We’re looking for another excellent web-app UI designer to join our team.
Besides having great visual taste and talent, you must code well-structured HTML/CSS. Basic Javascript or Rails skills are a plus, but not required. Great writing skills are required.
UI designers at 37signals are always working on different things. You may be working on polishing up an existing feature in Basecamp or designing the UI for a brand new feature in Highrise. You may be revamping Backpack or fundamentally rethinking some UI in Campfire. Or maybe you’re involved in designing a brand new product (we’d like to explore two in 2011). You may be asked to come up with something no one has ever seen before.
At 37signals you’ll be working on products that people rely on to get their job done. Your work will impact millions of interactions. You’ll be working with some of the best designers, programmers, dev ops folks, and customer support people in the industry. Our team is top notch and we want you to make it even better.
Our projects are always focused on solving real problems. When the problem goes away we know the design is right. Your job, as a designer at 37signals, is to make our customers’ problems go away.
At 37signals, designers lead the teams. Each development team is made of up three people – two programmers and one designer. The designer also manages the project. In addition to designing the screens/elements, you’ll keep the team focused and make calls about what’s important. You’ll be the go-to person on the project.
We’re not looking for a certain design style, we’re looking for a certain design approach. Simplicity isn’t enough – clarity is where it’s at. You think about how people interpret the objects on the screen. What they think about, what moves them, what frustrates them, what makes them happy. You know that the right design decision can make all the difference.
You’re excited to discover a better solution, even well into a project. You don’t mind throwing something out in favor of a better idea or implementation. Projects at 37signals start with real code. Feedback from an evolving prototype guides the team. While we’re very pragmatic about code, it is important that your design/code is easy to change in response to feedback.
Lastly, you understand that copywriting is design. The words matter as much as the pixels. Great visuals with weak words are poor designs. You should care about how things are phrased as much as you care about how they look.
CHICAGO PREFERRED: Since two of our dedicated UI designers are outside of Chicago, we’d prefer if you were in Chicago to balance things out. If you think you’re perfect for the job, and not in Chicago, we still want to hear from you. We want the best we can find. If you’re the right fit, we’re open to relocation as well. We have an open desk for you in our new office.
How to apply
Send relevant work samples, and anything else that will make you stand out, to [email protected]. Include [UI DESIGN] in the subject of the email.
It doesn’t matter where you went to school, or if you even graduated. It doesn’t matter if this is your first job or your fifth. Doing great work and being driven to improve yourself and everything you touch is what matters.
If we think you may be a good fit we’ll be back in touch with step two of the application process.
Application deadline
We’ll be accepting applications for this position until December 20, 2010.
We look forward to receiving yours.
Kevin
on 06 Dec 10Interesting! Not in Chicago, but you’ll be hearing from me shortly.
Tuhin Kumar
on 06 Dec 10Just to let you know, I have applied and am keeping my fingers crossed.
David Andersen
on 06 Dec 10One of the best job opening pitches I’ve ever read. If this doesn’t draw out high quality people, I don’t know what will.
Hunter Hastings
on 06 Dec 10Agreed on David’s comment. Sending my application in now.
Hashmal
on 06 Dec 10Too bad it’s Chicago only, I don’t want to give up French health system on this ;)
Anonymous Coward
on 06 Dec 10If you think you’re perfect for the job, and not in Chicago, we still want to hear from you. We want the best we can find. If you’re the right fit, we’re open to relocation as well.
Gamecreature
on 07 Dec 10I’m throwing my hat into the ring. Information has been sent.
Tathagata
on 07 Dec 10Lovely job. I wish I was a designer, and I wish I was in Chicago :)
Jeremy Britton
on 07 Dec 10Jason, how do you see this UI designer balancing things out by being in Chicago?
It seems like you see this designer working a little differently. I know you don’t see this being about interruption with managers and meetings and all that crap. But how will this person add some unique value to the team by being physically present at the office more often?
JF
on 07 Dec 10Jeremy: Part of it is absorbing how we do things more quickly by simply being around. Another part of it is having some of the team local and some remote. Company-wide we’re near 50/50 distribution (a bit more remote than local, actually) and we’d like to stay as close to 50/50 as possible.
Joseph
on 07 Dec 10Hey Jason, when you say Chicago, do you mean in the city only? Would someone from the suburbs be okay if the were willing to commute in?
JF
on 07 Dec 10Joseph: Absolutely.
Levi Figueira
on 09 Dec 10Basically, my dream job and the area that I know realize I fit best in. It’s all about “design thinking” not graphical design skills. I’ve always felt stuck because most jobs were for “designers” (eg. artist fellows who are good at creating artistic elements that fit and enhance a design). I’m more passionate about creating interfaces and user experiences.
Well, I don’t qualify for this position… yet! You’ll hear from me in the future… :)
Muddd
on 11 Dec 10I can offer you nothing more than strong visual taste and a wilingess to relocate to Chicago. Oh yeah, and a very strong belief in your business philosophy. No design skills, although I doodle a lot and always look at other peoples work and think of how I could make it better. No coding skills, although I just started to learn – like just started, like when I read the post for this position. And about that strong visual taste I said I have – well, you know what they say, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. If you still want a CV email me, but I’m not sending a resume. I hate resumes. Almost as much as you do.
This discussion is closed.