Senior UX Designer (Builder Experience) at Workato

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer (Builder Experience)

Company: Workato

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: UI/UX Design, Product Design, Interaction Design

Date Posted: 2025-06-13T15:29:46

Experience Level: Senior (5+ years)

Remote Status: On-site (Barcelona, Spain)

🎨 Role Summary

Shape the future of Workato's core product surfaces, focusing on the canvas-based recipe editor and builder experience.
Design complex, interactive systems that make building automation workflows intuitive and approachable, blending visual composition with technical depth.
Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including product managers, engineers, and researchers to define UX vision and strategic direction.
Architect interaction patterns, finesse microinteractions, and contribute to the evolution of the design system to support sophisticated user flows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role title "Senior UX Designer (Builder Experience)" combined with the description heavily emphasizes interaction design and complex system building within a technical, low-code environment. This suggests a focus on designing intuitive interfaces for users who may not have traditional coding backgrounds but need to create sophisticated automations. The role requires a strong understanding of complex workflows and translating them into visually clear and interactive designs.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

Design end-to-end interactive systems, specifically focusing on canvas-based editors and related interfaces that facilitate the building of complex logic with clarity and ease for the Workato platform.
Define, document, and iterate on detailed user flows, interaction states, behaviors, and edge cases, from initial sketches through to final pixel-perfect design specifications.
Partner strategically with product managers to influence the UX vision and contribute significantly to the strategic direction of core platform features, ensuring user needs are at the forefront of development.
Create high-fidelity interactive prototypes using tools like Cursor, Framer, or HTML/CSS to effectively communicate complex interaction patterns, including drag-and-drop, dynamic UI elements, and real-time feedback mechanisms.
Work in close collaboration with engineering teams throughout the development lifecycle to ensure design intent is maintained, usability is preserved, and interaction quality is high during implementation, balancing design goals with technical constraints and scalability.
Contribute actively to the development, maintenance, and evolution of the Workato design system, specifically enhancing its ability to support sophisticated interaction patterns and reusable components for complex interfaces.
Collaborate with user researchers to design and conduct usability testing, gather insightful user feedback, validate interaction approaches, and inform design decisions based on empirical data.
Balance the pursuit of elegant user experience design with considerations for performance, technical limitations, and the need for scalable solutions that can accommodate a growing user base and increasing workflow complexity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities strongly indicate a need for a designer who is comfortable with technical complexity and system-level thinking, moving beyond traditional UI design to focus on interactive logic and builder workflows. The emphasis on prototyping, collaboration with engineering, and contributing to a design system underscores the technical and systematic nature of this Senior Interaction Design role within a platform company.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Interaction Design, Graphic Design, Computer Science, or a related field is typically preferred for a Senior UX Designer role. Equivalent professional experience showcasing a strong portfolio of complex interaction design work is highly valued.

Experience: 5+ years of hands-on experience designing complex digital products or tools is required. A strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in designing rich, interactive experiences, particularly involving logic-building, data manipulation, or canvas-style user interfaces, is essential for evaluation.

Required Skills:

Extensive experience in Interaction Design principles, methodologies, and best practices, with a deep understanding of how users interact with complex digital interfaces.
Proven ability in System Design, including architecting coherent and scalable interaction patterns across a product or platform.
Expertise in creating high-fidelity interactive Prototypes to communicate complex behaviors and user flows, demonstrating proficiency with relevant prototyping tools.
Strong Collaboration skills, with demonstrated experience working effectively with cross-functional teams including Product Managers, Engineers, and Researchers throughout the product development lifecycle.
Understanding of Accessibility best practices (WCAG) and experience designing inclusive interaction patterns that cater to a diverse user base.
Excellent Communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate design rationale, present work effectively to stakeholders, and engage in constructive design critiques.
Demonstrated ability to design experiences involving complex Logic-Building and Data Manipulation within user interfaces.
Experience designing for Enterprise SaaS, Low-Code Platforms, or Developer Tools environments, understanding the unique needs and workflows of technical or semi-technical users.

Preferred Skills:

Experience with specific prototyping tools such as Cursor, Framer, or the ability to prototype using HTML/CSS.
Familiarity with Microinteractions and the ability to design subtle animations and feedback loops that enhance usability and user delight.
Experience collaborating with User Research teams and incorporating research findings into the design process.
Experience contributing to or evolving a Design System to support complex interaction patterns and components.
Understanding of performance implications and Technical Constraints when designing complex interactive interfaces, and the ability to balance design goals with implementation feasibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: Based on the "Senior" level and the focus on "Builder Experience" in a technical platform, the required skills emphasize deep interaction design expertise, system thinking, and experience with complex data/logic interfaces. Preferred skills highlight specific prototyping methods and experience in related technical domains, aligning with the nature of designing for a low-code automation platform.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Showcase projects that specifically highlight your experience designing rich, interactive experiences for complex digital products or tools.
Include case studies demonstrating your process for designing interfaces involving logic-building, data manipulation, or canvas-style UIs, explicitly detailing your interaction design decisions.
Present high-fidelity prototypes or interactive demos that effectively communicate complex interaction patterns, states, and behaviors, especially for drag-and-drop or dynamic interfaces.
Detail your contribution to the technical implementation or collaboration with engineering teams to bring complex interactions to life, showcasing your understanding of technical constraints.

Process Documentation:

Document your research and discovery phase, including how you understood user needs related to building complex workflows and interacting with technical systems.
Illustrate your ideation and iteration methods, showing how you explored different interaction models and refined designs based on feedback and technical feasibility.
Explain your validation and testing approaches, detailing how you tested interaction patterns, gathered user feedback on usability, and iterated on designs based on testing insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UX Designer focused on a "Builder Experience" within a technical platform, the portfolio needs to go beyond standard UI screens. It must demonstrate a deep understanding of complex workflows, system design, and the ability to translate technical logic into intuitive interactions. High-fidelity prototyping and clear process documentation explaining the "why" behind interaction decisions are critical.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: While a specific salary for the Barcelona location is not provided, the job description mentions a starting salary of $150,000 USD plus benefits, perks, and equity for California applicants. Based on research for Senior UX Designer salaries in Barcelona, Spain, typical ranges can vary significantly depending on experience, company size, and specific skill sets. A competitive range for a Senior UX Designer with 5+ years of experience focusing on complex enterprise software in Barcelona could realistically fall between €55,000 to €80,000 annually. This estimate is based on general salary benchmarks for similar roles in major Spanish tech hubs, adjusted for a senior level and specialized focus on complex interaction design in the SaaS/Platform space. It is important to note that this is an estimate, and the actual compensation package will depend on the candidate's experience and negotiation.

Benefits:

Comprehensive Benefits package designed to support employee well-being and productivity.
Additional Perks that enhance the work experience and provide value outside of work.
Equity in Workato, providing an opportunity to share in the company's success and growth.
Dynamic Work Environment that balances productivity with self-care, as highlighted by Workato's culture.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours, typically 40 hours per week. The company culture emphasizes flexibility and trust, suggesting some autonomy in managing one's schedule to balance productivity and personal life, within the context of an on-site role requiring presence in the Barcelona office for collaboration and team activities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate for Barcelona is inferred based on the California salary provided in the original post and general market data for Senior UX Designer roles in major European tech hubs like Barcelona. Salary data for Spain often shows lower figures compared to the US, especially California. The range provided reflects a typical competitive compensation for a senior-level design role in Barcelona focusing on complex enterprise software, acknowledging the variability based on specific factors. Research included reviewing salary aggregators and reports for similar roles in the region.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Software Development / Enterprise Orchestration and Automation Platform. Workato is a leader in the iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service) space, focusing on helping businesses streamline operations through connecting applications, data, and processes. This industry context means design work directly impacts how businesses automate critical workflows.

Company Size: Workato has over 1,100 employees globally, classifying it as a mid-to-large-sized technology company. For design professionals, this typically means working within established teams and processes, with opportunities for specialization and contributing to a growing, influential design organization.

Founded: Founded in 2013, Workato has a decade of history in the integration and automation space. This history suggests a level of maturity and established product foundation, while still maintaining an innovative and agile approach.

Team Structure:

The role is part of the Product Design team, which includes UX Designers, Researchers, and Digital Designers.
The team is described as "tight-knit, high-impact," suggesting a collaborative and focused environment.
Designers are "deeply embedded in shaping the future of Workato," indicating a strong influence on product direction.
Close collaboration with Product Managers and Engineers is a key aspect of the team structure.

Methodology:

The design methodology appears to be highly collaborative and integrated with product and engineering cycles.
Emphasis is placed on defining the UX vision and driving what gets built, not just executing on specifications.
The team "moves fast, stays curious, and holds a high bar for quality," suggesting an agile and detail-oriented approach.

Company Website: http://workato.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Analysis of the company description and provided information indicates a focus on enterprise SaaS and complex workflow automation. The design culture appears to be collaborative, influential, and detail-oriented, emphasizing craft and strategic input rather than just execution. The team structure suggests designers are integral to product definition.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: Senior UX Designer. This level implies significant autonomy, the ability to lead design initiatives for complex features, mentor more junior designers (though not explicitly stated as a requirement), and make strategic contributions to the product's user experience and the design system.

Reporting Structure: The role reports into the Product Design team, likely reporting to a Design Manager or Director. The emphasis on close collaboration with Product Managers and Engineers suggests a matrixed reporting or strong cross-functional partnership model.

Design Impact: Design has a high impact on product and business decisions at Workato. Designers are involved in defining the UX vision and strategic direction for core platform features, indicating influence beyond just the visual or interaction layer. The focus on the "Builder Experience" highlights the critical role design plays in the core value proposition of the platform.

Growth Opportunities:

Advancement along a design career ladder towards Lead UX Designer, Design Manager, or Principal Designer roles, based on performance, leadership, and strategic impact.
Deepening expertise in specific areas like complex interaction design, design systems, or a particular domain within the automation platform.
Opportunities to mentor junior designers and contribute to the growth and development of the design team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title, combined with responsibilities that include shaping UX vision and strategic direction, strongly suggests this role is positioned for significant influence and offers potential for growth into leadership or principal individual contributor roles within the design organization. The focus on a core product area (Builder Experience) provides a clear path for deep specialization.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: On-site office in Barcelona. While Workato has a reputation as a top company for remote work (as noted in the provided text), this specific role is listed with a required on-site location in Barcelona. This implies a need for physical presence for team collaboration, meetings, and integrating with local product and engineering teams.

Office Location(s): The primary location for this role is Barcelona, Spain. Workato lists an office at Avinguda Catedral 6, Barcelona, ES, which is likely the work location.

Design Workspace Context:

Working on-site facilitates real-time collaboration with product managers, engineers, and other designers, which is crucial for designing complex interactive systems.
Access to dedicated collaboration spaces and tools within the office environment to support brainstorming, whiteboarding, and design critique sessions.
Opportunities for informal interactions and relationship building with the local design and product teams, fostering a strong team culture and facilitating knowledge sharing.

Work Schedule: Full-time, on-site. While the overall company culture emphasizes flexibility, the on-site requirement in Barcelona suggests a standard work week primarily spent at the office, likely during typical business hours for the region (e.g., Monday to Friday). Some flexibility may be available depending on team norms and project needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: Despite Workato's strong remote work credentials, this specific role is listed as on-site in Barcelona. This suggests that the nature of designing the core "Builder Experience" requires close, in-person collaboration with the team located there. The work environment context is therefore focused on the benefits and implications of working from a physical office location.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

Initial screening call with a recruiter or hiring manager to discuss experience, fit, and basic qualifications, focusing on your background in complex design environments and interaction design.
Portfolio review session with members of the design team, where you will be expected to walk through selected case studies, highlighting your process, interaction design decisions, and the impact of your work, particularly on projects involving logic-building or complex interfaces.
Technical/Skill interview potentially involving a discussion of your approach to system design, prototyping techniques, collaboration with engineering, and handling technical constraints.
Design challenge or take-home assignment related to designing a complex interaction or feature within a builder or workflow context, followed by a presentation and discussion of your solution.
Team and cultural fit interviews with potential colleagues and cross-functional partners (Product Management, Engineering, Research) to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and alignment with Workato's values.
Final interview(s) with design leadership or key stakeholders, discussing your strategic thinking, leadership potential, and vision for the builder experience.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Curate your portfolio to prominently feature projects that showcase your expertise in designing complex interactive systems, builder interfaces, or tools involving data and logic.
For each case study, clearly articulate the problem you were solving, your design process (including research, ideation, prototyping, and testing), key interaction design challenges, and how you addressed them.
Use high-fidelity prototypes, videos, or interactive demos to effectively communicate the nuances of complex interactions and user flows.
Explain your rationale for key design decisions, particularly those related to interaction patterns, states, and behaviors, demonstrating your system thinking and attention to detail.
Be prepared to discuss the technical feasibility of your designs and how you collaborated with engineers to bring them to life.

Challenge Preparation:

Understand the typical format and expectations for design challenges in the enterprise SaaS or platform space, which often involve designing solutions for complex user tasks or workflows.
Practice time management to ensure you can complete the core aspects of the challenge within the allocated time, focusing on the most critical interaction design elements.
Structure your presentation to clearly articulate your understanding of the problem, your proposed solution, your design process, and the rationale behind your key design decisions.
Be prepared to discuss alternative approaches, potential technical constraints, and how you would iterate on the solution based on feedback or further research.

ATS Keywords: UX Design, Interaction Design, Product Design, User Experience, Design Systems, Prototyping, High-Fidelity Prototyping, User Flows, Wireframing, Usability Testing, User Research, Design Thinking, Agile, Iteration, Collaboration, Communication, Stakeholder Management, Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, InVision, Framer, Cursor, HTML, CSS, JavaScript (basic understanding), Enterprise SaaS, Low-Code Platforms, Developer Tools, Workflow Automation, Integration, Data Manipulation, Logic Building, Canvas UI, Microinteractions, System Design, Accessibility (WCAG), Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Visual Design (basic understanding), Information Architecture, User Interface Design, Design Strategy, Product Strategy, Cross-functional Teams, Remote Collaboration, On-site Collaboration, Barcelona, Spain.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process is inferred based on standard practices for Senior UX Designer roles in the tech industry, particularly for companies building complex platforms. Emphasis is placed on portfolio review showcasing relevant experience, a design challenge to assess practical skills, and interviews to evaluate technical understanding, collaboration abilities, and cultural fit. The ATS keywords are derived from the job description and typical terminology used in design roles focused on complex software and platforms.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

Proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools is expected. While not explicitly listed, tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD are commonly used for UI/UX design and likely part of Workato's stack. Expect to be highly proficient in at least one of these.
Expertise in creating interactive prototypes is crucial, with specific mention of Cursor, Framer, or HTML/CSS as potentially preferred tools. Demonstrating proficiency in communicating complex interactions through prototyping is essential.

Collaboration & Handoff:

Tools for collaboration with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering) are necessary. This likely includes tools for project management (e.g., Jira, Asana), communication (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams), and documentation/handoff (e.g., Zeplin, Abstract, or integrated features within primary design tools).
Experience with tools or processes for managing design specifications and assets for developer handoff, ensuring accurate implementation of complex interactions and visual details.
Familiarity with version control systems or methods for managing design files and collaborating on design systems.

Research & Testing:

Experience using tools or platforms for user research activities such as usability testing, interviews, and surveys (e.g., Lookback, UserTesting.com, SurveyMonkey).
Familiarity with analytics tools or methods for understanding user behavior and measuring the impact of design decisions (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel).

📝 Enhancement Note: Specific design tools beyond prototyping (Cursor, Framer, HTML/CSS) are not explicitly mentioned, which is common in job descriptions. The tools listed are inferred based on industry standards for Senior UX Designer roles, particularly those working on complex software and collaborating closely with engineering. The focus on prototyping tools aligns with the interaction design emphasis of the role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

Craft & Detail: The team "care deeply about craft and take pride in the details of execution," emphasizing attention to detail in refining interactions and ensuring high-quality design output.
Usability & Intuition: A core value is making complex workflows feel intuitive and designing "powerful tools that feel deceptively simple," highlighting a focus on user-centered design and ease of use.
Collaboration & Support: The team is described as a "collaborative, low-ego environment" where members "support one another," indicating a value placed on teamwork and mutual respect.
Innovation & Curiosity: Workato is "driven by innovation" and the team is encouraged to "stay curious," suggesting a culture that values exploring new ideas and approaches in design.

Collaboration Style:

Close partnership with Product Managers and Engineers is a key collaboration style, with designers actively involved in defining the product vision and contributing to strategic decisions.
A collaborative design critique culture where feedback is actively exchanged and used to refine designs.
Working within a "low-ego environment" that fosters open communication and constructive feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: The design team culture and values are directly derived from the "Why Join the Workato Product Design Team" section of the job description. These points provide specific insights into the team's priorities and working style, which are crucial for assessing cultural fit.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

Designing intuitive and approachable interfaces for building complex logic and automation workflows, which requires translating technical concepts into visually clear and interactive elements.
Balancing UX elegance with performance considerations, technical constraints, and the need for scalable solutions within an enterprise platform.
Evolving a design system to support sophisticated interaction patterns and maintaining consistency across a complex and expanding product.
Working in a fast-paced environment that requires balancing moving quickly with maintaining a high bar for design quality and attention to detail.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Deepening expertise in interaction design for complex enterprise software, low-code platforms, and workflow automation.
Opportunity to contribute significantly to a widely used platform and impact the way businesses automate their processes.
Working with a high-impact team of experienced designers, researchers, and engineers, providing opportunities for mentorship and learning from colleagues.
Potential for growth into design leadership or principal individual contributor roles as the team and company continue to grow.

📝 Enhancement Note: The design challenges are inferred from the core responsibilities and the nature of designing for a complex automation platform. These challenges represent opportunities to develop skills in handling technical complexity, balancing constraints, and working within a dynamic environment. The growth opportunities are linked to the senior level of the role and the potential for advancement and specialization within Workato's design organization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

Be prepared to discuss your end-to-end design process for a complex project, focusing on how you approached understanding user needs for building logic, ideating on interaction patterns, and validating your solutions. Use examples from your portfolio.
Explain how you define and document flows, states, behaviors, and edge cases for interactive systems. Be ready to share examples of your documentation artifacts.
Discuss your approach to prototyping complex interactions, the tools you use, and how you leverage prototypes to communicate design intent to stakeholders and engineers.
Describe a time you had to balance UX elegance with technical constraints or performance requirements and how you navigated those trade-offs.

Company Culture Questions:

Research Workato's product, target users (businesses automating workflows), and the specific challenges of designing for a low-code automation platform. Be prepared to discuss your understanding and express enthusiasm for the domain.
Ask thoughtful questions about the design team's structure, collaboration practices with product and engineering, and how design impact is measured at Workato.
Discuss your experience working in collaborative, low-ego environments and how you contribute to a supportive team culture.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Select 2-3 case studies from your portfolio that best demonstrate your experience designing complex interactive systems, builder interfaces, or tools involving logic and data manipulation.
For each case study, structure your presentation using a clear narrative arc: problem, process (research, ideation, prototyping, testing), solution, key interaction design decisions and rationale, collaboration with engineering, and impact.
Use interactive prototypes, videos, or animated GIFs to effectively showcase the dynamic aspects of your designs and complex interactions.
Be prepared to go deep into the details of specific interaction patterns and explain the "why" behind your design choices.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation advice is tailored to the specific requirements of this Senior UX Designer role focusing on a technical "Builder Experience." Emphasis is placed on demonstrating expertise in complex interaction design, system thinking, collaboration, and understanding the unique challenges of designing for a low-code automation platform. Portfolio presentation guidance is focused on showcasing relevant projects and effectively communicating process and interaction design decisions.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

Submit your application through this link
Customize your portfolio for this specific role, highlighting projects that demonstrate your experience designing complex interactive systems, builder interfaces, or tools involving logic and data manipulation. Prepare to present 2-3 relevant case studies in detail.
Optimize your resume to include keywords from the job description related to UX Design, Interaction Design, Prototyping, System Design, Enterprise SaaS, Low-Code Platforms, and relevant design tools and methodologies. Quantify your impact where possible.
Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on clearly articulating your design process, rationale for key interaction design decisions, and the impact of your work. Be prepared to discuss technical considerations and collaboration with engineering.
Research Workato, its product (the automation platform and recipe editor), and its design team to be prepared for questions about your understanding of the company, the role, and to ask informed questions during the interview process.

⚠️ 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)