Joe Ortigara

Experience

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  Park Forest Park District

  Jun 2012 - Aug 2012

  Day Camp Counselor

  -Assisted special-needs camper during daily activities, ensuring the camper's wellbeing-Guided groups of campers during field trips

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  University of Illinois Foundation

  May 2013 - Aug 2013

  Alumni Caller

  -Explained current Campus funds to alumni and encouraged them to donate-Shared campus stories with countless alumni-Winner of office-wide drawing contest

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  Camp Huntington

  Jun 2014 - Aug 2014

  Camp Counselor

  -Work directly with 4 campers with developmental disabilities participate in camp activities (pool time, day trips, music, cooking, etc)-Keep watch over a cabin of campers throughout the night, stepping into action in the case of an emergency

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  Polyvinyl Record Co.

  Jan 2015 - May 2015

  Office Intern

  Boxed and shipped online mail-orders, using an Excel file to document units shipped. Shelved and organized office’s records and merchandise

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  Autism Home Support Services, Inc

  Nov 2015 - Jan 2018

  Registered Behavior Technician

  Taught functional living skills to children with autism. Reviewed performance data with my team and collaborated on new skill plans.

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  Smith Crossing

  May 2017 - Jan 2018

  Life Enrichment Facilitator

  Planned and arranged social events for residents. Engaged in feedback suggestions residents, fielding requests and complaints.

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  ABCD Study

  Jan 2018 - Aug 2021

  Research Specialist

  Acted as director of communications of our site, managing internal and external messaging. Trained staff, established regular shadowing and feedback sessions. Started guest speaker series, where researchers who use ABCD data present their work to the data collection team. Designed and built research participant scheduling site, using PHP, SQL, and JavaScript.

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  Self-employed

  Oct 2020 - Jan 2022

  Mobile Application Designer

  I have designed, developed, and launched 2 iOS apps that are available in the App Store. The first is called DogMagnet; it's an iPhone game like Flappy Bird with completely original artwork. The second is BadRadio.biz, a mobile app that allows you to access the independent radio station (badradio.biz) with a specially-designed interface.For both apps, I followed a basic outline:1. Research and brainstorming: I began by researching the market, user needs, and competitors' products. For DogMagnet, I iterated on ideas independently, because I did not have a team, and because it was a passion project. For BadRadio.biz, I brainstorm ideas with the leadership team to come up with a unique and valuable app concept.2. Sketching and wireframing: Once the idea was fleshed out, I sketched out rough concepts on paper or using design software to create wireframes. These were rough, low-fidelity representations of the app's layout and functionality.3. Design and development: Once the design was finalized, I started coding the app. This was a process of continuous iteration in order to ensure the final product matched the original vision of the app held by the stakeholders.4. Launch and post-launch updates: Finally, the app was launched to the app store and marketed to target users. I updated the app based on user feedback and bug reporting. Show less

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  University of Michigan

  Jan 2022 - May 2022

  Graduate Student Instructor

  Help students learn JavaScript in Developing Interactive Applications course

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  Lowe's Companies, Inc.

  May 2022 - Aug 2022

  Digital Product Manager Intern

  Developed and pitched a new idea to increase awareness of Lowe's branded credit card benefits. Researched the needs of the target audience and aligned the plan with the overall business strategy. I started by conducting market research to identify emerging trends and potential opportunities for new digital products. Then, I conducted user research to gain insight into user needs and behavior, and use this information to inform product development. Finally, I worked with designers to create user-friendly, visually appealing digital products that meet user needs and align with the brand.Throughout the process, I remained flexible and open to new ideas, while also keeping the project on track and ensuring that all stakeholders are aligned on the direction of the design. I worked closely with the agile development team to ensure that the design can be implemented efficiently and effectively. Show less

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  University of Michigan

  Aug 2022 - Dec 2023

  Graduate Student Instructor

  Teach graduate students the fundamentals of AR/VR app design (Course: SI 559 - Introduction to AR/VR Application Design)

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  Lowe's Companies, Inc.

  Jun 2023 - now

  Product Manager

  Managing 3 tech products: an online store for company nonprofit, a data dashboard displaying statistics about the nonprofit, and an internal site for company resources.Working with 4 teams of engineers to develop these products using Kanban and Agile.Close communication with business stakeholders to stay aligned on priorities.Design mockups in Figma when writing stories for engineers.