Résumé of: Gary Swift

A unique set of skills and experience for software, systems and strategic design - an understanding of both user design issues and the underlying core technology:

A foundation in functional, human centered Industrial Design.
Expertise in systems oriented design, strategic design planning, problem solving methodology, and computer assisted design tools.
Professional experience with a variety of industries, governmental agencies and nonprofit institutions, providing solutions in product, graphic, architectural and environmental design.
Fifteen years of team leadership and program management in the UNIX software industry with focus on engineering policies, procedures and tools.
Proficient with Internet and Web technology (HTML, CGI, etc.), Interactive Data Language (IDL), Perl, PHP, Javascript, UNIX and Linux shell, and some C and Java.

Principal
Design MatriX (industrial and systems design consulting firm), Topanga, CA (1994-present)

Program Manager
SunSoft (software division of Sun Microsystems, Inc.), Los Angeles, CA (1991-94)

Senior Member of the Technical Staff
Interactive Systems Corporation (acquired by Kodak, 1987), Santa Monica, CA (1980-91)

Systems Designer
Schick Sunn Classic Pictures, Inc., Marketing Research Dept., Los Angeles, CA (1978-80)

Systems Designer
Social Engineering Technology (SET), Los Angeles, CA (1976-78)

Instructor
California Institute of the Arts, School of Design, Valencia, CA (1972-76)

Free-lance designer and educator (1971-83)

MFA: California Institute of the Arts, School of Design, Valencia, CA (1972)

BFA: Kansas City Art Institute, Industrial Design Dept., Kansas City, MO (1970)

A career in systems oriented design, methodology, implementation and project management:

Performed a user needs analysis, developed requirements, and designed and implemented the Graphical User Interface (GUI) and other functionality with IDL for the USAF's Improved Solar Observing Optical Network (ISOON). This was under contract to the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) for the USAF 50th Weather Squadron and Space Environment Center (Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Hazards Branch).
Provided expertise in systems integration, source code configuration management, release engineering, engineering policies and practices, and software tools for SunSoft (Sun Microsystems, Inc.). This included: managing Systems Integration and Release Engineering for Solaris 2.1 on x86, developing strategy and tactics to ship release 2.1 on the schedule for release 2.0, leading a team to merge Solaris source code for Intel and SPARC architectures, serving on various business, program and software engineering teams for Solaris 2.1 and 2.4, and participating in Sun's Software Development Architecture Team for engineering standards and procedures.
Led projects in UNIX operating system and application development, documentation, systems integration, quality assurance, release engineering and customer support for Interactive Systems Corp. (a Kodak company). This included: managing the company's first Systems Integration Team, developing software tools and test suites, promoting engineering standards, policies and procedures, and serving as Kodak's Quality Leadership Process (TQM, etc.) coordinator for Interactive's Product Division.

Performed conceptual design for stereoscopic glasses attached to Apollo Laser's image intensifier ("starlight viewer") for victims of retinitis pigmentosa and others handicapped by night blindness, anticipating today's stereoscopic virtual reality glasses.
Co-designed a modular aluminum structural system for mobile homes which can generate floor plans up to 33' x 55' (triple-wide), site-deliverable in a single-wide (11') deployable package.
As a free-lance designer to Century Plastics, Inc., designed fiberglass motorcycle accessories and promotional graphics for their office accessory product line.

Acted as methodology consultant to graphic designer, Lou Danziger, for the president's office and task force responsible for Atlantic Richfield's long-range corporate identity program.
Designed logotype and stationery for Cinex, a data subscription service for the film industry.
In association with Designworkshop, developed a systems design strategy for a state-wide graphic design, production, and distribution system for the University of California.

As part of a consulting team for Space Utilization Analysis Corp., developed a diagrammatic language and production process to illustrate space planning principles for municipal courts.
Contributed participatory design methods and architectural programming to the Watts Housing Corporation for a 104-unit housing project with a neighborhood arts center.
Served as a consultant for environmental design factors in community health policies for the Venice Health Council. Also designed the organization's graphics identity program.
Acted as systems design and methodology consultant to Mazal and Noriega Acociados, A.P., for a new community of approximately 10,000 native Americans near Torreon, Mexico.

As instructor at the California Institute of the Arts, School of Design, taught courses related to analyzing and solving complex design problems in a systems context. These courses included Design Theory and Methodology, Bionics, Pattern Language, Futures Forecasting, General System Theory and a project oriented Systems Design Studio.
Taught Introduction to Computer Graphics, UCLA Extension.
Delivered a presentation, Form As System, Context As Environment, concerning functional design in the built environment based upon morphological principles found in nature, School of Architecture, University of North Carolina.
Participated in the design of an environmental education system for the Office of Environmental Education, US Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW), including computer assisted components for environmental modeling, simulation and forecasting, networking and teleconferencing, and problem solving.
Helped develop a rural transportation workshop program for Social Engineering Technology. The program formed teams from leaders in the private and public sectors, connected them with transportation experts, and provided hands-on practice in problem solving.
Helped design a participatory planning and governance system for Southwest Community College in Los Angeles, including operations and governance manuals and methods for developing and funding new types of educational programs..
Acted as a design consultant for an educational program in futures studies and problem solving for Newport Neurosciences Center. Also conducted a modified Delphi study and developed an interactive futures game based on events cited in Orwell's 1984.

Designed methods, data bases and software for Schick Sunn Classic Pictures, Inc. marketing research. This included statistical regression analysis of historical data, Delphi studies and trend analysis for market forecasting, and decision trees and production rules (modeled after RAND's RITA artificial intelligence agent) for marketing strategies.
Helped design and prototype a market analysis program for FUGRO, Inc., a geological research and engineering firm, based on relevance analysis and Interpretive Structural Modeling.