Senior UX Designer (Builder Experience)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer (Builder Experience)

Company: Workato

Location: Austin, Texas

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: UX Design, Interaction Design, Product Design

Date Posted: 2025-06-11T19:20:55

Experience Level: Senior (5+ years)

Remote Status: On-site (Austin, Texas)

🎨 Role Summary

• Shape the interaction design of Workato's core product surfaces, specifically focusing on the canvas-based recipe editor.
• Design intuitive and powerful experiences for users building complex automations using a visual, logic-based interface.
• Balance sophisticated interaction design with technical constraints and performance requirements.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including product managers, engineers, and researchers to define and execute the UX vision.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

• Design end-to-end interactive systems, such as canvas-based editors, that facilitate the clear and easy building of complex logic.
• Define and meticulously document user flows, states, behaviors, and edge cases from initial concept through final implementation.
• Partner strategically with product managers to influence the UX vision and shape the strategic direction for key platform features.
• Develop high-fidelity prototypes to effectively communicate intricate interaction patterns and dynamic behavior, particularly for drag-and-drop, real-time feedback, and dynamic UI elements.
• Work in close collaboration with engineers to ensure the successful implementation of designs while maintaining high standards of usability and interaction quality throughout the development lifecycle.
• Contribute to the evolution and maintenance of the design system, specifically focusing on incorporating sophisticated interaction patterns and components.
• Collaborate with user researchers to validate design assumptions, gather valuable user insights, and refine interaction approaches based on testing.
• Skillfully balance the pursuit of elegant UX solutions with considerations for performance, technical limitations, and scalability of the platform.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field is typically preferred, although equivalent practical experience with a strong portfolio is often accepted.

Experience: Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in UX/Interaction Design for complex digital products or tools. A strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in designing rich, interactive experiences, particularly with logic-building, data manipulation, or canvas-style UIs, is essential.

Required Skills:

• Expertise in Interaction Design principles, including motion design and system design.
• Proven ability to design complex digital products and tools, with a focus on interaction patterns.
• Experience collaborating effectively with engineers, especially on technically challenging features.
• Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes to communicate complex interaction behaviors.
• Strong understanding of user-centered design principles and methodologies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale clearly to diverse stakeholders.
• Experience defining and documenting detailed user flows, states, and edge cases.
• Ability to balance design elegance with technical constraints and scalability considerations.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with enterprise SaaS products, low-code platforms, or developer tools.
• Experience prototyping with tools such as Cursor, Framer, or using HTML/CSS for prototyping.
• Familiarity with web accessibility best practices (WCAG) and inclusive interaction design patterns.
• Experience contributing to or evolving design systems.
• Prior collaboration experience with user researchers.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase case studies of complex digital products or tools you have designed, highlighting your role in shaping the interaction experience.
• Include projects specifically demonstrating experience with logic-building interfaces, data manipulation UIs, or canvas-style interaction patterns.
• Present high-fidelity prototypes or interactive demonstrations that effectively communicate dynamic behavior and microinteractions.
• Clearly articulate your design process, from understanding the problem space to testing and iteration.

Process Documentation:

• Document your research and discovery phase, including how you identified user needs and pain points in complex workflows.
• Detail your ideation and iteration methods, showing how you explored different interaction models for challenging problems.
• Explain your validation and testing approaches, demonstrating how you gathered feedback on interactive prototypes and refined designs based on user insights.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry data for Senior UX Designer roles in Austin, Texas, considering Workato's profile as a growth-stage enterprise SaaS company, the estimated annual salary range is between $120,000 and $160,000. This estimate can vary significantly based on factors including the candidate's specific experience level, portfolio strength, technical skills, and negotiation. Data sources include Glassdoor, Payscale, and industry reports for the Austin tech market, adjusted for a Senior level role at a company of Workato's size and funding stage.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
• Competitive paid time off and holiday schedule.
• Opportunities for professional development and continuous learning, potentially including design conferences and workshops.
• Wellness programs or stipends.
• Retirement savings plan (e.g., 401k) with potential company match.
• Potential for stock options or equity in a growing company.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours, typically 40 hours per week. While the culture is described as flexible, the on-site nature in Austin suggests core hours for team collaboration are likely.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Software Development (Enterprise Orchestration, Integration, Workflow Automation)

Company Size: 501-1,000 employees (LinkedIn data: 1151 employees)

Founded: 2013

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team includes UX designers, researchers, and digital designers.
• Designers are deeply embedded within product teams, collaborating closely with product managers and engineers.
• The team is described as tight-knit and high-impact, with a collaborative, low-ego environment.

Methodology:

• The design process appears to involve close collaboration with product management to define vision and strategy.
• Emphasis is placed on user research to test assumptions and gather insights.
• The team values craft and pays attention to detail in execution, including micro-interactions and accessibility.
• There is a focus on moving fast while maintaining a high bar for quality.

Company Website: http://workato.com/

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: Senior. This role is for an experienced designer who can independently lead design initiatives, influence product strategy, and mentor more junior designers (though mentorship isn't explicitly mentioned as a requirement, it's common at this level). The focus is on architecting interaction systems and finessing details, indicating a significant level of responsibility and impact on the product's core functionality.

Reporting Structure: Likely reports to a Design Manager or Head of Product Design, working closely within a product squad alongside Product Management and Engineering leads.

Design Impact: Design has a significant influence on product and business decisions, as designers are involved in defining the UX vision and strategic direction for core platform features. The role directly impacts how users build and interact with the platform's core logic.

Growth Opportunities:

• Advancement to a Lead or Principal UX Designer role, taking on more complex problem spaces and mentoring responsibilities.
• Potential to specialize further in specific areas like design systems, interaction patterns for complex logic, or AI/ML integration within the platform builder.
• Opportunities to contribute to the broader design community through speaking, writing, or open-source contributions related to complex interface design.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: On-site office environment in Austin, Texas. While Workato supports remote work generally (ranked #1 for remote workers by Quartz), this specific role is listed as on-site in Austin. This suggests a need for close physical collaboration with the product team in that location.

Office Location(s): Austin, Texas. Workato also has headquarters in Palo Alto, CA, and other global locations, but this role is tied to the Austin office.

Design Workspace Context:

• Likely involves dedicated workspace in the Austin office, facilitating in-person collaboration.
• Access to collaboration spaces for whiteboarding, design sprints, and team meetings.
• Proximity to product managers and engineers for real-time problem-solving and design iteration.

Work Schedule: Primarily within standard business hours for the Central Time Zone, aligning with the Austin office location. Some flexibility may exist, but core hours for team presence are expected for on-site roles.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

• Initial screening call with a recruiter to assess basic qualifications and fit.
• Hiring manager interview focusing on experience, design philosophy, and strategic thinking.
• Portfolio review session(s) where you will walk through selected case studies, focusing on complex interaction design challenges you've tackled. Be prepared to discuss your process, rationale, and impact.
• Design challenge or take-home exercise related to designing for complex interfaces or logic building.
• Interviews with potential team members (other designers, product managers, engineers) to assess collaboration style and technical communication.
• Final interview with a design leader or executive.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Select case studies that directly demonstrate your experience designing for complex tools, logic-building, data manipulation, or canvas-style UIs.
• Structure your case studies to clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process (especially interaction design exploration), key decisions, and the impact of your design.
• Prepare to present detailed flows, states, and edge cases. Use prototypes or interactive demos to showcase dynamic interactions.
• Be ready to discuss the technical constraints you faced and how you collaborated with engineers.

Challenge Preparation:

• Research Workato's platform and the "builder experience" specifically. Understand the typical user workflows and challenges.
• Practice designing for complex logic or data manipulation tasks within a limited time frame.
• Focus on clearly articulating your design rationale, considering different states, error handling, and scalability.
• Be prepared to explain your design decisions to both design-savvy and technical stakeholders.

ATS Keywords: UX Design, Interaction Design, Product Design, Enterprise SaaS, Low-Code, No-Code, Workflow Automation, Integration, Canvas UI, Logic Building, Data Manipulation, Prototyping, High-Fidelity Prototyping, Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision, Framer, Cursor, HTML, CSS, Design Systems, WCAG, Accessibility, Usability, Information Architecture, User Flows, Wireframing, User Research, Usability Testing, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research, Cross-functional Collaboration, Technical Constraints, Scalability, Microinteractions, Motion Design, System Design, Design Strategy, Product Strategy, Agile, Scrum, JIRA, Confluence, Stakeholder Management, Communication, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Industry-standard design tools such as Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD are expected. Proficiency in Figma is highly likely given its prevalence in modern product design teams, especially for collaboration and design systems.
• Prototyping tools like InVision, Principle, or After Effects may be used for demonstrating complex interactions.
• Experience with specialized prototyping tools like Cursor or Framer is a plus, indicating comfort with more code-like prototyping.

Collaboration & Handoff:

• Collaboration tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams for team communication.
• Project management tools such as JIRA or Asana for tracking design tasks and collaborating with engineering.
• Design handoff tools integrated within primary design software (e.g., Figma's Inspect panel) or dedicated tools like Zeplin or Abstract for design specification and version control.

Research & Testing:

• Tools for user interviews and usability testing (e.g., Zoom, Lookback).
• Survey tools (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Typeform).
• Analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel) for understanding user behavior and measuring design impact.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

• Craft & Detail: A strong emphasis on the details of execution, from micro-interactions to accessibility.
• Impact & Ownership: Designers are expected to have a high impact on the product and take full ownership of their roles, contributing to the strategic direction.
• Collaboration: A tight-knit, low-ego environment where designers, PMs, and engineers work closely together.
• Innovation & Speed: Driven by innovation and the ability to move fast while maintaining quality.

Collaboration Style:

• Close cross-functional collaboration with product managers and engineers, embedded within product teams.
• Likely involves regular design critiques and feedback sessions within the design team.
• Emphasis on clear communication and articulation of design rationale to diverse stakeholders.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

• Designing for a complex technical product used by a diverse range of technical and non-technical users.
• Making sophisticated logic-building and data manipulation processes feel intuitive and approachable through interaction design.
• Balancing user needs with technical constraints, performance requirements, and scalability considerations in a fast-moving environment.
• Continuously evolving the design system to support increasingly complex interaction patterns.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen expertise in designing for complex enterprise software and automation platforms.
• Enhance skills in interaction design for dynamic and real-time interfaces.
• Opportunities to contribute to and shape a growing design system.
• Collaborate with experienced product managers and engineers, fostering technical understanding.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

• "Walk me through your design process for a complex feature, specifically focusing on how you approached interaction design challenges." (Prepare a relevant case study from your portfolio.)
• "Describe a time you had to balance user needs with significant technical constraints. How did you collaborate with engineers?" (Provide a specific example and highlight your problem-solving and communication skills.)
• "How do you approach designing for different user skill levels within a technical product?" (Discuss your strategies for progressive disclosure, clear feedback, and intuitive patterns.)

Company Culture Questions:

• "Workato emphasizes a fast-paced, innovative culture. How do you ensure quality and attention to detail while moving quickly?" (Discuss your workflow and priorities in a rapid development environment.)
• "How do you approach giving and receiving design critique within a collaborative team?" (Highlight your ability to be both constructive and receptive to feedback.)
• "What excites you about designing for a platform like Workato, which empowers users to build complex automations?" (Connect your interests to the company's mission and product.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on 1-2 key case studies that best demonstrate your experience with complex interaction design, logic building, or canvas UIs.
• Clearly articulate the problem you were solving, the target users, and the specific interaction challenges.
• Use high-fidelity prototypes or video recordings to showcase the dynamic aspects of your design.
• Explain your design decisions and rationale, highlighting how you considered different states, feedback mechanisms, and edge cases.
• Be prepared to discuss the impact of your design on user behavior or key metrics.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

• Submit your application through this link
• Carefully review the job description and tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience in UX/Interaction Design for complex digital products, particularly those involving logic building, data manipulation, or canvas-style UIs.
• Curate your online portfolio to prominently feature case studies that demonstrate your expertise in the required areas, including interactive prototypes. Ensure your portfolio is easily accessible and clearly presents your design process and impact.
• Prepare concise yet informative answers to the job application questions provided by Workato, as these are personally reviewed by the hiring team.
• Research Workato's product and the "Builder Experience" to understand the context and challenges of the role.