Hi. I design and develop user interfaces.

Mike's Notebook

These are some elements in my workflow.

Empathy Map

Stories & Goals

The process begins with conversations and stories about past experiences, present circumstances, and future desires. These discussions often lead to further research, content audits, interviews with stakeholders, empathy maps, and time around the table with dry-erase boards, markers, and sticky notes.

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Wireframe

Hierarchies & Structures

The conversations and diagrams captured in the previous step set the stage for a process of translation into form and function. The high-level elements are organized and prioritized with site maps, content taxonomies, and the specific details of these elements are organized and prioritized with wireframes.

View Wireframe

Prototype

Styles & Interactions

Once organized and prioritized, the interactions between the elements as well as their style begin to emerge in an iterative process creating representations of the application in varying degrees of fidelity. Style guides, design comps, and responsive prototypes may be created along the way.

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And here are a few design examples.

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Dashboards & Admin Apps

I have designed admin interfaces for a variety of web and mobile applications including learning management systems, content management systems, and customer relationship management systems.

SPEAR Dashboard
SPEAR Responsive

Close ProjectSPEAR Dashboard: I collaborated with the Titus Human Performance team reimagine their analytics application as a responsive web application for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Navitas Dashboard

Close ProjectNavitas Customer Account Dashboard: I worked with the Navitas product team to design the user interface for their new mobile app used that is used as a management tool for customer accounts.

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Web Apps

Whether leading a team or working independently, my role when designing enterprise web applications usually involves information architecture, user interface design, and prototyping.

Florida Outdoor Recreation Inventory

Close ProjectFlorida Outdoor Recreation Inventory: I designed and created the prototpye for the search and map-based results user interface of the upcoming Florida Outdoor Recreation Inventory web and mobile application.

WeatherSTEM

Close ProjectWeatherSTEM: I designed the UI vision for the WeatherSTEM station pages. I also designed and coded all of the resources in the Learn section.

ERA

Close ProjectERA: In addition to directing the redesign of ERA, I led the design team at Homes.com on several projects for other Realogy brands.

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Mobile Apps

In addition to designing web applications with a "mobile first" approach, I also design user interfaces and create prototypes for native mobile apps.

Mobile App for FWC

Close ProjectField Inspection App: This grab is from a prototype concept for an moble inspection app used to document and manage invasive plant species throughout the State of Florida.

Artboards for Explore Florida App

Close ProjectExplore Florida App: This is a collection of all artboards used to create a prototype in Adobe XD for the Explore Florida app. The app provides access and information to a wide variety of outdoor locations and activities in Florida.

Close ProjectWeatherSTEM App: I provided user interface consulting and testing for the developement team that coded the WeatherSTEM app. I also created this promotional video after the app was released.

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CMS & LMS Interfaces

I have created custom interface templates for a variety of content management systems including WordPress, Joomla!, ExpressionEngine, and several propriety content and learning management systems.

Ucompass

Close ProjectUcompass: Ucompass creates education technology applications. My roles in this project included user interface design, and the creation of a WordPress template.

Barry Bevis Realty

Close ProjectBarry Bevis Real Estate: This custom template was created to be used in the AgentAdvantage CMS. My roles in this project included user interface design and front-end development.

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Kiosks & Discs

I began my career designing user interfaces for disc-based media and touchscreen kiosks. This experience has proven to be very useful as I move into interface designs for devices like the iPad.

Challenger Learning Center Space Kiosk

Close ProjectThe History of Florida as the Space State: This touchscreen kiosk was designed for the Challenger Learning Center / IMAX in Tallahassee.

Pulp Fact or Fiction

Close ProjectPulp Fact or Fiction: Featured at Disney’s Innoventions Pavillion, this touchscreen kiosk showcased the many uses and sustainability of paper products.

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Logos & Icons

I’m occasionally asked to design logos, come up with names for products, and illustrate icons. The following samples include some of this work over the years.

Various logos

Close ProjectVarious Logos Shown above are logos I’ve designed for a variety of clients.

Various logo concepts

Close ProjectLogo Concept Sheet A group of logo concepts for a STEAM-oriented educational hackathon

Various icons

Close ProjectVarious Icons Shown above are a few icons I’ve created.

  • Dashboards

    Dashboards & Admin Apps

  • Web Applications

    Web Apps

  • Mobile Apps

    Mobile Apps

  • CMS Templates

    CMS & LMS Interfaces

  • Kiosks & Discs

    Kiosks & Discs

  • Logos & Icons

    Logos & Icons

Here’s a bit of background info.

Mike Houghton

Experience:

  • Design Team Leadership
  • Prototyping & IxD
  • User Interface Design – Web & Mobile Apps
  • Information Architecture
  • Front-end Development – HTML, CSS & Javascript
  • Branding and Marketing
  • Download Resume
  • View Profile

I’ve been designing user interfaces for over 30 years, and though I didn’t expect to stay in Tallahassee beyond my days learning HyperCard as an undergrad at FSU, my entire career has been shaped within Florida’s capital city. I cut my teeth as a designer at Interlight Productions, and despite the fact that both the company and its technology (CD-i) no longer exist, the principles I learned (and the amazing woman that I met on the job) remain with me to this day. Over time, the primary focus of my work shifted to designing web and mobile apps, nearly a decade of which as the Design Director for Homes.com.

Refresh Tallahassee

I typically start work days in my home office with a fresh cup of coffee, freelancing for small businesses and non-profits. From time to time I write articles about design, teach as an adjunct at FSU’s College of Communication & Information, paint watercolors, and mentor at Domi Station. In 2006 I founded Refresh Tallahassee (now with over 900 members), and in 2012 I co-hosted the inaugural Converge Florida Conference. That same year I joined the team that built WeatherSTEM, an application that integrates weather stations with public safety and STEM-based education. In 2017 I joined Kyra Solutions as a UX Architect where I designed interfaces built on Salesforce Government Cloud as well as interfaces for the IntelliRoad transportation safety & mobility platform. In 2024 I joined The Taproot Agency as a UX Manager & Strategist.