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Job Description
POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT
Assistant Professor, Interaction Design Program
Ranked Renewable, Part-time
NOVEMBER 2021
Position Summary
The Interaction Design Program seeks candidates for a part time ranked renewable position as assistant professor beginning in Spring 2022. The position requires a commitment to continued professional work and participation in collegewide service.
CCA seeks candidates who cultivate and support an equity-focused creative and scholarly environment and curriculum within an increasingly diverse and international student body inclusive of a large demographic of first generation college students. Successful candidates will also demonstrate a vibrant creative practice, a passion for excellent teaching and an extensive commitment to professional activity.
Applicants should have a strong interaction design portfolio, technical expertise in the design and development of interactive products and experiences, a proven record of professional practice or research through practice. A broad knowledge of current practices and experience with emerging technologies such as VoiceUX, AI and ML, AR & VR is desirable. We are especially interested in candidates that embody a commitment to ethical design and inclusive practices in their own work and can bring these approaches into their teaching.
This position will fill a critical role in developing and teaching the foundational courses in the program. These six core classes give our students a grounded set of basic skills and develop strong craft including drawing & sketching for user experience design; UI and visual design (gestalt principles, basic type, color theory, visual component systems development); information architecture (sitemaps, task flows, wireframes); understanding users & telling stories (scenarios, storyboarding, personas); behavior of systems and people, systems thinking (modeling, deconstructing complex systems); and prototyping for all kinds of experiences, whether cross-service, digital screen based, mobile or devices.
Ranked faculty participate in course development, program evaluation and contribute to the curriculum which is grounded in both traditional and experimental approaches to creating meaningful user experiences.
This part-time, three year renewable appointment is specifically designed for regional practitioners. Ranked faculty teach three or four courses per year (60% – 80% FTE /full-time equivalent) and provide service to the program, division and/or college.
Program Summary
The Interaction Design program brings together bright, intelligent and promising students from around the world and across the United States. The program faculty includes members who are practitioners, thinkers and leaders in the field. Our alumni are working in startups, in large corporations, in nonprofits, in consulting agencies and game companies.
The field of design and technology is ever changing and shifting. We seek to prepare our students to have the skills, methods, practices and mindset to meet this unpredictable future and whatever challenges and opportunities it brings.
Interaction designers are also known as user experience designers, experience designers, and product designers, the work we do is invisible to most, but it is powerful and impactful, often at a massive scale. Interaction designers are responsible for creating and designing the technology you are familiar with—the things you interact with everyday such as your smartphone, tablet, laptop, even your smart speaker device, or car.
We design the software, web and mobile experiences you probably use like social media, productivity, and creative tools. The work of interaction designers also shows up where you might not expect it. Interaction designers help create the products and services that are in stores, restaurants, ecommerce, online content and news outlets, medical centers, schools, your home and increasingly places you might not have thought of like nonprofits, the government and inside corporations.
Given the ubiquitousness and ever spreading need for interaction design skills, our program strives:
To embrace the future
To teach systems thinking with a humanistic approach—we design for people
To explore new technologies and cultural trends across evolving contexts.
And to teach that technology is a powerful medium to be used responsibly.
The College
Founded in 1907, California College of the Arts (CCA) is an independent non-profit art college located in the vibrant Bay Area with undergraduate programs in architecture, design, fine arts, visual studies, and writing. The college also has graduate programs in architecture, design, curatorial practice, design strategy, fine arts, visual and critical studies and writing. Through these programs, the college has created a dynamic and interdisciplinary environment to fulfill the school’s motto of “Make art that matters.” Diverse cultural and experiential perspectives enrich the CCA community and the college believes that continuing to expand the horizons of the students and faculty is essential to achieving its educational objectives. With current campuses in Oakland and San Francisco, and plans to fully unify in San Francisco well under way, CCA currently enrolls 1,600 full-time students.
Minimum Qualifications
Minimum of five years professional experience in interaction design, HCI, or user experience
Evidence of employing inclusive practices and ethical design approaches in professional practice, research, freelance or volunteer work.
Strong portfolio demonstrating successfully delivered interaction design projects across digital experiences that went live (Web, mobile, devices, etc.) – minimum of 3 case studies including evidence of design process and thinking
Expertise in two or more areas including drawing & sketching for user experience design; UI and visual design (gestalt principles, basic type, color theory, visual component systems development); information architecture (sitemaps, task flows, wireframes); understanding users & telling stories (scenarios, storyboarding, personas; behavior of systems and people); systems thinking (modeling, deconstructing complex systems); and prototyping for all kinds of experiences, whether cross-service, digital screen based, mobile or devices.
Evidence of successful teaching or mentoring—ideally within a college environment, or alternatively, through professional workshops, conference workshops, or substitute teaching. Applicants with an accumulated 6 years of full time teaching experience at an accredited institution of postsecondary education, or at an equivalent school, may be considered for an appointment at the Associate level.
Four year undergraduate degree.
Preferred Qualifications
Degree or equivalent training in interaction design, graphic design, HCI, design research or communication design.
Previous teaching in an interaction design or user experience design-focused undergraduate 4-year studio program.
Experience working with global teams.
Experience in supporting multilingual student success
Salary
This part time ranked renewable position ranges from $41,400 at 60% to $55,200 at 80% FTE as assistant professor, and includes a comprehensive benefits package.
Application Deadline
Priority deadline is Sunday 28 November, 2021 at 11.59 PM PST. Application is open until the position is filled.
Application Instructions
Qualified applicants must complete the online application by uploading the following materials:
Curriculum vitae
Letter of interest
Statement of teaching philosophy
Designer statement addressing professional practice and/or research
Portfolio of professional work: Link to website – 3-5 case studies of relevant work
Contact information for three (3) professional references
Additional materials may be requested by the search committee at a later date.
EEO Statement
As an educational and cultural institution, California College of the Arts has a responsibility to provide access and opportunities for all people, with special attention to supporting groups historically underrepresented in higher education. We believe that a culturally diverse campus is integral to academic excellence, and our student, faculty, staff, and trustee bodies should reflect the diverse world in which we live, with attention to race, ethnicity, religious creed, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and ability. California College of the Arts is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from individuals who will contribute to its diversity.
