Product Designer (Early Team)

As a Product Designer at Tern, your primary responsibilities include owning high-impact product areas from initial research to creating a polished user interface. You will engage directly with customers to understand their needs and work collaboratively with product managers, engineers, and customer support teams to design and deliver thoughtful product experiences.

Tern is looking for candidates who have experience shipping end-to-end product work in a fast-paced startup environment. You should possess strong product instincts and be able to navigate the complexities of UX, technical needs, and business trade-offs while demonstrating a proactive approach to design challenges.

The Product Designer at Tern plays a crucial role in shaping the design team's foundation, which includes future hires and the overall team culture. You’ll help establish tools and processes that foster collaboration and creativity while bringing good energy and clear communication to the team.

At Tern, the Product Designer will juggle multiple projects at varying stages, which might include shipping a new feature, refining existing designs based on user feedback, or exploring innovative concepts for future features—always with an eye on delivering value rapidly.

AI and new technologies are very important to the Product Designer role at Tern. You'll be exploring how AI, especially large language models (LLMs), can enhance product experiences for travel advisors, playing a key part in integrating these capabilities into the design process.

When discussing your design process, emphasize your approach to user research, iteration, collaboration with stakeholders, and feedback gathering. Outline how these steps contribute to creating a user-centered and effective product experience.

In your response, convey your ability to balance speed with quality. Discuss how you prioritize tasks, stay organized under pressure, and use feedback loops to ensure rapid iterations without sacrificing the overall design integrity.

Share your techniques for fostering communication and collaboration across teams. Highlight how you've previously used tools for feedback, regular design reviews, and integrated workflows to ensure everyone is aligned towards the same goals.

Provide a specific example that outlines the initial design concept, the user feedback you received, and how you adapted the design based on this feedback to enhance the overall product experience, illustrating your commitment to user-centered design.

Talk about how you navigate the balance between creativity and practicality. Mention your process in seeking innovative solutions while keeping the user’s needs and business objectives in focus, ensuring that great design serves its purpose effectively.

Discuss your openness to integrating AI and technology in your design work. Mention how you've explored AI tools in past projects for tasks like user testing, content generation, or predictive analysis, showcasing your adaptability and foresight in design.

Share your methods for testing ideas and gathering data before finalizing designs. Whether through A/B testing, user interviews, or prototype feedback sessions, highlight the importance of data in informing your design decisions.

In your response, talk about sources of inspiration, whether it's industry trends, user stories, or design philosophies. Convey how this inspiration motivates your design choices and influences your creative process.

Offer a detailed account of a particularly challenging project, the obstacles you faced, and the steps you took to resolve them. This demonstrates your problem-solving skills and resilience, which are crucial for a role at Tern.

Explain your strategies for time management and prioritization. Discuss how you assess project impact, urgency, and align tasks with team goals to ensure timely delivery without compromising on quality.