At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead design vision and strategy for innovative digital products.
- Company: Join AKQA Leap, a people-focused digital product specialist.
- Benefits: Flexible work environment, professional development, and a supportive team culture.
- Other info: Engage in continuous learning and contribute to the design community.
- Why this job: Make a real impact with your design skills in a dynamic studio.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in UX design and leading projects.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
About AKQA Leap
AKQA Leap are digital product specialists within the AKQA Group network (WPP), with studios in London and Bristol. We believe that quality is the fastest path to success. So whether we're launching, fixing or scaling a product, we get it right the first time. Some call it the magic touch. We call it quality at speed. People-focused. Curious. Always growing. These are just some of the values AKQA Leap upholds to cultivate an open, committed, and inclusive studio where you can be you. From the moment we meet, we’ll do our best to get to know you and understand what drives you. Our goal? To empower you to thrive and develop.
About the Role
As a Senior Product Designer, you'll play a pivotal role, driving the design vision and design strategy for client projects. You will leverage your extensive expertise in Visual and Experience Design to deliver high-quality, innovative design solutions. You'll lead the crafting of thoughtful design deliverables such as wireframes, user flows, UI, and prototypes, contributing to our commitment to purposeful, human-centred products.
Accountabilities
- Design Delivery: Own end-to-end design execution for client projects, delivering high-quality artefacts including UI designs, assets, flows, and prototypes for web and mobile.
- Independently manage day-to-day workflows, balancing priorities and ensuring timely delivery of milestones.
- Define and execute design solutions, addressing complex user needs while aligning with business objectives and technical constraints.
- Lead reviews, providing strategic feedback and guiding discussions to improve quality.
- Maintain, evolve, and advocate design systems, ensuring consistency and best practices.
- Use advanced tools (e.g. Figma, Miro) for efficient creation, prototyping, and collaboration, ensuring production-ready deliverables.
- Act as senior design representative on client projects, building trusted relationships through confident presentation and clear rationale.
- Lead collaborative sessions (workshops, sprints, and co-creation) to define direction and gather insights.
- Align cross-functional teams (PMs, engineers, designers) on strategies meeting business, user, and technical needs.
- Mentor and provide constructive feedback to designers and juniors, fostering design excellence and improvement.
Human-Centred Design
- Run research (interviews, surveys, usability testing) to gather insights and validate solutions.
- Translate findings into actionable recommendations, ensuring user needs drive product decisions.
- Create and use flows, journey maps, and personas to guide decisions and enhance experiences.
Design Impact
- Design for accessibility and inclusion, meeting standards (e.g. WCAG) and delivering equitable experiences.
- Apply interaction principles, including micro-interactions and motion design, for seamless, engaging experiences.
- Evaluate design impact, aligning outcomes with business goals and showing how design decisions drive success.
Continuous Learning & Community Contribution
- Demonstrate deep expertise in Visual and Experience Design, while expanding capabilities in Method, Research, and other areas aligned to career goals.
- Work with your line manager to define development goals and actively use L&D time and budgets for courses, events, and personal projects.
- Contribute thought leadership by sharing knowledge, presenting in critiques, and authoring content for internal/external channels.
- Engage in the Design Community, joining initiatives, guilds, and Labs projects that push practice and foster growth.
You Should Have
- A portfolio showcasing your design thinking skills and previous projects.
- Extensive experience in creating UX design artefacts and high-fidelity designs for digital products.
- Proven experience leading design projects and collaborating with other designers and developers.
- Experience leading activities that help your team, stakeholders and users align on design routes.
- Experience with running research activities (e.g user testing) and designing with available insights.
- Strong understanding of design systems, brand guidelines, user flows, and wireframing.
- Confidence in presenting design rationale that considers business, user, and technical requirements to clients and team members.
- Minimum 2 years of agency experience.
Ideally Also
- Deep understanding of web/mobile technologies.
- Examples of visual assets such as illustrations, iconography or pictograms.
- Experience with Agile, Sprints, and Lean UX methodologies.
- Leading and supporting other designers with their project work.
- Authored a new design system or design language on a project.
- Supported a team moving from understanding (discovery) and into delivery.
What Happens Next
If this role and AKQA Leap sound like a good fit, please apply, and someone from our People Team will be in touch shortly.
Inclusivity
We want to make our hiring as inclusive as possible; this job description has been reviewed by a range of employees and has passed a neutral language check. We have also reviewed our hiring process to make sure it offers flexibility to candidates who need it. We welcome you to inform us confidentially at peopleteam@akqaleap.com if you require any accommodations to be able to fully participate in our recruitment process.
Senior Product Designer in London employer: AKQA Leap
At AKQA Leap, we pride ourselves on being a people-focused and inclusive studio that champions quality and innovation in digital product design. Our vibrant work culture fosters continuous learning and collaboration, providing ample opportunities for professional growth while working on impactful projects in the heart of London or Bristol. Join us to thrive in an environment that values your unique contributions and empowers you to shape the future of human-centred design.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Product Designer in London
✨Show Off Your Portfolio
In the world of UX/UI design, your portfolio speaks volumes! Make sure it's packed with your best work and showcases your process, not just the final product. We want to see how you tackle design challenges, so consider adding case studies that reflect your thought process and user-centric approach.
✨Get Involved in Design Communities
Jump into local or online design meetups and workshops! Places like UXPA or local design events can be goldmines for networking and learning. Plus, mingling with fellow designers can introduce you to potential job openings that might not be listed elsewhere.
✨Tailor Your Applications
When you find a role that excites you, like the one at AKQA Leap for a Senior Product Designer, make your application count! Highlight specific projects and skills that directly relate to the job description. Hiring managers are looking for candidates who fit into their specific team, so show them you’re the one!
✨Leverage Social Media
Don't underestimate the power of social media in finding a UX/UI design job! Follow design leaders on platforms like Twitter or Instagram, share your work, and engage in conversations. It’s a great way to get noticed by recruiters and even catch wind of openings at companies like AKQA Leap before they go live!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Product Designer in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Design Process:When you're applying for a UX/UI Design role like Senior Product Designer at AKQA Leap, make sure to include examples that clearly highlight your design process. We want to see not just the final product but also the journey that led you there—wireframes, user personas, and iterations demonstrate your thought process and user-centric approach!
Tailor Your Portfolio:A tailor-made portfolio is crucial for a full-time design role! Curate your best projects that align with the kind of work AKQA Leap does. We suggest including 3-5 case studies that showcase a variety of skills such as wireframing, prototyping, and user testing to really make your application pop.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter should not just be a summary of your CV. Use it to express why you’re excited about UX/UI Design and what draws you specifically to AKQA Leap. Mention any relevant experience, tools you’re proficient in (like Sketch or Figma), and how you can contribute to their projects.
Highlight Collaboration Skills:In the world of UX/UI Design, teamwork is crucial. Make sure to highlight any past experiences where you worked in cross-functional teams. Illustrate how you communicated design decisions and listened to feedback, as this will resonate well with the culture at AKQA Leap.
How to prepare for a job interview at AKQA Leap
✨Show Off Your Portfolio
When you're gunning for a full-time UX/UI design role, your portfolio is your best friend! Make sure you've got a solid selection of your work, showcasing not just the final designs, but the process behind them—think wireframes, user flows, and any user research you've conducted. During the interview with AKQA Leap, be prepared to discuss your design decisions and how they solve specific user problems.
✨Prepare for Design Challenges
Expect to face some practical design tasks during your interview. AKQA Leap might ask you to tackle a quick design challenge or critique an existing interface. Brush up on your problem-solving skills and try to articulate your thought process as you work through these scenarios. Showing how you approach a design problem is just as important as the final output!
✨Know the Tools of the Trade
Familiarise yourself with the tools commonly used in the industry—figma, Adobe XD, or Sketch should be second nature to you. Be ready to discuss your preferred tools during the interview and how they've shaped your design process at previous positions. This knowledge could give you an edge at AKQA Leap!
✨Show Passion for User Experience
In a full-time UX/UI design role, having a genuine passion for improving user interactions can set you apart. Be prepared to share instances when you went above and beyond to ensure a great user experience in your previous projects. This will demonstrate that you’re not just a designer, but a user advocate, which is exactly what AKQA Leap is looking for.
