Digital Product Designer - Expert (Design Researcher)

Job Title: Design Researcher (Digital Product Designer – Expert)
Location: Toronto, ON (3-days Hybrid Onsite)
Duration: 12-Months
Type: Full-Time, Contract

Description:
The designer will be working on the mobile banking app experience, for the “Channels” and “Platform” pillar.

About Role:

• Ability to articulate the most important questions we need answered by research or testing
• Ability to synthesize existing research to see what answers we already have
• Strong analytical skills, to uncover the deeper “whys” behind client behaviour
• Strong communication skills. Ability to coordinate with other design teams, and manage stakeholders
• Flexibility in approach to the work and process based on project requirements. Able to adapt to changes in scope, priorities, requirements, etc.
• Some knowledge of financial concepts (like credit) is a plus

Duties:

Design researchers are responsible for:

• Compiling existing (secondary/desk) research relevant to project and team needs
• Working closely with the team and stakeholders to identify knowledge (research) gaps, articulate research questions.
• Planning and conducting end-to-end discovery (generative) and evaluative research while working collaboratively with team and stakeholders
• Monitoring performance post-release
• Planning, facilitating and synthesizing outputs of team workshops
• Guide designer-led usability testing
• Present findings to teams, stakeholders and leadership
• Collaborate with 2 squads of designers on the mobile team
• Help the team identify and define client needs via multiple research methods and tools
• Analyze the competitive landscape, to identify business opportunities
• Facilitate workshops at various parts of the design process
• Work with the product team to map product strategy to client needs
• Propose and participate in user testing of designs
• Present their work to the wider team
• Take and give feedback frequently

Qualifications:

• Experience with user testing software is a must, even if it’s not exactly the software we use. We use Alida, Maze and Bloomfire for research. We also use Mural, Figma, Keynote, Confluence plus Microsoft Office.
• Must Haves:
  • Ability to clearly articulate the client and the business problem, and to craft questions based on our blind spots
  • An understanding of what research and testing methods are appropriate for which types of questions.
  • An ability to evaluate the competitive landscape to identify opportunities
  • An understanding of trends in iOS and Android.
  • Ability to identify what we need to research, test and measure in production, and what the metrics mean
• Nice to Haves:
  • Financial basics like how revolving credit works.

“Mindlance is an equal-opportunity employer. We are committed to inclusive, equitable, barrier-free recruitment and selection processes, and a work environment in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). We will be happy to work with applicants requesting accommodation at any stage of the hiring process”.