User-Experience Designer at Pearson

Job description

Main Purpose

• The User Experience Designer is responsible for managing the creation of user-friendly, engaging, effective, and visually striking digital interfaces in alignment with the Pearson brand, and will have the end-user experience top of mind throughout the product life cycle.
• The User Experience Designer will collaborate in cross-functional teams to transform complex concepts into simple, appealing, accessible learning experiences, products, and services, and work closely with the Media Hub Visual Designers to capture the brand aesthetics on the front end of the user interface.
• The User Experience Designer will lead user testing for multiple Pearson digital offerings and will be responsible for the evaluation and collation of research in consultation with content development specialists and efficacy.

Key responsibilities

• Responsible for leading the UCD (User-Centred Design) process employing user-centred methodologies to understand and analyse user experience, expectations, and requirements.
• Assume responsibility for defining complex key user requirements to the cross-functional teams in order to build usability into products and services
• Responsible for defining, developing, and implementing design criteria, design guidelines, and design specs that reflect industry standards/best practices, reflect clear and intuitive information architecture, adopt visual design templates and brand guidelines, and employ strategies across multiple media platforms to create rich user interaction designs.
• Design and build prototypes of varying fidelity that simulate user interface and interaction flow using storyboards, wireframes, mock-ups, and experience prototypes to guide content, visual design, product and service development.
• Responsible for iterating designs based on user feedback, efficacy research, technology constraints and market needs and/or dynamics.
• Responsible for user testing, gathering substantial data on concept, visual identity, usability, efficacy of the learning experience, throughout the development life cycle, and responsible for recording, sharing, and taking ownership of valuable information collected and contained in user stories.
• Adopt responsibility for owning a deep understanding of the user personas, product lines, and assessment delivery supply chain.
• Collaborate with product and platform specialists, usability and test engineers, developers, and visual designers to develop, design and implement the user interfaces of various products and services and to develop continuous product enhancements and releases in an agile environment.
• Participate in cross-functional teams contributing ideas, expertise, and guidance based on tangible knowledge of the end-user, the capabilities and limitations of various media/platforms, sharing digital interface best practice guidelines, providing guidance with regards to time and cost efficiencies.
• Work with the Learning Resources teams to develop prototypes for audience testing and user feedback, and/or assist the Learning Resources teams to conceptualise and develop briefs around design prototypes.
• Work with the Media Hub Visual Designers to create user interfaces that compliment established visual identities and adhere to Pearson brand guidelines and work with Media Hub Visual Designers to create seamless visual design relationships across multiple digital formats, blended, and print media.
• Work with Learning Resources, Efficacy, Sales, and Marketing teams to leverage research capabilities and collate data in order to complete the user experience ecosystem.
• Contribute to the project budget with reference to specialised design development and/or testing / and where necessary organisation of suitable quotes from relevant suppliers.
• Coordinate project specific circulation and sign-off processes, where applicable, to ensure that deadlines are met.
• Report on project/s progress as required.
• Communicate inefficiencies and challenges in systems or processes and proposed solutions.
• Assist the Project Co-ordinators secure freelance resources and budget agreements through the implementation of relevant PSA contracts and work orders, and ensure that all general administration associated with projects are accurate and up to date.
• Ensure that all media commissioned, produced, and prepared for deployment is compliant with Pearson Content Creation Standards.
• Be conscious of new technologies and techniques that would enhance the production, delivery, and efficacy of PSA’s products.
• Be familiar with competitors’ material and market requirements in terms of the media and production values.
• Work on any other projects and duties as assigned within the Media Hub.

Matrix Collaboration Across PSA

• Collaborate with fellow members of the Media Hub team to leverage specialised skills and expertise, shares ideas, and keep abreast with new developments in the education, technology, and creative industries.
• Collaborate with the e-Learning team to draw deep technical knowledge with regards to multiple media formats/platforms and to gather specialist insight regarding new technologies.
• Collaborate with the Learning Resources team to best understand Pearson’s end users and needs, to understand subject specific requirements, to translate instructional design principles in a creative and appropriate form, and to contribute to the development of creative content across multiple platforms for new and adapted concepts and projects.
• Collaborate with the Efficacy and research team to understand, and contribute to, the overall research plan for the business and to create appropriate materials for specific products and/or research purposes.
• Collaborate with the Marketing team to input into the development of appropriate marketing collateral for multiple mediums and to ensure the integrity of the Pearson and its brands.
• Collaborate with the Content Management team to ensure that content standards are met in accordance with Pearson policy.

Core competencies: Functional

• A highly imaginative, creative, and critical thinker with strong problem solving skills.
• Excellent visualisation and conceptualisation skills – ability to think the future is now and to consider the results .
• Strong design skills paired with a holistic view drawn from all different parts of the project team and organisation.
• Strong articulation skills – ability to rapidly sketch ideas in various media.
• Confident in public speaking and presenting.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with all levels of technical and non-technical people.
• Fluency in verbal and written English.
• Able to create simplicity out of complexity, and seek innovative workable solutions.
• Ability to assimilate and process information in a way that translates into an understandable and useable format, with the ability to communicate this information to others.
• Ability to communicate abstract concepts effectively – descriptive and critical articulation of design intentions and decisions.
• The ability to establish good rapport and to work effectively with both internal teams across functions, and with external collaborators, especially users to accomplish goals and to identify and resolve problems.
• The ability to adapt one's behavior or communication style when working with different parties in order to reach a desired outcome.
• Highly developed listening, interviewing, observing, and interpretative capabilities.
• Sound mediation and facilitation skills.
• Strong contextual awareness and analytic capabilities.
• Highly developed sense of empathy toward others be they users or team members.Able to critically evaluate own work, and the work of others in an informed and insightful manner.
• Open to critique and able to work in an iterative fashion at all stages of project development.
• Strong team orientation and able to perform as a dynamic member of multiple different project teams, as well as multidisciplinary product teams.
• Highly developed ability to interpret briefs.
• Know how to design for accessibility, able to visually express hierarchy, groupings, and workflows, have a mastery of information architecture, design for consistency and usability rather than creative expression.
• Organised and efficient.
• Focused and goal orientated.
• Basic project management skills.
• Ability to meet ambitious deadlines and deliver high-quality work on schedule, ability to maintain balance and perspective whilst operating in a demanding work environment.
• Reliable attendance and punctuality, and willingness and ability to work extended hours as needed, particularly during busy periods, are critical to successful performance in this role.Able to adapt quickly to changing environments and evolving technological developments.Excellent computer literacy skills.

Essential

Experience

• 3 years experience in user experience design.
• The User experience Designer will employ a deep knowledge of information architecture, interaction design, user-interface design, usability considerations, and human-computer interaction principles to construct digital frameworks to bring content to life.
• Extensive experience in wireframes, mock-ups, process flow diagrams, and designing thoughtful interactions.
• Familiarity with user-centred research, such as usability testing, contextual inquiry, and field interviews.
• Understanding basic computer programming principles, tools, and techniques.
• GUI development principles, tools, and technologies.
• Database principles, tools, and technologies.
• Can demonstrate a successful track record .Must have a strong portfolio available for viewing.

Desirable

• Knowledge and/or good understanding of educational trends, instructional design principles, online course development, and interactive learning.
• Worked in agile teams.

Essential

Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree and/or advanceddegree or equivalent tertiary qualification relevant to the position.
Alternately, proven industryexperience relevant to the position.

Desirable

• MediaDesign, Human Computer Interaction, Interactive Communications CTT qualification preferable, Instructional Design knowledge qualification.
• IT Literacy

Essential

• Advanced computer skills and theability to comprehend new technology proficiently.
• Sound experience with visualizationand prototyping tools.
• Familiarity with technical issuesaround web development and ability to work constructively with developmentteams, including but not limited to understanding of HTML, XML, and CSS syntaxand various multimedia applications).
• Understanding cross-browsercompatibility.
• Familiar with both Macintosh andWindows environments.

Desirable

Knowledge and/or use of currentgraphics software / image editing software(Adobe Creative Suite 5 : Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign,Acrobat Pro and/or similar tools).

Pearson is committed to the principles of Employment Equity and in accordance with our Employment Equity goals and plan, preference will be given to suitable applicants from designated groups as defined in the Employment Equity Act and subsequent amendments thereto