Join Our Team

Why work with AM+A?

At the present time, AM+A is seeking part-time contractors only. AM+A’s mission is to create humane, efficient, and beautiful information environments that enable people to make smarter decisions faster with today’s and tomorrow’s technology.

AM+A is a pioneering user- and goal-centered design firm specializing in user-interface and information-visualization design. Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, AM+A’s clients include both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) Fortune 500 (including more than one-third of the Dow Jones Industrial Average core companies) and startup firms. Major corporate clients include Adobe, Apple, AOL (Quantum), Bank of America, Charles Schwab, GE, Oracle, HP, Microsoft, Motorola, Orbitz, Sabre, Travelocity, Kaiser Permanente, US Federal Reserve Bank, US Treasury Department, Unisys, Virgin America, Visa, and Wells Fargo Bank.

Aaron Marcus, founder of AM+A, has a 40-year track record of innovation in graphic design, computer graphics, information design, and information-visualization. He introduced to the computer industry concepts of information-oriented visual communication, metaphor design, visible language programming, cross-cultural communication, and extreme design of small user interfaces for information appliances and mobile computing. He has published four books plus hundreds of articles and lectures world-wide.

Direct your responses and any additional requests for information to: Ms. Amanda McFarland, Executive Assistant, Aaron Marcus and Associates, Inc., 1196 Euclid Avenue, Suite 1F, Berkeley, CA 94708-1640 USA Tel: +1-510-601-0994 Fax: +1-510-527-1994, e-mail: Amanda.McFarland@bamanda.com

Research and Development Analysis/Design Intern

AM+A is eager to determine if you are qualified to become a Research and Development Intern at AM+A. This position is an especially rewarding opportunity to enhance your professional education and practice.

AM+A seeks interns for a period of three to twelve months to work closely with the President and Founder of AM+A on conceptual design/analysis exercises. One objective of the internship is to enable you to gain additional skills in a challenging economy and job market. Another objective is to enable you to produce documented knowledge and design/analysis artifacts that are suitable for AM+A submissions to publications and refereed journals of professional practice, in which your contributions will be cited. Throughout your internship, you will consult AM+A’s Workbook of training, which provides the equivalent of a post-graduate set of lectures, exercises, and support documents.

Examples of Typical Intern Projects

Examples of the kinds of conceptual design/analysis projects on which you might work are the following:

Analyze social network sites (SSNs), including media sharing sites, in different countries, e.g., USA, EU, China, Korea, Japan, Africa, and Central/South America. Consider usability and culture issues of the first, home, sign-in, and sign-up pages.
Design/analyze prototypes of wrist-top mobile devices that act as unified message management tools for one or more targeted user groups.
Analyze the influence of culture dimensions on the use of specific forms of mobile devices.
Design/analyze innovative approaches to information visualization of vehicle telematics for advanced rider/driver user interfaces.
Design/analyze a Web-based application that presents the use of time marking by the major religions of the world.
Design/analyze further an AM+A Website devoted to the history, functions, and future of LoCoS, a universal visible language developed by Yukio Ota, Tokyo, Japan.
Design/analyze prototypes that show how a universal sign language, (for example, LoCoS) might be used with mobile phones/PDAs to enable people from different parts of the world who do not speak/write the same language to communicate better.
Design/analyze further a Website developed by AM+A devoted to the sign communication of hand signals by different cultures. The Website might focus additionally on costume genres of different cultures.
Design/analyze a composite of culture models that best suits user-interface and/or information-visualization projects. In other words, develop a practical merger of culture dimensions for designing/analyzing user interfaces and information visualization across computer technology platforms and user groups.
Design/analyze forms of nutrition and health information-visualization that assist people of particular cultures to understand the benefits of eating healthful and balanced diets and exercising to stay fit.
Design/analyze forms of information visualization to assist the general public to understand complex concepts, such as genetic theory, quantum computing, the radio spectrum allocation in the USA, and/or or The Theory of Everything (which concerns the largest and smallest entities in the universe).
Design/analyze information visualization that enables effective media metadata visualization/management for desktop, mobile platforms.

Before or upon your arrival, and after discussion with you, AM+A will select one or two projects for you to complete during the Internship. AM+A will take into consideration your interests, objectives, goals, expertise, and experience. You must be fluent in English, outstanding in self-discipline and self-management, and responsible for quickly self-directing your detailed development of results, i.e., working out a set of tasks and schedule that would take you through all appropriate steps of planning, research, analysis, design, implementation, evaluation, documentation, and training.

The documentation of your project(s) would be made available for continuing review by AM+A staff. You would be responsible near the close of the Internship to document results and to report them to AM+A staff in the form of an extranet and a presentation. High-quality work will depend on strong motivation, self-discipline, continuing effort, use of AM+A’s extensive library, Internet usage, interaction with Aaron Marcus, and informal interaction with AM+A staff.

AM+A plans to be able to use the materials developed by you in articles, case studies, and lectures, citing your contributions as appropriate. AM+A’s recent track record thus far is 100% in achieving this goal. Previous Interns succeeded in producing high-quality, professional work, completing valuable deliverables that were submitted and accepted for publication in the journals Information Visualization and Visible Language. Additionally, one intern was included as a co-author of two papers submitted to established journals and conferences and is currently scheduled as a co-presenter of the submitted paper for an international conference. These results cannot be guaranteed, but past circumstances point to a mutually rewarding relationship between AM+A and the Intern.

Upon your final evaluation by AM+A, AM+A will issue a certificate attesting that you have completed a special R+D Analysis/Design Intern position at AM+A and will describe briefly the nature of that position and the project work completed. AM+A may, as an option, write a letter describing your accomplishments and, if appropriate, may assist you in locating follow-on employment opportunities, with AM+A assuming first right-of-refusal status.

Financial and Administrative Details

The Internship provides you with an unprecedented opportunity to interact with the President of AM+A and to become involved with world-class design/analysis projects. Unfortunately, because of the current world-wide economy, AM+A cannot offer any financial assistance for the Internship. However, during this period of time, Interns would have his/her own workspace with a computer, high-speed email/network/Internet connections, access to AM+A’s unique library of books and publications (approximately 3,000 items developed over 40 years), and other privileges/responsibilities similar to those enjoyed by AM+A employees.

Interns from outside the USA would have to obtain appropriate visas to enable them to visit the USA for the purposes described. AM+A’s Operations and Human Resources Manager may be able to assist selected applicants with some advice but would not necessarily be able to complete the paper work for applicants.

The interns would be responsible for their own support of food, housing, transportation, etc. Academic, government or other grants, together with private financial resources, would have to be used to support the time devoted to this position. As an official AM+A Designer/Analyst Intern of an informal R+D group at AM+A, it may be possible for a selected Intern to secure a grant or fellowship from some institution for assistance. AM+A would be willing to write appropriate letters of invitation or support to assist Interns, provided AM+A incurred no significant expense or legal obligation.

Responsibilities during a typical week would be approximately as follows:

50% Work on conceptual design/analysis project(s) set up and supervised by Aaron Marcus, President.
25% Assist, as a learning experience, with external AM+A projects, as appropriate and when available, and as supervised by AM+A’s Senior Projects Manager, or an assigned project leader.
25% Assist, as a learning experience, with internal AM+A projects, as appropriate, and supervised by AM+A’s Senior Projects Manager, with assistance from others as appropriate.

The intern’s primary contacts and monitors of time and activities would be Mr. Aaron Marcus, his Executive Assistant, and the Office Manager.

Applicants for an Internship must submit electronically in a single email with the subject line AM+A Intern: [LastName], [Firstname] to Amanda.McFarland@bamanda.com a statement of application, an updated résumé, latest contact data, approximately three references, and any URL links to examples of the applicant’s design/analysis work, either as student projects or as professional work. AM+A would find additionally a URL link or an attached PDF example of the prospective Intern’s writing in English, for example, a report or other short, but official document.

AM+A prefers to have interns work on a quarterly system, that is, during the first, second, third, or fourth quarter of the calendar year. Typical start dates would be the first day of January, April, July, or October. However, AM+A can be flexible in regard to stop/start dates to suit academic calendars or other requirements.

Thank you for considering AM+A for this position as described. Please let us know if you wish to apply for the position and whether you have any questions. AM+A looks forward to your application to become an R+D Intern.

User Interface Designer/Analyst

At the present time, AM+A is seeking part-time contractors only. We encourage you to submit your resume and portfolio electronically. We shall keep your submission on-file for a period of time for future reference and contact you to determine your interest and availability as appropriate.

Location

Location in the San Francisco Bay Area for part-time contractors is preferred, but not a requirement.

Description

The Designer/Analyst is responsible for user interface (UI) analysis and design, website and application development, multimedia design and production, and design documentation.

Candidates must have experience in user interface design, multimedia, or website development. We are seeking someone who understands and enjoys the complexities and demands of user interface development and information design. Applicants should have enthusiasm for creating better, easier to use and innovative GUIs, and have the belief that good design can have a positive impact on people’s daily lives.

The User Interface Designer/Analyst will report directly to the President and/or the Business Development/Project Manager.

Qualifications

Ideal candidates have the following qualities:

Articulate oral and written communication. The ability to be flexible, self-motivating, organized, and creative. Experience in following a project from conception to completion. Solid interpersonal communication skills and the ability to be a persuasive leader. Relative comfort with public speaking. A desire to learn new things and the confidence to ask for help when necessary. Above all, a discerning awareness of the designed world around us.
At least a Bachelor’s Degree and preferably a Master’s Degree in Interactive Multimedia, Software Engineering or a closely related field or the equivalent thereof.
Working knowledge of user interface and web design principles.
Good eye for visual design and typography.
A solid proficiency in Photoshop, Illustrator, and/or additional prototyping or Web authoring tools.
Literate with Windows, Macintosh, and cross-platform GUI standards.

Added Qualifications

Experience in any of the areas below is helpful (not required). However you must be willing to grow in some of these areas: Technologies: HTML, JavaScript, CSS, Flash, CGI, ASP, VB, Lingo.
Specialties: Illustration, Broadband/time-based media, branding/identity design, 3D design, Software or website back end engineering.
4+ years UI design experience in production environment following projects from conception through completion.
4+ years experience developing strategic design concepts for web sites, web applications and/or consumer products (such as handheld devices).

Design Skills

Demonstrated knowledge of user-centered design methodologies and best practices.
Strong eye for visual design and typography as demonstrated in a portfolio.

Writing Skills: Effective writing skills and experience with writing projects as part of a team.
Flexible, self-motivating, organized, and creative.
Solid interpersonal communication skills and the ability to be a persuasive leader.
Relative comfort with public speaking.
A desire to learn new things and the confidence to ask for help when necessary.

Ability to explain the design process and present designs.
Enthusiastic about marketing or advocating design services.
Experience writing and presenting proposals.

Solid proficiency in Photoshop, Illustrator, and additional prototyping or Web authoring tools.
Literate with Windows, Macintosh, and cross-platform GUIs.
Working knowledge of html and/or html authoring tools.
At least a Bachelor’s Degree and preferably a Master’s Degree in Interactive Multimedia, Software Engineering or a closely related field or the equivalent thereof.

Technologies: Working knowledge or strong familiarity with, JavaScript, CSS, Flash, CGI, ASP, VB, Lingo, or other web-based technologies.
Capabilities: Illustration, Broadband/time-based media, branding/identity design, 3D design, software or Web site back-end engineering.
Other Skills/Training: Experience with multi-cultural or cross-cultural and globalization design issues, user research and user testing, background in cognitive psychology or HCI factors.

What do you consider your core strengths?
Briefly describe one example of a UI challenge that you successfully resolved.
Include at least one design or URL that you personally designed. You don’t need to include your entire portfolio.

Application

Interested contractors should briefly describe their experience in the above areas and their level of interest in learning more. Send us a résumé and be sure to include your mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address/URL if you have one. Please send as specific a URL as possible. When showing work samples, please be very clear about what your contribution to the design was.

Direct your responses and any additional requests for information to:
Human Resources
Aaron Marcus and Associates, Inc.,
1196 Euclid Avenue, Suite 1F
Berkeley, CA 94708-1640
Tel: 510-601-0994
Fax: 510-527-1994
e-mail: Jobs@bamanda.com

Senior User Interface Designer/Analyst

Location

Location in the San Francisco Bay Area for part-time contractors is preferred, but not a requirement.

Description

The Senior Designer/Analyst is responsible for user interface (UI) analysis and design, Web site and application development, multimedia design and production, consumer product UI design, and design documentation. He or she will help with authoring proposals and project plans (schedule and budget), and must be able to lead the design effort for multiple projects.

Candidates must have extensive leadership as well as hands-on experience in user interface design. We are seeking someone who understands and enjoys the complexities and demands of user interface development and information design. Applicants should have enthusiasm for creating better, easier to use, and innovative GUIs, and have the belief that good design can have a positive impact on people’s daily lives.

The Senior Designer/Analyst will report directly to the President and/or the Business Development/Project Manager.

Required Experience

Communication skills (oral and written)
Client relationship-building skills
Training/Production Skills

Preferred Experience

Experience in any of these specialties below is helpful, but not required. However, candidates demonstrating interest in developing new skills in these areas will be strongly considered.

Application

Please review the description and qualifications and send a text or pdf document with your resume. Please include a brief cover letter responding to the following:

Qualified candidates will be contacted and asked to provide a portfolio or list of URLs. Please do not telephone.