Lebenslauf
Dirk Zimmermann, 50668 Köln, Germany, email
Objective
To support a leading software development organization in making usability, user and market needs the foundation for all business and product decisions. Building on my broad experience in User Centered Design, I want to introduce best practices for product analysis and design, foster a common mindset focusing on the end user, lead and coach individuals towards established goals, and implement a predictable and reliable set of business processes for all relevant divisions in the organization.
Career History
February 2007 – Present
T-Mobile Deutschland GmbH, Bonn, Germany
Senior Usability Engineer, IT CRM Solutions
Responsible for CRM applications for both internal users and customer self care (context and requirements analysis, concept & design work, prototyping and evaluation). Implementation of usability best practices, knowledge building, definition of standard processes and procedures, integration with software engineering processes.
May 2006 – January 2007
Siemens Business Services, Paderborn, Germany
Universal Design and Design for All Consultant
Planned, conducted and managed projects in the Design for All area, i.e. designing products for the widest possible target group, including users with motoric, sensoric or cognitive impairments, as a member of the central Siemens Accessibility Competence Center. Consulting for Siemens divisions regarding the inclusion of specific Design for All requirements throughout the product lifecycle. Project manager for research projects on the development of appropriate assistive technology, ambient intelligence and multimodal control and monitoring devices.
May 2003 – April 2006
Siemens MED HS, Malvern, PA, USA
Product Manager: User Interface Concept & Design
Responsible for all user interface design business processes in the product management of a healthcare information system: requirement management, solution development, solution validation. Managing a team of 14 UI Analysts/Designers. Primary UI contact point for internal and external stakeholders, responsible for project planning, project monitoring, resource planning, staffing, coaching & mentoring.
- Implemented a repeatable and predictable user centered design process in the organization, covering use case based requirements analysis, iterative UI design and user validation
- Influenced quality management organization to incorporate UCD best practices in company standard business processes
- Established ownership and decision authority for the complete system UI design
- Networking with ancillary departments to introduce UI design best practices, e.g. Marketing, Sales, Technical Design, Testing, Implementation
- Successfully completed 4 UI analysis projects; received positive usability feedback
- Increased team size from 4 to 14 over 2 years, assuming responsibility for up to 8 concurrent analysis projects
- Continuously optimizing processes, methods and techniques to improve team efficiency; several publications on the implementation of user centered design
- Developed and implemented division-wide UI standards & styleguides
April 2000-April 2003
Siemens C-LAB, Paderborn, Germany
Head of “Interactive Dialog Systems” Group
Responsible for acquiring, planning & managing industry and R&D projects in the area of user-centered design, usability testing & expert evaluation, eye-tracking & UI benchmarking. Primary contact point for customers, responsible for project management, status and result presentations.
- Acquired various user centered design industry projects, ranging from 1 month to 1.5 years total duration, mainly in the Healthcare domain.
- Networked with potential collaboration partners & generated successful research project proposals for several funded projects, e.g. B2B-ecom, Memphis (both in the European Union IST program), BEYOND (in the EU ITEA program)
- Planned & managed projects to meet timelines & budgets in research and industry areas (see research projects above; Lycos Online Store, Siemens Med HIS, HP Online Support Site)
- Hired, trained and managed 6 team members
April 1998 – April 2000
Siemens C-LAB, Paderborn, Germany
Usability Engineer
Responsible for assessment of user requirements, use case development & assessment, development of interaction concepts & designs, design of user interfaces and prototypes, user- and expert-based evaluation of Windows- and web-applications, eye tracking studies on user reactions to websites, benchmarking against competitors. Development and optimization of methods and techniques for requirement engineering and user testing in various customer and research projects. [...]
- Completed several industry usability testing projects (e.g. Siemens Internet Site, Bertelsmann Online Bookstore, Expo 2000 Visitor Information System, Lexware Taxman) with various evaluation methods, e.g. task based testing, focus groups, paper prototype testing
- Worked on user centered design project in the telecommunication area (Siemens ICN), performed task analysis, developed information architecture & screen concepts
- Lead User-Centered-Design-related work packages in funded research projects, e.g. PROCAT-GEN (in the EU IST program)
- Performed research studies on several emerging technologies, e.g. Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), Augmented Reality (AR)
- Published several papers on user centered design and usability evaluation topics
- Set up own Usability Lab with video/audio recording, eye-tracking equipment and integrated data analysis software
April 1996 – November 1997
Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
Researcher, Project Leader
Responsible for the project: ‘Virtual Groups in Organizations’ of the state-funded Multimedia-NRW initiative, assessment of user requirements and design of a prototype for workflow-management in research-projects. Also responsible for overall IT administration, hard- and software purchasing
- Participated in the project proposal generation (to obtain funding through state authorities)
- Defined project tasks & deliverables (requirement analysis, object model)
- Interacted with technology partners (definition of handover points, understanding technology constraints)
- Performed requirement analysis for a research task (collaborative generation of a research paper)
- Generated input to prototype development at technology partners
October 1993 – April 1996
Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
Student, Research-Assistant
Assisting in research-design, data collection and statistical calculations for a software-evaluation-study, programming of components for a Diagnosis-Information-System supporting maintenance-tasks in engineering.
- Developed navigation aids in a hypertextual Decision Support System: History Function and Fisheye View
- Participated in evaluation study setup (definition of tasks, evaluation criteria, measurements, methods)
- Conducted 20 evaluation sessions with potential users
- Performed statistical analysis: Descriptive Data & Inferential Findings
Education & Skills
Education:
- Abitur (University-Entrance Diploma), Hellweg-Schule, Bochum, Germany (1980-1989)
- Studies in Psychology, Economics & Work Sciences, Diplom (M.S. equivalent) in Psychology, Ruhr-Universität, Bochum, Germany (1990-1996)
- Post-Graduate Studies in Industrial & Organisational Psychology, Ruhr Universität, Bochum, Germany (1996-1997)
- Post-Graduate Studies in Computer Science, Universität Paderborn, Germany (1999-2002)
Language Skills: German, native; English, fluent; French, conversational; Spanish, basic; Portuguese, basic; Dutch, basic
Management Skills: Project Planning and Management, Leadership, Coaching, Team Building, Presentation & Oral Communication, Documentation & Written Communication, Education & Training, Creative Thinking, Innovation Research
User-Centered Design: Requirement Engineering, Use Case Driven Design, Interaction Concepts & Design, User Validation, UI Patterns, Cognitive Psychology, Statistics & Methodology, Industrial & Organizational Psychology, Software Ergonomics & Human Factors
Organizational Development: Process Reengineering & Optimization, Implementation of User-Centered Design on various organizational Levels
Project Acquisition: Project Definition and Proposal Generation for Third-Party Funds (on German & European level), Generation of Industry Project Offerings
Software-Development: J2EE, XHTML/CSS/JavaScript, PHP, MySQL, Flash, Java, Pascal
Business Software: MS Office, MS Project, MS Visio, Adobe Photoshop, SPSS, Corel Draw, Rational ClearCase, Rational ClearQuest, Borland CaliberRM
IT Skills: Unix, Windows NT/2000/XP Professional (setup & administration)
Publications
Zimmermann, D. (1995). Individuelles Sicherheitshandeln in Organisationen : Selbst- und Fremdwahrnehmung von Führungskräften. Bochum, Univ., Master Thesis.
Elke, G., Stapp, M. & Zimmermann, D. (1996). Evaluation der Einführung eines ganzheitlichen Sicherheitskonzeptes in einem Tagebau. In B. Ludborzs, H. Nold & B. Rüttinger (Hrsg .), Psychologie der Arbeitssicherheit. 8. Workshop 1995 (p. 622-631). Heidelberg: Asanger.
Dücker, M., Flake, S., Geiger, C., Müller, W., Paelke, V., Reimann, C., Rosenbach, W., Zimmermann, D. & Zelder, S. (1999). Wissenbasierte Konzepte und visuelle interaktive Systeme. In: KI99 Proceedings Workshop “Intelligente Virtuelle Umgebungen” , 23rd German Annual Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Bonn.
Dücker, M. & Zimmermann, D. (1999). Negotiating Rule-Based Knowledge: A Cooperative Support System. In: Proceedings of the IEEE OzCHI 1999, Wagga Wagga, Australia.
Geiger, C., Paelke, V., Reimann, C. & Zimmermann, D. (1999). Design and Evaluation of animated 3D user interfaces. In: Proceedings of the IEEE OzCHI 1999, Wagga Wagga, Australia.
Zimmermann, D. (1999). Gute Seiten, schlechte Seiten: Nutzerorientierte Gestaltung von Internet-Angeboten. In: Bücher, Bytes und Bibliotheken. Integrierte Information im Internet. 4. InetBib-Tagung vom 3.-6. März in Oldenburg. 2. erw. Aufl., Dortmund: UB (p. 29-35).
Zimmermann, D. & Woletz, N. (2004). Implementation of a User-Centered Design Process in a Large Software Development Organization. In: Conference Proceedings of OZCHI 2004, the CHISIG Annual Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (Wollongong, Australia, November 20-24), Ergonomics Society of Australia.
Woletz, N. & Zimmermann, D. (2005). Organizational Aspects of the Introduction of a User-Centered Design Process. In: Proceedings of the 2005 HCI International Conference (Las Vegas, NV, USA, July 24-28, 2005)
Zimmermann, D. & Woletz, N. (2005). Bewertung von User-Centered-Design Prozessen: Erfahrungen und Nutzen in Wissenschaft und Praxis. In Hassenzahl, M. & Peissner, M. (Hrsg.): Usability Professionals 2006. Mensch & Computer Konferenz, 04. – 07.09.2005, Linz, Österreich
Zimmermann, D. & Woletz, N. (2006). Prozess-Assessments als Tool zur Optimierung der organisationalen Integration von UCD-Aktivitäten. In Bosenick, T., Hassenzahl, M., Müller-Prove, M. & Peissner, M. (Hrsg.): Usability Professionals 2006. Mensch & Computer Konferenz, 03. – 06.09.2006, Gelsenkirchen, Deutschland.
Zimmermann, D. & Anderson, J. (2006). User Interface Design at Siemens Medical Solutions . In P.J. Sherman (Ed.): Usability Success Stories: How Organizations Improve By Making Easier-To-Use Software and Web Sites. Hampshire, UK: Gower Publishing.
Nebe, K. & Zimmermann, D. (2007). Suitability of Software Engineering Models for the Production of Usable Software. In: Proceedings of the 2007 Engineering Interactive Systems (EIS) Conference. Salamanca, Spain.
Duechting, M., Zimmermann, D. & Nebe, K. (2007). Incorporating User Centered Requirement Engineering into Agile Software Development. In: Proceedings of the 2007 HCI International Conference (Beijing, P.R. China, July 22-27, 2007).
Hofer, R., Zimmermann, D. & Jekal, M. (2007). Alignment of Product Portfolio Definition and User Centered Design Activities. In: Proceedings of the 2007 HCI International Conference (Beijing, P.R. China, July 22-27, 2007).
Nebe, K. & Zimmermann, D. (2007). Aspects of Integrating User Centered Design into Software Engineering Processes. In: Proceedings of the 2007 HCI International Conference (Beijing, P.R. China, July 22-27, 2007).
Wegge, K. P. & Zimmermann, D. (2007). Accessibility, Usability, Safety, Ergonomics: Concepts, Models, and Differences. In: Proceedings of the 2007 HCI International Conference (Beijing, P.R. China, July 22-27, 2007).
Zimmermann, D. & Groetzbach, L. (2007). A Requirement Engineering Approach to User Centered Design. In: Proceedings of the 2007 HCI International Conference (Beijing, P.R. China, July 22-27, 2007).
Nebe, K., Düchting, M. & Zimmermann, D. (2007). Integration von User Centred Design Aktivitäten in Agile Softwareentwicklung. In: H. Brau & K. Röse (Hrsg.): Usability Professionals 2007.
Zimmermann, D., Grötzbach, L. & Freymann, M. (2007). Ansatz zur nutzerzentrierten Requirement Analyse und Evaluation: Ein Framework Entwurf. In: H. Brau & K. Röse (Hrsg.): Usability Professionals 2007.
Zimmermann, D., Woletz, N. & Hofer, R. (2007). Alignment von UCD Aktivitäten mit benachbarten Geschäftsprozessen im Unternehmen. In: H. Brau & K. Röse (Hrsg.): Usability Professionals 2007.
Memmel, T., Brau, H. & Zimmermann, D. (2008). Agile nutzerzentrierte Softwareentwicklung mit leichtgewichtigen Usability Methoden – Mythos oder strategischer Erfolgsfaktor? In: H. Brau, S. Diefenbach, M. Hassenzahl, F. Koller, M. Peissner & K. Röse (Hrsg.): Usability Professionals 2008.
Nebe, K., Düchting, M., Zimmermann, D. & Paelke, V. (2008). Qualitätsaspekte bei der Integration von User Centered Design Aktivitäten in Softwareentwicklungsprozesse. In: H. Brau, S. Diefenbach, M. Hassenzahl, F. Koller, M. Peissner & K. Röse (Hrsg.): Usability Professionals 2008.
Zimmermann, D., van Ballegooy, M., Jepsen, K. & Wehr, D. (2008). Faktoren zur erfolgreichen Umsetzung von User-Centred-Design Aktivitäten – Beispiele aus der Praxis. In: H. Brau, S. Diefenbach, M. Hassenzahl, F. Koller, M. Peissner & K. Röse (Hrsg.): Usability Professionals 2008.
Presentations
Zimmermann, D. (1998). Usability Aspects and Coverage in the PROCAT-GEN Project, Presentation at the fourth BASELINE-Workshop, Paderborn. (ftp)
Zimmermann, D. (1999). Web Usability – Nutzerzentrierte Gestaltung von Internet-Angeboten. Presentation at the Institut für Informations- und Bibliothekswissenschaften, Fachhochschule Köln.
Zimmermann, D. (1999). Successful Products through Usability Engineering. Poster and Presentation at Siemens Quality Days, Munich, Germany.
Zimmermann, D. & Thiele, D. (1999). Verbesserung der Produktqualität von Software durch Usability Engineering: Kosten und Nutzen aus der Sicht von Kunden und Herstellern. Presentation at Siemens Web Conference, Munich.
Dücker, M., Zimmermann, D. & Thies, S. (2000). A Cooperative System for Knowledge Acquisition from Multiple Experts. Demonstration at OzCHI 2000, the CHISIG Annual Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (Sydney, Australia, December 4-8).
Majonica, B. & Zimmermann, D. (2000). Usability – Nutzerorientierte Entwicklung von Software. C-LAB focus presentation (August 30, html).
Zimmermann, D. (2002). User Centered Design for 3D/VR/AR Applications. Presentation at SIGCHI Campfire on Production Process of 3D Computer Graphics Applications – Structures, Roles, and Tools (Snowbird, Utah, USA).
Woletz, N. & Zimmermann, D. (2004). Organisationale Aspekte bei der Einführung von User Centered Design, Industry Presentation at Mensch & Computer 2004 (Paderborn, Germany, September 5-8, html).
Teaching
Tröger, B. & Zimmermann, D. (2000). Web-Usability: Nutzergerechte Gestaltung bibliothekarischer Internet-Angebote, Professional Education for Hochschulbibliothekszentrum NRW, Köln, Germany (February 2-3, 2000).
Zimmermann, D. (2002) . Benutzer-orientierte Gestatung von Multimedia-Applikationen (BOGMA), Guest Lecturer at Hochschule Harz, Wernigerrode, Germany (Summer Term 2002).
Other Work
1989 – 1990
Nurse assistant on internal medicine ward at Evangelisches Krankenhaus Hattingen, Germany as part of civilian national service, patient care, transportation, and general ward maintenance
1992 – 1994
Counseling, fundraising & administrative support for Aids-Hilfe Dortmund, Germany as part of civilian national service. Subsequent volunteering work as telephone counselor in the HIV/Aids domain
1991 – 1993 & 1994 – 1998
Co-Founder and Board-Member of a Sports-Club (SC AufRuhr, approx. 140 members)
Member-acquisition, co-ordination of training times, and events & tournaments, newsletters, financial controlling
1997 – 1998
Co-owner of a bookstore (Belle et Triste, Bochum, Germany)
Sales, accounting, bibliography, stock-orders, web-store
References
Available upon request
