On Oct 30, 2007, at 10:53 AM, Jason Barbarich wrote:
> is there anything in particular you look for
> when you see a potential junior IA/ID/UxD? Should we all have some
> sort of
> crucial skill on lock? Is there something that NEEDS to be in our
> sparsely
> populated portfolio? Or is it really just about being you, having a
> handle
> on the standard toolset, and knowing the design process?
I've interviewed a few "junior designers" (although I hate that term)
over the last year and here is what I'm looking for: raw talent. It's
as simple (and as difficult) as that. I bet other people who are
hiring are looking for the same thing too.
Sure, you need to have enthusiasm, smarts, and be able to talk about
your work. You need to be a personality fit for our company. You need
to have the temperament of a designer. You need to have some
experience (school or professional). You need to have something
interesting about you. You need to be well groomed. :)
But all of this is baseline. Hygiene, as it's called in product
design: what people just expect to be there. What I'm really looking
for in your portfolio is raw talent. This might be skills I don't
have, or an idea I never would have thought of. A side project that
is really interesting, or a new take on some existing product I
haven't seen elsewhere.
What it comes down to is this: I want to hire people more talented
than me, with better ideas than I have. The other stuff, bah, you can
learn those skills. If you are halfway smart I can teach you to do
decent documentation or how to write sales proposals or the myriad of
other aptitudes that come with experience. I don't care if you can
make a great wireframe as much as I care you had a great idea. Your
portfolio has to say: I am a person with good ideas and skills you
can use. I'd rather you present one mind-blowing project than two
mediocre ones. Ok, TWO mind-blowing projects (to make sure the first
isn't a fluke). :)
I might be idiosyncratic here, but maybe not. Anyway, I doubt this is
helpful ("How do I show I'm a genius?!"), but my advice is simply to
show where you shine. Demonstrate your thinking and your methods.
Talk about choices you DIDN'T take, and why. Make me think I'd be a
fool not to hire you. Because if you do, I (or someone like me)
probably will.
Dan
Dan Saffer
Experience Design Director, Adaptive Path
http://www.adaptivepath.com
http://www.odannyboy.com
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