OpenRefine is an open source data-wrangling tool used by diverse communities ranging from data journalists to GLAM professionals. The team seeks a lead designer to improve OpenRefine's user interface and functionality.
About the job
Role: Lead Designer
Job Type: Part-Time Contract
Duration: 6 months with possible extension.
Job Location: Remote
Funding available: USD 38,400
Contracting Entity: Code for Science & Society Inc. OpenRefine is a fiscally sponsored project of Code for Science & Society Inc, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization in the USA.
About OpenRefine
OpenRefine is a free, open source power tool for working with messy data and improving it: cleaning it, transforming it from one format into another, and extending it with web services and external data. OpenRefine has been embraced by a wide range of communities across various fields. OpenRefine's flexibility and user-friendly interface make it applicable to a wide range of use cases and industries, for example:
Journalists and Media Professionals use OpenRefine to clean and prepare data for investigative reporting, analysis, and visualization in news stories.
GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) utilizes OpenRefine to clean and enhance catalog records related to artworks and cultural heritage artifacts.
Wikipedians and Wikimedia Contributors: OpenRefine is a popular tool within the Wikipedia community, enabling users to manage and improve structured data on Wikimedia projects like Wikidata and Wiki Commons.
Scientists and Researchers across various scientific disciplines, including social, natural, and health sciences, use OpenRefine to clean, transform, and organize research data.
Data Analysts and Scientists leverage OpenRefine to preprocess and clean data, ensuring high data quality before analysis.
Educators and Trainers: OpenRefine is integrated into educational curricula and workshops, allowing educators to teach students data wrangling and cleaning skills effectively.
About the design role
We're searching for a dedicated part-time designer who will play a leading role in enhancing the usability of OpenRefine. The role requires previous experience with FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) and engagement with the diverse communities that intersect with OpenRefine's user base and volunteer contributors.
The new design lead will be involved in the following:
- Research design limitations and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Designing changes to the user interface to support enhancements and new features.
- Conducting user testing sessions to validate design choices.
- Prioritizing improvements based on user feedback.
We anticipate an initial phase of intense design activity at the project's outset, which will transition to periodic and responsive support as the project advances into the implementation stage.
We invite applicants to send their CV and a short motivation statement at [email protected]. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting on September 1st, 2023 until the position is filled.