LEAD EXPERIENCE DESIGNER

ThoughtWorks is a pioneer in integrating experience design with agile software delivery. Our designers work as part of multi-disciplinary teams that balance the thinking required to understand complex problems with the hard work and discipline required to get high quality working software into the hands of our client’s employees and customers.

What is it like to work as a designer at ThoughtWorks?

Designers at ThoughtWorks get the opportunity to work collaboratively delivering the highest quality bespoke software. We routinely take on the most challenging problems our clients have, providing opportunities for designers to take their existing skills to a much higher level. We pride ourselves on a working culture that puts teamwork and diversity first, as well as providing an innovative community of practice to support continuous professional development.

Core competencies

Designers at ThoughtWorks come in all shapes and sizes but we insist on expertise in at least two of the following core competencies to ensure that we are able to adequately support the teams we work with and add value to the products and services we help to design.

Interaction design

Interaction design at ThoughtWorks focuses on creating engaging interfaces with well thought out behaviors that are the result of knowing the constraints and possibilities of technology.

Candidates must be able to:

• design diagrams and schematics to communicate Information flows and user journeys to colleagues, partners and client stakeholders
• create interactive design concepts from lightweight sketching through to interactive prototypes and working software
• show understanding of both user heuristics and common feature of software applications such as interactive form design, responsive user interfaces and device specific patterns
• plan content for interactive systems and develop effective use cases for the presentation and management of content to support business needs and user goals

User research

User research at ThoughtWorks focuses on learning about user behaviors, needs, and motivations to understand the impact of design on an audience.

Candidates must be able to:

• plan recruitment for user research, understanding how to target specific groups of people and run effective interviews that involve the wider team
• organise workshops with different groups of participants in order to gather research material that can be used to inform design
• facilitate usability testing of prototypes and working software, both in person and and remotely
• analyse findings from research and present back to different audiences, making actionable recommendations on behalf of end users where appropriate

Visual design

Visual design at ThoughtWorks focuses on the invention and use of aesthetics to enhance usability and improve the user experience in a digital context.

Candidates must be able to:

• demonstrate how to effectively use the stylistic elements of brand and identity
• understand how to use visual media such as iconography, illustration and photography to increase the effectiveness of a design
• show a clear appreciation of graphic design principles such as layout, typography and information hierarchy
• appreciate the value of design patterns/systems and how to make use of them in an organisational context

Consulting experience

Consulting at ThoughtWorks involves using your individual influence and expertise to help identify and solve problems both for clients and for your team.

Desirable skills for candidates include:

• relevant domain knowledge acquired in a particular business context - e.g. retail, financial services, public sector  - or in a specialised design context - e.g. service design, content strategy, digital product design
• strong interpersonal skills - active listening, persuading and empathising with others
• ability to build trusted relationships with others, give and receive feedback and suggest alternative points of view
• professional and ethical approach to design work, not taking things personally and behaving honestly

At ThoughtWorks we promote diversity in all its forms and reject discrimination and inequality. We proudly, passionately and actively strive to make both ThoughtWorks and our industry more reflective and inclusive of the society that we serve.