At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead product design, conduct user research, and develop new features.
- Company: Join Spill, a forward-thinking company with a focus on user-centric design.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working hours, and a chance to shape the product.
- Other info: Work in a small, dynamic team with excellent growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Be the first full-time designer and make a real impact on our product's future.
- Qualifications: 7+ years of design experience and strong collaboration skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 € per year.
Requirements
- You have 7+ years of professional design experience (Desirable)
- You have a good grasp of design fundamentals through a formal design education
- You have been able to learn from designers who’ve done great work during your career
- You have worked within really high performing product teams for at least 3 years
What the job involves
The first thing you should know is that this role will be the first full time design role at Spill. We have had some amazing freelancers help us out over the years, but we now have enough problems and a big enough opportunity ahead of us to warrant a full time role. The second thing you should know is that this role is titled “lead product designer” but a more accurate title would be something like “most senior product person who is really good at design”. You’ll be joining a small team of three senior engineers and the founder. You’ll co‑own the product roadmap with the founder and lead engineer, help shape the culture of the team and be the final voice on design.
Research
User research is probably going to be the largest part of your role (40% of your time) and you’ll improve our processes the most in this area. Spill has always been good at talking to users: we’ve held user interviews before most major feature builds and used those insights to inform the product functionality. But we’ve really lacked a systematic approach to product research. You’ll take us into new leagues of rigour and consistency. You’ll develop our processes by:
- Developing personas and user groups to ensure that we’re hearing a wide enough range of voices
- Working with the rest of the team to join the qualitative and quantitative data that we have into product insights
- Constantly be polling our users to get first hand feedback that shapes our roadmap
Features
You will lead on how our new features should work. Since we aren’t at the scale where everything gets decided by A/B tests you’ll be employing your judgement and design experience to our users' problems to shape what we build. Designing and developing new features for the product will take up 30% of your time. Most of that will be talking with the team about how and what to build, prototyping in Figma and iterating towards ready‑to‑ship designs.
Brand/UI
Spill has a design system that’s been in use for 3+ years and we have a brand identity that’s working really well for us in the market - we feel like a modern product but it doesn’t look like we’re wasting our customer’s money on fancy design agencies. You will have to iterate on our design system and keep our standards high but there isn’t going to be a major overhaul of our brand any time soon. Most of the work in this area will be championing the longer term brand work. You will need to use your taste and judgement on things like:
- Choosing the right aesthetic for our counsellor headshots
- Picking the right elements across our app to communicate confidentiality
- Finding the right tone for safeguarding warnings
Lead Product Designer employer: Deepstreamtech
At Spill, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that values creativity and collaboration. As the first full-time Lead Product Designer, you will have the unique opportunity to shape our product and team culture while working closely with a small, high-performing group. We offer a supportive work environment that encourages professional growth, innovative thinking, and a commitment to user-centric design, all set in a vibrant location that fosters inspiration and connection.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Product Designer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the design world and let them know you're on the hunt for a Lead Product Designer role. You never know who might have the inside scoop on opportunities or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio that highlights your best work, especially projects where you've led user research or developed new features. Make sure it’s easy to navigate and visually appealing – after all, you’re a designer!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common design questions and scenarios. Think about how you would approach user research or iterate on a design system. Being ready to discuss your thought process will impress potential employers.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! We love seeing applications directly from candidates who are excited about joining our team. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in what we do at Spill.
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Product Designer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Experience:Make sure to highlight your 7+ years of design experience in your application. We want to see how you've grown and learned from other talented designers, so don’t hold back on sharing those stories!
Be Authentic:When writing your application, let your personality shine through! We’re looking for someone who can fit into our team culture, so be genuine about your design philosophy and approach.
Focus on User Research:Since user research is a big part of the role, mention any relevant experience you have in this area. Talk about how you've gathered insights and used them to inform design decisions in past projects.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. Plus, it shows you’re keen to join our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Deepstreamtech
✨Know Your Design Fundamentals
Brush up on your design principles and be ready to discuss how they apply to real-world scenarios. Given the emphasis on a strong design background, showcasing your understanding of design fundamentals will help you stand out.
✨Showcase Your User Research Skills
Since user research is a significant part of the role, prepare examples of how you've conducted user interviews or gathered feedback in previous projects. Be ready to discuss how you turned insights into actionable design decisions.
✨Demonstrate Team Collaboration
This position involves working closely with engineers and the founder. Share experiences where you've successfully collaborated with cross-functional teams, highlighting your ability to communicate design ideas effectively and influence product direction.
✨Be Ready to Discuss Brand Aesthetics
Understand Spill's current brand identity and be prepared to discuss how you would iterate on their design system. Bring examples of your past work that align with maintaining high standards while also innovating within established guidelines.
