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Manager of Information Architecture, Staples
Feb 01 05
Source: SigIA
Position is located in Framingham, MA which is about 25 minutes west of Boston)
You've heard our tagline: "That was easy." Now come join one of the key teams that are making that statement a reality.
About Our Team
The Staples Usability team continues to be one of the thought leaders in usability and is growing to meet company demand for our services.
We are comprised of researchers, information architects and analytics experts. Our mission is to cut costs and increases sales by using science to analyze behavior and optimize design. No easy task but one that is achievable with a focused, all-star team of experts all driving to the same goal.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
As the ideal Manager of Information Architecture you must have a long and impressive track record of building usable solutions. You must be able to produce designs that leverage previous learning and consider how seemingly disparate systems may work together to create efficiencies. You must be a leader who drives a varied group to design consensus. You must, above all, be someone who knows how to balance business and user needs.
Information Architecture support
Provide information architecture support for websites and internal systems (Order Management systems, Intranets etc.).
-Identify the functional business requirements by participating in JAD sessions and facilitating user interface definition sessions.
Collaborate with usability manager for discovery research to aid this.
-Architect user interaction solutions/schema based on sound usability principles and research as well as technical feasibility.
-Express these solutions through design documents. These documents include site-maps, process flows (experience maps), wire-frames and thumbnail flows.
-Perform expert reviews on concepts and wire frames and integrate this into the design process on an iterative basis by presenting the findings and suggesting changes where necessary.
Information Architecture Strategy
Work with the senior manager of IA to provide inputs into the overall vision for an IA strategy. Lead in its implementation across websites and systems.
-Help in defining reusable IA/ user-interaction models across websites and systems.
-Implement this strategy with consistency and appropriateness on all projects.
-Develop a holistic view of all Staples systems and document this into a repository of information architecture artifacts. Actively maintain this repository to reflect design changes and proposals.
Team Coordination
-Partner with Usability Manager on research plans and integrate findings into design through an iterative process.
-Manage contractors as needed.
Qualifications
-Minimum of an MS degree in Interaction Design, Cognitive Psychology, MIS, Industrial Design or related discipline required.
-Minimum of 6 years of information architecture experience in a corporate or consulting environment required. Strong background in e-commerce and/or web-based application design.
-Proven experience translating business strategies into conceptual diagrams, task flows, and site maps using standardized tools and techniques required. Strong experience with Visio preferred.
-Ability to lead high-level, cross-functional definition meetings that map out the user experience of new projects.
-Experience managing information architecture or interaction design on large-scale projects required. Managing internal and contract employees essential.
-Background in system development methodology including the Software Development Life Cycle and techniques for contextual inquiry, task analysis and some interaction design preferred.
-Deep understanding of human behavior as demonstrated through professional and educational study.
-Strong technical skills and versed in coding languages such as HTML, JavaScript. Strong understanding of computer platforms and browsers and the effects those variables have on the design of a system and ensuing impact to the user