Nathan McGinness

Awards

2012 General Assembly Australia Tech Awards – Front-End Web Developer

2010 MUSE Awards – Gold Medal, Podcasts: NMA Audio on Demand

2010 Best of the Web Award – Podcasts: NMA Audio on Demand

2009 MacFarlane Prize – Highly Commended: Billy Hughes at War

2009 MAPDA Award – Highly Commended: Billy Hughes at War

Some things I made

Topguest

Visual design, front-end development, user experience and copywriting.

Billy Hughes at War

Design and front-end development with Max Wheeler at Icelab. Highly commended in the Macfarlane Prize for excellence in web design and the 2009 MAPDA Awards.

UTS Newsroom

Design (in collaboration with Mark Elizondo) and front-end development while at Digital Eskimo.

Sketch Lab

A collaborative effort at Digital Eskimo. An experimental installation built with Wii remotes, a custom infra-red pen, a projector, and a repurposed architects table. I was involved with all aspects of the ongoing project including prototyping, testing, build, hardware, interface design and processing code.

Experience

Lead Designer – Topguest, 2011

Purchased by ezRez Software in a strategic acquisition in Dec 2011, 18 months after founding. I was responsible for visual design, product strategy, user experience, and front-end implementation for Topguest’s consumer brand and product. I also worked closely with United Airlines to lead the execution of an innovative white label social loyalty product.

Web Developer/Designer – Digital Eskimo, 2010

Digital Eskimo is a unique and internationally recognised strategic studio committed to a Considered Design ethos. A highly collaborative design approach saw me use Human Centered Design techniques to provide unique user experiences across a range of projects and platforms.

Designer – Icelab, 2006-2009

This boutique studio provided me with three years of experience in high quality design across many mediums. I developed top class development techniques and gained a passion for standards based front-end technologies. I was integral to all aspects of the studio’s business: pitching, design, development, copywriting, project management and deployment.

Lecturer and Tutor – University of Canberra, 2006-2008

I provided lectures in Design and Media Arts, and co-designed two new courses: Networked Media Production and Interface Design and Visualisation.

Research Assistant – University of Canberra, 2006

I helped deliver a research project on web 2.0 technologies in higher education called Digital Learning Communities (DLC): investigating the application of social software to support networked learning. This was published in 2008.

Education

University of Canberra, ACT - Honours in Creative Communication

12 months of creative research into the audio-visual relationship with Dr. Mitchell Whitelaw. I produced a seven minute generative animation and an exegesis entitled The Audiovisual Illusion.

Bachelor of Communications (Media / Multimedia Production)

Majored in Creative Writing and New Media

Other interests and endeavours

Art

My generative artworks featured in the Dorkbot CBR exhibition at Canberra Contemporary Artspace and at the John Paynter Gallery in Newcastle as part of Electrofringe. My favourite artists include Josef Albers and Sol LeWitt.

Film & music

I directed, filmed and edited a documentary about US band Elliott's last days. It was released with Photorecording on Revelation Records. In 2005 I made a record called Hell or High Water. I love radio, have worked in commercial radio and presented a show on 2XX Community radio.

Sport

I'm a passionate South Sydney Rabbitohs supporter, a keen fisherman and cricket lover.

Reading

Some of the blogs I enjoy include AisleOne, Internal Monologue by Max Wheeler, Daring Fireball, Zach Holman, The Great Discontent, Little Big Details, Colossal, The Teeming Void, 52 suburbs, A List Apart, The Big Picture, BLDGBLOG, Brand New, Cityofsound, Create Digital Motion, FPO, ISO50, K-punk, Letters of Note and Serial Consign.