Sr. Interaction Designer
SENIOR UI AND INTERACTION DESIGNER
Location
• San Jose, CA
Job Type
• Regular, full-time position.
My Client and their team is seeking an Senior UI and Interaction Designer to create user-centered design processes to make a more intuitive, frictionless and cohesive virtual world.
We’ll do this by working with the user interface team and improving core existing features of the site (from message boards to art arenas to trading, to stores, to profiles and journals) as well as introducing new features (we’ll tell you in person ?). The ideal candidate will help define and communicate the broader ‘gaia world’ vision and apply that to each feature.
Strong candidates will have experience leading the design for one or more complex web-based services and a broad understanding of the methods for their creation, including participatory design and rapid prototyping. The candidate can balance multiple projects and still see the bigger picture to make strategic decisions.
Requirements include a synchronized focus on conceptual design, detailed design and overall brand awareness all based on a passionate interest in and strong grasp of our wonderful users. This position offers a combination of hands-on design work and leadership opportunities. This is a regular, full-time senior position based in our HQ a few minutes north of the San Jose airport.
Responsibilities:
- Help make Gaiaonline easier and more intuitive (and more fun!) to use.
- Assess current site features and usage patterns
- Draft high-level user flow and navigation systems
- Create conceptual designs and page functionality and flows.
- Help drive methodology and promote good UI patterns
Skills & Qualifications:
- 4 years+ of user interface design experience.
- Strong conceptual design, collaborative, and organizational skills
- Dedication to detail and deadlines
- The ability to effectively negotiate interactions between designers and engineers.
- Enjoys leading and motivating others and being part of a fun-loving, hard working team.
- MS in human-computer interaction or related field preferred; BS in either Computer Science or Graphic Arts a plus.
- Strong graphic design skills.
- Demonstrated experience in designing extremely usable, consumer-oriented web-based interfaces.
- Excellent leadership, communication and teamwork skills.
- Experience in HTML, Javascript, and CSS.
- Strong conceptual skills
- Evidence of exceptional and innovative interface design work
- Strong understanding of human factors and usability best practices.
- A basic understanding of how web-based presentation layer technologies work and how to exploit them, including DHTML, Flash, and AJAX (do not need to be able to code)
- A strong understanding of visual design and how it can shape and influence user interface
-Good sense of humor ?.
Sr. Interaction Designer
Company Overview
We are a new interactive media startup focused on video in stealth mode right now and are looking for an experienced graphic/flash designer to come and join our team. We are backed by industry veterans from the technology and entertainment industry. Principal owners are also mainstream celebrities. We are currently well financed through various angels.
This company hasn’t been talked about in the news (we did this on purpose) but we have a product that is going to raise the bar in the online advertising space. If you are looking to work on some of the world’s top entertainment properties, then our company is the place to join. Talk is cheap but we have a highly experienced & seasoned team that will challenge you and push you to the limits to help build out our product for a debut in Q2, 2008.
If you are a risk taker and want to join a great company in the making then by all means send us your resume. Our company is based in San Francisco, CA with offices in LA. We offer a flexible work environment which includes work-life balance including tele-commuting (work from home), but will require you to be in the office a few days a week to facilitate collaboration.
Job Description:
The Senior Graphic/Interactive Designer will be responsible for the definition and graphic development of all consumer/business-facing aspects of our vertical. You will be responsible for working closely with product marketing and the technical team to create and layout the user experience. You will collaborate with team members to understand the needs of the UI, and design and construct cohesive and aesthetically pleasing user interface solutions. You will work proactively to stay knowledgeable of current implementation technologies and best practice solutions. The ideal candidate will have a visual design background and strong understanding of the process of human interface design.
The job requires someone who has excellent insights into online user experience, enjoys building world-class consumer products, and is passionate about delivering products to market that delight the consumer.
Being well versed in Web Analytics & Client Side Application Design is a major plus and important. Our application is web-based but carries a Windows/Mac Client Side Application as well.
Qualifications
What we look for most in a person is not the degrees, but the “can do” attitude because time and time again, tenacious attitudes and the willingness to work hard and not give up carry the most weight when we measure our people.
Creative Eye & Exceptional User Experience Skills a Must
Create UI design concepts and solutions that support the company goals
* Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to conceive and improve the user experience
* Design interactive navigation, controls and icons
* Own the entire design for the consumer facing web portal.
* Create wire frames, mockups, and interactive prototypes
* Communicate and partner with teams to iterate the design vision
* Innovate new solutions, with the ability to present multiple design ideas
* Contribute to the culture of communication, collaboration and inspiration
REQUIRED SKILLS
* Excellent UI design skills and an outstanding portfolio of interactive projects
* 5+ years experience in web design and a solid understanding of the relationship between content, visual design, user interface and technology
* Experience and participation in the complete product lifecycle of launched websites, software applications or games (TV interface experience a plus)
* Core competency in graphic design with emphasis on consistency, attention to detail, simplicity and innovation
* Possess strong communication skills with the ability to listen, articulate your design and advocate best practice solutions
* Work collaboratively with other designers, product managers and engineers
* Be organized, work effectively under deadlines, and manage multiple concurrent projects
* Ability to take direction to meet creative and business needs
* Strong understanding of implementation technologies, and how to design with limitations
• Expert abilities with the Adobe® Creative Suite, Flash, ActionScript experience a must
* HTML, CSS a must
• MAYA experience a definite plus
* Consumer Internet experience preferred
Strong work ethic, flexibility, good initiative, proven attention to detail, communication skills, and the ability to work well within a diverse, challenging, and rewarding environment is required.
Package:
Salary: $65-80,000 per year based on experience as a full time employee
Option Package: Depends on experience
Bonus: Based on Year 1 Performance either cash or stock
Upon applying, please provide us with your resume/portfolio and a cover letter providing us with some thoughts as to why you would be the right person and what you think about the state of online video and what could be done to raise the bar. Creativity is a major plus in our book.