[IxDA Discuss] Its all a bit confusing!

[Mark Schraad]

Hey Andrew,

Your confusion is very understandable and not something to be worried  
about. This field is relatively new by professional standards. Many  
seasoned pros are still trying to get a handle on their own  
perspective, and standards are very difficult to find. While you are  
in school, and in fact for a few years once you get out, you would be  
well advised to seek out a diverse selection of roles. And not just  
roles... but companies. Find out what it is like to work in-house,  
for a design group, maybe even a consultancy or an agency. From  
company to company you will find job descriptions, professional  
duties and tasks very a lot. If you think you want to do mobile, by  
all means direct your class work towards that when you have the  
opportunity.

Check out any professional groups (like local chapters of IxDA) and  
get to as many conferences as you can. There are a bunch. You can  
make some excellent contacts at these that will help you find  
internships and eventually jobs.

By all means keep an open mind, be a sponge, and hang out here. The  
best are often at each others throats, but having a passion and  
strong (but not rigid) opinions are often assets sought after.


Mark



On Feb 2, 2008, at 4:32 PM, Andrew Scott wrote:

> Hi guys,
>
> I refer to the discussion on the difference between interface  
> design, and
> interaction design.
>
> Im currently a second year student studying design futures, whilst  
> my course is
> a good course it allows me to find my own way in the world of  
> design.  Through
> several projects I have worked out for myself that I am interested  
> in the world
> of interaction / interface design.
>
> At the end of our second year we have to undertake a work placement  
> within the
> design industry.
>
> After reading through several threads on IXDA I am still none the  
> wiser to what
> the role I am looking to do is called.
>
> My ideal job will be to design interfaces, like those on mobile  
> phones, PDA's,
> operating systems, and the like, but would prefer not to work on  
> web based
> applications (this is not because I think its boring, more to do  
> with doing web
> design for several years and want to change my direction)
>
> I am also interested in the psychology behind user interfaces, 
> (semantics and
> cognitive processes)  but I am slightly dumbfounded when speaking  
> to people
> about the market I am trying to enter.
>
> Whilst this is all well and good, I have no coding skills, although  
> I'm sure
> this is not needed.
>
> I was wondering if any of you would be able to point me in the  
> right direction
> to the working title or kind of company I should be looking at,  am  
> I looking
> at large companies, like sony, moto etc or are there small  
> companies that do
> this for them.
>
> Thanks for your time, and thanks for the information you have fed  
> me over the
> last few days reading through your discussions.
>
> Andrew Scott
>