Brunel University Multimedia design placement programme Andrew Betts, Assanka

About me Brunel graduate in Information Systems Software engineer Industrial placement with NATS Set up Assanka just before graduation Now have three companies One worth £22m

Brunel graduate in Information Systems

Software engineer

Industrial placement with NATS

Set up Assanka just before graduation

Now have three companies

One worth £22m

Who we are Six staff Offices in Shepherd’s Bush, London Four developers, one designer, one dog Three business units Consulting Open source Dot com

Six staff

Offices in Shepherd’s Bush, London

Four developers, one designer, one dog

Three business units

Consulting

Open source

Dot com

Shadow

A quick poll Which would you rather design?

Traffic figures - May 2007 How about now? Facebook’s design is all about making stuff easy to use. Die Hard 4.0’s design just wants to look good. 12,000 Die Hard 4.0 15,841,000,000 Facebook

Design is about making things work. Not about making them beautiful. Though no-one will complain if it looks good too.

What we do We make web applications Interesting and exciting ways of using advanced technology to solve problems … but making it seem incredibly simple (which is where you can help)

We make web applications

Interesting and exciting ways of using advanced technology to solve problems

… but making it seem incredibly simple

(which is where you can help)

Examples

Examples

Examples

Examples

Examples

Examples

Examples

What we look for when hiring Precision and respect for usability Creativity and eye for colour Photoshop skills Standards compliant rendering (XHTML/CSS) Grammar/spelling and language skills Reliability Love of dogs (optional)

Precision and respect for usability

Creativity and eye for colour

Photoshop skills

Standards compliant rendering (XHTML/CSS)

Grammar/spelling and language skills

Reliability

Love of dogs (optional)

The interview Portfolio review Do you really want to work for us? Review of prep task we’ll send you beforehand Polished diagram from sketch or description Half hour icon design challenge 10x10 – A whole hundred pixels to work with!

Portfolio review

Do you really want to work for us?

Review of prep task we’ll send you beforehand

Polished diagram from sketch or description

Half hour icon design challenge

10x10 – A whole hundred pixels to work with!

“ Conference room” “ Get information”

“ Conference room”

What you get Great projects Portfolio credits See how a small dynamic agency works Flexible working hours Days out for conferences and workshops Free coffee and fresh fruit Professional development plan

Great projects

Portfolio credits

See how a small dynamic agency works

Flexible working hours

Days out for conferences and workshops

Free coffee and fresh fruit

Professional development plan

Do you want to work for us? Do you design for art, or usability? Do you want to work in a small business? Do you want direct contact with clients? Do you want to design interfaces for high tech applications?

Do you design for art, or usability?

Do you want to work in a small business?

Do you want direct contact with clients?

Do you want to design interfaces for high tech applications?

Placement applications: [email_address] Ask me stuff: [email_address] Where the sticks are hidden: [email_address] www.assanka.net