In the vast landscape of job opportunities in the Indian subcontinent, the niche role of design technologists remains as elusive as the majestic tigers that roam the region. Job postings for design technologists are a rarity, and it's not every day that one comes across such an opportunity. Recently, I stumbled upon a job posting from Amazon Bangalore for the position of Design Technologist. As a lead design technologist, I feel compelled to delve into the contours of this intriguing job opportunity.
Contour of the Job
Location: Bangalore
Company: Amazon
Department: Amazon Ads Design Team
Subjects: Digital Advertising, Multi-channel Ads, E-commerce
Position: Design Technologist
Team: Design Leaders
Defining Design Technologist
The role of a design technologist lacks a universally accepted definition in the job market, prompting the Amazon recruiter to articulate their interpretation. As a Design Technologist at Amazon, one is expected to strike a balance between technical execution and design strategy, contributing to the creation of innovative landing pages and digital ad solutions. The ideal candidate possesses a passion for both design and development, demonstrating strong front-end proficiency, creative problem-solving skills, and a discerning eye for world-class functional design.
TLDR: Design and Technical Leadership = Design Technologist
The core attributes of a design technologist encompass conveying design strategy through code, proficiency in front-end technologies, UX patterns, and best practices, building prototypes with vanilla JS and CSS, attention to detail in library maintenance, and the ability to work on multiple projects while creatively solving business challenges.
Job Requirements
The Amazon recruiter has outlined several unique requirements for the design technologist role:
- Web development experience across multiple devices, web-views, and browsers.
- Delivery of functional prototypes on new devices.
- Full participation in the lifecycle of design and development.
- Inclusion of an online portfolio with process examples.
- Ability to develop ad campaign strategy, use cases, and technical requirements.
Qualifications
Beyond the common prerequisites such as end-to-end ownership and web/mobile app development experience, the unique qualifications include:
- Development of visually polished, engaging, and highly fluid UX prototypes using Figma/Sketch.
- Previous experience in complex UI animations, with an emphasis on understanding webGL, React Spring, and Framer Motion.
- Familiarity with Tensorflow and ThreeJS, along with prior experience as a UX/Interaction designer.
My Observation
The job requirements clearly emphasize mastery in frontend development, design, and UI with a focus on animations. An ideal candidate may have undergone a career transition from UX to Frontend or vice versa at some point. This role may not align with the skill set of full-stack engineers.
Rigorous preparation is paramount for applicants aiming to stand out in a competitive landscape. The scarcity of job openings necessitates a 10x effort in interview preparation, with priority often given to candidates from top colleges, those with resumes from reputed companies, and those with referrals. Design technologist roles demand intensive preparation, as exemplified by the specifics outlined in the discussed Amazon job posting.
Conclusion
In a scenario where job openings are scarce, candidates must elevate their interview preparation to tenfold levels due to heightened competition. The discussed design technologist job at Amazon provides a comprehensive overview of the responsibilities, qualifications, and desirable skills, serving as a guide for professionals aspiring to thrive in this specialized field.