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January 2018: Experiments in Creating an Urban Design UX in Kitchener

Posted: December 18th, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Events | Tags: | No Comments »

This month, we’ll be learning from folks in another design discipline: urban design!

The City of Kitchener’s role as innovators in urban design includes fostering an environment in which all parties– developers, consultants, city staff and the public– are able to collaborate sympathetically toward a future condition where new development is a valued and positively integrated part of urban life. This means not only creating leading policy in urban design, but expanding the ways in which we disseminate urban design issues and educate stakeholders so that we can make informed decisions and overcome existing, ingrained prejudices.

The City of Kitchener has developed unique design guidelines that are adaptable, scalable, and inclusive. Our approach is one that focuses on the relationships between design elements to ensure good design. Because of this, we have increased the burden on all parties when it comes to implementation; rather than static, unchanging numbers, our approach requires a greater user sophistication. To build that sophistication, we have created a series of experiments to demonstrate concepts, analyze relationships and promote creative thought processes amongst our users.

In our presentation, we will look at these experiments and consider their effectiveness. We will demonstrate how we use 3D printed models as part of our tall building design workshops. We will explore how the charrette process can help to build both understanding and consensus with the public. We will show how we deploy 3D modeling to perform detailed analyses of impacts, including shadow and viewshed studies. And finally, we will discuss how the organization, style and format of the upcoming Urban Design Manual are designed to improve the user experience, increase accessibility and advance the cause of good urban design to a wider audience.

Biographies

Adam Clark Urban Designer City of Kitchener

Adam Clark is an Urban Designer with a Masters of Architecture from the University of Waterloo. In his time with the City, he has contributed to multiple station area plans for the ION LRT and is co-lead of the Urban Design Manual, which includes the recently approved Tall Building Design Guidelines. He also provides architectural and urban design review and approval for a variety of development applications.

Dayna Edwards MCIP, RPP Senior Planner (Urban Design) City of Kitchener  

As a professional in planning and urban design, Dayna Edwards coordinates and implements the Urban Design Program, including the preparation of Urban Design Guidelines and Urban Design Studies, at the City of Kitchener. In addition, she leads and participates in the review of infrastructure projects and development proposals and applications. Dayna is a graduate of the Queen’s University’s School of Urban and Regional Planning and later completed a specialization in Urban Design at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. Dayna’s interests have focused on urban design challenges related to infill development and master planning projects.

Please register for this free event

Register

Thursday January 17, 2018
5:30 to 7:00 pm
Communitech Hub, 3rd floor
[View on Google Maps]


December 2018: Building a New Design System at D2L

Posted: November 28th, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Events | Tags: | No Comments »

In this talk, Nick Dingle will share some stories and lessons learned from a journey building up D2L’s “Daylight” design system, which is primarily used by D2L’s flagship product Brightspace. How did they get started? How did they get everyone using it? How are they maintaining it? Where do they still need to go?

Nick Dingle has been a Product Designer for fifteen years. He started by designing websites for Canadian tv shows and they called him an Information Architect. Then he moved on to designing native mobile apps for communications companies and they called him an Interaction Designer. Now he works as a Senior Product Designer / Team Lead at D2L where he gets to design experiences for teachers and students. He loves his job.

Please register for this free event

Register

Thursday December 20, 2018
5:30 to 7:00 pm
Communitech Hub, 2nd floor
[View on Google Maps]


Job: UX Design Lead – Alert Labs

Posted: November 2nd, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Jobs | Tags: | No Comments »

At Alert Labs, we are passionate about saving natural resources, protecting our customers’ properties from water damage, and improving the operational efficiencies of cities, school boards, restaurants, and insurance companies.

Alert Labs is innovating in the IoT (Internet of Things) space. We build affordable, simple to deploy and reliable sensor networks targeted at protecting our customers’ homes and businesses. We bring the benefits of IoT to customers of all technical levels. By being thoughtful and elegant in our design, our products are friendly and easy for anyone to use.

We believe that innovation comes from every member of the team and that the best designs combine technical skills with creativity to achieve great results. We provide an open environment that will allow your job to grow with you. We are passionate about what we do and are driven to create great solutions. We value results, not hours worked, and offer a flexible schedule that allows you to maintain a healthy work/life balance.

There’s never a dull day at Alert Labs, and with a whole stable of upcoming product releases, that’s never been more true than right now. Over the next year, we plan to finalize an extensive suite of utility monitoring devices and you’ll be a key part of the process in sharing this with our customers.

We are looking for a UX Design Lead to work closely with our customer experience, marketing and sales teams, and to be the bridge to the software development team. We value people who are enthusiastic, engaged, and eager to work in a team committed to delivering industry-leading products and software.

Job Description:

Reporting directly to the CTO and CEO, our UX Design Lead will own the vision of our user interface. We’re a tight-knit and scrappy company, so ownership comes with the responsibility for doing the hands-on work needed to make it happen – this includes research, user stories, wireframes, prototypes, testing, and specifications with a mobile-first responsive design approach – to be clear, we’re looking for leaders who are serious doers as well. We’ve got an amazing team of software developers to back you and they’re all passionate about finding ways to deliver the best possible experiences within a fever-pitch development cycle. We believe in a user-first design approach to build products our customers love by incorporating user-centred design at the outset of every project and feature request.

This is a chance to guide our UI vision, shape our company’s design culture, and be an integral part of the leadership team as our company grows… oh, and get lots and lots of your work out into the real world. This is a very important hire for us and we want to make sure we get the right person for the job. Could it be you?

Day-to-day responsibilities will include:

  • Working closely with customer support, the sales team, business clients and end users to understand user needs and business objectives. Then hunker down with software to find the optimal way to make the most people the most happy.
  • Translating customer and business needs into UI concepts, sketches, user flows, wireframes, mockups and prototypes that lead to intuitive user experiences.
  • Running user trials and performing in situ user research.
  • Creating UI designs that will work for a wide range of devices and interfaces.
  • Taking a user-centered design approach and rapidly testing and iterating your designs.
  • Following and/or refining visual design style guides.

Required Skills/Experience:

  • Five or more years of UX design experience with a degree/certificate in design or relative field. Preference will be given to candidates who combine hands-on proficiency with technical leadership experience.
  • Ability to work with customers and business clients to understand detailed requirements, design user experiences that meet their needs, and evaluate your designs through user testing.
  • Extensive experience using UX design best practices to design solutions, and a strong understanding of mobile-first and responsive design.
  • A solid grasp of user-centered design, planning and conducting user research, user testing, A/B testing, rapid prototyping, usability and accessibility concerns.
  • Ability to iterate designs and solutions efficiently and intelligently.
  • Ability to use high and low fidelity sketches and mockups to communicate ideas quickly and effectively throughout the entire design process.
  • Expertise in standard UX software such as Balsamiq, Sketch, Zeplin, or Adobe CS. Basic HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript skills are a plus.
  • Candidates MUST submit a portfolio of work with their application

Bonus Points:

  • Visual design chops to make your designs look awesome and carry them through to the point where they can be implemented by the software team using existing style guides.
  • We all wear many hats. If you’re really good at something we didn’t capture here, tell us about it and we’ll make sure you find a way to shine.

How to apply:

Email us at jointheteam@alertlabs.com with your resume and portfolio.


November 2018: The UX of Mobile Autonomous Robotics, with Clearpath

Posted: November 2nd, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Events | Tags: | No Comments »
Last month’s meetup talked about the general perception of AI in media and popular culture. This month, we’ll be joined by two experts from Clearpath & OTTO to discuss the wide range of user experiences they need to consider in the design of their self-driving vehicles. Their UX designer will speak to how UX principles are applied to create the interaction experience with autonomous mobile robotics, while their CTO will discuss the broad range of UX considerations required to make their vehicles seamlessly integrate into factory operations and culture – the UI just scratches the surface! They will also introduce the audience to the basics of how a research partner of theirs is applying anthropology, dance, and acting to optimize the user experiences around autonomous robotics.
 
Matt Rae is one of two UX Designers at OTTO. Matt has a broad skillset in UX Design which spans several different industries, including everything from educational products to the ergonomics of factory equipment. He prides himself on going beyond the cognitive aspect of human factors design to also include the physical, and is passionate about growing the local design community.
 
Ryan Gariepy is the CTO and a co-founder of Clearpath and OTTO. He drives the development of the OTTO self driving vehicle technology while guiding Clearpath’s world-leading efforts in supporting robotics researchers. He is a co-founder of the Robot Operating System developers’ conference, is on the board of directors for the Open Source Robotics Foundation, Next Generation Manufacturing Canada, and the NSERC Canadian Robotics Network. In his copious amounts of spare time, he also advises film and media production companies on robotics and AI, and works with the IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems. 

Please register for this free event

Register

Thursday November 22, 2018
5:30 to 7:00 pm
Communitech Hub, 2nd floor
[View on Google Maps]


Job: Product Designer – Encircle

Posted: October 14th, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Jobs | Tags: | No Comments »

“Design thinking is nothing without design doing.” – Suzanne Pellican

Are you a design doer who’s also a design thinker? Then we’re looking for you!

We are a nascent product design team in a successful and growing startup. How nascent is our design team? We’re less than 3 months old – which means you’ll have an immediate impact.

We’re not looking for unicorns. We don’t want you to code – unless that’s how you communicate naturally. We don’t want you to spread yourself thin across too many areas of specialization. We are looking for engaged user experience professionals looking to design compelling experiences.

If this resonates with you, we want to talk to you. If this sounds too good to be true, it isn’t – the catch is that we expect you to have your best day at work ever – every day.

What We’re Looking For…

We apologize if the following words sound familiar, they’re Pete’s 3 Ps for hiring engaged user experience professionals:

  • Passion – We want to see your passion for users, design and working collaboratively with an agile and cross-functional team.
  • Portfolio – You don’t need to have launched products that have changed the world. But, you will need to show us your designs and have a conversation about the business and user problems you were solving for.
  • Perspective – We want to hear what you have to say. We are looking for designers who have, and can form, opinions about their work. You’ll need to be able to talk about your ideas, concepts, research findings, and designs in front of others – including senior leadership.

As a Product Designer, You’ll…

  • Report to and work closely with the VP of UX
  • Have a human-centred design mindset and are looking to grow as a designer through user and customer feedback
  • Always be focusing on the details, sketching concepts, tweaking user flows, or polishing the designs
  • Work closely with Product Managers to turn insights and concepts into practical user experiences
  • Work closely with the product development team throughout the production process
  • Work with the design team to help grow the product design practice and the Encircle design system

To Be An Effective Team Member, You’ll Have…

  • 2+ years experience as a Product Designer, preferably with enterprise UX
  • Experience creating wireframes, prototypes, and high fidelity designs
  • An understanding of product development lifecycle for iOS, Android, and web apps
  • Experience in user testing, user interviews, and feedback sessions
  • Effective written and verbal communication skills

Ready to Apply?

  • Apply on the Encircle Career Site

  • Resume & Cover Letter: Submit your resume and cover letter describing your unique fit for this role. If this feels old school, as a UX designer you should feel free to rethink the hiring team’s experience. Your goal for this challenge should be to unlock an interview.
  • Portfolio: Include a portfolio of design work that showcases your UX and design skill sets (website(s), pdf, Keynote/Powerpoint/Slideshare, etc.)
  • Professional Online Presence: Include links to your online design persona (Medium, Instagram, Twitter, Behance/Dribbble, etc.) 

We’re Encircle, Nice to Meet You!

We’re leading the $2 trillion property and casualty insurance industry out of the dark ages of pen and paper processes with solutions our customers actually love. Our easy-to-use software platform enables thousands of restoration contractors and insurance professionals around the world to process claims faster. We’re located in the heart of downtown Kitchener and our 40+ person startup has huge goals as we scale!

Our Perks, Benefits & Smiles

We offer free snacks and drinks, catered lunches, competitive pay, health benefits, and one of the friendliest work environments around.

You Will Hear Back From Us

We place a high importance on candidate experience. We’ll contact every single candidate that reaches out.

Need an Accommodation?

Encircle is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants who require reasonable accommodation to complete the application and/or interview process should notify the talent team during the recruiting process.

Apply on the Encircle Career Site


October 2018: Artificial Intelligence on screen and in reality, with Chris Noessel

Posted: September 30th, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Events | Tags: | No Comments »

After a September filled with UX goodness in Waterloo Region, this month we have a very cool special guest speaking on a topic that is simultaneously lighter and dead serious.

Most people know about AI through movies and TV shows. This one has an unblinking, red eye. That one crushes human skulls under its metal—and humanoid—foot. But how does the AI seen on screen match up with the science of AI? How does what you’ve seen color the way you think about it? How optimistic you are? What you think should be done, and how you would vote on AI policy? Join Chris Noessel, keeper of scifiinterfaces.com, as he explains what screen AI aligns with the science, what is pure fiction, and what we should be telling ourselves but aren’t.

Please register for this free event

Register

Thursday October 18, 2018
5:30 to 7:00 pm
Communitech Hub, 2nd floor
[View on Google Maps]


Job: Product Designer – Intellijoint

Posted: September 26th, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Jobs | Tags: | No Comments »

Job Overview:

Intellijoint is seeking a creative and resourceful Product Designer to help round out our R&D team. Intellijoint Surgical creates smart, simple, and easy-to-use medical devices for orthopedic procedures. We’ve made a fantastic product with Intellijoint HIP that surgeons love to use and greatly improves their experience in the operating theatre. Our design chops and surgeon-centric decisions have gotten us this far but now we need your help. We’re looking for someone to help take our user interface and user experiences to the next level.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Work closely with Product / R&D team to build product, but often collaborating with Marketing and Sales
  • Evaluate both current and under-development products and features and identify areas where notable usability gains may be achieved
  • Contribute to all phases of a feature or product development, from ideation and feasibility, user needs and requirements, detailed design and implementation, through to testing and release.
  • Help formulate requirements, produce user stories, flowcharts, wireframes, and create functional prototypes in early phases of feature or product development
  • Solidify concepts, deliver final image assets, source sounds, and help with front end development and implementation to seal the deal on a polished product
  • Test and validate the usability of design outputs before releasing to the field
  • Absorb feedback from users and sales team to understand the use in the field and where things could be better
  • Overlap with Marketing team to ensure consistent aesthetic throughout product and marketing materials

Required Skills and Experience:

  • Ability to provide a portfolio or samples of work that have made an impact on users
  • 3+ years’ experience preferred; open to new grads with strong portfolios and extracurriculars
  • Graphic design ability in: Sketch, Illustrator, Photoshop, etc.
  • Know sounds and colour palettes like the back of your hand
  • Experience with HTML and CSS beneficial
  • Experienced in mobile app development, specifically iOS beneficial (e.g. creating slick iPhone apps, with a strong emphasis on aesthetic and usability)

Soft Skills and Key Characteristics:

  • Keen eye for great design and pleasant user experiences
  • Able to explain which designs won’t work and why
  • No task too big or too small approach
  • Nimble with a strong sense of urgency to support our business needs
  • Able to work independently, organize, plan and prioritize competing needs and issues
  • Start-up mentality and strong team player
  • Strong communicator (both written and verbal) to various audiences

What does success look like in this role?

  • Intellijoint HIP products are even more beautiful, have consistent design throughout, and provide an even greater experience for the surgeon to use
  • New Intellijoint products are built from a fresh slate with users in mind to improve even further on Intellijoint’s strong fundamentals with a matching design aesthetic throughout product suite.
  • You contribute to one of the key IJS Values of thoughtfulness and always think about the needs of surgeons, while considering the impact on patients, for any product decisions

 

Job Details:

Full time, based at Intellijoint Surgical’s main office in Waterloo, ON.

How to Apply:

Please submit cover letter and resume for consideration, along with any samples of work or your portfolio. Only selected applicants will be contacted for an interview. Thank you!

Sargun Narula
Human Resources Coordinator 
s.narula@intellijointsurgical.com 


Job: UX Writer at Google (Contract Position)

Posted: August 28th, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Jobs | Tags: | No Comments »

We are looking for a UX writer to join our team for a 1-year contract position based in Waterloo, ON.

UX writers are the voice of Google. They craft intuitive, inspiring text in graphical user interfaces on the web, on mobile, in cars — everywhere people engage with Google. UX writers collaborate closely with product managers, designers, researchers, and others to imagine, design, test, and deliver products that are relied on by hundreds of millions of people around the globe.

General Responsibilities

  • Write clear, concise user-interface text for web-based and mobile products
  • Own user-facing error messaging & help documentation
  • Collaborate with designers, researchers, prototypers, product managers, and engineers to define user content requirements
  • Add order to the broader product mission by creating and curating writing guidelines for both the core product and integration points, and then training others as needed.
  • Help improve writing tools and processes, participate in team projects, and generally lend a hand as needed to produce world-class software and hardware products

Minimum qualifications

  • 2 years of professional writing or editing experience
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills
  • Meticulous grammar and proofreading skills
  • Ability to juggle multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced, constantly changing environment
  • Detail-oriented with strong project management skills, and a desire to move quickly and innovate on the way we communicate with our users
  • Experience working with design, engineering and product management teams as part of the software development process

Nice to Have

  • Preference will be given to candidates with technical writing experience

How to Apply

Please submit this short form as your application to the role. Note that you’ll need to be signed in to your Google account to complete it since it includes a file upload section for your resume and writing samples.

Applications due by Sept. 10th, 2018


September 2018: Charting the Course — Building Effective Strategic Partnerships

Posted: August 20th, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Events | Tags: | No Comments »

This month, we’re presenting a special edition of uxWaterloo as a part of Fluxible Meetups!

As user experience professionals, we are uniquely positioned to drive product strategy through deep understanding of the needs of the people who use our products. In this talk, Google’s Meagan Timney will share some stories of how she’s developed successful long term relationships with cross-functional teams and enabled UX to be an effective partner in developing product and organizational vision and strategy. She’ll discuss some of the most common barriers and challenges, what’s worked (and what hasn’t), as well as how to be effective when you’re the sole UX voice on a team, working remotely, or constrained by ambitious timelines and limited resources.

Meagan Timney is a London, Ontario native and a creative at heart. After completing her PhD in English Literature and a postdoc in Digital Humanities 8 years ago, her path led her to the Bay Area and the field of UX, where she’s worn many hats: designer, researcher, and manager, at small agencies, silicon valley startups, and now Google.

 

Please register for this free event

Register

Thursday September 20, 2018
7:00 to 8:30 pm
Google Kitchener-Waterloo
51 Breithaupt Street
Kitchener, ON


August 2018: Informal Pub Meetup

Posted: August 9th, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Events | Tags: | No Comments »

Hello UXers! Join us for the 2nd instalment of the Summer patio edition of uxWaterloo. Come out to Abe Erb in Waterloo, have a drink and enjoy some like-minded company. The event will be informal, where you can meet and learn what others are working on or just how they’re spending their precious Summer time.

See you there!

 

Please register for this free event

Register

Thursday Aug 16, 2017
5:30 to 7:00 pm
Abe Erb Brewing
15 King Street South, Uptown Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario