[Sigia-l] The value of an IA

[Listera]

Jared M. Spool:

> Out of curiousity, what is the IA Community doing to help the people trying
> to hire an IA understand the value of a $30/hour IA versus a more expensive
> one?

Ah, the important question.

The reason I posted the original blurb wasn't necessarily an objection to
the $/hr rate. There'll always be someone to do any given job at $30/hr or
any other rate. Yes, this serves to depress the asking rate for similar
jobs, but there's something just as significant there.

The job reqs for this gig was quite high-level:

"He or she LEADS the development of the user experience and provides
usability and interaction design INSIGHTS across a variety of HIGH-PROFILE
engagements."

In NYC at least, you are not going to get that from someone who'd work for
$30/hr, period. So either the company is lying to the candidates or it's
lying to itself. (You be the judge as to which one is worse.)

Now, Jared's asking how we can help that company.

I say screw them.

I'd much rather see those kind of companies go out of business...as fast as
possible. 

When I see music site like the now-defunct Best Buy I hope for their
earliest demise, and I hope a competitor like iTMS prospers. Because,
despite its imperfections, the latter makes me proud to be a designer, the
former makes me cringe with professional disgust.

So Best Buy might be a treasure chest for usability mechanics. It's an
abomination for Designers and most likely a territory of blight for
professional opportunity.
 
----
Ziya

Design is doing for a dime what anyone can do for a dollar.