[IxDA Discuss] golden opportunity, a case and a very unusual proposal

[Simon Asselbergs]

Hi All,

I am almost upto doing something which is rather unusual, I guess. I want some opinions of the most passionate interaction designers of you. It might be insane, it might be insane but good for our profession. You think you have the almost ideal job, and might to do something crazy, to get it even better. But by doing it, you might lose your job or credits. 

The case:

This is my first job and I am their first and only interaction designer, a medium size company (300 employees). They never made a job offering for interaction design. They didn't heard what it is, if it wasn't me to tell them. I just wrote them a mail about the benefits of Interaction Design and what we could mean to each other. They were enthousiastic, so everything went natural and well. I work there for hardly two months and I see so much oppportunties and inspiring challenges for interaction design I know those are waiting to be dealt with, it's like being a kid in the candystore.

However, they are so far away of understanding the real potential of interaction design as a discipline, that it's sometimes so hard to make them understand what they really need of an interaction designer and how much it could improve their understanding and of potential for their products. It was quite hard to make them understand so far. I only had 1 hour to tell them at the job interview before I started.

In those to months they gave me some compliments. Hell, they might even want to keep me for good. The latter I don't know. But I am a little impatient with getting results, because I know when I see an opportunity and how to make my hands dirty. Like everyone els on this list.

I already said to my boss, just google "interaction design vacature" (dutch vacature= english job offering), see 10 of the search results and then you will have a better idea what it is required from interaction designers. It will become clear what you might expect of me. I already said it twice. I must say I find my boss a exceptionally good manager, that at least means a lot to me. But he forgets to google it.

What if I propose them something quite unusual (I guess):
"Why not inform yourself? Publish a job offering about my job, maybe even extended with the knowledge of a google "interaction designer vacature (ed: job offering [Eng])" and then see what they tell you what interaction design is and how you can reap the benefits. The more you know what you might expect from my profession, the better I can materialize it." I could lose my job in a snap, because they can find someone more suitable for what tey want. But if not, I could also be used in a better way. And that thought teases me like mad.

It is better for them to know my value and usefulness in the market. And better for me they exactly know what I have them to offer compared to others. The sooner the better. I don't like to make large income. I like to compete and I am passionate about my profession: Interaction Design.

How would you react if you where my boss and you're in the mentioned circumstances?

Simon

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