Colleen Nachtrieb

[email protected] Blog: http://seasidecorgi.wordpress.com/

Profile: Detail oriented Game Designer with a passion for developing engaging user experiences and game systems. +5 years of game industry experience as well as a keen eye for graphic art, interface functionality, UI/UX standards, and UI systems.

Strengths:  Exceptionally skilled at multitasking across both art and design disciplines.  Highly organized with the ability to plan and meet short term goals, build contingency options, while keeping higher long term goals in sight.  Thrives on learning new skill sets that build on previous knowledge; highly adaptable.  Challenged by taking on additional tasks to improve and streamline production.  Skilled at analyzing and formulating functionality throughout development and testing.

Technical Skills: Adobe Suite (Flash, Photoshop, Illustrator, Bridge, Action Script 2.0), Perforce, 3D Studio Max, Microsoft Office 2010 (Word, Visio, Power Point, Excel), Outlook, After Effects, Maya, Knowledge of C++, C#, JavaScript, HTML, Lua scripting, Traditional Art Mediums, Film Editing, UDK Game Engine, Unity.

Leadership & Management:  Led and mentored other designers and artists on various projects as well as researched and presented new theories/technologies relevant to upcoming projects.  Creates new solutions to difficult problems under limited timelines.  Innovates and improves existing work pipelines in order to iterate faster on design work.  Creates interesting encounters in gameplay resulting in an excellent end user experience.  Lead Designer on 3+ projects, collaborations and prototypes with 8+ released titles in the game industry.  Collaborated and drew feedback from the rest of the development team, promoting a sense of community and inspiration.  Created proof of concepts, maintained project documentation, and presented pitches to executives & development team that lead to fully released titles.  Documented and championed UI standards going forward on LEGO Universe and at 38 Studios. Game Design/UI/UX Design Implementation:  Passion for creating and implementing gameplay systems, user interfaces and game challenges.  Design owner for UI systems at 38 Studios, including world Map system, Window Standards and Depth Management Systems, Raid and targeting systems.  Designed UI prototypes, wireframes, and layouts across multiple aspects of LEGO Universe and 38 Studios, under strict technical limitations.  Implemented basic prototypes using flash in game using action scripting 2.0 as well as created prototypes in various game engines such as Unreal, and Unity with C# using in game play.  Designed layouts and implemented levels, along with collectibles, enemy placements and additional content.  Scripted various level hazards and enemy behaviors in Unity Engine (C#) as well as in house engine.  Prototyped game elements, balanced peripheral play and standard mote controls.  Animated and created sprites in Photoshop and Flash for mobile and DSi titles.

Professional Experience:

38 Studios Feb 2012 – May 2012 UI Game Systems Designer

LEGO Play Well Studios/Net Devil 2011 – 2012 UI Game Systems Designer

Budcat Creations/ 2007 – 2011 Lead Designer/ Game Artist

Guest Lecturer – TC3 Community College, Ithaca, NY Summer 2010

EGenisis Pittsburgh, PA 2006-2007 Artist

Vicarious Visions/Activision Summer 2003 Quality Assurance Tester

Education & Certifications:

BS| Media Arts and Animation 2007 Art Institute of Pittsburgh

BFA| Computer Graphics 2004 Syracuse University

Certificate of Leadership 2006 Art Institute of Pittsburgh

Published Game Titles:

1. Title: Unreleased MMO 38 Studios – Designed various UI related Systems 2. Title: LEGO Universe (PC MMO currently Live) 1.9, 1.10, 1.10x, 1.11 & 1.12 content releases. 3. Title: : ’s Adventure (Wii, short term level/content designer) 4. Title: Top Shot Arcade (Wii with shot gun peripheral, release scheduled 2011) 5. Title: Pix Maze (iPhone mobile game) 6. Title: 3: Legends of Rock, & GH: Metallica, & GH: Aerosmith (PS2 & Wii) 7. Title: Our House Party (Wii) 8. Title: Blast-works: Build, Trade & Destroy (Wii) 9. Title: A Tale in the Desert (PC MMO): Created 3d art assets and implemented assets in game world.) 10. Crash Nitro Kart (PS2, ) – QA Tester