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UX Jobs Salary Guide Infographic
Just to provide further evidence that we appreciate infographics (especially about filthy lucre and its availability to workers in our field), here’s a great one presenting a salary guide for UX jobs. It’s hard to see how things could possibly be much rosier:
Loading ...What Should You Learn in University in 2013?
Meet Kristen Dillon, an incoming student who has been impacted by the proposed suspension of intake of first year students into the Interactive Design program at Capilano University.
We’re as puzzled as Kristen about the rationale for the programs selected for suspension. Interactive Design is an efficient 2-year diploma program, with 48 students operating in one classroom, delivering
- a consistent 80% employment rate within 6 months of graduation
- great industry internship partnerships with the top creative agencies and top companies in Vancouver
- integration of real Vancouver area digital industry business challenges “incubated” within the program curriculum
- broad support and applicability for other established degree programs at Capilano University (Bachelors of: Visual Communication, Business Administration, Communication Studies, Liberal Studies, Motion Picture Arts)
Degrees of Separation?
Capilano University seems to only want students enrolled in much higher-cost, four-year degree programs. This may be why the Capilano Faculty Association was finally told the rationale for the cuts weren’t about program cost or quality, or student demand, but rather about what belongs in a university. We’re taking action and invite you to visit our issues site saveinte.ca to get more details.
Sound Off!
We’ve shared a little about our story, and now we would like to hear from you. Visit our petition site, and sound off in the petition comments on your opinion of whether a digital technology design and development program like Interactive Design belongs in a university.
Help us Digital Obi-Wan Kenobi’s – You May Be Our Only Hope!
Happy Star Wars Day! We’re hoping the force is also with us as we enter a pivotal 10-day stretch in the 23-year history of our Interactive Design program at Capilano University. Interactive Design is a 2-year diploma program that creates a hybrid front-end web-developer / user experience designer, with digital industry business and community management skills. Our graduates achieve an impressive 85% employment rate 6-months post graduation, as measured through a British Coumbia Ministry of Education quality survey.
Capilano University faces a $1.3 million dollar shortfall in balancing their budget this year. This is not unusual, and in past years, efficiencies were found and small percentage cuts were applied evenly across all programs to balance the budget. If program specific cuts were to be considered, the senior leadership team at Capilano University traditionally would request an in-depth consultation with the impacted program through the University Senate’s Budget Subcommittee by the month of February. For the second consecutive year, this well-established collegial process was not followed, resulting in a hastily drawn-up list of programs being informed between April 23-25 of having first year intake of students suspended, or that they were being discontinued outright. The historic operational methods were designed to allow for discussion and solution seeking from all involved parties at a time when faculty and students were not in the midst of final exams. The students are now largely gone from campus, so their voice and input has effectively been silenced. The impact of the decision on students already accepted to Capilano University programs remains unaddressed.
From the mission statement “Capilano University…is committed to developing new and innovative programs in response to market demand.”
Imagine our surprise of being informed our program was selected for suspension of intake of first year students. The rationale provided was that the BC Ministry of Education was giving the Capilano University senior administration team “hints” about what types of programs would be provided at what Vancouver area universities. Two days later the inquiring Capilano Faculty Association were told the cuts were not motivated by cost, quality, or student demand, but the deciding criteria were “what belongs in a University.”
The shifting rationale, preceded by the blatant disinterest in engaging all members of the impacted programs, has the Interactive Design program greatly concerned about the actions and understanding of the senior administrative team and managing board. We respect the complexity of managing a university, but more strongly feel the senior administration team and managing board do not fully grasp the magnitude of digital design and development technology-based careers in today’s global economy.
We are appealing to the expanding networks of web and mobile designers and developers who received their digital-technology education in a post-secondary environment to help us ensure they understand that these are real careers, and that digital technology literacy and fluency are a key part of a modern post-secondary education.
Get the full story at Saveinte.ca
Please comment on the importance of digital technology design and development careers and sign our petition at http://chn.ge/YmXZ0Q
Join in #saveinte
Help us digital Obi-Wan Kenobi’s, you may be our only hope! Happy Star Wars Day!
“Agents of Tomorrow” 2013 Interactive Design Grad Show
Meet the graduating ”Agents of Tomorrow“ for the Vancouver digital industry at the 2013 Interactive Design graduation show
(hors d’oeuvre’s, cracking code, espionage & digital industry networking)
Thursday, April 11th
4:30 – 7:00 pm
Vancouver Public Library, Alice McKay Room
350 West Georgia Street, Vancouver
Eugene Or: Final Word & Interning @ Rethink
Wow, time sure flies, just like that my internship at Rethink has come to an end along with my studies in the Interactive Design program. It’s hard to believe it’s already been two years since we first started. It’s nostalgic to think back to when I first set foot in the lab and seeing everyone go up one by one and tell us a little about themselves.
As an individual moving out of my mom’s house in a different city to study at Capilano, I can say it sure has been a journey of education and maturity. I still remember applying for the program and then conducting a phone interview with Lawrence Wu, which led to a successful acceptance letter into the program. Soon after that it was a matter of packing my whole life into a trunk of a SUV and heading towards a new chapter in my life. During this time I really didn’t know what to expect from the program. I knew I wanted to learn more about web development as I had dabbled a little with it before but didn’t know what the best practices were along with processes that came with it. All I knew was that I’ve always enjoyed design as I have done it for print and broadcast mediums. I discovered that I needed a new channel for my skills and the interactive industry would be › Continue reading
The Takeover of the Mobile Web
Six Revisions has put together a highly informative graphic outlining the latest trends and statistics regarding mobile web usage. So much so fast!
Open Letter to an MP, Re: Net Neutrality
Libby Davies
2412 Main Street
Vancouver, BC
V5T 3E2
September 27, 2012
Dear Libby,
I am writing to you today to express my concern for the future of internet access in Canada.
As a constituent and student of a web design program at Capilano University, my career endeavors depend on fair and unrestricted access to the internet. Besides my own self-interests, I believe that universal internet access is the most important social resource that humans have ever developed. For the first time in our existence, we potentially have the means to empower all individuals, end ignorance and foster universal empathy.
At this time, I do not feel confident that our federal government is at all concerned with maintaining a free, open internet for Canadians. I worry that the CRTC is not immune to the influence of the big media lobby and that there isn’t a strong safeguard in place to ensure the basic principles of Net Neutrality. The Conservative policy of letting the telecom market run its course will essentially lead to further corporate-imposed limitations on our internet access such as tiered content and bandwidth throttling.
Allow me say that I applaud the work of you and your colleagues in the New Democratic Party for voicing your support for Net Neutrality. It is encouraging to see representatives in Ottawa who are truly interested in the concerns of the average consumer. I see that you personally support the non-profit organization openmedia.ca and it shows that you are in touch with the subject.
I would be grateful if you continued to pursue this as a high-priority commitment. I noticed that the Green Party has included a policy on Net Neutrality in its official platform. Is there a chance that the NDP can do the same, so that constituents are reassured that it will continue to be an important issue? Also, are there any plans in the near future to reintroduce a bill similar to C-552 which would lay the foundations for stable Net Neutrality in Canada?
Thank you very much for taking the time to listen to my concerns. I look forward to hearing back from you.
Yours Sincerely,
Brandon Pasqualotto
Why We Exist
We in the Interactive Design program at Capilano University know very well the value of our teaching and training in terms of employability for our graduates in the current Canadian economy – we see the results every time we release a new batch of grads into the industry. Thomas L. Friedman of the New York Times puts it into a broader context:
Parker Busswood wins Govenor General’s Award
Congratulations to Parker Busswood (Interactive Design Grad 2012) for winning the Governor General’s Academic Medal, one of the most prestigious academic awards in the country.
http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=187
Congratulations Parker. You are most deserving of such an honour!
Eugene Or on Teams & Values @ Rethink Internship
I can’t believe it’s already been a month since I’ve started interning at Rethink. Time is really flying by and the internship will soon be ending. At this point I really don’t know if there is a possibility for full-time work afterwards but the journey is more important than the destination and it’s been a great journey so far.
Teams
For the duration of this internship, I’ve had the pleasure of working and sitting with the development team at Rethink. Also known as “digital island”, the team consists Matthew Gomes (Interactive Team Lead), Myoung-Hee Kim, Scorpio Lam, Devin Leggett, and Ken Malley. They are are a great group of individuals who are specialized in key areas needed for what’s required for the project. The great people that keep us on track and divide our time throughout the day for various projects are the PMs and Digital Producers. These are individuals such as Adam Neilson, Mark Schootman, Michelle Binkley (INTE grad 2011), and Stefanie Gajdecki. I’ve also been working with a digital strategist by the name of Darren Yada. Darren, Adam and I have been working together to build wireframes and a navigation prototype for a client’s website redesign. This is an ongoing project which I forsee continuing until the internship ends.
Interactions
Over the last few weeks I’ve been working with Devin on a front-end development project. He’s a self taught IA and front-end developer who’s been kind enough to take me under his wing and teach me the ways of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Initially beginning his career ten years ago as a print designer, Devin needed a channel to showcase his work to potential › Continue reading
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resources
SitePoint
- Native JavaScript Equivalents of jQuery Methods: CSS and Animation
- A Long Time Ago, On a Web Server Far, Far Away…
- Top 10 Front-End Development Frameworks: Part 2
Six Revisions
- Tips for Building Your First Web App
- How to Get Your Web Development Projects Off to a Good Start
- Are Your Web Graphics Print-Ready?