Consultant (Visual design)

ISDR/C/09/13

Background:

Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of disaster reduction and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in socio-economic and humanitarian fields. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNISDR has around 100 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and 5 regional offices and other field presences. Specifically, UNISDR coordinates international efforts in disaster risk reduction, and guides, monitors and reports on the progress of the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action; campaigns to create global awareness of disaster risk reduction benefits and empower people to reduce their vulnerability to hazards; advocates for greater investments in disaster risk reduction to protect people's lives and assets, and for increased and informed participation of men and women in reducing disaster risk; and informs and connects people by providing practical services and tools such as PreventionWeb, publications on good practices, and by leading the preparation of the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction and the organisation of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Duties and responsibilities:

The Consultant will work under the direct supervision and report to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction  (UNISDR) Information Management Unit (IMU) Senior Information Management Officer, in collaboration with other IMU colleagues and the UNISDR Communications Unit.

The Information Management Unit of the UNISDR Secretariat in Geneva has been tasked with the re-designing of the  PreventionWeb (http://www.preventionweb.net/english/), an online portal serving the information needs of the disaster risk reduction community. This will include a complete revamp of the current design to accommodate new templates, social media features, personal profiles etc., all packaged in a new and responsive visual design. The successful execution of this project requires the development of a new design direction, responsive design templates, complete documentation and style guides for the site, as well as design support during the programming and testing phase.

Key Outputs

· PreventionWeb brand – new visual design
· Logo improvement to make it more fresh and current
· 35 design templates covering around 100 design patterns
· Visual design support during the implementation and testing phase.
· Detailed design guide

See examples of previous visual design deliverables here (‘Design patterns Library’ and ‘Visual Design Deliverables’): http://www.preventionweb.net/english/about/

Competencies:

Professionalism: Proven experience in creating Visual design and style guides for large scale websites.

Planning and Organizing: Demonstrated effective organizational skills and ability to handle work in an efficient and timely manner, working to tight deadlines.

Technological Awareness: Fully proficient computer skills, particularly in using relevant information databases, internet services, contact sources.

Qualifications:

Education: University degree in graphic arts, design or other related field, or an equivalent number of years of directly related professional experience.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years of working experience in development of visual designs for large scale websites.

Language skills: Fluency in written and spoken English