David Crow

User Experience

Envisioning

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My friend and colleague, August de los Reyes, was in Toronto over the past few days. He spoke at two of our local institutions that have a very strong footing in the design and design thinking worlds (OCAD & Rotman). At the end of his presentation on emotion, August showed a video from the Envisioning project at OfficeLabs.

“Take a step into the future and get a glimpse into how technology may transform the way we live and work in the years ahead. Explore some of our concepts for how leading edge technologies might be used in real world settings – such as health care, manufacturing, banking and retail – over the next 5-10 years.”

I had a similar albeit different reaction than I did to the Aurora project, the Starfire video, or Knowledge Navigator. I think it was related to the lack of a narrator. I visualized myself using the technologies in my own context, the video had a more personal feel for me. Having rewatched the Productivity Future Vision, I’m going to make time to watch the other videos, including:

Whether or not this is the future, I can start to frame Project Natal, Surface, Courier and others.

Logitech – User Experience Designer – 3 mo. contract

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Toronto, ON

This is a contract position that can lead to permanent Please email cover letter and resume to Harvey dot Kreiswirth at logitech dot com

The Position

The Interactive Services Team of Logitech’s “Harmony” remote control division has an exciting 3 month contract (with a possibility of becoming permanent) available for an experienced User Interface Designer!

Enjoy the fun and excitement of Harmony’s startup atmosphere while benefiting from the resources and experience of Logitech’s Fortune 500 status. You will be a key player on a team that is transforming the industry with world-class design and award-winning innovation. In less than two years, Logitech’s Harmony universal remote controls have become the best-selling remotes in North America. Our fresh approach to home-entertainment control has taken the industry by storm. To continue with this exceptional growth, we need an exceptional User Experience Designer to join our team!

User Experience Designer

We are seeking a User Experience Designer capable of designing software and websites using various technologies. The role encompasses understanding business and technical objectives, creating/modifying information architecture, developing interaction models, defining user interfaces, and possibly helping with the visual design.

We’re looking for someone who has a passion for consumer entertainment devices and online software; someone who pushes creative boundaries and can effectively communicate their ideas from simple paper drawings through compelling, high-fidelity prototypes. The ideal candidate will have experience with dynamic interfaces and animation tools, and possess an enthusiasm for creating breakthrough UI.

Responsibilities include working with product management and engineering to conceive, develop, and prototype the software user interaction model and visual appearance, and then continuing the process to finalize designs, clearly document the solutions, and monitor their implementation. Experience building commercial web software and understanding the constraints of the software development environment is preferred. You must be a solid team player with excellent communication, presentation and problem solving skills.

Qualifications

  • BA/BS or equivalent experience in Interaction Design or related discipline (Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Communication Arts, etc.) or equivalent experience
  • 5+ years experience designing in the software technology industry
  • A portfolio demonstrating breadth and creativity in successful user experience and visual design
  • Demonstrated ability to work effectively with technical and as business disciplines/colleagues
  • Knowledge of information architecture, task-flow models, storyboarding, wire framing, visual design specifications and guidelines, asset production
  • Experience executing interaction prototypes using a range of prototyping methods such as paper, screenshot click-throughs, HTML/ CSS, Flash, Silverlight, Expression Blend, etc.
  • Proficiency with standard design applications (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc…)
  • Ability to work under tight and changing timeframes and priorities (startup atmosphere)

Apply

This position is located in Toronto, Canada This is a contract position that can lead to permanent Please email cover letter and resume to Harvey dot Kreiswirth at logitech dot com

Teehan+Lax – Senior UI Designer

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Toronto, ON

Teehan+Lax is currently reviewing portfolios of qualified Senior UI Designers who will research, architect, and design interactive experiences for web, software and device-based interfaces. We are looking for someone who is passionate about creating experiences that delight end-users and drive business goals: someone who shares our belief that designing great user experiences is as much about evoking an emotional response as it is about providing users with a means to an end. Candidates must be able to show examples of how they solved complicated problems without burdening users with complexity.

Qualifications

  • At least 5 years professional interactive design experience.
  • College or University Graduate in a related discipline (interaction or information design, HCI, computer science, behavioural sciences, etc.)
  • Strong knowledge and experience in Information Architecture.
  • Ability to perform visual design a bonus
  • Strong leadership and people management skills.
  • Proven ability to mentor and develop skills in all levels of designers.
  • Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate effectively in small and large groups at all levels of a client organization.
  • Must live, or be willing to commute to Toronto.

Creative

  • Responsible for the developing of underlying content and functional architecture, navigation systems, interface elements, information design, and screen layouts for Web sites and other interactive applications.
  • Able to perform systematic analysis (i.e. task flow, workflow, technological and organizational implications) and validation (prototyping, user and A/B/multivariate testing).
  • Able to explore and document design decisions in a variety of modes, from high-level sketches to boxes-and-arrows flow diagrams to detailed wireframes.
  • Proficiency with drawing and graphing applications, HTML, interactive prototyping tools.

Management

  • Provide leadership throughout project discovery, Information Architecture, visual concept development and front-end development.
  • Help manage day-to-day operations, including setting priorities, assigning resources and ensuring project goals are achieved.
  • Oversee simultaneous projects from inception to completion, reviewing project plans, designs and deliverables.
  • Identify and implement process improvements to meet project and team needs.

Client

  • Work with Partners and Associates to ensure they are reacting appropriately to the strategic, logistic and creative needs of the client.
  • Participate in the creative role of new business pitches, proposal development and project initiation.
  • Work closely with clients through a consultative, participatory approach. Establish and nurture good client working relationships.

Team

  • Oversee the creative output of your team.
  • Monitor and drive an ideal balance in the available skills and personality of the team towards the needs of our customers.
  • Monitor and drive the team to utilize the best and latest methods and tools to be competitive.
  • Help develop the culture and mindset of the team to ensure they are healthy, happy, inventive, curious, and open.
  • Mentor the careers of your direct reports.
  • Promote a culture of innovation and teamwork.

What’s different about working at Teehan+Lax

We focus exclusively on front end user experience design for the digital channel. There are no back-end build teams, no offline divisions. Everyone you’ll be working with desires to create best in breed user experiences. In fact, 90% of the staff here hold creative positions. That means no Account Managers, no Managing Directors, no Business Analysts. We maintain very little hierarchy. There are two roles at Teehan+Lax: Partners and Associates. The people with the right skills are put on the right projects. We’re small and nimble. There are no pitch teams, no “B” teams. All of our staff work directly with our clients, so if a client has a question that relates to IA they’ll speak to the Associate or Partner who worked on it – not an account manager.

How to apply

If you’re talented, smart, hard-working and dedicated, we’ll enable you to do the best work of your career. Send us a resume and portfolio of your work to “jobs [at] teehanlax [dot] com”. Suitable candidates will be contacted promptly. Please no phone calls.

TAXI Inc. – Interaction Designer

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Toronto, ON

TAXI Canada Inc. is a company with core expertise in Strategic Planning, Advertising, Design, Interactive, Relationship Marketing and Content.

Qualifications

  • Fluency in the principles of user-centered design methods, information architecture, usability best practices, interface and interaction design
  • A minimum of 4 years relevant experience, preferably at a creative agency
  • Track record of producing unique and innovative interaction models and selling them through design approval processes
  • Relevant post secondary education
  • Well versed in interaction design thinking and execution
  • Experience in architecting the interaction on websites that utilize a variety of technologies
  • Ability to work in a dynamic and fast-paced environment
  • Knowledge of architecture-related software (OmniGraffle, Illustrator, Visio, Photoshop, MS Office, Acrobat)

Responsibilities

  • Develop and deliver logical information models, user flows, wireframes, sitemaps, nomenclature documents, content mapping, and navigation schemes
  • Contribute to the overall creative development of online initiatives
  • Concept generation and modeling
  • Assist in translating complex business requirements, user requirements and specifications into interaction designs
  • Work collaboratively with other members of the technical team and creative department to create compelling user experiences

Apply

Please send applications to scott.mcneill@taxi.ca

Fotolia – UX/UI Designer

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Calgary, AB

Industry: Microstock
Type: Full-time

Responsibilities

  • Analysis of the current site to improve design, UX and flow. This is crucial to your role at Fotolia – what we need to see are some really great ideas.
  • Propose, execute, and implement new pages on an ongoing basis – if you keep creating really cool stuff, everyone wins!
  • Implement recommendations made by SEO/SEM Analysts.
  • Develop new pages for business development and marketing purposes.
  • Occasionally design print collateral, we know this may not be your chosen forte, but it’s always a good idea to have some really cool print materials for trade shows and such. Just think – a whole booth designed by you!
  • Working with our technical team in France, the business team in Calgary and the CEO in Switzerland (sorry, you likely won’t get to travel to Europe monthly!)

Skills & Experience

  • Minimum 2 years experience in a similar role
  • Strong ability to develop pages from concept to server push
  • Experience at a web 2.0/e-commerce/web design company
  • Experience in a start-up tech environment
  • Excellent communication skills, both written and oral
  • Detail oriented, able to grasp the subtleties of Web interface problems
  • Strong ability to think in terms of the user’s experience
  • Applicable degree, HCI degree an asset

Location

This job is located in Calgary.

Apply

Are we talking about you? Send your resume to jobs@fotolia.com.
Bonus points if you send a sample(s) of your work.

Dayforce – Senior UI Designer

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Toronto, ON

dayforce About Dayforce

Dayforce, the innovator in Workforce Performance Management, enables organizations to integrate corporate performance objectives into the planning, scheduling, and management of their workforce for optimal performance and profitability. Dayforce’s enterprise solutions are delivered on-demand and with latest generation technologies resulting in faster deployments, lower costs, a superior user experience, and a return on investment that is delivered more quickly and more sustainably.

About the Position

Reporting to the Development Manager responsible for user experience, the Senior UI Designer is responsible for designing the user interface for new development projects. The Senior UI Designer will collaborate with Technical Product Managers, Developers, and Quality Assurance throughout the development process to ensure a consistent and intuitive user experience across the entire application.

Job Description

  • Document user interface requirements
  • Conceive, storyboard, design, prototype, and build consistent and compelling user experiences and user interfaces
  • Work with clients, prospects, implementation partners, and Dayforce personnel to validate and refine those user experiences and user interfaces
  • Contribute to internal UI standards and best practices

Job Requirements

  • 6+ years of experience in software development
  • 4+ years of experience in UI and graphic design
  • 6 – 12 months of experience working with Microsoft Silverlight and C#
  • 6 – 12 months of experience working with Microsoft Expression Blend
  • SQL experience
  • Experience working in an agile development environment
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills
  • Workforce management domain experience a significant plus

Candidates will be asked to present a printed copy of their portfolio for review.

We sincerely appreciate your interest in Dayforce. Only those candidates that have been successfully selected to proceed to the first round of interviews will be contacted.

To apply

Please visit http://www.dayforce.com/en/company/careers or apply directly to careers@dayforce.com