Position: Digital Graphic Artist for Mobile and Web
Project: Various
IDC is searching for a self-motivated designer interested in helping build graphic identities and user interfaces, primarily for mobile apps (iPhone and Android). This is great opportunity to get experience on mobile and web platforms by creating a variety of digital assets for use in our projects. We’re looking to someone who can do the following:
- Refine the visual identity of our existing apps.
- Design and produce new identities and assets for upcoming apps.
- Help maintain a high level of quality across mobile and web for all properties.
- Use Adobe’s Creative Suite (especially Photoshop and Illustrator) like Harry Potter can use a wand.
- Work independently and in groups.
- Communicate well (written and verbal) and has excellent time management skills.
- Keep up to date on Apple’s Human User Interface Guidelines (as well as general studies or other company's findings).
- Emulate and mimic existing graphic styles and also create your own from scratch.
Some of your attributes:
- You want to build a solid design portfolio of real products, not just ones from classes.
- Experience in creating graphics for iPhone apps/mobile apps preferred (but not necessary).
- Interested in making a great user experience (or commonly frustrated by bad ones).
- An understanding of typography and its uses in conveying information in user interfaces.
- Deep knowledge of color in a design sense, ability to use effectively to show meaning.
- Have lots of design/logo/artwork examples you can provide.
- Have a strong sense of design.
- Extremely detail oriented, every last pixel must be perfect for you.
- Wants to build something insanely great.
- You know the difference between a .PNG and a .JPG and could talk someone’s ear off about it.
Project Description:
IDC has built and maintains a variety of digital projects such as iPhone and Android apps. Generally speaking we have another 10 apps in development at any one time, many of which could benefit from the work of a dedicated graphic artist. These projects are either internal ideas or contracted work, either way the work performed is roughly the same. For some contracted work, the artist would be expected to work directly with the client to create their “vision” and be paid hourly at a competitive rate. Internal jobs have more flexibility in creating a style of your choice and are usually a collaboration between team members. Internal work is usually paid through the Profit Equity system, detailed below.
Most work is completed within Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Discussion with IDC’s programmers for certain interface elements will be important as many interface elements require a coordination of graphics and programming.
APPLICANT NOTES:
These positions are only sometimes paid hourly. IDC primarily uses an innovative profit equity model which allows us to recruit students to work on larger projects without having excess capital to fund hourly work. Each student is paid as an independent contractor, total compensation is based on the number of hours and useful input to a project. The working environment is very "startup-like", i.e. work on weekends, odd hours, independent and group work. If you are in need of just an hourly-paid position, this job is not for you.
Note to international students or non-US citizens. All Independent Contractors must be able to provide a verifiable Social Security Number (SSN) or Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) to begin work. If you do not have one of these, you can still work with us as a vendor, but not as an Independent contractor. The difference lies in that you will not have access to any of our source code and cannot collaborate with others directly. If you can build a complete and self contained portion of the project, IDC can still purchase the rights to that portion outright, but there are no contractual obligations to do so. In short, working as a vendor is riskier but can still be a way to gain experience and start your own business.