Kyle Witt


About Me

I am a solutions engineer, journeyman electrician, small business owner, freelance web developer, and graduate of the Human Centered Design and Engineering (HCDE) Master's program at University of Washington (UW) in Seattle. As a pre-med student at University of California, San Diego (UCSD), I received a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Cognitive Science with emphasis in Human-Computer Interaction. Exposure to a variety of areas in the medical field left me with much dissatisfaction and upon graduation I decided instead to pursue my lifelong interests in computers and related technology.

Show More


In 2007 I founded OmniVolt, a small business providing services related to design and installation of mostly residential high-end audio, video, and control solutions, as well as providing complete electrical services. Through OmniVolt, among other activities, I designed and programed both digital and physical interfaces to provide simple integrated control of a wide range of technologies including security, communication, and entertainment systems, and a vast array of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Having spent considerable time educating a diverse clientele about new technologies and how to successfully interact with them, I realized people were often unable to keep up with the rapid pace of innovation surrounding interactive technology. Motivated by the troubling industry trend, I sought guidance through the HCDE program to enable development of control and automation products with inclusive user interfaces that better meet the needs of a diverse range of users such as older adults, persons with visual, cognitive or motor impairments, and those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Skills

  • HTML5
  • CSS3
  • Bootstrap
  • JQuery
  • JavaScript
  • Python
  • PHP
  • MySQL
  • MariaDB
  • SQLite
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Google Workspace
  • Microsoft Office
  • Sketch
  • InVision
  • Figma
  • Gliffy
  • Morae
  • OBS Studio
  • Tableau
  • Slack
  • Trello
  • VS Code
  • Windows
  • OS X
  • CentOS
  • Networking
  • Structured Wiring
  • Server Management
  • LAMP Stack
  • UX Design
  • UX Research
  • Construction
  • Electrical
  • Low Voltage
  • Home Theater
  • Control & Automation
  • Distributed Audio & Video

Experience

OmniVolt

Founder/President

  • Successfully wear all hats to manage an elite provider of audio, video, network, security, and automation solutions.
  • Establish and maintain productive relationships with high-end clientele by applying a human-centered approach to assess constraints and meet stakeholder needs.
  • Design and install systems which create streamlined, interactive, secure, and aesthetically pleasing environments.
  • Effectively educate and train users, offering product information to simplify and optimize applications of complex, evolving technologies.
  • Continually ensure annual business growth and profit increase.

kDub Web Design & Hosting

Web Developer/Server Administrator

  • Provide web development, server planning, implementation and support, including email and shared web hosting services.
  • Identify client requirements, deploy static and dynamic websites on a LAMP stack, and generate robust site content including graphics using Photoshop.
  • Manage and maintain multiple secure hosting servers using command line, DirectAdmin, and/or cPanel.

University of Washington

UX Research/Design

  • Collaborated with a diverse team at UW Medicine, including an MPH and OB/GYN.
  • Awarded $80k grant from highly competitive and fast paced Innovation Next accelerator program to use human-centered design (HCD) to develop technology-enabled solutions to aid in prevention of teen pregnancy.
  • Exhaustively applied HCD research and design methodologies to understand stakeholder needs, and ideate, plan, prototype, and iterate solutions while actively engaging our target audiences.
  • Successfully solicited an additional $110k grant from Power to Decide to continue efforts.

RocketTheme

Product Support Specialist

  • Customized premium Joomla templates using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and Photoshop with an emphasis on ease of use, optimization for the latest browser standards, and plugins for third-party integration.

Education

University of Washington

June 2019

Master of Science in Human-Centered Design & Engineering

University of California San Diego

June 2007

Bachelor of Science in General Biology
Minor in Human-Computer Interaction

Projects

Avvo Legal Form Evaluation

Generated valuable recommendations to drive design and functionality of legal forms product by creating and executing a usability study. User-centered research methods employed include screener survey, interviews, cognitive walkthrough method, think-aloud protocol. Tools used include an InVision prototype, OBS Studio, and Morae.

Dawdle, Visualizing Flight Delays

Created website using HTML5, CSS3, Bootstrap, JQuery, and Tableau providing intuitive, interactive visualization of flight data allowing consumers to find the most efficient, cost-effective, and on-time itinerary. Utilized human-centered research methods including personas and usability studies to drive development.

Sentio vLearning Platform

Developed business model for a virtual reality learning platform. Conducted market research, competitive analysis, and user scenario generation to guide interface design and key functionalities. Utilized Sketch, Photoshop, and Visio to create website wireframes, virtual reality app prototype, and task flow diagrams.

Trail Mate, Hiking Made Easier

Produced design specification for iOS mobile app facilitating hiker safety and preparation by providing custom trail and gear list recommendations based on hiker experience level. Leveraged user-centered research methods including surveys, affinity diagrams, personal inventory, and interviews to identify user needs, and create personas, scenarios, task flows, and prototypes.

Twitter Sentiment Analysis

Explored trends in Twitter ads and user sentiment relating to Valentine’s Day by authoring python scripts to collect 4.5 million tweets from the Twitter Rest API and insert into a MySQL database over a seven-day period. Data was processed with python scripts and MySQL queries. Tableau was used to facilitate data exploration through interactive visualizations.

View More Projects

RTiPanel Home Automation App

Designed and installed residential audio, video, networking, and control system complete with home theater, nine audio zones, and eight video zones. Utilized Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Fireworks to design custom icons and interface for RTI's RTiPanel iOS app. Implemented advanced programming to provide simplified and intuitive system control.

600 Hampshire Website

Developed custom Joomla CMS website using HTML, CSS, and JQuery to meet client specifications. Incorporated several third-party modules providing features such as Google Maps integration, extended contact form, and photo gallery. Generated all site content including building photographs, descriptions, and floorplans.

Titan Electric Website

Created custom Joomla template using HTML, CSS, and JQuery. Deployed Joomla CMS website with several customized third-party modules providing features such as extended contact form and photo gallery. Re-created original logo using Adobe Illustrator. Performed photo enhancements with Adobe Photoshop. Customized partner logos using Adobe Fireworks.

Get in Touch

me@kylewitt.com