UX/UI Designer, HCI & Interaction Design

Job Title: UX/UI Designer, HCI & Interaction Design
Job Location: Hybrid (Toronto, ON)
Job Type: T4 Contract
Experience: 5+ Years
Rate: CAD 55 - 60 per hour

Role Summary: NearSource is seeking a UX/UI Designer with a strong background in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), user research, and interaction design to advance a research-driven platform for intelligent construction workflows. The role focuses on transforming complex project data into intuitive, adaptive, and trustworthy experiences for construction professionals across field and office environments.

The ideal candidate combines evidence-based design thinking with strong visual execution, advanced prototyping skills, and experience using AI-assisted design tools to accelerate research synthesis, concept development, and interface prototyping.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan and conduct field research, including contextual inquiry, on-site observation, and interviews with construction professionals such as superintendents, project managers, field engineers, and trade partners.
• Collaborate with the UX Research Lead to define research priorities, gather user insights, and establish evidence-based design direction.
• Synthesize research findings into role-based communication approaches that define information needs, timing, presentation formats, and levels of detail.
• Design interaction patterns and interfaces that adapt to the expertise and context of different users, including novice and expert workflows.
• Lead UX and UI design for complex, data-rich applications involving 3D building models, linked project data, schedules, timelines, progress comparisons, video, drone capture, and knowledge graphs.
• Design conversational and multimodal experiences that connect naturally with visual interfaces across field and office settings.
• Develop clear interaction patterns for communicating system evidence, uncertainty, and confidence to support user trust and informed decisions.
• Elevate the platform's visual consistency, usability, layout quality, and interaction standards to achieve presentation-ready demonstrations.
• Conduct UI audits, identify usability and design-system gaps, and provide prioritized, actionable recommendations.
• Create high-fidelity designs, interactive prototypes, component libraries, and implementation-ready specifications using Figma or similar tools.
• Apply AI-assisted tools for research synthesis, concept exploration, and rapid prototyping, critically evaluating and refining generated outputs.
• Collaborate closely with engineers to validate design feasibility, communicate design intent, and ensure accurate implementation.
• Perform light front-end prototyping when it accelerates iteration and enables more effective design validation.
• Define future UI direction, design-system standards, and recommendations that enable the internal team to continue platform development independently.

Initial Three-Month Scope

The initial engagement focuses on field research, interaction design, and improvements to the platform's research demonstrations.

• Complete onboarding and review existing platform demonstrations, design files, and sample project data.
• Develop a field research plan in collaboration with the UX Research Lead.
• Conduct on-site research with industry partners to understand how construction teams access, share, interpret, and act on project information.
• Synthesize research findings across project roles and translate them into actionable design recommendations.
• Develop role-based communication approaches and interaction concepts grounded in observed user needs.
• Create prototypes and review concepts with industry partners where possible.
• Deliver UI refinements supporting Outcome Summit demonstrations.
• Recommend priorities and future design initiatives for a potential contract extension.

Deliverables

Initial Three Months

• Field research plan developed with the UX Research Lead.
• Synthesis of on-site research findings across project roles.
• Role-based communication approaches covering information needs, timing, format, and level of detail.
• Research-informed interaction concepts and prototypes.
• UI refinements supporting Outcome Summit demonstrations.
• Recommendations and priorities for a potential extension.

Longer-Term Engagement, Subject to Extension

• UI audit and prioritized platform improvement recommendations.
• High-fidelity designs and interactive prototypes for key workflows.
• Documented UI system and component library aligned with applicable brand guidelines.
• Design specifications and handoff documentation suitable for direct engineering implementation.
• Future UI direction concepts to support continued platform evolution.

Must-Have Skills

• 5+ years of professional experience in UX/UI design, interaction design, user research, or a closely related field.
• Background in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) through a relevant degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience in both user research and interaction design, with a portfolio showing how research findings directly informed personal design decisions.
• Hands-on experience conducting field research, including contextual inquiry, observation, and user interviews.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating UI design for complex, data-rich applications, including enterprise, analytics, or technical tools.
• Advanced visual and interaction design skills, including typography, layout, information hierarchy, motion, and interaction states.
• Advanced Figma skills, including component libraries and interactive prototyping.
• Experience creating and maintaining design systems.
• Data visualization design experience.
• Ability to evaluate existing interfaces and provide clear, actionable design recommendations.
• Hands-on experience using AI-assisted design tools for research synthesis, concept exploration, and rapid prototyping, including the ability to critically assess and refine generated outputs.
• Experience designing responsive interfaces for desktop and tablet/iPad devices.
• Proactive and independent working style, including identifying issues early, collaborating effectively with engineers, and reviewing work before sharing.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Experience planning and conducting usability studies or user evaluations.
• Experience working in a research environment or contributing to HCI publications.
• Experience with AI-assisted prototyping and code-generation tools for building working, testable prototypes.
• Front-end fluency in HTML/CSS or React for prototyping and collaboration with engineering teams.
• Experience designing 3D or spatial interfaces, including web-based 3D viewers, Building Information Modeling (BIM), or digital twins.
• Experience designing AI-powered, conversational, or multimodal interfaces, including adaptive or generated UI.
• Experience designing for mobile and field workflows alongside desktop and office environments.
• Familiarity with construction or Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry applications.

Apply now, or share your resume with salary expectations at careers@nearsource.ca. Thank you for considering a career with us! Once you submit your application, our Talent Acquisition team will review your resume thoroughly. If there's a strong match, we'll reach out to discuss your experience, role details, benefits, compensation, and next steps. While we strive for transparency, we may not be able to respond to every applicant due to high volume, but we genuinely appreciate your time and interest.

About NearSource: NearSource Technologies is a trusted partner for future-ready software consulting, enabling Fortune 500 enterprises to accelerate digital transformation. Our global engineering teams build and deploy impactful technology for some of the world's most admired brands, working directly on long-term client initiatives.

Equal Opportunity Statement: NearSource is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment. We celebrate diversity and do not discriminate based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, or background. Innovation thrives when everyone feels empowered to contribute.