Visual Design Lead, UX

Job Description

The UX team at Cricut is responsible for user research, interaction design and visual design of software applications across desktop and mobile platforms. We design intuitive, easy-to-use software that inspires our customers, and helps them design and make projects.

The team is uniquely positioned – it reports directly to the CEO – and we collaborate across the organization to ensure hardware, content, materials, and software all work together to deliver awesome experiences. Our UX team members come from varied backgrounds and experience; all of us were drawn to the mission of empowering every person to be creative.

If you are interested in helping others realize their creativity and enjoy working on consumer-facing hardware / software, Cricut may have the dream job for you!
We are looking for top-notch, seasoned UX visual design leaders who have vision, communicate it well and love deep problem solving.

This position is not about skinning software; it is about artfully applying visual communication to create compelling user experiences. You’ll be hands-on yourself, as well as direct the work of a small team of other UX visual designers. This is a once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity – the right person will have incredible impact on the look and feel of Cricut’s software across the board.

You’ll focus on the design of delightful software experiences that clearly communicate functionality and interactivity, while maintaining and extending Cricut’s brand. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in the entire user-centered UX design process – from concept through execution, incorporating customer feedback throughout the process. Your work will happen in a highly collaborative environment, where you partner with interaction designers, researchers, product managers, software developers, industrial designers, and colleagues from the Marketing and Creative teams.

Responsibilities:

• Create visual designs that support compelling user experiences on a variety of software platforms (including desktop and mobile) that integrate with our branded hardware.
• Deliver work that translates complex ideas into simple and useful designs.
• Collaborate with UX researchers, interaction designers, software developers and QA to deliver high quality visual designs that effectively communicate interactivity.
• Help drive development of a visual design system that will empower the UX team and development to move more quickly, with consistency.
• Participate in every stage of the user-centered design process – visualize possibilities early in the design process to facilitate communication, create graphics to support user-testable prototypes, and deliver pixel-perfect visual designs that are implementation-ready.
• Clearly articulate how and why your design directions address the challenge at hand and be ready to consider tradeoffs and alternatives to meet new requirements as they arise.
• Leverage, extend and maintain the integrity of the Cricut brand in collaboration with our Creative Team (who are responsible for packaging, marketing, etc.)
• Balance work on several design projects simultaneously, bringing system’s thinking and a clear understanding of relationships between different aspects of the software to ensure visual coherence.
• Execute to the quality of top consumer brands such as Apple and Google Nest, stay abreast of product design trends, and communicate them to the entire UX team to ensure our work and process are state-of-the-art.

Qualifications

• Strong conceptual thinker who has a passion for design problem solving.
• Keen attention to detail and a passion for simplifying complicated systems.
• Excellent written and spoken communication; ability to clearly defend design choices with clear rationale.
• Egoless, with a clear focus on collaboration over individual accolades.
• Strong organizational, multi-tasking, and time management skills and the ability to work independently.
• Interest in DIY / crafting experiences and a keen interest in gaining an understanding of and empathy for Cricut’s users.
• 10+ years of experience as a UI / Product designer working on consumer-facing software applications on more than one platform (e.g., Mac, Windows, iOS, Android).
• Proven ability to partner with UX designers, UX researchers, software developers and QA to ensure user needs are met and designs are implemented correctly.
• Exceptional portfolio, demonstrating software application visual design executed to a high level of impact and refinement.
• Experience working in an Agile environment.
• Proficiency with user interface design patterns and standard User Centered Design methods. Mastery of standard design tools such as Figma, Sketch or Adobe Creative Suite and a willingness to learn new tools.
• Excellent visual design skills, including a strong understanding of typography, color theory, composition, and branded experiences.
• A willingness to jump into design work at multiple stages of development and provide guidance to other designers, with a keen eye towards weaving it all together coherently.
• Previous experience overseeing, managing, and mentoring other designers.
• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, information design, fine art, or relevant field. Graduate degree is a plus.
• Able to work Mountain Time hours.