[IxDA Discuss] JOB: Visual Interaction Designer - Boise, ID - Full Time
Visual Interaction Designer Location: Boise, Idaho Job Code: 1021R # of openings: 1 Description The Visual Interaction Designer ensures design of Healthwise products supports online interaction and learning models to help consumers change behavior and make better health decisions, and ensures look and feel of products are visually appealing, engaging, and audience-appropriate. The designer will work collaboratively as part of a cross-disciplinary team to develop new features and improve existing ones. Duties Responsibilities * Works collaboratively in cross-functional teams, ranging from writers to engineers, to create design enhancements for Healthwise electronic products, marketing, and business-to-business initiatives, and proposes design solutions that best address the needs of users based on their input. * Develops high quality visual assets for concept, prototype, and final designs to support product navigation, features, and aesthetics. * Envisions, explains, and mocks up creative solutions for desired product features, and follows solutions from discovery through implementation. * Communicates effectively to present conceptual designs clearly to diverse team members with varying knowledge of design standards, and negotiates design solutions in relation to goals and competing priorities. * Creates design comps and mockups to support and/or replace detailed functional specifications. * Applies learning from usability test results, personas, mental models, and other user input to improve design. * Understands project management and works effectively under project timelines and deadlines. * Understands and applies design consistency standards. * Researches and advocates for visual design theories and technologies. Educates team on these findings and makes recommendations on incorporation into Healthwise products. * Works with other designers to successfully manage version control on visual assets, to ensure accuracy and currency of designs. Skills and Knowledge * Creatively conceptualizes ideas that may require extensive research in the field of health education and engagement. (Previous experience in healthcare a plus but not required). * Demonstrates a solid understanding of where visual design, interaction design, information architecture, and technology come together to create smart, compelling, and usable experiences across channels and devices. * Demonstrates flexibility in working independently or alongside other design team members and engineers, writers, and medical experts. * Can provide an outstanding online and in-person portfolio for presentation and discussion. * Demonstrates passion for design and the evolution of the interactive user experience. * Familiarity with designing for accessibility, including Section 508 requirements. * Understands design principles and how they apply to the interactive space. * Possesses skills in typography, iconography, effective storytelling, and an understanding of color theory, as well as a meticulous attention to detail. * Expertise in prevailing interface design tools, including Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Flash, and good knowledge of HTML/CSS. * Experience in creating comprehensive wireframes, sketches, UI, and final visual design for rich online interaction. * Ability to produce great work in short timeframes, manage time efficiently while multi-tasking across different projects and clients. * Comfortable taking specific direction as well as working independently with a general guidance. * Bachelor's degree or higher in interaction, visual design, or human factors. * 1-5 years of business experience in interactive and visual design and production. Design for mobile applications is a plus. * Demonstrates ability to accurately estimate, scope, and prioritize development work. * Familiarity with leveraging computer animation and illustration as a component of design. * Demonstrates strong written and verbal communication skills. Interested applicants should include a resume, cover letter, and work samples (please provide links to online work samples when possible). http://www.healthwise.org/a_careers.aspx Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Writing for Information Scent?
...perhaps a bit off topic asking a content development question in here, but I was hoping since interaction has so much...well, interaction with content that perhaps someone might have insight they'd be willing to share. Much of the work I've found around information foraging/scent, goal-oriented design, and mental models resonates well with IA and IxD folks, but I've struggled to get it to resonate with content developers. Does anyone have personal experience translating or possibly seen anything published that translates the HOW (process, steps, what the difference is) of information scent into the language of content developers? Thanks in advance, Becky Reed IxD, Healthwise Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute phasing out online HCI program
I wonder how much of it goes back to findability and information architecture (but I can be a little biased thinking most problems come back to these things). Placement in search engine isn't really high (and didn't even seem them for online hci program and the like) and then the description provided seemed accidental and had an odd subdomained URL that didn't give you the university's name or program in it. When you go to the program site you arrive at from some of the more obscure search terms, I didn't see a mention of format (online vs oncampus). There was a link for working professionals. Mmmm...here's the mention: live on-campus and, by electronic means. I guess in the months I spent searching for an online program I never Googled for masters program HCI electronic means. In my experience, disambiguating on-campus only programs from distance ones was a challenge. Trying to winnow them down via search engine alone was impossible and even as noted above...it was kind of a treasure hunt on their program sites. I went with an barely online Human Factors program through U of Idaho last year and would have certainly looked at Rensselaer's HCI program as I could have taken it by electronic means. Becky -Original Message- From: discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com [mailto:discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of sharon Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 4:23 PM To: IxDA Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute phasing out online HCI program Why is noone interested in this program? There are only two online HCI programs to my knowledge - Rensselaer's and Brigham Young University. RPI's name has cachet and prestige. I know some nuclear engineers who graduated from RPI - smart school for smart people. I think they are phasing the online HCI program out because they didn't have enough applicants. Does no one have an interest in working while getting a degree remotely? Just checking the temperature here... Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Online book club
I'd certainly be interested in that...unless there are a bunch of folks out there reading this is in Idaho! Becky -Original Message- From: discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com [mailto:discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of James Bond Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 2:25 PM To: disc...@ixda.org Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Online book club This may have been previously covered in another thread, but would anyone be interested in doing this online. I am not in a major city where I can participate easily, but I was thinking something along the lines of a Skype conference call (or IM chat room) as the central meeting place? I figure I can't be the only one on the list not near a major resource of IxD/UXers. James Bond Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Axure - Questions...and more questions
1. My experience (myself and a production designer) has been the learning curve isn't too bad...a few days of intense work and a trial run learning how dynamic panels and events need to be layered to work best. I've used Visio (a lot), Dreamweaver, and a few other low fidelity options in times past...I thought it was pretty easy for the lovely working results you get. There are also libraries for Axure these days which would have probably saved me some time if they were available when I first started using Axure. 2. I have used Visio stuff in Axure a bunch. Axure doesn't format text as nicely as sometimes required (the wrap on bullet points - even for greeked text - distracting!) so I bring in Visio stuff when necessary. I just bring them in as images, so I don't know if you mean that or preserving Visio interactions that are possible with VB (never tried that - wouldn't seem possible). 3. Nope, nada. Step away!! Lots of image maps and so forth. Nope. Nope. Nope. I'd love to see a prototyping tool that is actually as useful and budgetable as Axure that does produce compliant code though...perhaps my own ignorance here. There was a product called...mmm...don't remember...it was like the talk of the conferences a year ago...anyway...just didn't have Axure's features and my engineers would freak if I delivered them code...so I didn't march any further down that front. 4. Depicting the more animated features available through JS libraries (like drag and drop) is tough. It's a little Wait! Pretend this happened! and less Ding! or Swsh! It does seem like a loved and cared for product, so I sit here in my cube...always hopeful. Since you mentioned documentation - they seem to have done a lot around that, but I still haven't reached nirvana on that...I do a lot of stuff that seems to work best using their notion of dynamic panels (ala web app) vs. their notion of pages (ala traditional refresh sort of thing) and I have found generating ready-to-go specs a bit of a challenge. Becky Reed -Original Message- From: discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com [mailto:discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of Helen Killingbeck Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 5:45 PM To: IXDA list Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Axure - Questions...and more questions Thinking about using Axure for prototyping as there are many great benefits from a documentation point of view. However I am wondering about the learning curve and the ability to import previously documented high level page structures (Visio) Questions 1. What would be your estimate regarding the learning curve (timewise) to becoming productive with Axure without feeling like you are blowing the project timelines for deliverables? 2. Can you import Visio drawings into Axure? 3. My understanding is that Axure produces html code. So how compliant is the code when trying to ensure WCAG 2 compliant code? 4. What are the downfalls of using Axure? Thanks in advance. Helen Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] How much does it cost when a product steps out of workflow?
I am working on justifying the cost of field studies. I was curious if anyone has data on how much field studies save in the long run. - I was curious what the average cost of a flaw in workflow. - I know there is data around the cost of a bug/defect, but can't seem to put my finger on it. - I wish you could capture the value of the client perception piece (watched us, found it, fixed it -- before launch)...don't know how to quantify this. Ideas? Does any know of research/resources in this area? Thanks! Becky Reed Senior Interaction Designer Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Axure Pattern Library
Loren, You are a god! I think this is INCREDIBLY useful...I've had to create (and recreate) tons of 'em and wished I had them for common JS libraries. I'll pass mine along once they are presentable (they've kinda evolved into the other product specific DPs and masters and need to be torn out). How awesome! This is so exciting. Thank you! Becky -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Loren Baxter Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2008 3:56 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Axure Pattern Library I've created a small pattern library for Axure containing some useful widgets and interactions. If you use Axure, or would like to see what kind of prototypes it generates, take a look: http://www.acleandesign.com/2008/09/axure-design-library-v1/ Does anyone have their own patterns that they would like to post? I would also be interested in knowing if anyone found this useful. Best, Loren Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Accessing repetitive motion in a web application?
Howdy Folks, I was wondering if anyone has suggestions on how to best access repetitive motion in a web application. I'm also be super curious if anyone had automated testing around it in their QA departments, but would be just giddy if I had a better way to access it initially. Thanks very much, Becky Becky Reed IxD, Healthwise Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] unsophisticated users
My best guess is to let them observe representative users use their product. Stereotyping becomes a lot harder when you are thinking about the real people you watched. We've made watching usability test sessions a fun company event (separate observation room through Morae)...we send out invites and people attend as their schedule permits...just watching short sessions with real people use our products has been an asset to our writers, engineers, product people...everyone. After awhile of doing this, you'd walk into people on the observation deck cheer the users on and talking to the monitors (come on...over there over there!) when the user was close but not getting it... When they watch someone who reminds them of their dad, grandmother, etc. using THEIR product and having issues not because they are stupid, but because the product doesn't lend itself to the user's experience, some real impetus to find solution to THE PRODUCT for insert real human being evolves. People leave feeling bad for the guy that was one click away from what he needed and had spent a couple minutes talking about in the beginning. You said you were after the folks opposite to unsophisticated, so one wonders if give me testing budget for folks outside our target market will really fly, but perhaps grab the fence folks so you are at the edge of your target market. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Alla Zollers Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 4:31 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] unsophisticated users Thanks everyone! I think I am going to suggest that my director of product describe our users in terms of different levels of literacy as well as perhaps create a few cool descriptions like Catriona mentioned to help us talk about them in short hand. I also agree that I am need to build empathy within the company. This is especially true for me because I am the first UX person they have hired - ever. The company has never really thought about the users or their experience, they have been mainly technology driven. On that note, can anyone suggest any empathy exercises I could perhaps do with me team? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=29779 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] unsophisticated users
Alla, We go by the factors that contribute to the understanding and usage of our products (interviewing for personas, measuring in usability testing, etc.) to *hopefully* avoid the negative labeling: 1. Levels of technical literacy (both web and computer - separately) 2. Literacy level (reading level) 3. Health literacy (industry specific measure) So we call our broad, blanket groups would be like low lit, low technical lit, and low health lit OR high literacy, high technical literacy, etc. -- you get the idea, but we've matrix'd the quantitative permutations and added qualitative information around them based them on persona interviews and usability tested our products to confirm that they meet them. Becky Reed IxD, Healthwise -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Alla Zollers Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2008 12:15 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [IxDA Discuss] unsophisticated users Hi Everyone -- I am having a bit of a terminology problem within my company. Most of the product people and developers like to refer to our users as unsophisticated (a euphemism for dumb). My understanding of the majority of our users is that they are generally of a lower socio-economic level and so don't have regular access or extensive experience online. I mentioned this to the director of product and he asked me to come up with a different terminology for our segment of users, as we wish to expand to the more affluent and internet savvy segment. I am not sure what would be a good terminology for our unsophisticated users? Do you think personas would help in this situation? Thank you! Sincerely, Alla Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is a Flash-intro to a personal portfolio stillgood/relevant?
If I'm hiring someone who needs to have Flash experience and will work in Flash environments, that Flash intro has made the difference, but I evaluate it at the same level as the rest of their portfolio: 1) it's theirs and 2) it's reflective of their knowledge of Flash (be it development, interaction, or visual design - whatever appropriate to the job). If I'm hiring someone who doesn't need that experience, I'm still super critical of it - often I find someone has grabbed it from someplace, edited to their needs; but doesn't have the technical prowess to actually make that intro reflect the IxD or IA or Visual Design I'm hiring for. So that's a big negative when the Flash is there for look, you are hiring for someone who deeply understands interaction, but the working bits of my portfolio do not reflect any of my knowledge. I've hired two folks that had Flash intros (yes, I remember both) - both theirs, rock solid, and reflected their knowledge in what I was hiring for...the work SUPPORTED their portfolio. I've discard 100s of portfolios because the Flash work made me worry about whether they had the knowledge needed for what I was hiring for...the work UNDERMINED their portfolio...you know the butterfly that comes across with some clever inspirational quote and then proceeds to take 120 seconds to load 20x20 thumbnails bouncing across the screen that you then have to do some non standard behavior to open and then they terminate as unreadable 60x60 images in new windows. Becky Reed, IxD, Healthwise -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Alan Wexelblat Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 7:33 AM To: IXDA list Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Is a Flash-intro to a personal portfolio stillgood/relevant? Let's assume that you've done the proper work to provide a Skip Intro button. Let's further assume that you've done at least the minimum to make your content accessible to people without the Flash player. The question I ask, then, is: does having a Flash intro to a personal site, which may include one's portfolio or resume, make sense in today's job market and design environment? Or does this brand the designer as someone stuck in the last decade? As usual, I suspect the answer is it depends; what I'm really interested in is exploring issues around how we present ourselves in online presences and the Flash-intro or Flash-site is a method I still see from time to time, though not nearly as much as I used to. Best regards, --Alan Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
