Sr. Online UX Interaction Designer/IA Apple -
Santa Clara Valley, CA
Apple's Online Support User Experience (UX) team is seeking a highly seasoned interaction designer and information architect to deliver world-class solutions for apple.com/support in a leadership capacity.
Reporting to the Sr. Manager of the Online Support User Experience team, the candidate will work directly with key business stakeholders to gather and provide input on requirements for any number of different web-based customer support and service solutions. Sometimes requests will be very clearly conveyed, with scope and requirements well documented. Other times, only a vague notion of what's being requested will be provided and the candidate will need to ask all the right questions to help define and solidify requirements. These requirements will then have to be translated into a design solution that will both exceed the expectations of the business and delight our customers. The candidate will also be expected to plan and oversee research activities and usability testing as part of the design process.
Design deliverables will often include flowcharts, wireframes, mock-ups, presentations, and comprehensively annotated design specifications. The ideal candidate should be able to clearly articulate their reasons for particular design choices, hold their ground, and even question requirements when necessary. But just as importantly, they need to also remain open to collaboration with stakeholders, other apple.com teams, and fellow User Experience team members. Flexibility is also a key asset, as requirements, scope, and any number of other aspects of projects can change at any time and designs will need to get updated in the process.
Candidates will be required to share a portfolio of sample web designs, including annotated wireframes and any other assets illustrating structural work (e.g. card sorting groupings, flowcharts, concept maps, etc.). Sample pages from formal design specification documents are also highly desirable.
Responsibilities
Collaborate with stakeholders on requirements and to ensure scope and deliverables are formalized
Identify opportunities for new projects and help drive them to reality
Plan and oversee research projects
Provide supervisory oversight over designated UX resources
Lead content audits to help drive information architecture decisions
Develop detailed wireframes and mockups
Create comprehensively detailed design specification documentation that can be handed off to web developers for implementation
Work closely with developers to ensure quality of design execution and to collaborate on alternatives when scope or technical implementation challenges arise
Revise and update designs and documentation based on continuing user testing and customer feedback
Establish design patterns and create common interface components to promote consistency and reuse across solutions
Drive best practices with an eye toward localization, accessibility, scalability, and ease of maintenance
Other tasks as assigned
Requirements and other desired skills
Advanced-level expertise in information architecture
Advanced-level expertise in end-user usability testing
Expertise with designing for localization and accessibility
Expertise with Adobe Illustrator and/or Photoshop for creating wireframes and mockups
Ability to create HTML/CSS by hand a plus
Experience with online search and application design also desirable
Degree in interaction design, HCI, or other design-related field or equivalent interaction design experience
5-7 years of directly related industry experience with large customer-facing websites
Experience supervising vendors, contractors, and/or serving in a management role with direct reports
