May 2020: Successful Leadership, with Aaron Irizarry

The way organizations are approaching product development and emerging technologies is constantly changing. At the same time, our practice as designers is evolving with new tools, techniques and approaches, all surfacing at a pace that can be hard to keep up with.

What does this mean for us as leaders of teams (big or small)? How can we lead teams in progressive orgs going through digital transformation or orgs that are slower to adapt? By focusing on developing certain skills, disciplines and characteristics within ourselves as leaders, we can prepare ourselves for the challenges we face when leading our teams and working with our partners.

We also set ourselves up to be leaders who can coach, nurture and elevate our teams to be best equipped for the challenges they face as they execute on their work. In this webinar, Aaron will share insights, tools and techniques (from personal success and failures) for growing your own leadership skills, overcoming leadership challenges and successfully developing your teams.

Takeaways include:

• Gauging and improving our EQ as leaders
• The role of vulnerability and transparency in successful leadership
• Adaptive communication and leadership styles for different types of team members and partners
• Leading through enabling autonomy
• Creating personal norms for successful leadership

Bio

Aaron Irizarry, aka “Ron”, is the Head of Credit Solutions Design in Capital One’s Commercial Bank. Aaron is also the co-author of Discussing Design: Improving Communication and Collaboration through Critique. More importantly, Aaron loves connecting with people through food, is a lover of heavy metal, and a lifelong Dodgers fan.

Note that this will be a live streaming event. For what I hope are obvious reasons we won’t be sitting together in a physical space!

Please register for this free event

Thursday May 21, 2020
5:30pm to 7:00pm ET
Live streamed to wherever you are!

April 2020: Stop Solving Problems

We’re excited to welcome Steve Portigal back to uxWaterloo for our April session. Steve has presented here before, and has also presented at Fluxible Conference. What does he have for us this time?

The old maxim says we should “find a need and fill it.” While at some level that is certainly true, in this era of fetishized disruption, organizations seem to gravitate to being in the problem solving business. Steve will review several different mindsets for creating products and services, consider their benefits and risks and challenge you to go beyond a fixing mentality.

Note that this will be a live streaming event. For what I hope are obvious reasons we won’t be sitting together is a physical space!

Please register for this free event

Thursday April 16, 2020
5:30pm to 7:00pm ET
Live streamed to wherever you are!

March 2020: How to validate design methods

Note: this event has been cancelled! Selin is unable to get back to Waterloo due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, and we figured that taking a break this month was the best option.

How do you know when a particular design method will work? Or when it might work, but isn’t the best fit? In today’s session, we’ll learn some answers as Selin Üreten will share her research into design method validation and design method acceptance in the area of product development.

Selin’s background is aircraft systems engineering and as well as technology management. Since 2016 she has working in the institute for product development and mechanical engineering design (PKT) at the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) in Germany, where the is currently pursuing pursuing a PhD focused on design method validation with focus on human factors.

Please register for this free event

Thursday March 19, 2020
5:30 to 7:00 pm
Communitech Hub, 2nd floor
[View on Google Maps]

December 2019: Informal Pub Meetup

The weather outside may be frightful, but the UX conversations and drinks are so delightful. And not just delightful: thoughtful, contemplative, enlightening conversations are always a part of our pub meetups, and this December uxWaterloo session  is certain to continue that tradition. The laid-back atmosphere and conversations are a welcome addition to any wintry evening. Join us!

Please register for this free event

Thursday December 19, 2019
5:30 to 7:00 pm
Abe Erb Brewing
15 King Street South, Uptown Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario

September 2019: The Changing Face of Ethical Design: Why Responsible Intent Matters More Than Ever

Design has always been about problem solving. But the scale and complexity of the problems designers face is at an all-time high as we consider designing solutions that are ethical, inclusive, and sustainable.

Focusing purely on outcomes can cause unintentional harm to humans, our communities, and society. How can we, as designers, meaningfully improve the world when the speed and continuous introduction of new technology seems to make all of us more vulnerable? What can designers do when facing conflicts of interest around creating responsible solutions?

Join us as Andy Vitale explores these questions and more.

Now more than ever, designers need to be accountable for the decisions we make and understand the lasting impact our designs leave behind.

Attendees will learn:

• What it means to design ethical, inclusive, and sustainable solutions
• Real-world examples of how thinking responsibly could have improved design outcomes
• How to embed responsibility into the design process
• Best practices for designing products with responsible intent

About Andy

Andy Vitale is the Head of User Experience Design at SunTrust Bank, where he instills the importance of design and a client-centered approach to solve problems, grow revenue, and achieve far-reaching goals. He leads a diverse and dedicated team in translating human insights into actionable experiences to both differentiate the bank and raise the bar for the finance industry.

Andy has solved problems for organizations ranging from startups to Fortune-ranked companies. He’s led a team of designers at 3M focused on enterprise healthcare software, served as a digital agency partner, and pioneered mobile experiences at Office Depot. He’s a relentless user experience evangelist, with a passion for cognitive thinking and making technology more human. He’s driven by a user-centered passion that transforms teams from capable to difference-making.

Aside from his primary role at SunTrust, Andy is an adjunct professor for Kent State University’s User Experience Design graduate program, and serves on the advisory board for multiple professional organizations and educational institutions.

He holds a Master’s degree in User Experience Design and has previously held multiple roles as a designer, entrepreneur, education department chair, and design leader, and often speaks at industry conferences and events.

Please register for this free event

Thursday September 19, 2019
5:30 to 7:00 pm
Communitech Hub, 2nd floor
[View on Google Maps]

August 2019: Informal pub meetup

In what is now a beloved summer tradition, complete with a beloved repeated text description, it’s time to replace energizing presentations and deep UX thoughts with a lighter event befitting the season. Let’s savour that summer feeling with an August uxWaterloo session that features informal talk, some of it even UX-related, and drinks. As befits any self-respecting tradition, we do this every July and August and the laid-back atmosphere and conversations are a welcome addition to any summer schedule. Join us!

And, as has become a yearly tradition, count on hearing an update on the 2019 edition of Fluxible, Canada’s UX Festival! You’ve been warned…

Please register for this free event

Thursday August 22, 2019
5:30 to 7:00 pm
Abe Erb Brewing
15 King Street South, Uptown Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario

July 2019: Informal pub meetup

In what is now a beloved summer tradition, complete with a beloved repeated text description, it’s time to replace energizing presentations and deep UX thoughts with a lighter event befitting the season. Let’s savour that summer feeling with a July uxWaterloo session that features informal talk, some of it even UX-related, and drinks. As befits any self-respecting tradition, we do this every July and August and the laid-back atmosphere and conversations are a welcome addition to any summer schedule. Join us!

And, as has become a yearly tradition, count on hearing an update on the 2019 edition of Fluxible, Canada’s UX Festival! You’ve been warned…

Please register for this free event

Thursday July 18, 2019
5:30 to 7:00 pm
Abe Erb Brewing
15 King Street South, Uptown Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario

March 2019: Preparing students for a UX role

Waterloo Region is known for having world-class post-secondary education institutions as well as a thriving tech ecosystem that includes strong design community. How might we strengthen the connections between those educational institutions and the design community in order to better complement and amplify the impact of each? One way might be to have a conversation about what industry is looking for in UX grads.

Join us for our next session as UW professor Carolyn MacGregor opens that conversation to learn:

• What do you wish you had learned in school to better prep you for your UX career?
• What are you looking for when you’re hiring a recent grad for a UX role?
• How can students be better prepared to become design leaders?

Give some thought to these questions and join us for the conversation!

Carolyn MacGregor is an Associate Professor and the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Systems Design Engineering and the University of Waterloo. Her teaching and research focus on user research methods, engineering design, and human factors engineering.

Please register for this free event

Thursday March 21, 2018
5:30 to 7:00 pm
Communitech Hub, 2nd floor
[View on Google Maps]

February 2019: Informal Pub Meetup

Informal pub meetups aren’t just for summer anymore! Let’s huddle up this month and stay warm with a uxWaterloo session that features informal talk, some of it even UX-related, and drinks. Let’s make sure that the laid-back atmosphere and conversations are a welcome addition to any winter schedule. Join us!

Please register for this free event

Thursday February 21, 2019
5:30 to 7:00 pm
Abe Erb Brewing
15 King Street South, Uptown Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario

Job: User Experience Designer, EV at Geotab (FleetCarma)

Who is Geotab (FleetCarma)

Imagine millions of vehicles driving across the globe 24/7. Next, imagine that you collected rich location, engine and vehicle behaviour data on each vehicle through a plug and play device. Our customers have the power to take this data and provide valuable insight toward their businesses because of the Geotab platform. Geotab is one of the leading telematics technology companies in the world and is focused on continuing our rapid expansion worldwide. For more information visit us at www.geotab.com.

FleetCarma has developed the world’s only electric vehicle monitoring and control platform which uses vehicle data and metrics to drive intelligent decisions for fleets and individuals. On any given day FleetCarma’s development garage will be filled with the latest electric vehicles: Model S’s, Volt’s, Leafs and the more than 30 other plug-in vehicles that are supported by our products.

In June 2018, FleetCarma joined forces with Geotab, a global leader in fleet telematics. Together, we’ll be working to bring our innovative electric vehicle platform to their hundreds of thousands of vehicles being tracked across the world.

Who we are looking for

We are always looking for amazing talent who can contribute to our growth and deliver world class results! Geotab is seeking a User Experience Designer who will be able to quickly dive in and bring innovative ideas to the EV product suite. If you love technology, are passionate about great design, and are keen to join an industry leader – we would love to hear from you!

What are the details of this position

As the sole User Experience Designer, EV in our Waterloo office, your key responsibility will focus on creating an easy and appealing experience for users interacting with our software products. In this role you will have involvement from user story to wire frame prototyping and collaborating with in-house Software Development teams. This role will include work on projects both in early conceptual stages as well as more mature products undergoing innovative redesign. Calling the Product Management team home, you will collaborate with Product Managers, the Customer Success team, and our Software teams.

Our Products

The EV Suitability Assessment integrated into the Geotab platform, currently in conception, aims to analyze fleet driving patterns and communicate to Fleet Managers when an EV makes sense over current conventional fleet vehicles.

The SmartCharge Platform, serving both electric utilities and their EV driver customers, communicates the impacts of EV charging on the electric grid, and incentivizes EV drivers to charge at grid-friendly times.

Duties and Tasks/Essential Functions

• Create intuitive, simple and user experiences with our software products.  Be the champion for the value of good design!
• Learn context, user jobs and goals from Product Management research, and alongside Product Management directly teaming on customer research interactions
• Set and improve the process to design and validate the user experience, and improve outcomes our software solutions are working towards
• Bring in and establish new processes to involve more team members in the design process, harness their ideas and achieve a great end result
• Translate user job stories into great solution designs:  easy interactions, simple and visually appealing layout and overall intuitive experience
• Monitor the success of designs and investments in partnership with Product Management with quantitative metrics, and qualitative feedback loops
• Answer questions and work closely alongside Software Developers and QA to ensure a great solution before the Sprint demo
• Make a positive contribution towards our goals of increasing EV adoption, as this industry rapidly evolves

Experience/Skills Required

• Post-secondary education in design, or a related field
• A passion for software UX, visual design, and interactive design
• 5+ years of work experience in software product design, ideally with experience in both B2B and B2C solutions
• Advanced expertise in your wireframing / prototyping tool set
• Experience with data-oriented / analytics applications an asset
• Knowledge of HTML, CSS and Javascript as asset
• Strong believer in usability testing, and have proven experience in running effective tests, interpretation of results, and incorporating changes based on them
• You are a great communicator and collaborator:  you can communicate your designs effectively, and build solutions collaboratively with inputs from a number of teams
• Conduct user research on an as-needed basis, to learn of opportunities to improve an existing solution’s experience
• Strong aptitude for detail-oriented problem solving

What makes our staff passionate about Geotab?

• A focus on electric vehicles, which are both exciting and an important solution for climate change mitigation.
• Being part of a world-class technology team
• Having a small company feel while being part of a global leader with offices in 7 countries.
• Table Tennis at the office! Bring your own bat!
• Stocked fridge and healthy snacks
• Hot lunch or fresh sandwiches served every Friday
• Full medical benefits & 4% company matching retirement savings plan

Our Core Values

Geotabbers innovate and seek creative ways to continuously improve. Collaboration and teamwork defines the way we work. We love being ahead of the curve, using leading technology, and being agile in every way we do business. We work hard, and we definitely  play hard. From the CEO – to the staff – there is an open-door policy for all of us to freely communicate. Geotabbers are dynamic, and enjoy working in a fast-paced work environment. We own our work and take responsibility in a true entrepreneurial spirit!

Geotab encourages applications from all qualified candidates. Geotab is committed to accommodating persons with disabilities throughout the interview, selection and employment process. If you require accommodation at any stage of the application process or want more information about our accommodation policies and practices, please contact us at (416) 434 4309.

Apply for this job now