Staff Full Stack UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Full Stack UX Designer

Company: Laurel

Location: San Francisco, California

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX Design / Data Visualization Design

Date Posted: June 10, 2025

Experience Level: Staff (6+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (4+ days/week in office)

🎨 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end design for Laurel's new Data Product, focusing on complex data visualization and analytics interfaces.
• Translate intricate data insights and user research into compelling, user-friendly visual stories and interactive dashboards.
• Drive the user-centered design process from discovery through delivery, collaborating closely with product, engineering, and data science teams.
• Extend and maintain the design system with reusable patterns applicable to both embedded Business Intelligence (BI) tools and custom front-end implementations.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

• Design interactive dashboards, charts, and exploratory tools to facilitate understanding of complex data insights for professional services firms.
• Conduct comprehensive user research, including interviews and usability testing, across various user personas (timekeepers, billing/admin staff, Firm Leaders).
• Create and iterate on design artifacts such as user journeys, personas, wireframes, and prototypes at varying fidelity levels.
• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Data Science, Customer Experience, Sales) to support analytics and insights initiatives.
• Present design concepts and rationale clearly to both internal teams and external stakeholders, including clients.
• Design within the constraints of Business Intelligence (BI) tools while pushing for elevated user experiences and scalable design patterns.
• Partner with engineers to facilitate the implementation of designs, potentially contributing to front-end aspects using technologies like React or D3.
• Build lightweight, interactive prototypes (e.g., in Figma) to validate design concepts and provide clear guidance for development teams.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related relevant field, providing a strong foundation for technical and user-centered problem-solving.

Experience: 6+ years of professional experience specifically designing digital products, with a significant focus on dashboards, data-heavy interfaces, analytics tools, or Data Analytics products. A strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in these areas is essential.

Required Skills:

• Extensive experience in Data Visualization and designing complex data interfaces.
• Proficiency in conducting User Research, including interviews, surveys, and usability testing.
• Demonstrated ability to create Wireframes, Prototypes, and User Journeys across different fidelity levels.
• Strong understanding of User-Centered Design principles and methodologies.
• Hands-on experience designing directly within Business Intelligence (BI) tools (e.g., Thoughtspot, PowerBI, Omni).
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and design effectively for both short-term constraints and long-term product vision.
• Proven track record of taking product concepts from early exploration to high-fidelity interactive prototypes.
• Understanding of Data Design principles, including clarity, integrity, and avoiding misleading visuals.
• Demonstrated ability to utilize AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot) to aid in rapid prototyping or front-end component development.
• Familiarity with front-end development workflows and collaborating with engineers on implementation (e.g., preparing dev-ready specifications).
• Excellent Problem-Solving and Communication skills, particularly in presenting complex design concepts.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for knowledge worker productivity tools.
• Ability to write or modify front-end code (e.g., editing or assembling UI components in React, JavaScript).
• Experience designing for AI-powered tools or automated workflows.
• Familiarity with modern data visualization libraries (e.g., D3.js).
• Familiarity with other BI tools beyond those explicitly mentioned (e.g., Tableau).
• Experience working in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Having "Founder's experience" or a strong spike in Product Design skills.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Include case studies demonstrating your end-to-end design process for data-heavy products, dashboards, or analytics tools.
• Showcase examples of how you have translated complex data into clear, compelling visual stories and interactive experiences.
• Highlight your ability to design within the constraints of platforms like BI tools, while still focusing on user experience.
• Provide examples of high-fidelity interactive prototypes used to validate concepts and guide development.

Process Documentation:

• Clearly articulate your user research methods and how insights informed your design decisions, particularly for diverse user personas (timekeepers, admin staff, leaders).
• Detail your ideation and iteration process, showcasing how you navigated ambiguous problems in data design.
• Explain your validation and testing approaches for data interfaces and dashboards.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $175,000 - $240,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Competitive Salary within the specified range, reflecting the Staff-level experience and specialized skills required.
• Equity in a well-funded startup backed by notable VCs and individuals.
• Comprehensive 401K plan to support long-term financial planning.
• Great employee benefits package (specifics like health, dental, vision, PTO would need direct confirmation from Laurel).
• Bi-annual, in-person company off-sites in unique locations for team building and collaboration.

Working Hours: Full-time, typically 40 hours per week. The hybrid model requires at least 4 days per week in the San Francisco office, suggesting core hours aligned with standard business operations, with potential flexibility for creative work flow within those constraints.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Software Development, specifically focused on AI Time platforms for professional services firms (Legal and Accounting).

Company Size: 51-200 employees (LinkedIn data: 139 employees), indicating a growth-stage startup environment.

Founded: 2018 (LinkedIn data), suggesting a relatively established startup with several years of product development and market traction.

Team Structure:

• You will be joining a team focused on the new Data Product, collaborating closely with Product Managers, Data Scientists, and Engineers.
• The design team likely works cross-functionally, partnering with Customer Experience and Sales teams to gather insights and support analytics needs.
• The reporting structure is not explicitly stated but is likely within the Product or Engineering organization, reporting to a design lead or manager.

Methodology:

• The role emphasizes a User-Centered Design process, including research, testing, and iteration.
• Collaboration with cross-functional teams suggests an Agile or Lean methodology is likely in place.
• Focus on data visualization implies a data-informed design approach, leveraging analytics and user behavior data.

Company Website: https://www.laurel.ai/

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: Staff UX Designer. This level typically involves leading significant product areas, mentoring junior designers (though not explicitly mentioned), driving strategic design initiatives, and having a strong influence on product direction. It signifies a high level of expertise and autonomy.

Reporting Structure: While not specified, a Staff-level designer typically reports to a Design Manager or Director, working closely with Product and Engineering leadership on their assigned product area (the Data Product in this case).

Design Impact: As the lead designer for a new core product (the Data Product), you will have significant influence on its direction, user experience, and ultimately, its success and impact on the business and its users.

Growth Opportunities:

• Opportunity to specialize further in Data Visualization and AI-powered product design.
• Potential to grow into a Principal Designer role, leading multiple product areas or complex strategic initiatives.
• Opportunity to contribute to and potentially lead the evolution of Laurel's design system.
• Exposure to and collaboration with top talent in AI, product development, and engineering.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: Hybrid-based in the San Francisco office, requiring at least 4 days per week on-site.

Office Location(s): San Francisco, California.

Design Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model emphasizes the importance of in-person collaboration for the design team and cross-functional partners.
• The San Francisco office likely provides dedicated workspace for designers, potentially including collaboration areas and access to necessary design tools and hardware.
• Being on-site allows for spontaneous interactions, whiteboard sessions, and closer collaboration with the engineering and data science teams building the Data Product.

Work Schedule: Primarily on-site in San Francisco for at least 4 days per week. The specific daily schedule may offer some flexibility, but core hours for team collaboration are expected.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

• Expect initial screening interviews focusing on your background, experience with data-heavy design, and cultural fit.
• A portfolio review will be a critical step, where you will present case studies showcasing your process, problem-solving skills, and impact, particularly on data visualization and complex interfaces.
• A design challenge or whiteboarding session is likely to assess your real-time problem-solving abilities and collaboration style.
• Interviews with cross-functional team members (PM, Engineering, Data Science) and potentially leadership to evaluate collaboration and strategic thinking.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure your case studies to clearly articulate the problem, your design process (including research and iteration), your solutions, and the impact of your work, with a strong focus on data product examples.
• For data visualization projects, explain your rationale for choosing specific chart types, how you ensured clarity and integrity of the data presentation, and how the design enables user understanding and action.
• Be prepared to discuss your experience designing within technical constraints, such as those presented by BI tools, and how you navigated them.
• Highlight your role and contributions clearly in each project, especially in collaborative environments.

Challenge Preparation:

• Familiarize yourself with common data visualization challenges and best practices.
• Practice articulating your design process and rationale clearly and concisely under time pressure.
• Be prepared to collaborate with interviewers during the challenge, demonstrating your communication and teamwork skills.

ATS Keywords: Data Visualization, UX Design, Product Design, Interactive Dashboards, Analytics Tools, BI Tools, User Research, Prototyping, Wireframing, User Journeys, Design Systems, Data Storytelling, User-Centered Design, Figma, React, D3.js, Thoughtspot, PowerBI, Omni, Agile, SaaS, Enterprise Software, B2B, AI, Machine Learning, Professional Services, Timekeeping, Problem-Solving, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Communication, Stakeholder Management, Information Architecture, Interaction Design, Usability Testing, Accessibility, Data Integrity, Complex Systems, Startup Environment.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Figma: Expected for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity design work. Proficiency in collaborative features and design systems is likely required.
• Business Intelligence (BI) Tools (e.g., Thoughtspot, PowerBI, Omni): Direct experience designing *within* these platforms is explicitly required, indicating a need to understand their capabilities and limitations for creating effective data visualizations and dashboards.
• AI Tools (e.g., ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, Cursor): Expected for potentially aiding in quick prototyping or generating/modifying front-end code examples.

Collaboration & Handoff:

• Tools for cross-functional collaboration (e.g., Slack, Jira, Confluence) are likely used for communication and project management with Product, Engineering, and Data Science teams.
• Handoff processes will involve providing clear specifications and assets to engineers, potentially within Figma or a dedicated handoff tool.

Research & Testing:

• Tools for conducting user interviews and usability testing (e.g., Zoom, user research platforms) will be utilized.
• Analytics platforms (not explicitly named, but implied by the data focus) will likely be used to measure design performance and gather insights.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

• Understanding your "why": Emphasizes purpose-driven design and understanding the impact of your work.
• Dancing in the rain: Suggests adaptability, resilience, and a positive attitude in a fast-paced, potentially challenging startup environment.
• Being your whole self: Encourages authenticity, inclusivity, and bringing diverse perspectives to the team.
• Sanctifying time: Reflects the company's core mission and likely influences the design approach to creating efficient and valuable experiences for users.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly collaborative, working closely with Product, Engineering, Data Science, Customer Experience, and Sales teams.
• Likely involves regular design critiques and feedback sessions to ensure design quality and alignment.
• Cross-functional collaboration is essential for translating complex requirements into effective design solutions and ensuring successful implementation.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

• Designing for complex data sets and translating intricate insights into clear, actionable visualizations for varied user personas.
• Balancing the constraints and capabilities of existing BI tools with the vision for future custom-built interfaces.
• Working in an early-stage product environment with potential ambiguity and evolving requirements.
• Ensuring data integrity and avoiding misleading visualizations while creating compelling data stories.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen expertise in Data Visualization and the design of analytics products.
• Gain experience designing for AI-powered workflows and automated processes.
• Develop skills in designing within specific technical environments (BI tools) while contributing to broader design system strategy.
• Potential for leadership growth as the Data Product team expands.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

• Be prepared to walk through your end-to-end design process for a complex data product or dashboard project from your portfolio.
• Discuss how you approach user research for different user segments, particularly for data-focused products.
• Explain your methods for translating complex requirements into design solutions and iterating based on feedback.

Company Culture Questions:

• Research Laurel's mission and values ("return time," "understanding your why," etc.) and be prepared to discuss how they resonate with you and how you would contribute to that culture.
• Ask thoughtful questions about the design team structure, collaboration patterns with other teams, and how design impact is measured at Laurel.
• Demonstrate your enthusiasm for working in a startup environment focused on AI and professional services.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select 2-3 case studies that best demonstrate your relevant experience with data visualization, dashboards, and complex interfaces.
• For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process (including research, ideation, and testing), your design solutions, and the impact of your work, using the STAR method.
• Highlight your ability to design within technical constraints and how you approach collaboration with engineers and data scientists.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

• Submit your application through this link.
• Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your experience with data visualization, complex interfaces, and BI tools, using relevant ATS keywords.
• Prepare a curated portfolio focusing on 2-3 strong case studies that best showcase your relevant skills and process for data-heavy design projects.
• Research Laurel and its products thoroughly, particularly the focus on AI and time optimization for professional services, to prepare for interviews and demonstrate genuine interest.