Product Designer (Remote, CET ±2 hours)

As a Product Designer at Strapi, your primary responsibilities will include collaborating in cross-functional squads with Product Managers and Engineers, understanding user needs through detailed research and data analysis, designing solutions that align with business goals, and translating complex technical workflows into user-friendly interactions. Additionally, you will engage with our community and internal users to validate ideas, contribute to evolving our design system, and ensure accessibility and inclusivity across all user experiences.

To thrive as a Product Designer at Strapi, you’ll need at least 2 years of experience in a similar role, showcasing strong empathy for users and excellent communication skills. Familiarity with content management systems, such as WordPress or Strapi, is essential. A technical sensibility is also important; while you don’t need to code, being comfortable discussing technical constraints with engineers is crucial. Being data-informed and capable of interpreting analytics to guide design decisions will set you apart.

The Product Designer position at Strapi is fully remote, allowing you to work from anywhere within the CET ±2 hours timezone. This flexible work environment encourages collaboration with team members located across various countries in Europe. While working from home, you'll still have the chance to connect with your colleagues through online platforms, ensuring that teamwork and innovation flow seamlessly.

As a Product Designer at Strapi, your impact will be significant. You’ll create user-centered experiences that directly shape how our users interact with our Headless CMS, ultimately enhancing their ability to build and manage digital content. Your designs will not only elevate usability but also ensure that our products remain competitive in the market, assisting both our users and the evolution of Strapi as an industry leader.

At Strapi, the company culture emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity. As a Product Designer, you would be part of a close-knit team that values your input and encourages open communication. You'll have opportunities to collaborate with other designers and cross-functional teams to brainstorm and implement design solutions that elevate our products. The culture of feedback and support aims to help you grow in your career while contributing to a shared mission of simplifying content management for users worldwide.

In my design process as a Product Designer, I start with thorough research to understand user needs and context. I conduct interviews, analyze data, and create user personas to define the problem accurately. Then, I brainstorm ideas and create low-fidelity wireframes that evolve into high-fidelity prototypes. Collaborating with PMs and Engineers is also crucial for gathering feedback and ensuring technical feasibility. Finally, I validate designs through user testing to refine the final product, ensuring it meets user needs.

I ensure my designs are user-centered by conducting user research and involving real users throughout the design process. This includes gathering insights through interviews and usability tests, which inform my design decisions. I prioritize creating empathy maps and user journeys to visualize user interactions, and I consistently iterate on designs based on user feedback to ensure that the product fulfills real user needs and enhances their experience.

Collaboration with engineers is a vital aspect of my role. I use methods such as regular check-in meetings during the design phase to discuss technical constraints and implementation details. Tools like Figma or Sketch help communicate design specifications clearly. I also encourage feedback from engineers to refine designs that align with user needs while being feasible to implement, fostering an environment of open dialogue and teamwork.

As a Product Designer, I'm proficient in a range of design tools, including Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, and InVision. I find Figma particularly effective for collaborative design processes, allowing real-time feedback and version control. I also utilize tools for prototyping and user testing to gather actionable insights and refine designs iteratively.

I prioritize features in the design stage by aligning them with user needs and business goals. I employ techniques like user journey mapping and impact-effort matrices to evaluate each feature's importance. By continuously gathering user insights and feedback, I can adjust priorities and ensure that the most valuable features are developed first, ultimately enhancing the user experience.

In a previous project, I identified that users experienced difficulties navigating through complex workflows. By conducting user interviews, I gathered feedback and insights that highlighted specific pain points. I redesigned the user interface using clearer visual cues and reduced the number of steps needed to complete tasks. After implementing user testing with the new design, we saw a significant reduction in time on task and increased user satisfaction, proving the effectiveness of the changes.

I view constructive criticism as an essential part of the design process. When receiving feedback, I make sure to listen actively and ask clarifying questions to fully understand the perspectives shared. I maintain an open-minded attitude, evaluating the feedback against user needs and design goals. This approach allows me to iterate on my designs effectively and creates a collaborative environment that fosters improvement and creativity.

Data plays a critical role in my design decisions. I rely on analytics and user feedback to inform my design choices, ensuring that they are driven by real user behavior. I use metrics to evaluate the success of design implementations and continuously refine the user experience based on this data. While not every decision is data-driven, having a data-informed mindset enables me to make informed decisions that benefit users and the overall product.

To stay up-to-date with design trends, I actively follow industry blogs, participate in design communities, and attend webinars or conferences. I engage with thought leaders on platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn, sharing insights and discovering new tools and techniques. Additionally, I regularly benchmark Strapi against leading competitors to analyze design innovations and incorporate successful elements into my work.

I approach accessibility in my designs by following inclusive design principles and guidelines, such as WCAG. This includes using clear color contrasts, alt text for images, and keyboard navigability. I actively test my designs with various users to ensure they are accessible to people with disabilities. By engaging with diverse user groups, I aim to create experiences that everyone can enjoy and effectively use, ensuring inclusivity is a core aspect of my design process.