Ben’s career began in 1999, when he was hired as a web designer while completing his BFA in Visual Communication Design at Kent State University. He quickly realized that design for the web (and interaction) was very different from ‘traditional’ graphic design – there was a behavior component that had to be accounted for with digital projects that made them somewhat more complex than the printed form.
Following time at leading firms in Cleveland and Akron where he worked with client companies of all sizes, including sole-proprietorships and internationally known healthcare providers, he joined an international manufacturing company and went on to become the first UX Manager for the firm. While there, he led many UX projects and developed capabilities for the company, including the development of best practices for interface design (web and mobile); user/customer research, usability testing, researching the effectiveness of brand and employee communications; managed web analytics implementation and reporting; deployed session replay and conversion optimization; longitudinal customer satisfaction tracking; construction of a usability lab; and the far-reaching re-architecture of the company’s global web footprint, which led to proven, dramatic improvements in customer satisfaction.
In addition to his professional work, he earned an MS in Information Architecture and Knowledge Management at Kent State University, and is a graduate of the Executive MBA program at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management.
Beginning in 2009 Ben started serving as an adjunct instructor at Kent State University, and joined the full-time faculty in 2016.
Ben has presented at multiple conferences and events, in long format talks, speed presentations, and posters; conducted training and workshop for organizations throughout the United States and Eastern Europe; serves as the chairperson for UXAkron, and is a columnist for UXmatters.com.