The team at VisionMobile have updated their Developer Economics 2010 and Beyond research report with an infographic that describes the decisions a mobile develop makes from app design and platform selection to go to market and monetization.
Mobile
XTreme Labs Inc. – Mobile Game/Application Developer
Toronto, ON
XTreme Labs is a Toronto/San Francisco-based agile development shop focused on working with early stage Internet and mobile companies. We are backed by a leading group of technology and finance executives, including Extreme Venture Partners.
You are a mobile developer with big aspirations to work on the next generation of games/applications for mobile devices (some devices that are out, and some not yet released). You will launch games/applications on various mobile devices that will be live in the various application stores.
Thrive in a start-up environment and join a leading team in the creation of world-class applications. You’ll be responsible for:
- Developing new BlackBerry/iPhone/Android games/applications
- Releasing new versions of games/applications as new devices and OS’s are released to the marketplace
- Enhancing application performance, usability, memory use and application size
Required Skills and Experience
- Must have 1-3 years experience in development on at least one of mobile, internet or desktop platforms
- Proficiency in at least one of Java, C++, Ruby
- Experience with UI design/graphics development is highly advantageous
- Must have real world experience with object oriented design and a clear understanding of object oriented design patterns
- Flash, ActionScript and Rails knowledge advantageous
- Ability to work independently, take initiative and contribute new ideas required in a diverse, fast-paced, team environment.
- Experience or interest in Agile software development practices and principles (e.g. TDD, Pair Programming, Refactoring, Continuous Integration…) a plus
- Organization and analytic skills, with exceptional problem solving ability
- A degree in a computer-related field
Benefits
- Free breakfast every morning and lunch on Friday’s
- Downtown Toronto’s best rooftop patio
- Access to a Playstation 3 and Microsoft Surface in our games room
- Free access to onsite gym
- Full benefits
Apply
Resume to [email protected]
socialDeck – Rockstar Engineer
Toronto, ON
Position: Rockstar Engineer opening at funded startup – socialDeck
Meet socialDeck
We’re building a platform for cross platform gaming — technology that enables games to be played between mobile and the web. Think playing games from your iPhone to Facebook to BlackBerry to MySpace. Our founders are ex-Amazon and ex-Microsoft rockstar developers and both are ex-Waterloo. Our first iPhone game, Shake and Spell is already live on Apple’s AppStore (it’s a top 100 application). We are all about work and play hard and believe employees are our biggest asset. We are funded by a tier 1 VC and located in a King West loft space with 22 ft ceilings and a badminton court inside. Drinks every Friday.
Rockstar Engineer
Ready to kick some tail and have an amazing time doing it? How about working with the most cutting edge technologies, applying them to the next generation of gaming? We are looking for the brightest and most talented software engineer who will work with the platform team on building out our gaming platform in the cloud. He/she will design and implement highly-scalable server systems to connect to the world’s most popular networks. He/she will also be involved in building our client frameworks for iPhone, BlackBerry, Facebook, and Android. Sound like fun?
The nitty gritty; we’re looking for people with:
- iPhone: You’ve worked with Objective-C and understand the basics of the iPhone APIs
- J2ME/BlackBerry/Android: You’ve worked with J2ME and understand the design and development constraints associated with building for a mobile platform
- J2SE, Hibernate, Spring: You have worked with the Java/Hibernate/Spring stack and can get a simple web app up in no time
- Linux, Tomcat: You’re comfortable working in UNIX and have experience working with and tuning Tomcat
- MySQL: You know some basic SQL and understand how to analyze and optimize DBs for scalability and performance
- Web services (REST): You understand web services (specifically REST), both architecturally and operationally
- SOA: You understand why SOA (Service-Oriented-Architecture) makes sense and how to build a loosely coupled distributed system using those principals
- C/C++: You’re not afraid of pointers
- Facebook: Experience with the API is a plus
If you don’t have all of the above, no sweat. Let’s talk.
What we offer
- Salary, generous equity + beer
- Comfy chairs
- Big monitors
- A chance to change the world of gaming forever
Apply
RIM – Senior Interaction Designer (0900834)
Ottawa, ON
Research In Motion Limited® (RIM)® is a world leader in the mobile communications market and has a history of developing breakthrough wireless solutions. RIM’s portfolio of award-winning products, services and embedded technologies is used by thousands of organizations around the world and includes the BlackBerry® wireless platform, the RIM Wireless HandheldT product line, software development tools and software/hardware licensing agreements. RIM is seeking driven individuals who can take our wireless data products to the next level in the global wireless market. Are you ready to make a difference in the world of mobile communications with RIM?
Position Summary
We are looking for Senior Interaction Designers to create compelling design solutions that cross both the mobile and desktop user experience, with a focus on media and content management for Mac/PC and Web applications.
You are passionate about design and prolific in creating engaging visual content and design interactions with a meticulous focus on simplicity and elegance. You are well versed in the tools of graphic design and animation and communicate your ideas and concepts effortlessly using storyboards, simulations, prototypes or videos.
Responsibilities
As a member of the IxD team you will help to further understand and define user behaviors and interactions, exploring and proposing innovative features, developing and refining concepts and playing a key role in their implementation. You will work in a cross-functional team that includes usability analysts, engineers, marketing, product managers, as well as other interface/visual designers. The ability to quickly grasp and distill highly complex matters are essential skills. You must be fluent in user centered design methodologies and information architecture and be able to apply this knowledge across a wide range of platforms. You will be responsible for presenting and documenting your user interfaces designs. You will be responsible for developing user interfaces designs specifications and guidelines.
As an advocate for the consumer, you strive for innovation and simplicity by leveraging research, strategic thinking and your experience, building relationships within a technology centric organization. Leading by example you will contribute directly to projects as well as through design direction, project reviews and leading brainstorming sessions. You will guide and mentor others on the team, sharing your personal strengths and experience.
Qualifications
- Ability to formulate simple, elegant interaction design solutions
- Ability to formulate and distill design rationale and guidelines for your work.
- Attention to detail both functional and aesthetic
- Demonstrate design solutions using interactive prototypes on handheld and PC
- Ability to work on your own or as part of a team
- Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize work in a fast paced environment
- A skilled communicator comfortable with meetings and presentations
- Exceptional understanding of user centered design methods and principles
- Experience with contextual and lab-based research methods
- An understanding of underlying technical requirements and constraints
- Practical knowledge of graphic design tools, such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash
- BA in either Human Factors/HCI, Industrial Design, Multimedia Design or related field
- A minimum of 7 years creating user experiences for commercial software
- 1-2 years experience in a senior design role
If you’re driven to take wireless technologies to the next level, it’s time you join the team at RIM. We offer a challenging environment that fosters creativity and rewards excellence. Employees also have use of our award winning BlackBerry!
Rogers Wireless – Mobile Interaction Designer
Toronto, ON
Rogers Wireless, Canada’s largest wireless carrier, is looking for a passionate mobile interaction designer to join our User Experience team, to be based in Toronto, Ontario.
This individual will be responsible for the concept, design and execution of intuitive, highly usable, engaging user interfaces for all mobile devices and applications in Rogers Product Portfolio.
The ideal candidate will possess excellent user interface design skills, a strong understanding of human interface design, and a natural ability to understand users’ needs. Previous experience in application and/ or web design is essential, while experience in mobile device design is highly desired. A gifted eye for aesthetics and attention to detail are a must.
This individual is an analytic problem solver who can take user research, user & business requirements and translate them into user interface designs that are highly usable and engaging. Throughout the new product development process, this individual will be called upon to produce mock-ups, wireframes, storyboards, screen flows and prototypes (paper and/or interactive). As the successful candidate will design and produce all final graphical assets that will appear in Rogers mobile devices and applications, experience in icon design is essential.
This individual will also help to author, implement and test detailed user interface specifications and will be involved in roadmap planning & coordination, user interface concept development and technical specification development for vendor use.
The successful candidate will have strong organizational and problem solving skills, excellent communication skills both written and oral, and solid relationship building skills. The deployment of new products is the result of a team effort, so the ability to work in a team environment is required.
Responsibilities include:
- Conceive, design and produce iconography and graphical UI elements for all mobile devices, applications and services.
- Develop a visual evolution roadmap for all iconography and graphical UI elements.
- Design user interfaces for mobile devices, services and applications in the Rogers Product Portfolio.
- Communicate, test and validate this UI designs by producing mock-ups, wireframes, storyboards, screen flows and prototypes (paper and/or interactive).
- Assist in ensuring new devices and applications are properly architected from end-to-end based on user experience guidelines.
- Act as Subject Matter Expert (SME) for User Interface and User Experience
- Testing and evaluation of new devices and applications.
- Assist in evaluation of new and existing vendors ability to comply with UI/UE requirements
- Providing user interface guidance to device OEMs and internal product managers for application development.
- Participate / co-ordinate conference calls between device manufacturers and third party vendors for product development.
- Provide support and assistance to New Product Development team members for all new product launches.
- Other day-to-day activities and/or projects as outlined by the manager.
Qualifications:
- Post-secondary education (preferably in graphic design, interaction design, multimedia design, industrial design or a related field).
- 2-3 years of user interface design experience focusing on mobile (highly desired) web, or software applications.
- An outstanding portfolio of work demonstrating the successful delivery of innovative, easy-to-use, visually stunning interface design solutions.
- Exceptional understanding of fundamental design disciplines (typography, composition, color and animation) and principals (affordance, clustering, progressive disclosure, consistency, etc…)
- Ability to work effectively and independently on multiple simultaneous tasks within a fast pace environment.
- Proficiency in graphic design tools, including Photoshop and Illustrator.
- Proficiency in visual prototyping and wireframing tools, such as Visio, Illustrator and Flash.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel)
- Excellent oral & written communication abilities.
- Strong problem solving skills, detail oriented, with the ability to manage multiple tasks, deadlines and priorities.
- Highly motivated individual with superior organizational and analytical skills.
- Knowledge of overall wireless industry – GSM/GPRS/EDGE/HSDPA, Bluetooth, WiFi, etc…
- Willingness to work flexible hours to meet changing deadlines.
Apply
Applications can be email to Markus Grupp, Manager – User Experience on Markus.Grupp at rci.rogers.com.
RIM – User Experience Analyst – 0803425
Mississauga, ON
Description
Research In Motion Limited® (RIM)® is a world leader in the mobile communications market and has a history of developing breakthrough wireless solutions. RIM’s portfolio of award-winning products, services and embedded technologies is used by thousands of organizations around the world and includes the BlackBerry® wireless platform, the RIM Wireless Handheld™ product line, software development tools and software/hardware licensing agreements. RIM is seeking driven individuals who can take our wireless data products to the next level in the global wireless market. Are you ready to make a difference in the world of mobile communications with RIM?
Position Summary
As a member of the RIM User Experience team, the successful candidate will support user-centered design throughout the product development process, from concept to commercialization. Working closely with other cross-functional teams as well as customers and partners, he or she will define user models, work flows, and interaction design for a variety of products, create wire frames and low-fidelity prototypes to show design concepts, conduct user research and usability testing, and translate research findings into concrete design recommendations. He or she will package, present and ‘sell’ ideas and recommendations to other teams and to senior management. Additional responsibilities include contributing to user interface specifications and standards, working with interaction designers to create design concepts and prototypes, and contributing to product requirements and use cases.
Qualifications
Essential Skills and Qualifications
- Post-secondary education in human computer interaction, systems design engineering, interaction design, or a related field
- 3-5+ years experience working in a professional environment on user experience research, feedback, and design
- Demonstrated ability to work on multiple projects at once in collaborative, fast-paced environments
- Strong research and quantitative skills, including statistics and data analysis
- Excellent problem-solving skills to translate research into practical recommendations
- A proven ability to articulate design concepts using rapid prototyping tools to define task flows, user interactions, and information architecture
- Ability to dialogue with cross-functional teams (from product management to development) to deliver industry leading solutions
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills to articulate user experience ideas effectively to both technical and business audiences
- Experience planning and facilitating usability testing, focus groups, and customer interviews
- Solid understanding of user interface design principles and practices
- Must be passionate about user-centered design and user experience
- Demonstrated ability to handle multiple demands with a sense of urgency, drive and energy and work in a fast-paced team environment
If you’re driven to take wireless technologies to the next level, it’s time you join the team at RIM. We offer a challenging environment that fosters creativity and rewards excellence. Employees also have use of our award winning BlackBerry!