By: Deborah Johnson Wood
The Drawing Board, a web-based startup company that recently relocated from Chicago to downtown Grand Rapids, is looking to fill five web research and development positions in the next couple of weeks. As the firm grows, another 40-50 full-time and contract positions could open up.
After the firm launches its web site which will incorporate new ways of using technology to centralize all e-commerce, company leaders expect to pay a dozen or more average citizens each week to test the site, give feedback, and help create new e-commerce avenues. The test users will engage in the e-commerce activities they already do at home: playing video games, shopping online and searching for specific items to purchase.
“On the web there are tens of millions of sites to go to,” says Dan Kalleward, founder, who has launched the business with Chris Mwakasisi and Jay Harnish. “Our research shows that consumers like to do research on the web, but the information is confusing because it’s scattered. We want to try to centralize all e-commerce and bring it together in one place.”
The five R&D technicians will research innovative ways to bring in more technical functionality and gather information on human psychology regarding e-commerce and web sites, including what people expect out of an e-commerce site, what they respond to and the best colors to use.
“The site will provide user with the information they need to buy wisely,” says Kalleward, 23. “More importantly, we plan to give 50 percent of the gross we make to charity. Users will vote on which charities to give the money to.”
Source: Dan Kalleward, The Drawing Board
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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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