine to compose a resume online using .NET and Flex.

I spent two weeks in San-Francisco, CA where I met and interviewed all project stakeholders to understand and document the business model, learn about competitors and discuss preliminary userflows and use cases.

Later, back in Toronto I wrote Functional Specification for the application and the web portal, created detailed Userflows and Use Cases for various personas, designed Sitemap and went through 8 iterative revisions of Wireframes.

It was details oriented project with many conference calls. All possible scenarios had to be taken into consideration.

Easy.Staples.ca, 2008

I worked with MacLaren team to put together requirements and architecture for marketing blogging and promotional site for biggest MacLaren client, Staples.ca

During this project I led team of designers and copywriters through discovery and design stages of a project.

Presenting my POV to stakeholders I proved that easy.stapes.ca is a good choice for the client as it's easy to get, maintain and it has natural connection with "That was easy" ad line.

I developed sitemap, complete set of wireframes and user flows. It was iterative process of client presentations and team reviews.

This project was a big success and client was very happy. Team was great. Account management played very important role in establishing effective way of communication with the client.

Cogeco Complete Connection, 2007

Together with Ogilvy team we developed concept and all visuals to promote Cogeco Complete Connection. Project's challenge was to deliver message in simple yet compelling way to target audience. Our research indicated that average user will make a decision contact sales office only if one intrigued by visual design and got enough information to start discussion.

I worked on this project in close collaboration with Ogilvy Montréal office. We had meetings in Montréal and Toronto offices. I made a Information Architecture presentation followed by detailed discussion on functionality and use cases.

This project was a good example of understanding between marketing, account management and architecture teams.

Wheels.ca, 2007

This project was about speed and flexibility. There were many people who wanted their opinion counted and there were technical and time constrains.

It was interesting to work within publishing industry with real professionals.

DHL.ca — complete site redesign, 2006

Most challenging in this project was to grasp complex business logic and reflect it in dynamic yet intuitive information architecture. My previous experience such as building sports betting portal and accounting systems for trading companies was extremely handy.

I put all my knowledge into HTML prototype and extensive cross connected Help system.

Team was wonderful; client was easy to work with. This project is a big achievement.

Web 2.0 CMS for Media Sharing Library, 2006

Working in Vizible Inc I had perfect opportunity to dive deep inside Web 2.0. Just to name some of services I took a close look at YouTube, Pandora.com, Last.fm, Blogger.com, MySpace.com, TagWorld.com, Flickr.com, del.icio.us, Wiki, Google Maps and much more.

I documented, designed and developed HTML prototype of CMS for personal and corporate multimedia "spaces". It was very challenging task as system should combine different levels of complexity depending on user's role. CMS could be used by music channel administrator for one of big record labels or independent musician. System should combine e-commerce features and be intuitive enough for not tech savvy. System needs to be as close as possible to modern trends in UI architecture. AJAX was the must.

In my development as usual I followed principals of separation presentation layer from data layer keeping in mind that system possibly needs to be redesign and adjusted to partners requirements. As result in my HTML code I avoided using tables for layout and any design was done through CSS. Prototype worked in all browsers and was ready for AJAX-Java coders.

This project was very interesting as I went through all steps from features gathering to concept visualization and final development and design at the end.

Online Casino and Sports Betting portal, 2005

It was huge project and I am very lucky that I participated on it from very beginning to the end.

Sports betting industry is very competitive therefore it's very demanding to usability of web interfaces and high speed back-end.

This project consisted of a public site and custom content management system with two major parts: casino management system and betting engine with call center.

My role was to define workflow and user stories and to build the user interfaces for portal administration and public site. I delivered Visio wireframes and design mockups in Illustrator.

CMS sunctionality included: Line Management; Order Entry; Customer Service and Account Management; Profiles Maintenance and Horse Racing Management.

Public site channels included Account vertical, Betting, Casino, Industry News, Horse Racing and Help

I delivered fullyfunctional prototype in SHTML with CSS with AJAX support.

Sympatico-MSN music channel, 2005

Sympatico is one of biggest internet providers and MSN doesn't need any recommendations.

Most challenging in architecture for Sympatico-MSN music channel was to understand all relationship between business parties and all political tensions inside organization and take into account all design and functional suggestions management team had during brainstorming sessions. MSN design style and branding added lots of constrains.

I created Vizio mock ups and Illustrator design for most important pages including branding.

This project was interesting and very challenging in same time.

First Canadian Title - FCT.ca, 2005

FCT protects home owners by issuing title insurance policies and resolving related claims. In 2004 First Canadian Title issued more than 561,000 title insurance policies and guaranteed services. It’s company with more than 500 employee from coast to coast.

FCT works in close collaboration with government institutes.

Government of British Colombia needed an automatation of the application process.

I delivered solution architecture and prototype. I also was a team leader and project manager.

I designed a solution that prepopulated PDF forms with VB using Adobe PDF SDK.

In my charge was make samples of XML, XSD, XSL, PDF form, VB6 code and present fully functional prototype to client.

My role also included incorporation of Navantis product with FCT application and knowledge transfer. In couple of meetings with FCT developers our solution were fully commented and clarified so FCT can maintain it on its own.

Honda Canada - site redesign, 2004

I participated on earlier stages of this project defining site architecture and functionality. Later my Visio mock-ups and ideas as part of full site documentation were base for site design

On a development stage I was a User Interface Architect & Lead Developer.

As UI architect I defined Flash-XML-CMS solution and Flash-Flash relationship. It was very challenging as some templates were overloaded with multimedia components and interactive JavaScript functionality.

In this project in my charge were also templates development and its implementation control. As a starting point I got some important site screen shots. I decided to make as much as possible through CSS so it would be easier in future change feel and look of entire site section without reprogramming. Especially it was wise because many pages are MS CMS template based.

Incorporating Flash menus and Flash multimedia pieces (video player, advertising rotator) with MS CMS, where all content are stored, wasn't ease task. My experience of previous Flash/CMS projects was very handy and saved us much time.

I have a lot of ActionScript experience so PM (Austin D'souza) of this project relied on me in development of some important Flash elements of new Honda site. I planned, designed and developed video player, ad banner rotator, news rotator. (You can see them on Honda.ca front page and Honda homepage.)

This project was challenging, very efficient in time and development models. I really enjoyed being a part of it. Team was just great!

David Rocco, 2004

• Site Architecture
• XML planning, coding
• Flash development
• ActionScript 2 programming

This project was all about design.

Challenging navigation system and scenes' boards with different type of information made this project especially interesting for me.

I programmed this site as one solid peace with embedded pictures of background for 7 scenes and 13 episodes. It gives me ability to bring user directly to selected scene avoiding annoying pre-loaders.
In the same time all extensive media files as music, video and photo galleries for characters are external so they may be changed on any minute and and this doesn't effect movie size and loading time.

I am very proud of a final result. Check this out!

Honda Flash Mini sites, 2004

• Site Mock Up
• Site Architecture
• Site design (Adobe Illustrator)
• Flash development
• Action Script Coding
• XML modeling/prototyping
• MS CMS integration

Main purpose of this project was to create a universal flash mini site, which can be used for multiple projects and models or its' features.

Intention was to give client ability to enter content without complex html coding to avoid hiring skilled programmers. And Flash client application was used to give user bright and remarkable experience though content itself is technical or scientific.

Therefore this project was based on MS CMS server which communicates with client-side flash application via XML.

Based on result and good user response client decided to multiply it's success and two more projects for marine products and engines are in the progress.

AECL (CRM Portal), 2003

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) markets and sells atomic energy to governments and crown corporations worldwide. In an effort to streamline its 30 disparate locations, 4,000 employees and sales cycles averaging 10 years or more, AECL commissioned Navantis to construct an intranet-based Customer Relation Management (CRM) application enabling AECL to share customer information, documents and sales opportunities. The solution also comprises detailed information captured about key decision makers involved in AECL’s sales cycles. The solution was built in eight weeks using Microsoft Visual Basic.NET. It integrates with an existing Oracle 8i data structure as well as PeopleSoft, both of which previously existed in the customer environment. The solution implements industry-standard permission-based security using Microsoft Active Directory. It is in daily use today.

My role was to develop all front end files ready for .NET programming. Developers were very much satisfied with my code comments and development process went very quick. QA had just few comments.

Scotia Bank, 2003

The Bank of Nova Scotia is one of Canada’s top five banks. Navantis developed an innovative and fully-functional prototype solution for Scotia bank which enabled the bank to conduct key focus group studies as a preliminary step to transitioning their commercial account applications onto a web-based platform. This approach allowed Scotia bank to validate their approach and the application prior to moving into full fledged development, thereby minimizing risks and reducing later development costs.

In my charge was to find a way to simulate database functionality to store all data from forms user submit and retrieve that data when user navigate to others forms.

The one major limitation and main challenge of this work was a fact that prototype should be “simple” and absolutely independent application that can be easily restored on any windows box. No installation allowed.

I found a way to build the prototype using XML, XSL and DHTML wrapped in HTA.

Inside HTA environment JavaScript can manipulate with Microsoft .XMLDOM and local file system.

Final prototype version included about 40 forms.

Working with prototype focus group did not recognize that application was not fully functional web site.

CBC Shop, 2003

• Microsoft Commerce Server 2002 Enterprise Edition
• Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition
• Microsoft Retail Management System (RMS)
• Microsoft .NET
• C#

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) is Canada’s public broadcaster. Its Merchandising department is responsible for indexing and prioritizing, marketing, and selling merchandise derived from CBC media properties, such as television or radio programming. In an effort to overhaul its online merchandising offering, the CBC commissioned Navantis to construct a more scalable and manageable e-commerce solution. Navantis built a user-centered online storefront using Microsoft Commerce Server 2002; a catalogue management back-end tool based on Commerce Server’s Business Desk management application; and a flexible browser-based order management tool which fully integrates with Microsoft’s RMS POS system, which the CBC uses to manage its inventory and sales in its physical merchandising store.

Advanced features of the online store include coupons; electronic gift certificates; online product reviews and ratings; synonym-based searches; and a wish list.

I delivered all front-end templates ready for back-end integration.

Real Estate Portal (custom CMS & CRM), 2002

I was a solution architect for real estate portal. I interviewed business owner and did a market research and proof of concept programming.

Portal Features

• Custom number of pages with flexible laout and design
• Custom Flash presentations text and slides;
• Email broadcastingof Flash presentation in ZIP format;
• Broadcasting system with scheduled tasks;
• CRM database;
• Real Estate listings.

Implementation examples

• www.mm4a.com (MoneyMaker)
• www.garyjsullivan.com
• www.propertiesindurham.com
• www.emailhomesforsale.com

I also programmed moneymaker4agents.com with Visual Tours in Flash 5 and automated client registration with full account setup.