Creative Technologist

Your Role

As a member of the Brand Experience Design team, your role is to help envision, scope, and implement digital engagement opportunities that bridge the gap between the physical and digital world working alongside interdisciplinary teams of developers, interaction designers, interior and graphic designers, architects, digital and brand strategists, crafting truly integrated user experiences in the built environment using digital as one more canvas.

You are curious about all types of technology and eager to research and understand new hardware and software technologies and platforms, build relationships with inventors and vendors, test their solutions within our Design Labs and leverage them to use them as you iteratively prototype experiences through the design process.

You are comfortable working with internal teams, external vendors or partners, and collaborating with clients to promote a project's success. You are also self-organized and able to track and maintain your work, regularly updating project teams on progress, hurdles, and topics requiring extra attention.  You see a path to a leadership role within the Creative Technology group, a natural next step in your career growth.

What You Will Do

We seek Creative Technologists with a balanced understanding between the hardware and software fields. The below lists both tasks and opportunities you may experience in this role:

Design Phase

• Collaborate and provide creative input on experience and creative approach

• Research, prove, and present technical approaches and systems architecture to support the experience vision

• “Sketch” unique visual systems using web stack and creative coding environments.

• Be a key technology resource on client projects

• Conduct quick proofs of concepts and technical mockups using both hardware and software to test and validate the designs

• Design and document your work using technical narratives, 2D/3D drawings and sketches, systems and software diagrams, data flows, and visual precedents

Implementation Phase

• Work closely with technology partners/vendors and software development teams, both external and within Gensler; Review all major project deliverables including vendor submittals to ensure alignment/adherence to design intent.

• Develop and implement technology test plans and either organize or lead commissioning of hardware

• Contribute to / develop software working with our production teams

• Optionally, join our teams onsite as developer and lead liaison with the design team

At our DXD Lab

• Develop exciting showcases that will inspire your colleagues and visiting clients

• Research and showcase emerging technologies

• Facilitate proof-of-concepts and technical mockups on various projects

• Create and maintain library of technological precedent

• Develop and maintain relationships with technology partners and vendors; facilitate vendor showcases and ensure our knowledgebase current with their offerings.

Your Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years’ experience

• A people person, able to coordinate between multiple parties to advance your design

• Strong organizational skills to juggle multiple tasks within the constraints of timelines and budgets

• Exceptional critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills; a quick learner who understands diverse technologies and techniques

• Ability to work and thrive in a fast-paced collaborative environment

• Ability to present technology solutions to non-technical audience

• Comfortable in a workshop environment using basic hand tools to build mockups

• A working understanding of physical computing elements such as microcontrollers, sensors and custom input devices

• Familiarity with display technologies (projection, Direct View LED, LCD, OLED), creative dynamic lighting

• Experience reading, creating, and directing others in producing architectural and technical drawings for a variety of technical design needs

• Ability to creatively code in one or more of the following

  • Web technologies – HTML5 / JS including React, node.js, etc

  • Graphic environments such as TouchDesigner, Unreal, Unity

  • Python / C++ a plus

• Experience working with REST APIs.

The following recommended skills will help contribute to your success at Gensler:

• Understanding of the creative and/or architectural design process

• Strong organizational skills to juggle multiple tasks within the constraints of timelines and budgets

• Knowledge of commercial AV hardware (such as: multi-channel audio systems, video processing, routing, networking and distribution, supervisory control systems) and leveraging it form a working AV system

• Basic understanding of computer networks and how to deploy physical computing in those environments

• Familiarity with Content Management Systems (CMS)

• 3D Modeling skills in one or more of Rhino / Sketchup / Vectorworks / AutoCAD / Revit / 3ds Max / Blender

• A working understanding of PC components, Cabling, Operating system (Windows, Linux), BIOS/OS configuration, etc

• Experience working with UX design tools such as Figma

Life at Gensler

At Gensler, we are as committed to enjoying life as we are to delivering best-in-class design. From curated art exhibits to internal design competitions to “Well-being Week,” our offices reflect our people’s diverse interests. We encourage every person at Gensler to lead a healthy and balanced life. 
 
Our comprehensive benefits include medical, dental, vision, disability, wellness programs, flex spending, paid holidays, and paid time off. We also offer a 401k, profit sharing, employee stock ownership, and twice-annual bonus opportunities. Our annual base salary range has been established based on local markets. 
 
As part of the firm’s commitment to licensure and professional development, Gensler offers reimbursement for certain professional licenses and associated renewals and exam fees. In addition, we reimburse tuition for certain eligible programs or classes. We view our professional development programs as strategic investments in our future.