Job description interestingness at Authentic Jobs

~ 28 August 2008 ~

So, this month I figured I’d do something a little different to expose some of the great job opportunities found at Authentic Jobs. I’ve plumbed through most of the listings currently on the site, and I’ve made note of some of the interesting job descriptions, perk benefits, and stuff I personally find appealing.

Full-time (International)

• Not only is it probably the best email campaign software available online, but Campaign Monitor also offers one of the most enjoyable user experiences I’ve had with any web app. They’re seeking a Web/Interface Designer in Sydney, Australia, one who’s passionate about continuing to create enjoyable user experiences.

Full-time (U.S.)

• Quiksilver is seeking a Graphic Designer in their internet marketing department in Huntington Beach, “the largest stretch of uninterrupted beachfront on the West Coast” (H.B. City official website).
• TripAdvisor, which Suzanne and I are using to help prepare a possible trip to Europe next year, needs a Lead Web Developer in Boston.
• Located in downtown “Nashvegas”, paramore|redd needs a Designer/Developer with a sharp eye for design and the ability to code XHTML/CSS like a champ. Send portfolio work to canihazjob [at] paramoreredd.com.
• HUGE is seeking an Art Director in Los Angeles who will work hard with a great lineup of clients, and then play hard with 15 paid days off, 10 company holidays, and your birthday off.
• I’m especially fond of university websites, having designed a few myself, so it’s a pleasure for me to encourage you to head over and apply for Web Adminstrator/Developer position at New York University.
• Best Buy needs an Associate Creative Director for bestbuy.com — a pretty prominent position, IMO — for a variety of efforts: directing internal and external resources, leading brand positioning, assembling and assigning team members, and more. Position is in Richfield, Minnesota.
• Cisco Systems (San Jose, CA) is looking for a Frontend Engineer with expert knowledge of CSS1 through CSS3(!), among other things.
• JavaScript guru? Apple needs a UI Engineer.
• Chronicle Books, an independent publisher in San Francisco, is looking for an Interactive Designer with wizardry in the development of web pages, Flash promotional movies, email newsletters, banner ads, blogs, landing pages and mini-sites. (Whew!)
• Merge (Greenville, South Carolina) wants to find a Web Designer Extraordinaire with a “portfolio that would make your mother proud” and one who is competitive enough to endure the “mandatory Nintendo Wii bowling tourneys.”
• UnitOneNine needs a Rockstar Designer in Chicago, and this pretty much sums it up: “If you’re currently at a job that doesn’t have much room for freedom in design, office environment, or just being able to wake up late and come to the office when you want, contact us.”

Post a job or find one at Authentic Jobs.

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Beethoven’s Heiligenstadt Testament

~ 20 August 2008 ~

In Beethoven’s Heiligenstadt Testament: A Study in Capability vs. Capacity, I explore what I consider one of Ludwig van Beethoven’s greatest “works” and how it helps answer the question, “What does it take to go from good designer to great designer?” (More about the layout of this article here.)

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Upcoming speaking events

~ 12 August 2008 ~

So, I began 2008 with a goal of minimizing my travel this year following two years of continuous speaking events, and I’ve done a pretty good job of sticking to that goal. I’ll wrap up this year with a couple events in Utah, a web radio interview, and another appearance at An Event Apart.

• AIGA Salt Lake City August 14th, 7pm This event will be held just across the freeway from me at the Art Institute of Salt Lake City (Draper, Utah). I’ll be speaking on striving for design excellence individually and as a team. Admission is $5 for students and AIGA members, $10 for guests.
• Couch Cast web radio interview August 18th, 12pm MST Anyone is welcome to listen live or call in by dialing (347) 324-3797 during recording.
• WordCamp Utah September 27th To be held in Provo, Utah with WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg and others. I’ll be presenting Good vs. Great Design.
• An Event Apart Chicago October 13th and 14th I’ll be speaking on a new topic, The In-House Designer. Use promo code AEAMOLL and save $50 on registration.

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Linkification

~ 31 July 2008 ~

This is something that’s been on my mind for some time now, probably a few years:

How do we select the particular words that are linked within a sentence or paragraph, and does it matter for the user?

Here’s an example:

John Coltrane’s ‘A Love Supreme’ is on sale at iTunes for just $7.99.

How would you choose to link that up, and why? Is one more “effective” than the other, however you define that?

Cast your vote (or suggest an alternative) with a supporting argument.

Archived article 280 comments

The In-House Designer

~ 29 July 2008 ~

An Event Apart Chicago is just a few months away, and I’ll have the privilege of speaking on a brand new topic, “The In-House Designer”:

The fundamental principles of design remain constant irrespective of organization size, technical discipline, and the like. Yet within larger organizations, the dynamics of applying these principles, the ability to produce quality output, and overall job satisfaction are a challenge at times. Learn how to hone your technical skills, and, more importantly, your soft skills, to effectively grapple with the politics and red tape that are common to larger organizations—or, for that matter, to client services work.

In my mind, this is a subject that’s long overdue for being addressed in conferences, and I’m excited to take a shot at addressing it.

But I’d like your help. What are the issues common to “larger organizations”? I’d be willing to bet the majority of you reading this work at companies larger than most agencies and startups and therefore have experience and an understanding of the challenges I speak of above.

So, help me start a list of things I may address in the presentation. I’ll start:

• Uninspiring workspaces
• Passionless employees
• An abundance of paperwork needed for anything and everything
• Legacy methodologies (e.g. waterfall software development)
• …

What can you add?

Archived article 82 comments

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“Moll’s blog is worth any web or graphic designer’s time.”

–Jeffrey Zeldman