Senior UX Designer (Builder Experience) at Workato

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer (Builder Experience)

Company: Workato

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: UX Design / Product Design

Date Posted: 2025-06-11

Experience Level: Senior (5+ years)

Remote Status: On-site / Potentially Hybrid

🎨 Role Summary

Shape the user experience of Workato's core product surfaces, with a focus on the canvas-based recipe editor.
Design complex visual, logic-based interfaces that make automation approachable and intuitive for users.
Architect interaction systems and refine microinteractions to create seamless and responsive user flows.
Collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, and researchers to define the strategic UX vision for key features.

📝 Enhancement Note: Based on the job description focusing on a "canvas-based recipe editor" and "logic-based canvas," this role is heavily centered around designing complex, interactive interfaces for technical or semi-technical users. The "Builder Experience" title further reinforces this focus on empowering users to create and manage workflows. The role requires a deep understanding of interaction design for complex systems, not just visual design.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

Design end-to-end interactive systems, particularly within canvas-based editors, enabling users to build complex logic with clarity and ease.
Define and meticulously document flows, states, behaviors, and edge cases from initial concept to final implementation.
Partner with product managers to influence the UX vision and strategic direction for core platform features.
Develop high-fidelity prototypes to effectively communicate intricate interaction patterns, including drag-and-drop, dynamic UI, and real-time feedback.
Work in close collaboration with engineering teams to ensure design intent, usability, and interaction quality are maintained throughout the development process.
Contribute to the evolution and maintenance of the Workato design system, specifically focusing on supporting sophisticated interaction patterns.
Team up with UX researchers to validate assumptions, gather user insights, and refine interaction approaches based on data.
Balance elegant user experience design with considerations for performance, technical constraints, and scalability of the platform.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a strong focus on interaction design and system thinking, which is typical for Senior UX roles in complex software environments like enterprise SaaS or low-code platforms. The need to document edge cases and build high-fidelity prototypes highlights the requirement for a detailed and thorough approach to design execution.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Interaction Design, HCI, Graphic Design, Computer Science, or a related field is typically preferred for a Senior UX Designer role, demonstrating a foundational understanding of design principles and user-centered methodologies.

Experience: Minimum of 5+ years of professional experience designing complex digital products or tools. A strong portfolio is essential to demonstrate expertise in designing rich, interactive experiences, particularly those involving logic-building, data manipulation, or canvas-style user interfaces.

Required Skills:

Extensive experience in interaction design principles, motion design, and system design.
Proven ability to collaborate effectively with engineers on technically nuanced features.
Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes to communicate complex interaction behaviors.
Strong understanding and application of accessibility best practices (WCAG) and inclusive interaction patterns.
Excellent communication skills with the ability to articulate design rationale clearly to diverse cross-functional stakeholders.
Demonstrated experience designing for complex digital products, enterprise SaaS, low-code platforms, or developer tools.
Expertise in designing user interfaces involving logic-building, data manipulation, or canvas-style UIs.

Preferred Skills:

Experience prototyping with tools like Cursor, Framer, HTML/CSS, or similar advanced prototyping software.
Familiarity with user research methodologies and experience collaborating with researchers to gather insights.
Experience contributing to or evolving a design system for complex interaction patterns.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "complex digital products," "enterprise SaaS," "low-code platforms," and "developer tools" suggests a preference for candidates with experience in designing for technical users or intricate business processes. The explicit mention of WCAG indicates a commitment to accessibility in design. The preferred prototyping skills point towards a need for advanced interaction design capabilities.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Showcase projects demonstrating expertise in designing rich, interactive experiences, particularly those involving complex interactions, logic-building, or data manipulation.
Include detailed case studies that illustrate your design process for canvas-based interfaces or similar complex tools.
Present high-fidelity prototypes that effectively communicate dynamic UI states, drag-and-drop functionality, and real-time feedback loops.
Highlight your ability to translate technical requirements into intuitive and user-friendly interfaces.

Process Documentation:

Clearly articulate your approach to understanding complex user needs and translating them into design solutions, especially within technical domains.
Detail your methods for ideation, iteration, and refinement of interaction patterns for complex systems.
Explain how you validate design decisions through user testing, feedback gathering, and collaboration with research teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specific requirements for the portfolio, such as showcasing logic-building interfaces and high-fidelity prototypes, are tailored to the technical nature of this role. The emphasis on process documentation, especially for complex systems, indicates the need for a structured and rigorous design methodology.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $130,000 - $170,000 per year. This estimate is based on industry data for Senior UX Designer roles in the Boston, Massachusetts area, considering the required experience level (5+ years), the specialization in complex/enterprise software, and the cost of living in the region. Actual compensation may vary based on experience, skills, and negotiation.

Benefits:

Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
Retirement savings plan (e.g., 401k) with potential company match.
Paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and company holidays.
Professional development opportunities, potentially including training or conference allowances relevant to UX design and enterprise software.
Work-life balance initiatives, including flexible work arrangements.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours, typically 40 hours per week. The company culture emphasizes balancing productivity with self-care, suggesting potential flexibility in daily scheduling to accommodate creative workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on publicly available data for Senior UX Designer salaries in the Boston area (sources like Glassdoor, Payscale, and industry reports) adjusted for the specific technical focus of the role. The benefits listed are common offerings for tech companies of Workato's size and stage.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Software Development, specifically focusing on Enterprise Orchestration, Integration, and Workflow Automation with AI capabilities.

Company Size: 501-1,000 employees globally. This size suggests a mature startup or mid-sized company environment, likely with established processes but still room for individual impact.

Founded: 2013. Workato has a decade of history, indicating stability and established product offerings.

Team Structure:

Part of a tight-knit, high-impact Product Design team including UX Designers, Researchers, and Digital Designers.
Deeply embedded within product teams, collaborating closely with Product Managers and Engineers.
Emphasis on driving the vision and strategy for product features, not just executing on predefined specifications.

Methodology:

Likely employs a user-centered design process integrated within agile development methodologies.
Strong focus on collaboration with research to test assumptions and gather insights.
Emphasis on crafting detailed interactions and maintaining usability throughout implementation.

Company Website: http://workato.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Information about Workato's size, industry, and founding date is derived from the provided LinkedIn data. The description of the design team as "tight-knit, high-impact" and "deeply embedded" suggests a collaborative and influential design culture within the company. The focus on driving the vision indicates a strategic role for design.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: Senior UX Designer. This role is suited for a designer with significant experience capable of leading design efforts on complex features and mentoring less experienced designers, although mentorship is not explicitly mentioned as a requirement.

Reporting Structure: Likely reports to a Design Manager or Head of Product Design, working closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads on specific product areas.

Design Impact: Design has a significant influence on the core product experience, particularly the critical builder interface. The role involves shaping the UX vision and strategic direction, indicating a high level of impact on the product and business.

Growth Opportunities:

Potential for advancement to Lead UX Designer or Design Manager roles within the growing design team.
Opportunities to specialize further in complex interaction design, technical UX, or specific platform areas.
Skill development through working on challenging problems, collaborating with experienced cross-functional teams, and potentially contributing to the design system.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title, coupled with the responsibilities like defining UX vision and architecting interaction systems, points to a role with significant autonomy and influence. Growth opportunities are inferred based on typical career paths in product design within a growing tech company.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: On-site in Boston, Massachusetts, with potential for a hybrid work arrangement. The company's history of supporting remote work (ranked #1 by Quartz) suggests flexibility may be available, but the primary location is Boston.

Office Location(s): Boston, Massachusetts. Specific address not provided in the job description, but likely in a commercially accessible area of Boston.

Design Workspace Context:

Likely a collaborative environment designed to facilitate close interaction between designers, product managers, and engineers.
Equipped with tools and technology necessary for high-fidelity prototyping and complex interaction design.
Opportunities for in-person design critiques, brainstorming sessions, and cross-functional team meetings in the Boston office.

Work Schedule: Standard business hours, with potential for flexibility based on project needs and team collaboration requirements. The company emphasizes balancing productivity and self-care.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job is listed as Boston, the reference to Workato being a top company for remote work suggests flexibility might be an option despite the on-site listing. The description of the design team's close collaboration implies a need for accessible meeting spaces and tools.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

Initial screening call to discuss experience and fit.
Portfolio review and presentation focusing on complex interaction design projects and process.
Interviews with members of the design team, product management, and engineering to assess collaboration skills and technical understanding.
Potential design challenge or whiteboarding session related to designing complex interfaces or workflows.
Cultural fit interview to assess alignment with Workato's values and team dynamics.
Final interviews with design leadership or hiring manager.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Curate case studies that specifically highlight your experience with designing complex digital products, enterprise SaaS, low-code platforms, or developer tools.
For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your design process, key decisions (especially around interaction design), and the impact of your work.
Include interactive prototypes or videos demonstrating the dynamic behaviors and microinteractions you designed, particularly for canvas-based or logic-building interfaces.
Explain your rationale for design choices, demonstrating your understanding of user needs, technical constraints, and business goals.

Challenge Preparation:

Be prepared to discuss your approach to solving complex design problems, potentially involving workflow automation or data manipulation.
Practice articulating your design process and rationale under time constraints.
Consider how you would handle feedback and collaborate with stakeholders during a design exercise.

ATS Keywords: User Experience (UX), Interaction Design, Product Design, UI Design, System Design, Prototyping, Wireframing, User Flows, Information Architecture, Usability Testing, User Research, Design Systems, Accessibility (WCAG), Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision, Framer, Cursor, HTML, CSS, Enterprise SaaS, Low-Code Platforms, Developer Tools, Workflow Automation, Data Visualization, Complex Systems, Collaboration, Cross-functional Teams, Agile, Design Thinking, Problem Solving, Communication, Visual Design, Microinteractions, Real-Time Feedback, Canvas UI, Logic Building.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process steps and portfolio tips are standard for Senior UX Designer roles, heavily weighted towards demonstrating process, problem-solving, and the ability to design complex interactions. The ATS keywords are compiled based on the job description's requirements and common terms used in the design industry for similar roles.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

Proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision, or similar is expected for creating detailed UI designs and interactive prototypes.
Experience with advanced prototyping tools like Cursor, Framer, or even HTML/CSS is explicitly mentioned as a plus, indicating a need for high-fidelity interaction design capabilities.
Likely use of tools for creating user flows, wireframes, and information architecture diagrams.

Collaboration & Handoff:

Tools for design collaboration and version control (e.g., Figma, Abstract).
Handoff tools for seamless communication with engineers (e.g., Zeplin, Abstract, Figma).
Documentation tools for contributing to and evolving the design system.

Research & Testing:

Collaboration with researchers who likely use tools for user interviews, usability testing (e.g., Lookback, UserTesting.com), and survey creation.
Potential use of analytics tools to measure the impact of design decisions on user behavior.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tools listed are standard for modern UX design workflows, with a specific emphasis on advanced prototyping tools due to the nature of the role. The mention of collaboration and handoff tools is crucial for understanding the team's workflow.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

Driven by innovation and a desire to simplify complex technology into intuitive experiences.
Emphasis on craft and attention to detail, from macro-interactions to microinteractions.
Value placed on collaboration, moving fast, staying curious, and maintaining a high bar for quality.
Supportive and low-ego environment where team members support one another.

Collaboration Style:

Close partnership with product managers and engineers throughout the product development lifecycle.
Deeply embedded within product teams, influencing both the "what" and "why" of features.
Collaborative research efforts to test assumptions and gather user insights.
Likely involves regular design critiques and feedback sessions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The description of the design team's values and collaboration style is taken directly from the job posting. This provides valuable insight into the expected working dynamics and cultural fit.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

Designing intuitive interactions for a complex, canvas-based logic-building platform used by a diverse audience.
Balancing UX elegance with performance, technical constraints, and scalability requirements in an enterprise environment.
Continuously evolving the design system to support sophisticated and dynamic interaction patterns.
Staying ahead of trends in automation, AI, and user interaction patterns for technical tools.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Opportunity to deepen expertise in designing for complex enterprise software and low-code platforms.
Exposure to AI-powered features and their integration into the user experience.
Collaboration with experienced product managers and engineers on challenging technical problems.
Contribution to a growing design system and influence over design standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The design challenges are inferred from the nature of the product (complex automation platform) and the specific focus of the role (canvas-based editor). Growth opportunities are aligned with the challenges, offering paths for specialization and impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

Be prepared to walk through your design process for a complex project, emphasizing your approach to interaction design and system thinking.
Discuss how you handle technical constraints and collaborate with engineers to ensure design intent is realized.
Explain how you use user research and testing to inform your design decisions, particularly for interactive elements.

Company Culture Questions:

Research Workato's product and values, and be prepared to discuss why you are interested in designing for a platform focused on enterprise orchestration and automation.
Ask questions about the design team's structure, collaboration with other teams, and how design is valued within the organization.
Be ready to discuss your preferred collaboration style and how you handle feedback in a team environment.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Select 2-3 case studies that best demonstrate your experience with complex interaction design, technical products, or canvas-based interfaces.
For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process, key design decisions (especially related to interactions and flows), and the impact of your work.
Use high-fidelity prototypes or videos to vividly illustrate the interactive elements you designed.
Be prepared to discuss the technical challenges you faced and how you collaborated with engineers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice is specifically tailored to the requirements of this Senior UX Designer role, focusing on demonstrating expertise in complex interaction design, technical collaboration, and process articulation.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

Submit your application through this link.
Tailor your resume to highlight your experience with complex digital products, enterprise SaaS, low-code platforms, and the specific skills mentioned in the job description. Use relevant ATS keywords.
Prepare a portfolio that showcases your best work in designing rich, interactive experiences, with detailed case studies demonstrating your process, particularly for canvas-based or logic-building interfaces.
Craft a cover letter that expresses your specific interest in designing for Workato's builder experience and how your skills and experience align with the role's requirements.
Be prepared to answer the specific job application questions provided by Workato, as they are personally reviewed by the hiring team.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and design industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

Senior UX Designer (Builder Experience)