Résumé for John Collins

John Collins is a content architect and content strategist who uses service design, design thinking, and systems design to make content that is
useful, valuable, and scalable.

Experience

Senior content architect

Atlassian

Austin, TX

MARCH 2021-PRESENT

Bringing a modular, structured approach to Atlassian’s content infrastructure and using taxonomies to power emerging intelligent content experiences.

  • Led content architecture of the Atlassian content platform and content management system.

  • Guided a contract content engineer who did solutions architecture for highly targetable, modular, omnichannel release notes content type.

Senior content designer

Atlassian

Austin, TX

MAY 2015-MARCH 2021

Content designer on the team responsible for the design of Atlassian help and support experiences. My primary role was to be the design representative on the design/product management/engineering triad for the Atlassian documentation site.

  • Designed the information architecture of the Atlassian Community site launched in 2017. Atlassian Community quickly became the company's most-visited web property.

  • Served as the primary UX writer for the Atlassian Community site at the time it launched in 2017.

  • Led content architecture of the Atlassian content platform and content management system and design for in-house content tooling.

  • Conducted user research with end-users of help and support systems and with internal users of those systems.

  • Collaborated with designers, researchers, and developers to create new documentation experiences.

  • Developed new content strategy framework to help develop and socialize content strategy, and related needs for content design, content architecture, content standards, and process.

  • Mentored content designers and other colleagues on writing and content strategy and content architecture.

  • Facilitated “design thinking” and service design workshops with diverse stakeholders.

Senior UX content strategist

Rosetta Stone

Harrisonburg, VA

JANUARY 2008-APRIL 2015

Partnering with peers on the user experience (UX) team in Virginia, Austin, San Francisco, and Seattle to design beautiful, easy-to-use learning apps. Advocate for the user, especially in the areas of user interface (UI) text and localization.

  • Crafted the content for the Rosetta Stone Travel suite of iOS and Android apps, from search terms and app description to UI text and in-app purchase titles and descriptions.

  • Helped set up sustainable workflows for writers of English content that also supported content re-use and localization.

  • Improved UX of the flagship product by storyboarding and scripting interactive tutorial, writing content for new features, and refreshing old content; subject matter expert on portions of product.

  • Wrote API documentation and published in PDF and HTML from single source, using Madcap Flare.

  • Trained new team members on processes and Rosetta Stone style guides and glossaries.

  • Created wireframes in Balsamiq Mockups to understand user flows and to suggest improved flows and interactions.

  • Coordinated with UX designers, usability researchers, engineers, product managers, product owners, and brand writers to craft English content that was structured, clear, and concise while following brand, style, and terminology guidelines.

Managing editor

Shenandoah Valley-Herald
(Page-Shenandoah Newspapers)

Woodstock, VA

DECEMBER 2005-JANUARY 2008

Promoted within newspaper chain to breathe new life into a historic, but floundering, newspaper. Within a year, redesigned the newspaper with 8-person staff. Within two years, the Virginia Press Association recognized the newspaper for the quality of our news coverage, photography, and layout. 

  • Managed a budget, adding a full-time reporter while keeping expenses from increasing.

  • Implemented annual performance reviews for the staff; immediately saw improvements in performance and communication.

  • Mentored new reporters; two of them went on to work at a major Washington, DC newspaper. 

  • Won the 2006 Virginia Press Associations Sweepstakes Award for non-daily newspapers with a circulation under 5,000; award was for the newspaper with top writing, photography, and design.

Sports editor

Page News and Courier
(Page-Shenandoah Newspapers)

Luray, VA

AUGUST 2003-DECEMBER 2005

Grew sports section by 50% and earned numerous awards from the Virginia Press Association. Also contributed news and feature stories.

Education

Bachelor of Arts

Bob Jones University

Greenville, SC

1997-2001

Majored in publishing with a minor in business administration.

Cumulative GPA: 3.36

Certification & training

Contentful Certified Professional

Contentful

Vendor-provided certification that affirms my knowledge of key technical architectures, best practices, and usage of Contentful, a Software-as-a-Service (SAAS) headless content management system (CMS).

Basic Structure Firefighter

Texas Commission on Fire Protection

Certification required for employment as a firefighter in Texas, encompassing training to the National Fire Protection Association’s Fire Fighter I, Fire Fighter II, Hazmat Awareness, and Hazmat Operations standards. This certification also requires recipients to be licensed emergency medical technicians.

Emergency Medical Technician

National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians

Certification to national emergency medical standards for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to “have the basic knowledge and skills necessary to stabilize and safely transport patients ranging from non-emergency and routine medical transports to life threatening emergencies.”
(Source: https://www.nremt.org/EMT/Certification)

Emergency Medical Technician

Texas Department of State Health Services

Texas Department of State Health Services licenses emergency medical personnel (including EMTs) to operate in the state of Texas.

Credentialed EMT

Williamson County

This credential recognizes EMTs cleared to practice medicine as part of the Williamson County EMS system.

Volunteer work

President

Leander Volunteer Fire Department

Leander, TX

FEBRUARY 2021-PRESENT

Liaison between volunteer department and city fire chief; leader of the volunteer department’s board.

  • Work to increase membership and service opportunities.

  • Resolve real estate ownership questions with city staff.

  • Help manage department finances.

Firefighter/EMT

Leander Fire Department

Leander, TX

OCTOBER 2016-PRESENT

Began as a cadet and became probationary FF/EMT in February 2019. Respond to and mitigate medical emergencies, fires, and other hazards; help manage social media; work in emergency operations center. Operating as a volunteer under the auspices of the city fire department.

Awards and recognition:

  • Meritorious Service Commendation

  • Disaster Commendation, Winter Storm 2021

  • Disaster Commendation, COVID-19

  • Volunteer Firefighter of the Year (2022)

Public information officer

Shenandoah County Department
of Fire and Rescue

Woodstock, VA

DECEMBER 2008-APRIL 2015

Worked with the command staff of the county fire department, communicating with the news media and general public.

  • Placed numerous stories in local broadcast and print media.

  • Placed stories in regional broadcast media.

  • Gave interviews on radio and TV.

  • Wrote press releases.

  • Managed social media accounts.

  • Acted as on-scene liaison for news media.

  • Worked in emergency operations center.