IXD302 Week 7- Placement Options Talk

Pt 1 JOB ROLES

What kind of designer do you want to be?

UI vs UX Designer

UI- takes screens that are presented to them and makes them look better EG prototypes, brand guidelines etc

UX- solves problems within the screens and make them work and define what the user experience of the site should be EG through wireframes etc

UI and UX are interconnected, meaning you cannot use one without the other.

 

Pt 2 PLACES TO WORK

Large or Small company ?

Small company- the relationships are very close as there are not as many people working there, tend to spend longer on projects as they may only have one or two designers. Smaller companies normally have less time pressure as you don’t have as many projects to turn over. Allows you to work on a single project for a longer time, allowing you to go more in depth and have more time to fully refine. Tend to have a closer relationship with the client as there is a smaller team working with the client to build a project.

 

Large company- you will be surrounded by a lot more designers, meaning there is a lot more designers around you to work from. projects get turned over quickly; allowing you to work on more projects, making your job more interesting especially as a student designer. a larger company can be motivational as larger companies tend to work with bigger brands and so you potentially get better experience and a better idea of what its like to work in the IXD world.

In or Out house agencies?

What is an in house agency?

It is a team within a company that focuses on the advertisement of their own product. This team is responsible for handling all the aspects of a brand. This agency is owned and operated by its one and only client which is the advertiser. this means you have more control over the process.

 

What is an out-house/ external agency?

External Agency means any third party organisation that comes in and provides services to the Client. the third-party takes the process into their own hands and you do not get as much control over it. benefits of this is that it takes the pressure off the team to hand it over to a skilled team in that area, reassuring you that it will be down to a high standard. However cons of this are that you do not get as much control over this process so may not be done exactly how you imagined.

Start-up or slow-down businesses?

Start-up businesses- You get a chance to grow with the company and be a part of it from the very start. You are able to have very close relationships with the clients as you want to make sure they are happy with your work. Able to make changes to your work for the client as quickly as needed (easier to do in a start up business compared to a better established business). Start-up businesses are likely to be more beneficial to more experienced designers rather than student designers as they do not often have the time/ resources to guide and educate you. The designer has to be motivated as there is often only one designer so they have no one to help you.

 

Slow-down businesses- These businesses have all ready been established in the industry and so have larger teams and more clients. these are better places for student designers as there are other designers in the team to guide them and show them what its like to be a professional designer. You do not get as much control of the project as there are more designers working on the team and so you have to compromise.

 

Full-Time or Part-Time or Freelance?

Full-Time- More time to learn on the job and gain as much experience as possible as a junior designer. You also get more control over the process as you are working on it all the time and are there for any changes.

 

Part-Time- more time for yourself out of the office which means these designers are normally more motivated as they are able to avoid burn-out. However you may not get as much control over the process as you are not working on the project as much as the full-time designers. tis means you could easily lose control over the project as when you come back to the office, aspects could have changed or you have missed solutions to previous problems.

 

Freelance Designers- Designers are able to work when and where you want. However this can be much more risky as you can lose clients at any time. Income tends to not be as stable.

 

Working remotely- Designers lose the working environment feel as you are not amongst your team in the office- can make you lose motivation. However it may lead you to more opportunities as you are able to work with companies all over the world. Not ideal for student designers as it may be harder to learn on the job and ask questions about the professionals.

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