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People
Bella Rockwell
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The first website that Bella Rockwell built was a database-driven, interactive resource for Shakespearean literature that demonstrated her ability to leverage technology in order to accomplish her content goals. She built this site while she earned her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature in three years from Duquesne University. After graduating Cum Laude, Bella began her career at AHERF in a very similar position—not only responsible for gathering, writing and posting content to the company's multiple Intranet websites, but also for writing HTML, coding JavaScript, and managing databases. |
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Balancing Technology and Content
While her first position made great use of her ability to develop content and understand technology, Bella found herself drifting into a more technical role. In 1998 she joined the Lighthouse team at Blattner Brunner were she first served as Webmaster and business analyst. In the early years, Bella was the technical cornerstone of the Lighthouse team, responsible for uncovering the client's technical needs and proposing solutions for accomplishing their goals.
Bella's work as a technical coordinator on major web initiatives with PPG Industries, Advisorport, and SEI Investments was significant in the early success of Lighthouse. On these initiatives, Bella was the technical contact for the client and managed several contract programmers. Her dedication, problem-solving skills, and willingness to translate between the creative and the technical groups saved many projects during their darkest hours.
Specializing in Interaction Design
As Bella honed her analytical and design skills, she found herself back into a role more aligned with her roots—information and interaction design. As an interaction designer at Blattner Brunner, she was responsible for translating traditional brand strategies and market research into effective e-marketing campaigns and websites. As part of the project team, she would set definitive project parameters, establish scope, and document critical success factors.
Bella's efforts quickly and intelligently brought several high-profile brands to an e-market including Mellon Bond, Turner Investment Partners, Giant Eagle, Swedish Match North America and GlaxoSmithKline. For these clients as well as others, she has provided strategic and tactical thinking that resolve competing technical limitations, user needs, and the clients' business vision.
Leaving Blattner Brunner in early 2002 to focus on interaction design, Bella joined CMU's Communication Planning and Information Design Master's program in Fall 2002. Now and during school, Bella will continue to pursue a consulting practice with 8 Sharp, serving as an interaction and technical designer.
Interesting Fact: In the early days of Lighthouse, Bella was responsible for converting PPG's organically-grown, basic HTML website into a new ASP-driven engine with consistent navigation and graphic design. Bella single-handedly converted thousands of pages over the course of one month.
