Lead Product Designer (Remote, United States)

As a Lead Product Designer at The Zebra, your main responsibilities include driving design strategy across key product areas, leading complex design initiatives, and translating user needs into effective solutions. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to define problems and implement polished products while mentoring fellow designers and maintaining high standards in visual and interaction design.

To apply for the Lead Product Designer role at The Zebra, candidates should have over seven years of experience in product design, showcasing a strong portfolio that highlights end-to-end product thinking. Additionally, a deep collaboration experience with product managers and engineers, excellent communication skills, and familiarity with modern design tools are essential for success in this role.

At The Zebra, we prioritize inclusivity and diversity, living by our motto, 'All Stripes Welcome.' We actively foster an environment that values a variety of backgrounds and perspectives. Employees are encouraged to participate in Employee Resource Groups and have a voice in creating an atmosphere where everyone feels valued and empowered.

The Zebra offers significant career growth opportunities for Lead Product Designers, including mentorship programs, participation in executive-level conversations, and chances to evolve our design systems and processes. We also provide various learning and development opportunities, ensuring you can continuously improve your skills and advance your career.

As a Lead Product Designer at The Zebra, you'll enjoy competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision coverage, unlimited PTO, a sabbatical program for long-tenured employees, and multiple wellness perks. Additionally, we offer a $300 pet reimbursement program, 401k with matching, and various other benefits to support your well-being and work-life balance.

When describing your design process during an interview for a Lead Product Designer role, highlight your approach to understanding user needs, conducting research, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. Discuss how you iterate based on feedback and data-driven insights, ultimately leading to user-centric solutions.

To ensure inclusivity and accessibility in your designs, highlight the methods you employ, such as user testing with diverse groups, adhering to accessibility standards like WCAG, and advocating for user feedback throughout the design process. Emphasizing your commitment to designing for all users will resonate well in your interview.

When discussing your mentoring experience, share specific examples of how you've guided other designers in their career development. Mention any frameworks you've established for feedback and collaboration, showcasing your impact on building a stronger design team at previous organizations.

When addressing ambiguity in design projects, explain your approach to defining the problem space through thorough research and collaboration. Discuss how you create frameworks to tackle complex issues and foster communication among team members, ultimately leading to clarity in decision-making.

In your answer, share a specific project where your leadership made a significant impact. Describe the challenges faced, your approach to cross-functional collaboration, and the final results, emphasizing how you applied your design skills to achieve a user-centric and successful product.

To answer this question effectively, outline the metrics and KPIs you utilize to measure success, such as user engagement rates, satisfaction scores, and conversion rates. Highlight how you gather user feedback post-launch and iterate on designs based on real-world data.

Discuss the design tools you are proficient in, such as Figma or FigJam, and provide examples of how you've leveraged these tools for collaboration, prototyping, and finalizing designs. Mention how these tools enhance your workflow and facilitate better teamwork.

When prioritizing design requests, explain your approach to assessing project impacts, user needs, and alignment with business goals. Detail how you communicate with stakeholders to set realistic timelines and ensure that critical projects receive the attention they require.

To advocate for user-centered design, share strategies such as presenting user research findings to stakeholders, using storytelling to illustrate the impact of design decisions, and collaborating closely with product managers to align design with business objectives. Show how you can influence and gain buy-in for your ideas.

Discuss trends such as increased focus on accessibility, the rise of voice and AI interfaces, and the importance of emotional design. Share how you stay informed about industry changes and how you plan to implement these trends in your work as a Lead Product Designer.