Co-founded by Dr. and Mrs. Sharritt, Situated Research is dedicated to exploring how technology can become more accessible and aims to help businesses innovate ways to communicate with and engage their customers and end-users.
Matthew Sharritt, Ph.D., President and Co-founder of Situated Research, specializes in user-experience (UX) research and usability testing within software and video games. Dr. Sharritt is a graduate of the interdisciplinary Communication & Information Sciences Ph.D. program (specializing in communication, computer and information science, human-computer interaction and IT management) and the Computer Science M.S. at the University of Hawai‘i, where he served as a teaching assistant. Prior, he was webmaster at Time Warner Telecom while earning his B.S. at Marquette University in Computer Engineering. His research examines ways of maximizing self-efficacy, fun, and flow through the design of engaging technologies: describing how learning in games can occur through playtesting and exploration. You can read more about Dr. Sharritt and his research at his personal website, situatedgaming.com.
Michel Ann Sharritt, Vice President and Co-founder of Situated Research, has over fourteen years of business and customer service experience in administration, information technology, finance, and the medical industry. Her B.A. in psychology (with focus in behavioral psychology) helps her to uncover users' needs and wants while interacting with software interfaces. She previously ran Finance Management where she consulted physicians that struggled with business, helping them avoid bankruptcy and become profitable. Mrs. Sharritt is dedicated to customer service and aims to create the best experience possible for clients of Situated Research. She has a creative touch for designing new media such as websites, interactive marketing, and video games. She conducts private consulting and live webinars (view here) to help both large and small businesses utilize social networks to generate business.
Roger Ewald has a successful twenty years of experience in business development, account management, and marketing. He earned a B.S. from Illinois State University, and has completed half of his MBA at Benedictine University. He also has experience in information technology, working three years with the wireless broadband carrier Winstar Communications, Inc. As a leading Sr. Account Executive, he consulted with various companies needing Internet and data applications, including VPN, T1, DS3, LAN/WAN access, and web hosting. Having worked in several industries, Roger is well rounded and can relate to almost any business’s technology and growth initiatives. His goal is total client satisfaction.
Ngina James has over twelve years of experience working in marketing and communications, specializing in marketing, public relations, and promotional merchandising. She received her B.A. from Columbia College in Chicago (1998), and has worked as an Account Executive and consultant for National Premium, Inc. where she specialized in brand building for several Fortune 500 companies. She was the Marketing Program Director and Business Development Manager for RainSoft Water Treatment Solutions in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. Her motto is “Great customer service is the cornerstone of all good business practices.” Ngina is also a published writer, featured in the third edition of “Who’s Who” in Chicago.
Ronella McGregory has over ten years of business development, account management, and marketing experience. She has held various roles in Information Technology, ranging from being a mainframe programmer to telesales, working for Compuware Corporation. Over the last five years, she has had great success strategically selling engineering and design software to a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, military, manufacturing, and educational institutions. Having worked in territories throughout North America, Ronella has the ability to meet the customer's critical business needs by demonstrating the product's value. She also has a good understanding of what it takes to maintain long-term relationships and provide customers with impeccable service. She has a B.A. from Oakland University in Michigan. Ronella specializes in business development, account management, and all aspects of sales and marketing for small to midsize businesses.
Rick Remmers has over twenty years experience working in marketing and advertising sales consulting roles, helping his clients plan, develop, and execute successful media campaigns on radio, television and the Internet. He has worked with numerous clients, ranging from small business to large regional and national organizations, to create effective brand and communication strategies. Rick has been involved with the Internet and e-commerce throughout his career and understands the vital importance that a well-planned website plays when integrated into a business-marketing plan. He enjoys taking the time to understand his client's vision for their business, and working together to translate those goals into increased traffic and sales.
Korina Borowycz has a B.S. in Computer Programming and an A.S. in Web Design from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Korina is skilled in creating functional, user-friendly websites for both small and medium sized businesses, as well as individuals. She has worked on numerous e-marketing projects and has designed a nationally distributed salary survey guide. She has enhanced corporate websites using search engine optimization (SEO) and has helped businesses with geolocation and social media marketing. Her educational background provides her with a unique approach to create standards compliant websites, which are tailored to the needs of the client and their user base. Korina is continuing her education to expand her knowledge of the field and to stay current on the latest web standards.
Ramiro Chico holds a B.F.A. in Visual Communications from the American Academy of Art where he studied visual design in addition to traditional drawing and painting techniques and color theories. He has seven years combined experience providing graphical solutions in print, web, and mobile design. Recently he worked for Motorola's Mobile Devices Division creating and defining user experiences and graphical user interfaces for keypad and touch screen devices, as well as web-based applications with a user-centered design approach and methodology. Ramiro has previously worked extensively with several independent start-up projects in the music and film industry to help establish their brand and web presence.
Lisa Heinrich has a B.S. in Applied Design with a collateral area of study in Graphic Design from the University of Minnesota, and years of professional experience in agency, corporate and small business settings. Formerly the Senior Art Director for Target Stores, she worked with internal clients to develop retail concepts, execute designs, and strengthen brand identities: directing photographers, stylists, models, separators, internal employees and external print resources. Drawing upon skills gained from working with a wide variety of clients, Lisa is energized by new creative challenges and working to solve the communication and marketing goals of her clients. Always curious, Lisa is engaged in coming up with new solutions to deliver the best results, through collaborative ideas, hard work, professionalism and attention to detail.
Robert Kalajian, Jr. is a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology, with over ten years of system administration experience and four years of web development experience. His past employment has provided him with knowledge in a variety of fields, including health care, education, advertising, and entertainment. He currently runs his own independent board game and traditional role-playing game (RPG) publishing company, Tremorworks, as a means to "unplug" from his otherwise technology-filled life. Robert loves a challenge, and always looks forward to the latest projects to see what interesting learning opportunities they provide.
Jenny Loyd has twelve years of professional experience in graphic design. During her career, she has worked on product design and development, packaging, photo retouching and photo research. She also has extensive experience in constructing promotional pieces including brochures, logos, mailers, catalogs, photo shoots, and website graphics. In 2008, Ms. Loyd won a national award from Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) for the line of “Illuminations” wall decor she created for Successories. She is a graduate of Columbia College in Chicago, where she earned a B.A. in Advertising Art. According to Jenny, “Inspiration is key. I am inspired by nature more than anything, and use it in my day-to-day designs. The colors, shapes, and shadows motivate the enthusiasm I have for my work. My goal is to always combine that enthusiasm with the attention to detail that every project deserves.”
William (Bill) Mahaney has fifteen years of technical Internet experience, including web design, databases, content management systems (CMS) development, search engine optimization (SEO), and search engine marketing (SEM). Bill has worked extensively with over 400 clients to deliver successful Internet-based solutions, including AMCO Tool, H.B. Fuller, Home Depot, Lily Corporation, Chapco Adhesive, and many others to deliver a return on their investment. Previously with Bell Laboratories (AT&T), Lucent Technologies, NCR, and Western Electric, Bill holds eight active U.S. and International Patents while responsible for Account Management, Project Management, and Systems Engineering in the communications field. Bill believes we are not rewarded for "what we know", it is "what we do with what we know" that makes the difference in total client satisfaction.
Dorothy Mason has over ten years of experience as Graphic Designer and Art Director, and has worked with nonprofits such as The Field Museum in Chicago: in exhibitions, education, and the conservation department. She has also worked extensively on projects with McDonalds Corporation, Abbott Laboratories, Disney, and Target: giving her experience working with graphic identity, printed collateral, invitations, and brochures. Dorothy Mason loves to collaborate with clients to formulate design concepts and presentation approaches. Conceptualizing projects and implementing them through to completion, she works well as a liaison from one way of thinking to another. She frequently interprets concepts into visuals, clarifying and distilling information into stunning digital art.
James Slaughter has over twenty years of experience in information technology. James is a graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology, earning his B.S. in Computer Science. James has worked on numerous projects, which varied from individual unit testing to enterprise-level application redesigns. James has also held a number of positions through his career of increased responsibility and significance. Before joining Situated Research, James brought his wealth of experience and knowledge into a startup venture where he was involved in all areas of website design and development. James most enjoys working directly with clients to bridge their requirements to creative designs, utilizing the available technical landscape to build web solutions that meet and exceed their expectations.
Jason Smith is a user-interface design specialist and software architect. His career began at IBM Corporation in 1999 as a graphics designer, where he learned the ropes of the software industry, its life cycle, and all the phases of development from conception to manifestation of software products. With a firmly planted right foot, he took on a challenging role soon after with weightwatchers.com, a franchised start-up, to help design and engineer virtualized weight-loss tools for the web. It was here he first discovered the true purpose of coffee! After seven years of designing web experiences, he left the fulltime role to consult at a broader spectrum in the software industry. Jason has consulted with a range of prestigious clients from the apparel, music, and entertainment industries including Gucci of America, AOL Music, and Disney.
Nick Stretchbery has a B.S. in Architecture from The Ohio State University and has been a graphic and web designer in both Columbus and Chicago since the completion of his degree. Nick’s passion for design, in aspects ranging from architecture to typography, allows him to draw from many sources to create unique and informed designs. He has worked with a wide variety of clients, including conference branding for The Economist and logo design for small businesses in the Chicagoland area. Nick takes every project he works on as a personal challenge to create something for which both he and the client can be proud.
Travis Larsen is nearing graduation with honors from DeVry University for his A.S. in Web Graphic Design. He has over three years experience as an entrepreneur, running Natural Mystics Gemstone Jewelry, an online jewelry store. Travis has an extensive background in art, having taken college art courses since middle school and winning first place for “Best Digital Still Art” in the State of Washington Technology in Education (TIE) contest. Travis specializes in search engine friendly web pages with an artistic look and feel. He loves integrating Flash and JavaScript into his website projects for a more interactive and engaging experience.
