If Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices division’s recent job postings are to go by, yes, Microsoft is planning to bring (Natal like?) ‘user interaction’ models for ‘near & long term projects’. There are quite a few job openings that Microsoft wants to fill that deal with:
- Motion Designer
- Interaction Designer
- Industrial Design Lead
For all we know this could be for the Microsoft tablet Courier (aka Codex). The requirement is for a Motion Designer, the job posting states:
Overview / Primary Responsibilities:
The candidate will be responsible for leading the creation, development, refinement, and documentation of innovative and compelling motion design solutions that meet the business, project, and design goals and objectives. This person will drive motion design for a wide range of user behaviors and interaction models for both near and long term product.
Emphasis added.
And Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices division is defined as:
Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices division includes the Interactive Entertainment Business (Xbox and Games), the Mobile Communications Business (Windows Mobile), the TV, Video and Music Business (Windows Media Center and Zune), and the Specialized Devices and Applications Business (Hardware, Surface, Office for Mac, Microsoft Auto and Windows Embedded software).
In another related job posting, The E&D division is looking for an Interaction Designer who’s job is defined as:
This person will drive design for a wide range of user behaviors and interaction models for both near and long term product.This person will drive design for a wide range of user behaviors and interaction models for both near and long term product. Strategic thinking and creativity will be critical to innovating compelling user experiences through product design. This Interaction Designer will work closely with industrial designers, user researchers, ergonomics, marketers, software engineers and hardware engineers in a highly collaborative environment.
Emphasis added.
The third job posting is for an Industrial Design Lead and his role is defined as:
This person will drive design for a wide range of user behaviors and interaction models for both near and long term product. Strategic thinking and creativity will be critical to innovating compelling form-factors through product design. This Industrial Design Lead will work closely with Interaction designers, user researchers, ergonomics, marketers, software engineers and hardware engineers in a highly collaborative environment.
Emphasis added.
So Microsoft is looking for a UI, UX and a device form factor design lead. Something’s cooking up at Redmond.