Senior Product Designer I

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer I

Company: Axon

Location: Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design, Design Systems, UX Design

Date Posted: 2025-06-09T19:49:48

Experience Level: Senior (6+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid/Remote OK (near R&D Hubs)

🎨 Role Summary

• Lead and evolve the Spark Design System, a critical component for a major redesign of Axon's flagship product.
• Drive the adoption and integration of a comprehensive design system across a diverse ecosystem of cloud applications.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional product and engineering teams to ensure the design system meets their evolving needs and promotes design consistency.
• Leverage user research and usability testing to inform design system components and ensure optimal user experience and accessibility.
• Mentor junior designers and champion design excellence within the organization, contributing to a strong and inclusive design culture.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic design and hands-on delivery of the Spark Design System, focusing on scalability, maintainability, and ease of use for product teams.
• Champion and evangelize the Axon design system across the entire product organization, providing guidance and support for its adoption and correct implementation.
• Collaborate directly with product managers, software engineers, and other designers to gather requirements, understand technical constraints, and expand the design system to support new features and products.
• Explore and integrate emerging AI tools and technologies to enhance the efficiency and intelligence of the design system development and maintenance workflows.
• Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure the impact and value of the design system on product development velocity, design consistency, and user satisfaction.
• Plan and conduct usability research and testing specifically focused on design system components and patterns to validate their effectiveness, accessibility, and consistency across different use cases and platforms.
• Ensure all design system components rigorously adhere to WCAG accessibility standards and best practices to create inclusive products for all users, especially in a public safety context.
• Partner with product and feature teams to align platform-level design strategies with specific product roadmaps, ensuring seamless and cohesive user experiences across the Axon ecosystem.
• Continuously monitor industry trends in design systems, UX research methodologies, emerging technologies (including AI), and the competitive landscape to inform the evolution and strategic direction of the design system.
• Shape and document global design patterns, principles, and processes that serve as foundational guidelines for the user experience across all Axon products.
• Act as a mentor to less experienced designers, provide constructive feedback during design critiques, advocate for high visual design standards, and promote proficiency in key design tools like Figma, contributing to a culture of continuous learning and design excellence.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Master’s degree or equivalent experience in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Human Factors, Interaction Design, or a closely related design field. Bachelor's degree combined with extensive relevant experience may also be considered.

Experience: A minimum of 6 years of professional experience in product design, with at least 2 years specifically leading or significantly contributing to the development and scaling of design systems for medium to high-complexity digital products. Experience designing for public safety or enterprise software is a plus. A robust portfolio demonstrating expertise in both product design and design systems is essential for showcasing capabilities.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in designing, building, and maintaining comprehensive design systems for complex digital products.
• Strong foundation in UX research methodologies (qualitative and quantitative) and data analysis techniques, with hands-on experience planning and conducting usability studies for design system components.
• Exceptional conceptual thinking, visual design skills, and the ability to create rapid prototypes to effectively communicate complex design ideas and interactions.
• Proficiency in designing responsive and adaptive interfaces for multiple platforms (web, mobile applications) and various interaction modalities (touch, mouse, keyboard navigation).
• Basic understanding of front-end development principles ("what can be built" and "how to build it") to effectively collaborate with engineering teams on design system implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively within cross-functional teams, including product management, engineering, and other design disciplines, contributing to product definition from early stages through implementation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate design decisions, rationale, and the value of the design system to diverse audiences, including non-design stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively both independently, taking ownership of design system initiatives, and collaboratively within a fast-paced, agile team environment.
• Mastery of industry-standard design tools, particularly Figma, including its advanced features for design system management, component creation, and collaboration.
• A robust and well-organized design portfolio showcasing end-to-end product design projects, with specific examples demonstrating experience with design systems and the impact of your work.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience integrating or exploring the use of AI tools to enhance design system workflows, such as automated documentation, component generation, or accessibility checks.
• Experience with coding prototypes using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or front-end frameworks to demonstrate complex interactions and validate technical feasibility.
• Familiarity with accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and experience designing for users with disabilities.
• Experience mentoring junior designers and providing guidance on design system best practices.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase detailed case studies that clearly articulate your design process, focusing specifically on projects where you played a significant role in developing or utilizing a design system.
• Include examples demonstrating your strategic thinking and execution in building scalable and maintainable design system components and documentation.
• Present high-fidelity visual designs and interactive prototypes created using tools like Figma, highlighting your mastery of the chosen design tool and attention to detail in visual execution.
• If applicable, include examples of technical specifications, handoff documentation, or coded prototypes that demonstrate your understanding of implementation challenges and collaboration with engineering teams.

Process Documentation:

• Document your approach to design system governance, versioning, and contribution models.
• Explain your process for conducting usability research and testing on design system components and how you iterated based on feedback.
• Showcase your methods for collaborating with cross-functional teams to gather requirements and ensure the design system meets their needs.
• Detail your strategy for promoting design system adoption and evangelizing its value within an organization.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: USD 124,500 - USD 199,200 per year. This range represents the starting base pay across Axon's geographic markets in the United States, with Boston, Massachusetts, likely falling within the higher end of this range due to its higher cost of living and competitive tech market. The actual salary will be determined based on factors including level, function, training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs, and geographic market.

Benefits:

• Competitive base salary with opportunities for bonus and stock awards as part of a total compensation package.
• 401k retirement plan with employer matching contributions to support long-term financial planning.
• Discretionary paid time off, offering flexibility for work-life balance and personal needs.
• Generous paid parental leave for all employees to support growing families.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans to cover healthcare needs.
• Access to fitness programs to support physical well-being.
• Emotional & Mental Wellness support resources and programs.
• Learning & Development programs and resources to support continuous professional growth and skill enhancement in design and related fields.
• On-site amenities like snacks in offices (for those who choose to work from an R&D hub).

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours (approximately 40 hours per week), with flexibility offered through the hybrid/remote work arrangement. The nature of design system work may occasionally require collaboration across different time zones if working with distributed teams.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Public Safety Technology. Axon is a leader in providing hardware (like body cameras and Tasers) and software solutions (like Digital Evidence Management Systems) to law enforcement and public safety agencies. This context is crucial as design decisions directly impact the safety and efficiency of first responders and the justice system.

Company Size: 1,001-5,000 employees. Axon is a well-established, mid-to-large-sized company with significant resources and a defined organizational structure. This size suggests a level of process maturity but also ongoing opportunities for impact and growth, particularly within a critical area like design systems.

Founded: 1993. Founded as TASER International, the company has a long history and has evolved significantly to become Axon, focusing on a broader ecosystem of public safety solutions. This history implies a blend of established practices and a drive towards innovation, especially in its software and AI initiatives.

Team Structure:

• The role is within the Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) team, reporting to a Product Design Manager.
• The DEMS team focuses on cloud and local storage challenges, managing massive amounts of digital files for first responders.
• As a Senior Product Designer focused on the design system, you will work across product pillars and collaborate with multiple design teams within Axon to ensure system adoption and extensibility.
• The team emphasizes an open, introspective culture with a focus on productivity and work-life balance, deliberately avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy.
• Strong emphasis on deeply understanding customers (first responders) through direct interaction and ride-alongs.

Methodology:

• The team focuses on understanding customer needs through direct engagement and personal interaction, including spending time with first responders.
• Emphasis on planning to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
• Agile development practices are likely employed given the fast-paced environment and collaboration with engineering.
• Design system development will involve defining global design patterns, vision, and processes.
• Integration of AI tools into design system workflows is a stated goal.

Company Website: http://www.axon.com

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: This is a Senior-level individual contributor role ("Senior Product Designer I"). This typically signifies deep expertise in a specific domain (in this case, design systems) and the ability to lead complex design initiatives with significant autonomy. The "I" designation might indicate a potential for advancement to higher senior levels (e.g., Senior II, Principal) or into management roles within the design organization.

Reporting Structure: Reports directly to a Product Design Manager within the DEMS team. This structure suggests regular guidance and support from a design leader while allowing for significant autonomy in day-to-day work and design system initiatives. There are no direct reports for this specific role.

Design Impact: As the design system owner for a major product redesign, this role has a direct and significant impact on the consistency, quality, and development efficiency of Axon's flagship product and broader ecosystem. The work directly influences the user experience for thousands of first responders globally.

Growth Opportunities:

• Advancement within the individual contributor track to higher senior or principal design roles, specializing further in design systems or expanding influence across more product areas.
• Potential transition into design management or leadership roles within the DEMS team or the broader design organization, leveraging experience in leading initiatives and mentoring others.
• Deepening expertise in specific areas such as AI integration in design workflows, accessibility standards, or specialized UX research techniques relevant to public safety technology.
• Opportunities to shape global design patterns and influence the overall user experience strategy across Axon's expanding portfolio of products and technologies.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: Hybrid/Remote OK with access to R&D Hubs. Axon supports a flexible work model, allowing employees to work from home while also providing access to physical R&D hubs in key locations (Seattle, Scottsdale, Atlanta, Boston) for in-person collaboration when beneficial. This offers a balance between remote work flexibility and opportunities for face-to-face interaction with team members.

Office Location(s): While remote work is supported, the role is associated with the Boston, Massachusetts R&D Hub. Other R&D Hubs include Seattle, Scottsdale, and Atlanta. The Boston office is located at 131 Dartmouth St, Boston, Massachusetts 02116.

Design Workspace Context:

• The R&D hubs likely offer dedicated workspace for designers, potentially including collaboration areas, meeting rooms, and access to necessary hardware and software.
• The hybrid model suggests that virtual collaboration tools are heavily utilized for daily communication, meetings, and design reviews.
• Opportunities for in-person collaboration with the DEMS team or other cross-functional partners are available at the Boston hub.

Work Schedule: Flexible, with the ability to work from home as much as desired, while being located near one of the R&D hubs for optional in-person collaboration. This structure allows for autonomy in managing one's schedule while facilitating team interaction when needed.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

• Initial screening call with a recruiter to discuss experience and fit.
• Interview(s) with the hiring manager (Product Design Manager, DEMS) to discuss your background, experience with design systems, and understanding of the role.
• Portfolio review session(s) where you will walk through 1-2 key case studies, with a strong emphasis on your design system work, process, and impact. Be prepared to discuss technical considerations and collaboration methods.
• Potential take-home design challenge or a whiteboard/live design exercise focused on a design system problem or a related product design scenario within the public safety domain.
• Interviews with cross-functional partners (e.g., engineering lead, product manager) and potentially other members of the design team to assess collaboration style and technical understanding.
• Cultural fit interview(s) focusing on alignment with Axon's values, team culture, and mission.
• Final interview with a design leader or executive.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate your portfolio to prominently feature projects where you led or made significant contributions to a design system.
• For each case study, clearly articulate the problem you were solving, your role, your design process (especially as it relates to system thinking), the challenges you faced, and the impact of your work (e.g., on consistency, efficiency, quality).
• Be prepared to discuss the technical aspects of implementing design systems and how you collaborated with engineers for successful handoff and integration.
• Highlight your approach to design system documentation, governance, and evangelism.
• If possible, tailor your case studies or presentation to demonstrate an understanding of designing for complex domains or enterprise/SaaS products, relevant to Axon's focus.

Challenge Preparation:

• If given a take-home challenge, allocate sufficient time to demonstrate your design system thinking, attention to detail, and ability to create well-structured components and documentation.
• For a live design exercise, be prepared to articulate your thought process clearly, ask clarifying questions, and demonstrate your problem-solving skills in real-time, potentially focusing on how you would approach a design system-related problem or integrate a new component.
• Practice articulating your design decisions and rationale concisely and effectively, both verbally and visually.

ATS Keywords: Product Design, UX Design, UI Design, Design Systems, Component Library, Pattern Library, Style Guide, Design Tokens, Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Prototyping, Interaction Design, Visual Design, User Research, Usability Testing, Human-Computer Interaction, HCI, Human Factors, Accessibility, WCAG, Cross-functional Collaboration, Agile, Design Thinking, Product Strategy, Digital Evidence Management System, DEMS, Public Safety, Enterprise Software, SaaS, Cloud Applications, Web Design, Mobile Design, AI Integration, Mentorship, Design Leadership, Information Architecture, Wireframing, User Flows, Case Studies, Portfolio Review, Design Process, Design Documentation, Design Governance, Design Ops, Scalability, Consistency, Efficiency, Quality, Innovation, Problem-Solving, Communication, Teamwork.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Figma: Required mastery of Figma, including its advanced features for creating and managing design systems, components, variants, and shared libraries. Expect to be evaluated on your proficiency in building scalable and well-organized design system files in Figma.
• Sketch / Adobe XD (Potential): While Figma is the primary tool mentioned, familiarity with other industry-standard design tools may be beneficial, particularly if the team is in a transition phase or uses multiple tools for different purposes.
• Prototyping Tools: Proficiency in creating high-fidelity, interactive prototypes using tools like Figma's prototyping features, or potentially dedicated prototyping tools like Principle, ProtoPie, or Framer to demonstrate complex interactions and animations within the design system context.

Collaboration & Handoff:

• Collaboration Platforms: Tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or similar for real-time communication and collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• Project Management Tools: Familiarity with tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for tracking tasks, managing design system updates, and collaborating with engineering on implementation.
• Documentation Platforms: Tools like Confluence, Notion, or dedicated design system documentation platforms (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook integrated with design tokens) for documenting design system guidelines, usage instructions, and code snippets.
• Handoff Tools: Tools or methods for effectively handing off design specifications, assets, and interactive prototypes to engineering teams, potentially integrated with Figma or other platforms.

Research & Testing:

• UX Research Platforms: Tools for conducting remote or in-person usability testing, interviews, and surveys (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics).
• Analytics Tools: Basic understanding or experience working with product analytics tools (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics) to measure the impact of design decisions and design system adoption.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

• Protect Life Mission: Deep commitment to Axon's overarching mission of protecting life, which informs design decisions and the impact of the products on public safety.
• Customer Empathy: Strong emphasis on deeply understanding the needs and experiences of first responders through direct interaction and ride-alongs. This customer-centricity is a core value that drives the design process.
• Collaboration and Openness: Fostering a friendly, open, and introspective team culture that encourages speaking one's mind and avoiding unnecessary red tape or politics.
• Productivity and Efficiency: Focus on productivity and avoiding senseless meetings or processes to maintain work-life balance and deliver impact.
• Continuous Improvement: Commitment to raising the visual skills bar, ensuring tool proficiency, and serving as a mentor and advocate for design excellence within the organization.

Collaboration Style:

• Close collaboration with product managers and engineering teams throughout the product development lifecycle, from early-stage definition through implementation.
• Working across product pillars and design teams to ensure the design system is extensible and adopted effectively across the entire ecosystem.
• Emphasis on open communication and constructive feedback within the design team and with cross-functional partners.
• Likely involves regular design critiques and peer reviews to maintain design quality and consistency, particularly for design system components.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

• Leading the design and delivery of a design system ("Spark") for a major redesign of a flagship product, which involves significant complexity and potentially navigating legacy systems or technical constraints.
• Championing the adoption and ensuring the consistent application of the design system across a diverse and expanding ecosystem of cloud applications and potentially hardware-related interfaces.
• Collaborating effectively with multiple product and engineering teams, each with their unique needs and priorities, to ensure the design system supports them without becoming overly complex or restrictive.
• Integrating emerging technologies, such as AI tools, into the design system workflow in a way that genuinely enhances efficiency and effectiveness.
• Ensuring the design system rigorously adheres to accessibility standards across all components and platforms, which requires deep knowledge and careful implementation.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Opportunity to become a recognized expert in design systems within a major technology company, influencing design strategy across the organization.
• Deepen expertise in designing for the public safety domain, gaining unique insights into the workflows and challenges faced by first responders.
• Explore and implement innovative approaches to design system management, documentation, and automation, including the integration of AI.
• Enhance collaboration and leadership skills by working closely with diverse cross-functional teams and mentoring other designers.
• Access to internal and external learning resources, conferences, and workshops to stay updated on the latest trends in design systems, UX research, and technology.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

• Be prepared to deep dive into your experience building or leading design systems. Discuss your process for identifying reusable components, defining design tokens, establishing guidelines, and managing contributions.
• Explain your approach to conducting usability research and testing on design system components. How do you gather feedback and iterate on the system?
• Describe a challenging project where you had to advocate for the use of a design system or resolve inconsistencies. How did you collaborate with engineering and product teams?
• Discuss your experience with design system governance, versioning, and documentation. How do you ensure the system remains up-to-date and accessible to all users?
• Walk through a case study from your portfolio that best demonstrates your design system expertise, focusing on the problem, your process, your contribution, and the impact.

Company Culture Questions:

• Research Axon's mission ("Protect Life") and values. Be prepared to discuss why you are interested in working for a company in the public safety sector and how your values align with theirs.
• Ask questions about the design team structure, collaboration patterns, and how design fits into the overall product development process at Axon.
• Inquire about opportunities for direct customer interaction and ride-alongs. Show genuine interest in understanding the users (first responders).
• Discuss your preferred collaboration style and how you contribute to a positive and productive team environment, aligning with Axon's emphasis on openness and avoiding red tape.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure your portfolio presentation around 1-2 key case studies that best showcase your design system leadership and expertise.
• For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your design process (emphasizing system thinking), the challenges you overcame, and the measurable impact of your work on design consistency, development efficiency, or user experience.
• Highlight specific examples of design system components you created or evolved, explaining the rationale behind their design and how they are used across different products.
• Be prepared to discuss the technical considerations and handoff process for design system components, demonstrating your ability to collaborate effectively with engineers.
• Showcase your documentation style and how you ensure the design system is well-documented and easy for others to use and contribute to.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

• Submit your application through this link.
• Tailor your resume to highlight your experience in product design, specifically emphasizing your work with design systems, UX research, and relevant tools like Figma. Use keywords from the "ATS Keywords" section.
• Prepare a design portfolio that prominently features case studies showcasing your design system expertise, process, and impact. Ensure your portfolio is easily accessible and well-organized.
• Customize your cover letter to express your specific interest in a Senior Product Designer role focused on design systems at Axon, mentioning your alignment with the company's mission and your experience relevant to designing for complex domains or public safety.
• Research Axon and the public safety industry to understand the context of the products you would be working on. Prepare thoughtful questions about the design team, the design system's current state, and the challenges and opportunities within the role.