Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Experience Designer

FCAi is Fidelity’s internal digital marketing agency. We design and build rich media solutions with a focus on highly interactive, highly visual experiences. We succeed when we:

Focus on what the customer wants vs. what the product does
Make it interesting or, at the very least, relevant
Drive the belief that the Web is an interactive medium; it works best when customers put something of themselves into the experience
Measure and test; measure and test

Experience design integrates a broad range of digital media disciplines including interaction design, interface design, and motion graphics.

The experienced experience designer will:

- Design and develop creative solutions. You feel comfortable with innovation, with the insight that 98% of all ideas end up in the trash, with the knowledge that the right concept is good but the truly great work lives in the 1001 implementation details.

- Be a part of a team. Great design is about bringing to life a clear strategy. To do this well you need a team around you. To write, to code, understand the business, project manage, brainstorm, and discuss Britney Spear’s new haircut.

- Know your stuff and be hungry to learn what you don’t know. Specifically, the tools of the trade. Ideally you’ll be part designer, part engineer, part something completely true to you.
Contact: Chris Needham, chris.needham@fmr.com

Monday, July 21, 2008

Interactive Designer/Senior Interactive Designer - Watertown, MA

At evoke interaction, we are looking for uniquely talented individuals that combine intelligence and experience with drive and passion for what they do. It is our goal to provide our people with the best possible support and environment to grow and thrive. Our culture is entrepreneurial— embracing yet not stifling. We work hard because we are passionate about what we do.

Your role as an Interactive Designer:
As an Interactive Designer at EVOKE, you will be an integral part of the Creative team. You will work closely with Creative Directors to design and produce innovative and world-class interactive creative solutions for our Clients.
An Interactive Designer at EVOKE:
• Is passionate and original
• Is experienced in developing a range of interactive marketing tactics, including: website development, rich and standard ad units, emails, tools, video, etc.
• Constructs and delivers solid designs that reflect provided creative and art direction
• Is detail-focused and is experienced in production design
• Collaborates with team members in other departments like User Experience, Content, Technology and Project Management to identify innovative interactive solutions
• Partners with team members to manage on-time execution of multiple projects
• Is comfortable presenting and defending work internally; experience with client presentations is a plus

Qualifications include (but are not limited to):
• Minimum 2-3 years of interactive design experience, agency experience is best
• Formal design training
• Strong verbal communication skills
• Working knowledge of current interactive design best practices
• Highly adept with Photoshop and Illustrator
• Familiarity with Flash and animation for interactive media
• Portfolio demonstrating interactive design best practices and ability to create strong web UI’s, interactive media and web 2.0 tools and applications

Qualified candidates should send their resumes, portfolio links and samples of work to Jennifer.wire@axishh.com Please reference “Interactive Designer” in the subject line.

About evoke interaction:
evoke interaction is a full-service, interactive agency with offices in New York City and Boston. EVOKE partners clients – consistently delivering unparalleled levels of strategic service, creative and technological innovation that build richer and more effective interactions between our clients and their customers. Founded in 2006 as a division of AXIS Healthcare Communications LLC, we serve our clients with a growing team of professionals – and are backed by 200 colleagues (writers, designers, administration) through our parent AXIS Healthcare. EVOKE provides an exciting and flexible work environment, competitive salaries and outstanding
company paid benefits including medical, dental, 401(k), tuition reimbursement.

Interaction Designer - recruiter

Currently seeking enthusiastic Interaction Designers to create engaging and meaningful interactive experiences for end users globally. We're looking for a passionate IxD designer to help us redefine how consumers will use the internet to search for jobs and candidates, connect, network and manage their careers.

You will be part of a multi-disciplinary team of interaction designers, visual designers, user researchers and copywriters committed to developing innovative, easy-to-use, best-of-breed new products and overhauling existing ones in accordance with client's new brand guidelines.

You will participate in UX research, persona development, scenario modeling, concepts, annotated wireframes, interactive models, and functional prototypes alongside your UX Lead, who will provide you with direction and guidance throughout all the teamwork activities. You will be exposed to web 2.0 paradigms and methodologies that will transform linear UX thinking into a multidimensional experience.

This position offers competitive salary, a bonus plan, excellent benefits, career advancement opportunities and a collaborative team environment! This position is located in the metro west area of Boston.

Essential Functions
· Bring strong creative, conceptual and problem-solving skills to translate conceptual ideas (business needs and user goals) into interaction and design solutions.

· Assess data from multiple sources (product requirements, tech constraints, UX research, web analytics.) and synthesize it in order to develop efficient user scenarios, taxonomies, classification schemes, navigation systems, design patterns, etc.

· Create and effectively present UX deliverables (wireframes, workflows, prototypes, etc.) to explain and negotiate design solutions to key stakeholders.

· Develop competitive assessments and perform site heuristic reviews.

· Help define, request and incorporate relevant and recent UX research and data from customer feedback to appropriately inform design decisions.

· Help define UX performance metrics (error rate, abandon rate, average number of clicks, perceived easiness, etc.) for every project to track its success.

· Upholding UX guiding principles and style in project execution.

· Create, maintain and share project documentation and UX guidelines after project execution.

· Disseminate best practices across the UX organization.


Requirements
· 3+ years experience in comparable roles.

· Bachelor's degree required in design-related discipline: Interaction, Graphic or Interface design.

· Proven track record delivering high quality work while hitting commitments and timeframes based on product and business requirements.

· Ability to successfully execute on, and load balance across, multiple projects and tasks simultaneously.

· Collaborative approach that brings good resolution decisions to tough design questions and issues.

· Strategic thinking while executing with great attention to detail.

· Thorough understanding of overall web site design, including basic usability, industry standards, web analytics and brand.

· Proficient to expert in some of these tools: Microsoft Visio, Intuitec, Axure, Morae, UserView, Clickdensity, Tapefailure, Photoshop, Fireworks.

· Knowledge of cross-platform browser compatibility restrictions and requirements.

· Experience with web 2.0, design patterns, rich internet applications and delivery methodologies desired.


Thanks again,

Matt Colarusso
Branch Manager - Sapphire National Recruiting
(800) 676-9559 X.1708
Fax: (781)935-7041
www.sapphire.com

Friday, July 18, 2008

Experience Designer, Portsmouth NH

Mad*Pow is an experience design studio based in Portsmouth, New
Hampshire. Since 2000, the company has used its proven methodology to
create powerful multi-channel experiences for its clients. Mad*Pow
partners with sales, marketing, and customer service teams looking to
leverage the interactive channel to support how customers, partners,
and employees interact with their organization.

We are the firm that industry leaders hire to create concepts for the
future of their sites and systems. We work on stimulating projects
with big brands. We are growing and we are energetic. We are based in
beautiful and historic Portsmouth, NH and service clients all over the
world.

If you are a creative, user centered, logical, flexible and fun team
player then you need to join us!

As an Experience Designer you will be responsible for:
• Task Flow Creation: Conceptualizing ideal user paths/task flows/
scenarios
• IA Design: Building the information architecture and navigational
system
• Screen Inventory Building: Identifying key screen types and
generating full screen inventories
• Interface Concepting: Creating High Level Interface Concepts
• Interface/Wireframe Design: Designing Wireframes concepts
• Consultation/Collaboration: Giving feedback to our other team
members whether during peer review or during brainstorming sessions
• Collaborating with our visual designers to create the visual design
layer (Visual Design Experience is a plus)
• Communicating requirements and troubleshooting with client dev/tech
teams (Proficiency with "devspeak" is a plus)
• Receiving direction from our User Experience Director, Chief
Experience Officer and Chief Creative Officer
• Keeping lines of communication open with our production and project
management staff

Experience with the Following is a Plus:
• Personas: Defining target users and authoring detailed user
personas
• User Research: Conducting contextual inquiry (in person observation
& interviews) with target users to understand their mental models and
behaviors.
• Research Analysis: Analyzing information gained during user research
and also conducting heuristic and competitive analysis.
• Recommendation Authoring: Writing recommendation reports based on
research
• Usability Testing: Conducting usability testing, analyzing the
results and creating a recommendations report

Qualities we are looking for:
• Creativity & Analytical Skills: We are looking for someone who can
quickly absorb technical information, analyze it and come up with
solid solutions. Someone who understands the parameters of a project
and then innovates within those boundaries, someone who knows the
rules and when to break them.
• Communication/Attitude: We are looking for someone who is a great
communicator, with both internal team members and clients. We are
looking for open, honest, fun, positive and friendly creatives who
thrive on challenging work and a fast paced atmosphere.
• Presentation Skills/Independence: We are looking for a candidate
that can present their ideas to clients during workshops and
presentations, and someone that can hold their own when on site with a
client.
• Flexibility: We are a flexible shop, and we are looking for
candidates who also are flexible. You will be able to work from home
or in the office to create deliverables. When collaboration is
required, we will work together in the office. Some weeks will
require over 40 hours, and when that happens we will compensate with
flex time/days off, etc.
• Project Management: The ability to organize yourself, raise flags,
set expectations with clients and team members is essential.
• Travel: In this position you must be willing to travel whether
driving to a local workshop, or flying to a client location for a few
days. We have families too and will always try to work within
reasonable scheduling constraints.

This is a full time or contract position offering a fun and exciting
working environment in a rapidly growing company, competitive salary
and great benefits.

We will only look at candidates who can commute to Portsmouth, NH, and/
or who are willing to work on-site at our client's Boston Area
locations.

We are a results-driven firm. We deliver on our client's business
goals and we enjoy doing it. This is why we have been so successful.
As such, candidates who include an example in their cover letter of
how their efforts produced results on a specific project or within an
organization will be given preferential treatment. Also a link to a
portfolio or case studies would be helpful.

Contact us via email at solutions@madpow.net or visit our website at
www.madpow.net.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Friday, July 11, 2008

Interaction Designer at Bitstream/Pageflex - Cambridge, MA - Contract 4+ months

Join the Pageflex division of Bitstream, Inc. to design a new Adobe InDesign based plug-in to extend our existing line of variable data publishing products. This is a hands-on (non managerial) position where the ability to work independently to specify the feature set and produce the detailed interaction design for an innovative plug-in for the print publishing industry is required.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

•Identify the product feature set based on marketing and product line compatibility requirements.
•Become familiar with Adobe user interface standards for cross-platform plug-ins.
•Develop the detailed product design specification through an iterative process of producing design representations for informal user testing and review by product development and marketing team members.
•Produce a final design document which will serve as the reference specification for testing and documentation.

EXPERIENCE

•3+ years software product design experience.
•Portfolio of visual, interaction design, and product specification work.
•Enthusiastic team player and effective collaborator with strong interpersonal skills.
•Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
•Familiarity with Adobe InDesign and document authoring tools is a plus.

This position is a temporary, 4-5 month contract. Future follow up work to refine and extend product features is possible.

The Pageflex product line is the technology of choice for variable publishing. Pageflex offers unique design capabilities with its patented flex technology. For additional information on Pageflex, please visit www.pageflex.com.

For consideration, please submit a resume along with salary requirements to careers@pageflex.com.

Bitstream, Inc.
245 First Street
Cambridge, MA 02142-1200

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Information Architect - Interactive

The Information Architect is responsible for translating interactive concepts into effective information architectures. The ideal candidate will be well versed in a broad range of disciplines including interface design, user-centered design, information architecture, and usability. This candidate will consistently generate new ideas and strategies for the team and for our clients.

Primary Responsibilities:

· Conceptualize and design site architectures and architectural themes.

· Develop wire frames, process and user flows, interactive prototypes, use cases, and other evaluative documentation.

· Present Information Architecture solutions internally and externally.

· Prepare and conduct user validation and/or usability testing sessions, evaluate results and present actionable recommendations.

· Perform heuristic evaluations, documenting results and translating the findings into design improvements.

· Partner with Emerging Media Strategists to concept cutting edge ideas for existing and prospective clients for the organization.

Skills and Experience:

· At least three to five years of successful experience working in the interactive space and on fortune 500 brands.

· Must possess strong communication and presentation skills for both internal and client facing presentations.

· Experience presenting creative concepts, site architecture, and technical requirements to clients.

· Proven ability to multi-task and work to deadlines.

· Thorough comprehension of interactive media trends and web development technologies, including Flash, HTML, CSS, Visio/OmniGraffle, Microsoft office. Experience with Photoshop, Illustrator and Dreamweaver is a plus!

Information Architect

Job Description
We are looking for an experienced web user experience designer with a proven ability to design innovative, high performing, customer-centered website interfaces for our e-commerce sites. He / she will lead UI design in support of both new product launches and the launch of significant new and enhanced website functionality for our customer base of small businesses and consumers.

The Information Architect will join VistaPrint?s team of user experience designers and usability specialists in developing world-class user interfaces based on iterative design, testing, and customer research. The team leads user interface design for VistaPrint?s 19 localized international sites, several partner websites, and strategic internal applications.

Primary Responsibilities:
-Gather requirements from key stakeholders in cross-functional meetings
- Lead whiteboard JAD sessions to define customer goals and business goals, and map out the user experience
- Define core interaction designs and functionality based on sound usability principles, research, data and technical feasibility
- Diagram interactions using site maps, flow charts, and use cases
- Develop wireframe page diagrams and functional specs with emphasis on simplicity and ease-of use; optimize designs through usability research, site analytics, and A/B testing
- Work closely with our creative staff to translate wireframes into web creative designs and oversee the build of all functionality by our capability development teams
- Conduct user research as needed to document user needs and identify opportunities to improve customer experience while driving improved conversion rates and order values
- Collaborate with project managers, engineers, copy writers and UI designers to refine interaction design; Keep team informed about information architecture and UI issues
- Coordinate project schedules with marketing and engineering project managers
- Respond to UI demands as project requirements change

Requirements:
- BA/BS degree with an emphasis in human-computer interaction
- 2 to 5 years? experience with e-commerce and web application development
- Solid understanding of user-centered design processes and ability to balance customer needs with business goals in developing solutions.
- Willingness to learn VistaPrint?s user-centered design methodology
- Experience documenting information design concepts and solutions including conceptual diagrams, task flows, use cases, and site maps
- Understanding of usability testing practices and theory required
- Ability to deliver results under tight deadlines, prioritize work, and be flexible
- Must be able to work cross-functionally with technical developers and creative staff
- Exceptional interpersonal, leadership and communication skills a must
- Ability to clearly articulate ideas with excellent written, verbal, and graphic style
- Must enjoy presenting and have excellent interpersonal skills
- Expertise in using PowerPoint or Visio for UI specifications required
- Portfolio demonstrating effective website user experience design
- Ability to excel as both a team player and individual contributor.
- A desire to work in a fun yet high performing team environment.

To apply, visit us at www.vistaprint.com/careers

VistaPrint (NASDAQ: VPRT) is the online leader of small business graphic design, printing and marketing services. Our vision is to help millions of small businesses worldwide grow their businesses. Having served more than 13 million customers, VistaPrint has experienced 31 consecutive quarters of growth. Currently shipping to over 120 countries, the company has a $1.5+B market cap, a 61% annual organic growth rate and a $25B market opportunity.

Interaction Designer / Information Architect / User Experience Designer

The Interaction Designers will design solutions that support user discovery and comprehension, convey the capabilities and rich functionality of Endeca technology, and promote user adoption. Interaction Designers must be able to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, including UX research specialists, visual designers, user interface developers, technical consultants, and project managers, across the full solution life cycle in an interactive agile methodology.

Opportunities exist in several locations in the US (Cambridge, New York, San Mateo, Chicago) and Europe (UK). Tremendous opportunities for learning and career growth, including helping to build the UX capability at Endeca, collaborating with a global Endeca UX team and center of excellence, and working on ground-breaking solutions across several verticals.


Duties and Responsibilities

· Work as the Interaction Designer on customer projects (e.g., enterprise portals, e-commerce applications, analytics applications, enterprise search, etc.) across diverse industry verticals

· Participate in user experience workshops and focused user research to define and prioritize user segments and scenarios and analyze information assets

· Conceive, design and prototype useful, usable, and compelling user experiences and user interfaces (represented by scenarios, storyboards, wireframes, site maps, screen flows, etc.) based on an understanding of business goals, people’s discovery goals and needs, the available information assets, and the capabilities of Endeca’s platform

· Collaborate on iterative user interface design assessment and testing (e.g., scenario based user testing, participatory design exercises, etc.)

· Collaborate with UX researchers, visual designers, user interface developers, and technical consultants to realize and build the total solution

· Contribute to Endeca UX practice development (e.g., Endeca UI Design Pattern Library)

· Apply domain knowledge, user interface design best practices, and knowledge of emerging UX related presentation technologies to solution innovation

Experience & Skill Requirements

· Minimum of 3-5 years in interaction design in a business consulting and/or product development context

· Advanced degree or equivalent in interaction design, information architecture, information design, HCI, Information/Library Science, Human Factors, or related field

· High level of expertise and creativity in all aspects of interaction design

· Practical understanding of rich presentation technologies (e.g., AJAX, Flash/Flex etc.)

· Understanding and basic competence in user research and modeling and user assessment methods

· Strong communication and organizational skills

· Skills in visual design and/or user interface development (e.g., HTML, CSS, Java, AJAX, etc.) a plus

· Experience in agile design and development methodologies a plus

· Experience with B-B and B-E applications a plus

· Experience with enterprise portals, business analytics, dashboards, and complex database and content management systems a plus

For more information on Endeca, please visit www.endeca.com