Product Design Engineer

As a Product Design Engineer at Method, you’ll be responsible for building and maintaining our cross-platform design system, contributing to core product design, and collaborating closely with engineers to ensure high-quality user-centered interfaces. You will enhance the design-to-code workflow by creating internal tooling and maintaining documentation. Your role will bridge the gap between design and engineering, advocating for accessibility and best practices throughout our products.

To apply for the Product Design Engineer role at Method, candidates should have at least 2 years of experience in tech or startups and be proficient in modern product design software, preferably Figma. Knowledge of semantic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (especially with React) is essential, along with a strong understanding of visual design principles and UX/UI best practices. Excellent communication skills and an organized approach to documentation are crucial.

At Method, the Product Design Engineer will work within a close-knit team of 7 engineers and 1 product designer. You’ll collaborate frequently, participate in team rituals like design reviews and sprint planning, and play a key role in evolving our design system and product vision. The team culture promotes wearing multiple hats, fostering a fun and dynamic environment that encourages creativity and collaboration.

The annual US base salary range for the Product Design Engineer role at Method is between $130,000 and $175,000. This range reflects the competitive nature of the fintech industry and the importance of this role in contributing to our innovative solutions in consumer finance.

The interview process for the Product Design Engineer position at Method consists of several stages: a 30-minute chat with the recruiter, followed by a discussion with the product designer, a portfolio review, a conversation with the CEO, and an onsite interview. This structured approach ensures you meet key team members and showcase your skills effectively.

When building a design system, I focus on ensuring consistency across components by creating a shared vocabulary and guidelines for the team. I prioritize collaboration with engineers to understand their needs and feedback, which helps create a library that's not only visually cohesive but also functional and easy to implement.

In my previous role, I worked on a fintech application where I was tasked with creating a seamless user onboarding experience. I collaborated closely with engineers to develop reusable components and ensured the design’s accessibility, which significantly improved user engagement and satisfaction metrics.

I advocate for accessibility by staying informed on best practices and guidelines, actively involving users in testing phases, and championing the importance of inclusive design principles during team meetings. I ensure that accessibility considerations are integrated early in the design process for maximum impact.

I view feedback as an essential part of the design process. I encourage open communication with both designers and developers, fostering an environment where all team members feel comfortable sharing their insights. I then iterate on designs, ensuring that informed decisions enhance the final product.

The most challenging aspect of being a Product Design Engineer is finding the balance between innovative design and technical feasibility. It requires strong communication and collaboration skills to ensure that ambitious designs can be executed effectively while meeting user needs.

I've worked extensively with front-end development tools like React, as well as CSS Grid and Flexbox for responsive design. My experience also includes integrating these frameworks with design systems, allowing for a cohesive development experience that aligns with design goals.

I ensure my designs align with user needs by conducting user research, usability testing, and gathering feedback throughout the design process. I consistently iterate on designs based on user input to create solutions that resonate with their requirements and improve overall experience.

Figma has been my go-to tool for prototyping due to its collaborative features, which allow for real-time feedback. I also leverage tools like InVision for creating interactive prototypes that help stakeholders visualize design concepts more effectively.

I prioritize tasks by assessing their impact and urgency, aligning them with project deadlines and team goals. I use agile methodologies to break down tasks into achievable sprints, which keeps the project on track while remaining flexible to changing requirements.

In a recent project, initial user testing revealed that a key feature was not intuitive. After gathering feedback, I pivoted the design approach by simplifying the user interface and enhancing the onboarding process, which ultimately led to a more positive user experience.