Salim Batlouni's Portfolio
batlounis@gmail.com resumeUser Experience
Gardlen
A website and iPhone app that helps you find places to go to in Lebanon
Gardlen.com is an individual project. I designed, implemented, collected data, and took pictures, all myself. This project was made for the sole reason of having fun! Gardlen's Facebook fan page is at 13,000 fans and counting. Visitors spend an average of 6 minutes on the website.
Next
Users access useful information quickly, and can scroll for further details. Pictures are strategically implemented in the website. Places in Gardlen link to their Facebook pages using its Graph.
Next
Place owners can connect with their Facebook accounts and add a new place. Here, Gardlen simplifies complicated details with intuitive, simple forms.
Next
I implemented Gardlen using Ruby on Rails and MySQL. The website runs on a virtual server with modest specs. Database and traffic growth slowed the load time so I added caching functionality using memcached. Average load time improved to 100-200ms. The below form is used to explore places. The form is based on AJAX and CSS3.
Next
I interviewed managers and took pictures for every place listed on Gardlen. There were many challenges: I introduced my website in a short and concise manner to 150 establishments in two months.
Next
One year after launching Gardlen, I designed and developed an iPhone app. The app updates with the website when online, and saves the data for offline use. I'm proud of my product!
Next
Awesome Word
A word processor that has a minimal interface and is easy to learn
Awesome Word is an individual project, part of the flagship User-Centered Research and Evaluation course at Carnegie Mellon University. This project proposes a radical redesign of the word processor.
Next
This is an artifact model of one participant's behavior using word processors.
Next
These are items used in the paper prototype. I envisioned a coherent design that solved users' problems. I got rid of all the toolbars. The user starts with a blank page and based on what they're doing, options are presented when the 'alt' key is pressed.
Next
I conducted think-aloud sessions using a paper prototype. Most importantly at this stage, I learned not to judge a product myself and leave that to the user.
Next
Design
iPad Magazine
Design for modern architecture e-magazine, built with InDesign
The iPad Magazine is a group design project, part of the Interaction Design Fundamentals course.
Next
The pre-design consisted of personas, mood boards, and a competitive analysis.
Next
Next, we built a design language using typeface, color palette, and oblique shapes distinctive to our magazine. During our critique we received positive reviews from fellow students and faculty.
Next
Typography & Grid
Poster design that combines graphics, typography, and use of grid
This is an individual assignment that combines typography and use of grid to convey a complicated event schedule in a simple format. The below figure is the first of two final versions.
Next
This is the second version I designed, which is catchy and modern.
Next
Audio Design
Creating sound by mixing and adjusting tracks
These individual projects are part of an audio engineering course in which I learned acoustics, the architecture of the ear, how a room affects perception of audio. In the below project, I had to mix several tracks of a song using ProTools.
Next
In the second project I added an audio track to a muted video ad.
NextSkills
Sketching
Showing ideas using objects, hands, and sequences
Methodology of Visualization taught how to produce not-necessarily-pretty but believable sketches to convey an idea in a short amount of time. All the projects are individual work.
Next
This is a pantograph sketched on gray paper. The 3D effect is made using white pastel and gray markers in 10 shades.
Next
Hands in this figure show a hypothetical object's use. This project made me recognize the value of hands to convey usage.
Next
This project studies interaction between humans and the surroundings in an action sequence.
Next
Photography
Photojournalist for my university, and for fun!
I was a photojournalist at the American University of Beirut for 2 years, and a photography editor for 1 year. The below image was taken during the student elections.
Next
Most of my photojournalism had to do with events. Still, it sometimes had to do with buildings or objects, like the dorms in the figure below.
Next
This image was taken during a festival concert.
Next
I also enjoy taking photos when I'm on trips. This image was taken in the Bekaa valley of Lebanon.
Next