My Ideal Job
From the few years I have spent in the Digital Media Design course, I have gained a bounty of experience and knowledge relating to the ICT and design industry. The areas that have peaked my interest have been Web Design and and User Experience Design (UXD). I am intrigued by the theoretical aspects and design processes and how they go hand in hand with the likes of programming and video production to create a seamless usable experience.
From the study of human action, behaviour and sociology we can gain a greater understanding of how to make an experience more usable. Jakob Nielsen is an advocate for good usability, particularly for Web 2.0 where he mentions how:
“…users don’t return to sites that are difficult to use. Only if people get a positive user experience on their initial visit will they return.” (Thompson and Kemp, 2009)
I could see myself working in a company that sees the value in the cooperation between the developers and designers. Managing projects, prototyping, programming, maintenance and even consultancy are potential work areas that I would be interested in. To gain a better understanding of where my future lies I have done some research into existing companies…
Jam 3 is a digital production and design agency that creates multimedia works for the advertising and entertainment industries. They follow three core principles: storytelling, design/craft and technology. For storytelling they like to create interactive experiences, be they installations or film. They refer to their unique design touch as their ‘craft’, and they embrace workers who specialise in various design and coding technologies. This place would be a very interesting place to work, where creativity could flourish.
Clickshape is another example of a company that would suit my interests and knowledge. Having worked for ‘eCommerce’ companies before I know that creating a fluid and efficient user experience allows for a greater conversion rate (i.e. customers that want to continue browsing the site and purchasing products or services) as well as overall happier users. Clickshape use multiple UXD methods including: Wireframing, IxD, Information Architecture, User Testing and Conversion Optimization (in particular for eCommerce websites).
Modern web development and UXD take inspiration and aspects from many different fields of expertise. Clickshape mentions that video is becoming a more integral part of a multimedia experience, as technology advances and data transfer speeds increase. This can be seen in the web development showcase website Awwwards, where many of the listed websites play a HTML5 video in the background. I think many web developers can agree with Simon Collison, a designer from Nottingham UK, who believes that websites should be built to stand the test of time, be future-capable and at least be changeable.
During my last two work placements, I found myself using various wireframing tools to create website or mobile application mock-ups. Axure RP was the primary tool I used to create these prototypes. Axure allows the user to create working prototypes of websites which can then be shared with co-workers. The clickable mock-ups can show the concept in motion for whatever platform is being created. No programming skills are required, but some technical skills and practice is recommended. Moqups is a similar online-based tool.
A designer that I would personally admire is Cennydd Bowles. At the time of writing he worked as a Design Manager for Twitter in London. Known for his work as a digital product designer he also writes for A List Apart, a website which writes articles on the creation and management of websites. He has public speaking experience, so he knows how to present various ideas and express his thoughts on various social and technological matters to like-minded technology enthusiasts.
On the UXD side of things I would be interested in the work of Joseph C Lawrence. As a UX Designer himself, he would know how to take an idea or prototype and guide it to be a viable business platform. He is able to combine various processes such as prototyping, business/requirements analysis and the overall design to create a fun, usable experience that customers or clients will enjoy. He works at the aforementioned Clickshape company, which resides in South Africa.
References
Thompson, A.-J., Kemp, E.A. (2009) ‘Web 2.0: Extending the Framework for Heuristic Evaluation’, in Proceedings of the 10th International Conference NZ Chapter of the ACM’s Special Interest Group on Human-Computer Interaction, CHINZ ’09, ACM: New York, NY, USA, 29–36, available: http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1577782.1577788 [accessed 14 Sep 2014].