Don Relyea

Web:  www.donrelyea.com  |  E-mail:  don@donrelyea.com

Objectives: I am currently focused on IPTV and media convergence, I would like to stay in that space or in a related field. I enjoy problem solving, inventing, designing, architecting and prototyping systems.

Education
Southern Methodist University. Graduated May 1992.
BFA - Fine Arts (Printmaking)
BBS - General Business (Management Information Systems)
Intermediate C Programming Classes - Richland College

Software Proficiency
Director(13 years experience), Flash(10yrs), Photoshop(14yrs), Pro Tools LE, Final Cut, Reason, Adobe Illustrator, Homesite, Powerpoint, Visio, Microsoft embedded tools(C++), and most other Mac OS/Win NT programs and Internet development/Project Management tools.

Work Experience Overview
Nearly 14 years experience developing and designing award winning applications for TV, web and the desktop. 10 years of senior level development and team leadership in the multimedia industry. 11 years of experience implementing object oriented design methodology in applications and games. Many satisfied Fortune 500 clients.

Work Experience Detail
Jan 2006-Present Verizon - Lead System Architect – Verizon FiOS "Mercury" Design Team
Contribute technical expertise to the system design and body of patentable intellectual property. Work with design leads and programmers to build the best TV experience possible within the limitations of time, set top box hardware. Responsible for designing and building functional prototypes for the Verizon FiOS TV initiative in particular the "Mercury" project. Responsible for building prototypes for human factors testing.

Sept 2004-Jan 2006 Adea Solutions - Contractor – Verizon FiOS Design Team Tech Lead
Contribute technical expertise to the system design and body of patentable intellectual property. Work with design team and programmers to build the best TV experience possible within the limitations of time, set top box hardware, and middle ware. Responsible for designing and building functional prototypes for the Verizon FiOS TV initiative. Responsible for building fast customizable prototypes for human factors testing.

 May 2005 Freelance—Javelin Direct
Created a dynamic xml driven business presentation engine for Javelin Direct. The engine allows sales reps to customize a laptop or CD-Rom based presentation using forms to modify xml data. The engine then renders the presentation as a graphical interactive flow chart with dynamic text, graphics, audio and video.

Mar 2005 Freelance—Blockdot
Star Wars Hunt for Grievous game, the Chase (3d mini game) part of a Skittles.com promotion. The Hunt for Grievous was featured on the Conan O‘Brien show. (link to video)

Mar 2004-Sept 2004 – Senior Game Developer—Blockdot
Developed several online games. Da’Numba, Wordo, KT’s Impossibubble Adventure 2, E-Racer, SBC Olympic Games Field Events, White House Joust,and Badaboom. Developed Blockdot’s in game banner advertising framework that downloads 3rd party banners from ad servers for display within their games bypassing the typical security pop ups.

October 2003-Feb 2004 - freelance contractor
Contract game development for Blockdot, the Harvey Wallbanger game.
Contract web development for Javelin Direct client SBC(division of Rapp Collins).
Contract CD ROM development for Javelin Direct client SBC(division of Rapp Collins).

August 2001-Sept 2003- Director of Technology—Octopi Design/BigBrainGames


- Contract Internet work for Rapp Collins Worldwide on the SBC web site and Up2Speed Newsletter
- Contract Internet work for Rapp Collins Worldwide on the Energy America web site
- Provide shockwave games and content for bigbraingames.com
- Game design and level design for BugLord on Windows, Pocket PC and Palm
- Contract screen saver programming work for Rapp Collins Worldwide for the Sony Play Station Underground site
- Provide shockwave games and content for blackamericaweb.com
- Contract CD-ROM programming work for Rapp Collins Worldwide on the SBC sales CD-ROM
- Provide shockwave games and content for Footaction.com
- Provide shockwave games and content for octanegames.com
- let team of developers and designers to create games
- Nokia Mobile Application Developer Resources CD-ROMs versions 1-3 and version 3 in Japanese, each version was a 3-disc set

July 2001-November 2001 - Programmed the Masters of Traditional Arts cross platform DVD-Rom for nonprofit Documentary Arts.

January 2000-March 2001- Co founder AllGood Media/Creative Director
- Raised 5M for an Internet startup with partner.
- Designed 9 Internet applications with partner deemed patentable by premier IP attorneys Baker Botts
- Built a company of  over  75 people from scratch with partner
- Sat on a board of directors
- Staffed and managed a Creative Department of nearly 25 people

October 1998-December 1999-EDS -Senior Design Strategist
- Shockwave, Flash, and Rich media for The Sony Metreon site
- Designed and produced Chaos 2 Order capabilities reel
- Designed and programmed a variety of Internet applications
- Worked on the first human factors team within EDS

October 1997-October 1998-DDB Interactive-Director of Technology
- Manage all technical/production aspects of www.pepsi.com
- Supervise and hire all technical personnel
- Responsible for producing information architecture for all technical projects
- Responsible for recruiting and contracting programmers outside of DDBI’s core expertise for sites such as www.footaction.com
- Investigating Vignette as a work flow and content management system for L3 Communications
- Designed and programmed a variety of Internet applications

May 1996 - October 1997- Eagle River Interactive - Senior Producer
- Led a team of programmers in a variety of client projects
- Led a team of programmers in the development of the first “Web-ROM” for Ford
- Actively participated in the sales pitch process
- Designed and programmed some of the very first advertising sponsored Internet games
- Produced corporate sales presentations
- Produced catalog CD-ROM’s

August 1992 - April 1996 – Big Hand Productions- Producer/Programmer/Art Director
- Authored cross-platform multimedia projects
- Extensive Lingo programming for a variety of projects
- Developed a sophisticated reusable business presentation engine
- Designed movies on demand interface for first interactive TV trial for GTE
- Responsible for designing new program navigation methods
- Led team members to explore new interface conventions
- Produced corporate sales presentations
- Produced catalog CD-ROM’s
- Art Direction
- Interface production artwork
- Interface design
- Streamlined the CDI production process

 

Awards/Recognition:

Star Wars Hunt for Grievous game on Conan O’Brien March 2005

BugLord for Pocket PC has been nominated for Best Pocket PC Strategy Game of 2003 by Pocket PC Magazine!

F8 –(sound track work) 2001 Prix Ars Electronica, Honorary Mention, Sigraph Jury Honors Award

Featured Developer Profile Interviewed by Director Online

Spring 98--Featured Interactive Artist on www.drmartens.com . Nominated by Pyro Design

Pepsiworld:
-many shocked/flash site of days
-Several New Media Envision awards

ERI Extreme Snow boarding
-Shocked site of the Week
-Macromedia staff pick for coolest sports site of the year
-Boss Animation of the Day

Spike boarding - The Microsoft Network
-Shocked site of the day

Sega Online Recroom
-Shocked site of the day

Mikes Peak—www.gatorade.com
-Shocked site of the day

Big Hand Product Demonstration Disc CD-ROM—Producer/Programmer
-New Media Invision Finalist Award for Technical Excellence 1995

The Funtower Retail Kiosk CDI TV—Producer/Art Director
-New Media Invision Finalist Award for Technical Excellence 1994
-Association of Visual Communicators Finalist
-CD-i Association Silver 1994

CD-i Biology Interactive Course ware CDI TV —Producer
-CD-i Association Silver 1993