Valve hiring up for computer hardware development

Valve’s is-it, isn’t-it Steam Box is back in the news (again), with the company now looking to hire an industrial designer with “professional experience shipping world-class, high-tech hardware products”. Whether or not the alleged Steam Box is actually a thing, it’s obvious Valve has now planning to make something.

“Valve is traditionally a software company. Open platforms like the PC and Mac are important to us, as they enable us and our partners to have a robust and direct relationship with customers,” reads the job ad. “We’re frustrated by the lack of innovation in the computer hardware space though, so we’re jumping in. Even basic input, the keyboard and mouse, haven’t really changed in any meaningful way over the years. There’s a real void in the marketplace, and opportunities to create compelling user experiences are being overlooked.”

Sounds more like peripherals than an entire system or console of some sort, doesn’t it? If anybody’s going to do a talking turret, it’d be Valve. What does a talking turret have to do with hardware innovation? Only everything. Imagine all the cool stuff you could do with a talking turret? You wouldn’t even need games to keep you occupied anymore, you could take over the planet instead, or at least your very own private live-fire laboratory maze.

On the other hand, if you remove most of the letters on the ad, you can totally make the words “half-life 3”, so there’s also that (relevant letters in bold):

As an Industrial Designer at Valve, you will join a world-class group of electrical, mechanical, software engineers and designers who are busily defining new entertainment experiences through both hardware and software. We’re hoping to add your expertise in product design and manufacturing, ergonomics, usability, aesthetics, and surfacing to our team.

Valve is an entertainment and technology company driven to design and deliver rewarding experiences to customers. We hire generalists who also exhibit deep expertise. Designers at Valve contribute in a wide variety of ways: We define and articulate goals, we design and ship products, we create and implement user studies, we write press releases and blog posts, we manage projects, and much more. We also recruit designers. People like you.

Valve is traditionally a software company. Open platforms like the PC and Mac are important to us, as they enable us and our partners to have a robust and direct relationship with customers. We’re frustrated by the lack of innovation in the computer hardware space though, so we’re jumping in. Even basic input, the keyboard and mouse, haven’t really changed in any meaningful way over the years. There’s a real void in the marketplace, and opportunities to create compelling user experiences are being overlooked.

At Valve, our design process really gets going once products are in customers’ hands. Our best work is the result of an ongoing dialog with customers. Through years of shipping software as a service through Steam, our digital distribution platform, this has become fundamental to the way we create great products. With an engaged community of millions of users, what will you ship? What will you try, and what will you learn through doing so?

Do you prefer to define the work that you pursue, rather than simply following a vision that’s been set for you? If you’re seeking an opportunity to steer product definition, functional exploration and design decision-making, consider joining Valve. We can’t wait to see where you’ll take us.

Requirements:

BS/BA/BFA degree (or equivalent) in industrial design (or equivalent)

6+ years of professional experience shipping world-class, high-tech hardware products

A thorough understanding of product design principles

Highly effective multidisciplinary collaboration skills

Personal commitment to quality, attention to detail

Confidence with 2D and 3D design visualization tools

Effective, articulate design communication and decision-making skills