James Sean Hovell

Experience

Senior Digital Developer 

L.A. Care Health Plan – Los Angeles, CA 
March 2021 to Present

Software design and web development for The Community Resource Center’s of Los Angeles. A supportive partnership between Blue Shield Promise of California and L.A. Care Health Plan.

Design of a WCAG/508 compliant web framework on Drupal 10. Full and secure integration with Salesforce Government Cloud. Module development for User registration, text-message verification, secure handling of PHI/PPI, appointment scheduling for the Services they offer, and registration management for all the Classes and Events they provide their community.

Adjunct Professor Communication Design / Exhibit & Interaction Design 

College for Creative Studies – Detroit, MI 
September 2019 to May 2022

Taught advanced Interaction Design and Experience Design courses. Developed course curriculum, workshops, and an independent study for cross department students. Coursework introduced students to more complex design principles, coding languages, hardware, software, and fabrication techniques. Exploring physical and human-centric design solutions while building upon their foundational knowledge of interface and experience curation.

Senior Multimedia Specialist

The Exploratorium – San Francisco, CA 
January 2011 to December 2020

Designer and production artist for interactive experiences on the floor and web. 

Worked with the Observatory Gallery to design and develop interactive exhibits exploring the complex stories surrounding San Francisco’s Bay Area. Using Arc Software, Java, and Python to process GIS data from USGS, NOAA, U.S. Census, SF OpenData, and live AIS Marine Traffic.

Collaborated with the Online Media team to bring the Exploratorium’s website through two major redesigns. Developed and designed a responsive website built on a custom Drupal 7 CMS, including a custom API, theme, and module development.

Developed custom software for The Institute for Inquiry’s annotated video portal. Developed an easy to browse site for 200+ classroom teaching materials called Science Snacks. Design consultation and illustration for the award-winning Sound Uncovered iPad app.

Exhibit Developer & Technician 

Michigan Science Center – Detroit, MI 
September 2018 to September 2020

Exhibit specialist, graphic designer, and general fabricator. Managed the Operations team; the overall scope of Operations includes HVAC and facilities oversight, AV, security, exhibits, and front of house appearance and guest services.

Tool Room Machinist 

L.A. Martin Co – Dearborn, MI 
March 2018 to September 2018

Machinist in a job shop that manufactures components for the automotive industry and government contracts. Worked with a variety of machine tools, from manual to CNC.

Principle Designer & Fabricator 

Yellowskyscraper – Oakland, CA / Detroit, MI
October 2015 to September 2018

Founder of a studio specializing in design; sculptural fabrication, graphic design, branding strategies and web development. Clients have included the City of Oakland, the Gray Area Foundation for the Arts and the Exploratorium.

CNC Machinist Operator & Setup 

GM Associates – Oakland, CA 
August 2017 to November 2017

Machinist in a shop specializing in the manufacture of fused quartz glass components for the fiber and semiconductor industries. Maintained tight tolerances throughout the delicate fixturing and production of quartz glass parts.

Machinist & Metal Fabricator 

Product & Design – San Leandro, CA 
December 2016 to August 2017

Machinist and metal fabricator at a high end architectural ironworking studio. Machined, assembled and installed large metal works for commercial and residential clientele.

CNC Machinist & Welder 

Oldani Art Studio – Oakland, CA 
April 2016 to November 2016

General Machinist and Fabricator. Led the restoration and operation of several CNC machines at Oldani Art Studio, an architectural design and fabrication shop in Oakland California.

Creative Director & Co-Founder 

ArtHERE – San Francisco, CA 
May 2011 to January 2013

Co-led a team in the development of an online platform that crowd-sources urban revitalization by connecting art and cultural works with underutilized urban spaces.

Under the Fractured Atlas 501(c)(3) our team collaborated with ZERO1’s 2012 Biennial, UC Santa Cruz and the Lower East Side Visual Artists of New York to place temporary art work throughout prominent urban areas and galleries.

Interactive Designer & Developer 

OrdinaryKids Inc – San Francisco, CA 
June 2009 to August 2010

Design, development, and art direction of dynamic ActionScript 3.0 micro-sites and brand collateral. Acted as lead designer, developer, photographer and model on multiple projects.

Education

Machine Technologies and Welding Sciences 

Laney College
Oakland, CA – 2012 to 2016

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design 

College for Creative Studies
Detroit, MI – 2004 to 2008

Skills & Certificates

Senior Graphic Designer

Proficient in brand, systems design, information architecture and typography.

• Adobe Creative Suite
• Chemical and digital photography
• Typesetting for print and web formats
• Art and creative direction
• Illustration
• Responsive Design
• User Experience Design
• User Interface Design

Software Designer & Developer

Proficient in Object Oriented Programming structures. Capable of learning any language effectively.

• JavaScript + HTML + CSS + PHP + MySQL
• Drupal 10 Custom Content Management System
• Salesforce GovCloud integration with Drupal 10
• Arc software and GIS data handling
• Java + Processing
• C++ via Arduino Framework
• Git and SVN version control systems

Machinist & Metal Fabricator

Professionally trained in both manual and CNC methods of machining. With coursework and certifications in welding.

• GD&T and ANSI standards
• Vertical milling machines
• Engine lathes
• Drill presses
• Horizontal band saws
• Surface grinders
• CNC machines; program, setup, and run
• Hurco, Haas, Fadal
• Renishaw probes; OTS and OMP
• SolidWorks 2015 certified CSWA
• MasterCAM X8, HSMWorks, and G-Code
• GMAW with an AWS Certification in 3G
• SMAW with an AWS Certification in 3G
• Oxy-fuel welding and cutting
• Plasma cutting
• Carbon arc gouging
• Shear, Press Brake, and Slip Roll

Exhibitions & Recognition

May 2018 

Webby Winner in Events & Live Streams 
The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences. Two awards for the Exploratorium's Live coverage of the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse.

August 2016 

Art + Soul Festival. Oakland, CA 
Downtown Oakland. Contributed Big Wire & Bead Maze.

February 2016 

Our City Oakland Fair, Frank Ogawa Plaza. Oakland, CA 
Exhibition about play, City Hall. Commissioned Big Wire & Bead Maze.

November 2011 

Mayoral Debate, Commonwealth Club. San Francisco, CA 
Gave talk representing ArtHERE in the company of 16 Mayoral candidates.

June 2011 

Summer of Smart #1, GAFFTA. San Francisco, CA 
Winning proposal/project for urban innovation, ArtHERE.

November 2010 

The Great Urban Hack, GAFFTA. San Francisco, CA 
Winning prototype, We All Need.

February 2010 

OrdinaryKids Popular Workshop Exhibition. San Francisco, CA 
Seven day OK Media Lab exhibition. Prototype Lonely Box.

February 2009 

I Hate Lucy, Russell Industrial Center. Detroit, MI 
An exhibition exploring love. Contributed a large scale print, LOVE WANTED.