future

some more information about the job that i am applying in Motorola. the group is formerly known as Symbol Tech, which was recently acquired by Motorola. the position i am applying for is a position somewhere between industrial designer, industrial engineer and ergonomics researcher, which is exactly what i would like to do. and the fact that they came to me at the first place, and that they would like someone who can speak chinese, makes the chance of me getting hired much higher. so i'm really excited about it! but in the meantime, quite a bit nervous too! hope everything goes well.

"A bit about the group: we have two UI designers, two design researchers (including me), two ergonomists, and one market/innovation researcher. There is a fair amount of cross over, as I've designed a number of keyboards and conducted human factors studies and the UI designers and ergonomists have done design research. Our larger group is the former Symbol Technologies industrial design group that also includes industrial designers and a team of engineers working on advanced concepts. We are currently working through details of how we will work with the team that already existed at Motorola in our division. Motorola is divided into three divisions, Mobile Devices (cell-phones), Networks & Enterprise (us), & Connected Home (cable-boxes and similar home network/entertainment equipment). The ID group that already existed in the N&E division mostly did work designing walkie-talkie-type devices and police & fire communications equipment. They also did a few products that competed against us.

The main products that our group has worked on are mobile computers, bar-code scanners, and RFID equipment. Symbol also makes wireless (Wifi) equipment, but the design group has been less involved in its development. We might also start covering the walkie-talkies and police & fire equipment. The main things tying all of this together is that it is equipment used for people's jobs and allows these jobs to be done better through providing mobile access to communications, computing, and data capture. Our stuff gets used by a large number of industries, but the major settings include: stores, warehouses, factories, transportation hubs, hospitals, and in mobile field applications (think guys repairing telephone equipment or the guys delivering a package to your house and taking your signature)."