User Experience Designer

DIGITAL STRATEGIES
USER EXPERIENCE DESIGNER
Pay Level: IT 3/9. Negotiable.

 SUMMARY
The UX Designer will be responsible for shaping the end-to-end user experience on our digital properties to align our constituents and motivate them towards our mission. This individual will work with a multi-disciplinary team of writers, editors, audio & video specialists and front-end developers to produce digital properties.

 ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Utilize various professional software tools/technologies to rapidly prototype and evaluate designs including wireframes, paper and interactive prototypes, storyboards, and polished screen mockups for new features on our digital properties.?Create and assist in development of design and technical specifications.  Produce sketches, designs, and layouts.  Analyze, define, and document requirements for data, workflow, logical processes, systems interfaces and usability.

• Create a framework that results in a consistent visual communication strategy for our writers, editors, graphic designer and video producers that tells our story, builds the brand and motivates our constituents to increased involvement.
• Collaborate with content strategists, front-end developers and programmers to design Cru’s user experience to meet ministry brand objectives, usability studies, metrics, and real-time.
• Assist clients in seeing the impact and value of content and design strategies with social media, video, and animation.
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of user-centered design and related design methodologies.
• Expand the Cru brand style guide to include guidelines for website design.
• Work in multiple development environments.
• Advocate usability best practices for internal and customer facing applications.

QUALIFICATIONS
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:  

• Strong knowledge of W3C recommendations, accessibility issues, and best practices.
• Master of web standards and design principles.
• Mastery of common tools: Adobe Creative Suite, Version Control, and Prototyping/Wireframing softwares.
• Mastery of Web technologies:  HTML5, CSS3, Javascript/Frameworks.
• Strong design sensibilities: typography, composition, motion, and color theory.
• Leading design projects either as an individual or as part of a team.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to tactfully facilitate meetings, requirement gathering, and status updates.
• Have a broad understanding of issues related to the cognitive, social, cultural, technological, and economic contexts for design.
• Expertly design to inform, inspire, educate, entertain, brand, market, and sell.
• Develop solutions that address diverse users/audiences and organizational direction.
• Understanding of and ability to connect social media and the evolving interactions between the web, people, and the organization.
• Ability to crate highly detailed wireframes.
• Highly motivated, self-directed, enthusiastic, and truly passionate for user-centered design and user experience.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE: 

• 4-year degree in HCI (Human Computer-Interaction), graphic/visual design, or related field equivalent work is a plus.
• Advanced experience in Photoshop, Illustrator, Fireworks or professional equivalent.
• Advanced experience modern web application concepts and methods including (yet not limited to) user interfaces, image optimization, client side scripting, web accessibility standards, design & development standards, and cross-platform issues.
• Proven creative thinking and problem solving skills

To apply for this position, please click apply and please be sure to complete the application in its entirety including your work history and education/training background.