Senior Designer

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Japan.

📋 Description

• Oversee the entire UX/UI design process from initial concept to final implementation. Take responsibility at the project level not only for your own contributions but also for work that intersects with or influences your own.

• Engage in close collaboration with stakeholders in a professional and respectful manner, including editorial teams, developers, and project managers, to gather requirements and comprehend the project's vision. Manage client expectations and build relationships to ensure client satisfaction.

• Develop wireframes, prototypes, user flows, and high-fidelity mockups to effectively convey design ideas.

• Perform user research, usability testing, and analyze feedback to guide design choices and guarantee an optimal user experience.

• Design responsive and accessible interfaces that function seamlessly across a variety of devices and platforms.

• Establish a consistent design language and style guide for the project, ensuring a unified appearance across all digital touchpoints.

• Collaborate with the development team to confirm that designs are technically feasible and executed as intended. Adapt designs to ensure they can be implemented within established timelines and budgets.

• Stay informed about the latest design trends, tools, and best practices, applying this knowledge to the project.

• Present design concepts and justifications to clients and internal teams, clearly articulating the value of design decisions in relation to business objectives.

• Deliver work punctually and in accordance with specifications.

• Maintain regular communication with both your team and the wider company. Be proactive in checking in with your team throughout the week and notifying them if you encounter challenges or require guidance on assigned tasks. Address technical issues promptly as they arise and prioritize tasks effectively while communicating any issues to your team.

• Assist other team members when requested for help.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 5 years of demonstrated experience in UX/UI design, with a robust portfolio highlighting editorial, publishing, or media-centric projects.

• User Interface (UI) Design: A strong capacity to create visually appealing, intuitive, and functional user interfaces.

• Systematic Design Approach: Knowledge of design systems, reusable UI components, and pattern libraries to ensure consistency.

• Responsive Design: Experience in designing interfaces that adapt to various screen sizes and devices.

• Prototyping and Wireframing: Proficient in creating detailed wireframes and interactive prototypes using tools such as Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD.

• Typography and Layout: A discerning eye for typography, layout, and composition, especially in the realm of editorial design.

• Attention to Detail: Exceptional attention to detail, ensuring that designs meet the highest quality standards.

• MVP thinking: Knowledge of how to decompose designs into a Minimum Viable Product and phased enhancements. Ability to prioritize design features based on user impact and to scale back functionality in alignment with development constraints when necessary.

• Scalability & Maintainability: Capability to design with future extensibility in mind, ensuring that UI components are modular and adaptable.

• CMS experience: Familiarity with modern WordPress or other CMS platforms, including an understanding of how blocks and patterns operate within the WordPress editor.

• Accessibility: Knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG).

• Animation: Familiarity with fundamental motion design principles and micro-interactions.

• Software Proficiency: Advanced skills in design tools such as Figma, Sketch, or the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator).

• Web Technologies: Understanding of front-end technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and how design translates into code.

• User Research: Experience in conducting user research, usability testing, and data analysis to guide design decisions.

• Design Systems: Experience in the development and maintenance of design systems and style guides.

• Leadership: Proven ability to lead design projects and collaborate with and guide development teams.

• Iterative Approach: Experience working in an agile environment, engaging in short feedback loops rather than traditional waterfall delivery.

• Familiarity with WordPress or other CMS platforms, knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG), and experience with animation and micro-interactions.

• Upper Intermediate proficiency in English (using the British Council’s level B2 as a reference) and Japanese.

🏝️ Benefits

• Gain experience in an agency setting without a long-term commitment.

• Competitive daily rates.

• Collaborate with some of the leading engineers in the WordPress industry.

• Access to Slack channels that provide numerous networking opportunities with other WordPress peers at Human Made.

• The chance to explore Human Made with the potential for a full-time position.