Discussion Archive: October 2004

RE: Should iteraction designer produce code... (Formally: MITRE position)

Don't apologize Coryndon for taking me to task on the mediocre job
description.

We're developing rapid prototypes, not commercial-on-the-shelf
products. MITRE is an R&D center; we can't legally produce COTS
products. In our case, 'final products' are working prototypes. There
was relevant text before the 'Java or JSP' line: "Ideally, this person
will also have experience in some, or all, of the following:"... I'll
massage the job description to make this clear.

Alder/Coryndon: Designers often have to make their ideas/prototypes
jump to life...

Should interaction designer produce code... (Formally: Open Position: Sr. Interaction Designer @ MITRE)

> I see no problem with having some working experience of the actual
> development context and processes of the programmer and indeed would
> encourage it as the portion of learning more about the mindset.

I spent about a year just out of college working as a web programmer,
building some simple applications, churning out some pretty awful but
working code.

Information Architect position - Washington DC

We're hiring an Information Architect for an intranet redesign project at a
government agency.

Should iteraction designer produce code...(Formally: Open Position: Sr. Interaction Designer @ MITRE)

Coryndon wrote: "However, in my professional experience I rarely see this
happening anymore. Besides the need for the interaction designer to have
enough skills to produce effective disposable prototypes it seems like this
skills are more and more being divided into two different roles."

Amen.

Would you ask the architect of your building to put on a utility belt and
hammer and start framing the walls? Might be a nice idea but she's unlikely
to know how to do it.