Contract Senior Website Visual Designer (UX/UI) - Remote | US & Canada

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Contract Senior Website Visual Designer (UX/UI)

Company: Kanopi

Location: Remote (US & Canada)

Job Type: CONTRACTOR

Category: Creative & Media / Art & Design / Technology

Date Posted: February 27, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Leads end-to-end visual and UX design for complex website projects, encompassing discovery, strategy, and final launch phases.

• Develops user-centered, accessible, and inclusive design solutions, including wireframes, user flows, high-fidelity prototypes, and scalable design systems.

• Serves as a primary point of contact for client presentations, confidently articulating design rationale, incorporating feedback, and guiding stakeholders toward successful outcomes.

• Collaborates extensively with cross-functional teams, including Content Strategists, Developers, and Project Managers, to ensure cohesive, technically sound, and impactful web experiences.

• Contributes to business development by representing Kanopi in client pitches and sales processes, showcasing design expertise and strategic thinking.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a senior individual contributor with significant client-facing responsibilities and a focus on leading design strategy for complex web projects. The emphasis on "leading end-to-end" and "setting a clear design direction" indicates a high degree of autonomy and strategic influence within project lifecycles, typical of senior-level design roles in an agency setting.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead the complete visual and UX design lifecycle for sophisticated website initiatives, from initial discovery and user research through to final launch and post-launch review.

• Craft intuitive and accessible user interfaces (UI) and user experiences (UX) by creating detailed wireframes, user flows, interactive prototypes, and comprehensive design systems that ensure visual consistency and scalability.

• Articulate and defend design decisions with clarity and conviction during client presentations, translating complex user needs and technical constraints into compelling visual solutions.

• Plan, facilitate, and synthesize findings from discovery workshops and user research, translating insights into actionable UX deliverables such as sitemaps, user journey maps, and persona profiles.

• Foster strong collaborative relationships with Content Strategists, front-end Developers, back-end Developers, and Project Managers, ensuring seamless integration of design into the development process and conducting thorough design reviews during implementation.

• Actively participate in client pitches and sales presentations, leveraging design expertise to articulate Kanopi's value proposition and secure new business opportunities.

• Contribute to Kanopi's thought leadership and marketing efforts through presentations, webinars, case studies, and other public-facing content that highlights the agency's design capabilities and industry insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design leadership, hands-on execution, and client management. The expectation to "lead end-to-end" and "plan and facilitate discovery workshops" suggests a proactive role in defining project scope and strategy, rather than simply executing on pre-defined requirements. The inclusion of "contribute to Kanopi's marketing" indicates an expectation of thought leadership and agency advocacy.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong educational foundation in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is often implied by the required experience and skill set. Candidates with equivalent practical experience will be considered.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in designing responsive web experiences, with at least 3 of those years specifically within an agency environment, is required. This experience should demonstrate a proven track record in leading complex website design projects from conception to completion.

Required Skills:

• Portfolio Excellence: A robust portfolio showcasing thoughtful, user-centered UI/UX design for responsive websites, with demonstrable examples of accessibility, usability, and high visual craft.

• Design Leadership: Proven ability to lead end-to-end visual and UX design for complex website projects, setting clear design direction and guiding clients and internal teams toward confident decisions.

• User-Centered Design: Expertise in creating accessible, user-centered solutions, including wireframes, user flows, UI designs, high-fidelity prototypes, and scalable design systems.

• Presentation & Communication: High confidence in presenting and defending design work to diverse audiences, explaining complex ideas in plain language, and effectively incorporating feedback while maintaining design integrity.

• Workshop Facilitation: Proficiency in planning and facilitating discovery workshops, translating research and insights into practical UX deliverables.

• Technical Proficiency: Fluency in Figma and modern design workflows, alongside practical experience with collaboration tools such as Adobe Creative Cloud and Google Workspace.

• Project Management Adaptability: Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, adapt to evolving requirements, and work effectively within both Agile and Waterfall development methodologies.

• Remote Collaboration: Demonstrated success working remotely within a distributed team environment.

• Development Awareness: Working knowledge of front-end best practices and understanding of how designs translate into development execution.

Preferred Skills:

• Direct Coding Experience: While not mandatory, direct coding experience (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) is considered a plus, aiding in the understanding of development constraints and opportunities.

• Analytics & Research Tools: Familiarity with analytics and research tools such as Google Analytics 4 (GA4), heatmapping platforms, and user testing tools.

• Mission-Driven Client Experience: Experience working with mission-driven or nonprofit organizations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "strong portfolio" with specific examples of accessibility and usability is critical. The requirement for "5+ years of professional experience" and "at least 3 years in an agency environment" signals a need for seasoned professionals accustomed to client demands and fast-paced project cycles. Fluency in Figma is a non-negotiable technical requirement.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Project Examples: Showcase at least 2-3 comprehensive website design projects that illustrate the full design process, from initial discovery and strategy through to final UI/UX implementation and launch.

• Accessibility & Usability Focus: Clearly highlight how accessibility principles (WCAG standards) and user-centered design methodologies were integrated into your designs, providing specific examples of challenges overcome and solutions implemented.

• Visual Craft & Responsiveness: Demonstrate a strong aesthetic sensibility and the ability to create visually compelling designs that are also highly functional and responsive across various devices and screen sizes.

• Design System Contributions: If applicable, include examples of design system components, style guides, or UI pattern libraries you have created or contributed to, emphasizing their role in ensuring consistency and scalability.

• Presentation of Rationale: For each project, clearly articulate the problem statement, your design process, the rationale behind key decisions, and the measurable impact or outcome of your work.

Process Documentation:

• Discovery & Strategy Documentation: Be prepared to discuss or show examples of how you translate research, client interviews, and workshop outputs into strategic UX deliverables like sitemaps, user flows, and personas.

• Prototyping & Iteration: Showcase your ability to create interactive prototypes (using Figma) that effectively communicate user journeys and interaction design, and discuss how you used prototypes for testing and iteration.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration Artifacts: Be ready to discuss how you collaborate with developers and content strategists, potentially showing examples of design handoff documentation, annotations, or review processes.

• Client Presentation Materials: Prepare to present a case study from your portfolio as if presenting to a client, demonstrating your ability to articulate design strategy, defend decisions, and handle feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is paramount for this role. Candidates must be able to visually and verbally demonstrate their strategic thinking, user advocacy, and technical design skills. The emphasis on "end-to-end" and "clear design direction" means showcasing projects where the designer took ownership and guided the outcome, not just executed tasks.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Hourly Rate: $60 - $80 USD per hour. This rate is commensurate with experience and reflects the senior-level nature of the role, the specialized skills required (UX/UI, accessibility, client presentation), and the contract employment type.

• Location Adjustment: While the role is remote across the US and Canada, the stated range is a general guideline. Actual rates may be influenced by specific regional market rates and cost of living, though for contract roles, a more standardized rate based on skill and experience is common.

Benefits:

• Flexible Remote Work: The ability to work from anywhere within the US or Canada, offering significant autonomy and work-life balance.

• Contract Engagement: Opportunity to work on diverse, mission-driven projects with a leading Drupal & WordPress agency.

• Professional Development: Potential for exposure to a wide range of complex website projects and collaboration with a highly skilled, distributed team, fostering continuous learning.

• Direct Client Interaction: Significant opportunity to engage directly with clients, hone presentation skills, and influence project outcomes.

• Contribution to Thought Leadership: A platform to contribute to agency marketing efforts, webinars, and public-facing content.

Working Hours:

• Standard Contract Hours: While not explicitly stated, contract roles of this nature typically assume a full-time commitment (approximately 40 hours per week).

• Flexibility: The fully remote nature implies flexibility in when work is done, provided deadlines are met and collaboration with team members across different time zones is managed effectively. Availability for client calls during core business hours in relevant time zones (US/Canada) is expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The compensation is explicitly stated as an hourly rate for a contract position. The benefits are characteristic of contract roles, emphasizing flexibility and project diversity rather than traditional employee benefits. The remote aspect is a key perk, allowing for location independence within the specified regions.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Digital Agency (Design, Development, and Support) specializing in Drupal & WordPress platforms. Kanopi focuses on building and supporting websites for mission-driven organizations.

Company Size: Kanopi operates with a fully distributed team, indicating a medium to large size for an agency, likely employing dozens to over a hundred professionals across various disciplines. This size allows for specialized teams while maintaining agility.

Founded: Kanopi Studios was founded with a mission to create a better web for everyone, emphasizing the importance of both client impact and employee well-being. The company culture is built around expertise, collaboration, and supporting its distributed workforce.

Team Structure:

• The Contract Senior Website Visual Designer (UX/UI) will report to the Director of Strategy and Creative, indicating a clear reporting line within the creative and strategy department.

• The role involves close collaboration with other Creative Services team members (e.g., Content Strategists), Developers, and Project Managers, highlighting a cross-functional team-based approach to project delivery.

Methodology:

• Kanopi leverages modern web design and development practices, with a strong emphasis on Drupal and WordPress platforms.

• The agency prioritizes user-centered design principles, accessibility, and building sustainable, long-term website solutions for its mission-driven clientele.

• Agile and Waterfall methodologies are both employed, requiring designers to be adaptable and proficient in different project management frameworks.

Company Website: https://kanopi.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Kanopi positions itself as a mission-driven agency that values its people. The "fully distributed team" model suggests a culture that relies on trust, autonomy, and effective digital communication tools. The specialization in Drupal and WordPress, combined with a focus on mission-driven clients, defines their market niche and client base.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at a Senior Individual Contributor level within the design discipline. It requires a high degree of autonomy, strategic input, and the ability to lead projects and client interactions independently. While not a management role, it demands leadership through expertise, mentorship potential, and the ability to guide junior team members or stakeholders.

Reporting Structure: The designer reports to the Director of Strategy and Creative. This structure places the role within a leadership hierarchy that values strategic thinking and creative direction. Collaboration will occur across various project teams, involving Project Managers, Developers, and Content Strategists, providing exposure to different facets of project execution.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is directly tied to the success of client websites. By leading user-centered and accessible design, the Senior Website Visual Designer influences user engagement, conversion rates, brand perception, and the overall effectiveness of client missions. Strong design directly contributes to client satisfaction, new business acquisition through pitches, and Kanopi's reputation as a top-tier digital agency.

Growth Opportunities:

• Deepening Specialization: Continued focus on advanced UX/UI, accessibility, and potentially specific platform expertise (Drupal/WordPress) can lead to becoming a recognized subject matter expert within Kanopi and the industry.

• Client Relationship Management: Developing stronger client-facing skills and a deeper understanding of client business goals can lead to more senior client advisory roles.

• Thought Leadership: Contributing to agency marketing, speaking at conferences, or publishing content can elevate personal brand and open doors to consulting or training opportunities.

• Mentorship: As a senior designer, there's an opportunity to mentor junior designers, contributing to team development and potentially leading to future team lead or management positions within a larger agency structure.

• Project Leadership: Taking on lead roles in larger, more complex projects or contributing to the strategic direction of the agency's service offerings.

📝 Enhancement Note: This is a senior role with significant impact and growth potential, particularly for those who excel in client interaction, strategic design leadership, and contributing to agency growth. The "contract" nature means growth might be project-specific or lead to opportunities for longer-term engagements or full-time conversion if performance is exceptional.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote position. Kanopi operates on a distributed team model, meaning there is no central physical office for this role. Team members work from their own home offices or co-working spaces.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, the requirement is to live and be able to work in the US or Canada. This allows for flexibility in location within these two countries, accommodating various time zones and personal preferences for work settings.

Workspace Context:

• Independent Work Environment: Employees are expected to set up their own productive and professional home office environment.

• Digital Collaboration Hub: The primary workspace is digital, relying heavily on communication and collaboration tools like Slack, email, video conferencing (Zoom, Google Meet), and project management software.

• Access to Tools: Kanopi likely provides access to necessary software licenses (Figma, Adobe CC, Google Workspace) and ensures team members have the digital infrastructure to perform their roles effectively.

• Team Interaction: While remote, opportunities for team connection and collaboration exist through scheduled meetings, virtual team-building activities, and asynchronous communication channels.

Work Schedule:

• Flexible Hours: As a remote contract role, there's a degree of flexibility in scheduling work hours. However, availability during core business hours for key meetings, client presentations, and collaborative sessions within US and Canadian time zones is expected.

• Project Deadlines: Work is primarily driven by project deadlines and client needs, requiring effective time management and commitment to delivering high-quality work on schedule.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature is a defining characteristic. Candidates must be self-disciplined, comfortable with asynchronous communication, and adept at managing their own work environment and schedule. The requirement to be based in the US or Canada is crucial for legal and operational reasons.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Application Review: Initial screening of resumes, cover letters, and portfolios for alignment with requirements.

• Initial Questions: A short set of questions may be sent to gauge initial fit and understanding of the role.

• Interviews: Multiple rounds of interviews with different team members, potentially including:

  • Hiring Manager (Director of Strategy and Creative) – to assess overall fit, strategic thinking, and senior-level experience.
  • Peers (e.g., Senior Developers, Content Strategists, other Designers) – to evaluate collaboration style, technical understanding, and team synergy.
  • Potentially a Partner or Senior Leader – for a final cultural and strategic alignment check.

• Skills Assessments: Candidates may be asked to complete short, practical tasks to demonstrate their design process, problem-solving abilities, and proficiency with tools like Figma. This could involve a small design challenge or a review of an existing project.

• Portfolio Presentation: A key part of the interview process will likely involve presenting a case study from your portfolio, demonstrating your design thinking, rationale, and communication skills.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Relevance: Select projects that best showcase your expertise in responsive website UI/UX design, accessibility, and client presentation. Prioritize quality over quantity.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your approach, the solutions you designed, your rationale, and the outcomes. Use visuals effectively to support your narrative.

• Highlight Process: Demonstrate your thought process, not just the final visual output. Show wireframes, user flows, prototypes, and explain how you arrived at your final designs.

• Emphasize Impact: Quantify results where possible (e.g., improved conversion rates, user satisfaction scores, accessibility compliance). If direct metrics are unavailable, discuss the intended impact and how the design addresses specific user needs or business goals.

• Accessibility is Key: Explicitly call out how you incorporated accessibility best practices (WCAG) into your designs.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Kanopi's Work: Review Kanopi's website, case studies, and client list to understand their aesthetic, client types (mission-driven), and platform focus (Drupal/WordPress). Tailor your portfolio presentation and responses accordingly.

• Prepare Your "Favorite Technology" Answer: The cover letter question is a specific prompt. Think about a piece of technology you genuinely appreciate and be ready to articulate why, connecting it to design, user experience, or problem-solving.

• Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse presenting a portfolio case study. Focus on clarity, conciseness, and confidence. Be prepared for questions about your decisions, challenges, and how you handle feedback.

• Figma Proficiency: Be ready to discuss your Figma workflow and potentially demonstrate features or techniques if a skills assessment is required.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process emphasizes a thorough review, including a specific cover letter question and potential skills assessments. The portfolio presentation is a critical component, requiring candidates to effectively communicate their design strategy and rationale.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: This is explicitly listed as a required tool, indicating it's the primary platform for UI/UX design, wireframing, prototyping, and design system development. Proficiency is essential.

• Adobe Creative Cloud: Mentioned as a collaboration tool, likely used for asset creation, image editing (Photoshop), illustration (Illustrator), and potentially other creative tasks.

• Google Workspace: Used for collaboration, document creation, and communication (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, Gmail).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Google Analytics 4 (GA4): Mentioned as a preferred tool. Understanding how to interpret website data and user behavior analytics is valuable for informing design decisions.

• Heatmapping Platforms: Preferred skill, suggesting familiarity with tools like Hotjar or Crazy Egg to understand user interaction patterns on websites.

• User Testing Tools: Preferred skill, indicating potential use of platforms like UserTesting.com, Lookback, or similar for gathering qualitative user feedback.

CRM & Automation:

• While not explicitly mentioned for this design role, an understanding of how design integrates with CMS platforms like Drupal and WordPress is crucial. Experience with these CMS platforms themselves is a strong asset, even if not directly designing within them.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is the core design tool. Familiarity with analytics and user research tools is a strong plus, indicating a data-informed approach to design. Understanding of Drupal and WordPress is key given Kanopi's specialization.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven Focus: A core value is working with and for organizations that aim to make a positive impact, fostering a sense of purpose in the work.

• Expertise & Craftsmanship: High value placed on deep knowledge and skill in Drupal, WordPress, design, and development, aiming for excellence in all deliverables.

• Collaboration & Inclusivity: A commitment to a diverse team and fostering an environment where everyone's contributions are valued, particularly in a distributed setting.

• Well-being & Growth: Emphasis on supporting team members' personal and professional development, recognizing that individual thriving contributes to client success.

• Web for Everyone: A commitment to building accessible, usable, and inclusive digital experiences that serve a broad audience.

Collaboration Style:

• Distributed & Asynchronous First: Communication often starts asynchronously (e.g., Slack, email, comments in Figma) to accommodate different time zones, with synchronous meetings used strategically for important discussions, workshops, and presentations.

• Cross-Functional Synergy: Strong emphasis on collaboration between design, content strategy, development, and project management to ensure cohesive project delivery.

• Open Feedback Culture: Willingness to give and receive constructive feedback is essential for iterating on designs and improving processes.

• Client Partnership: Collaboration extends to clients, working as partners to achieve their mission goals through effective web solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture emphasizes purpose, expertise, and employee well-being within a remote, collaborative framework. The "mission-driven" aspect is a significant differentiator and likely influences team dynamics and project selection.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Remote Collaboration Complexity: Effectively collaborating and maintaining strong team cohesion across a distributed team with varying time zones requires excellent communication and proactive engagement.

• Balancing Client Needs with Design Integrity: Advocating for user-centered and accessible design while meeting client expectations and project constraints can be challenging.

• Managing Evolving Project Requirements: Adapting to changes in project scope or client feedback in a dynamic agency environment requires flexibility and strong project management skills.

• Staying Current with Technology: The web design and development landscape evolves rapidly; continuous learning is necessary to maintain proficiency in tools, platforms (Drupal/WordPress), and best practices like accessibility.

• Client Pitch Pressure: Representing the agency in sales pitches and securing new work can be high-stakes and requires strong presentation and persuasive skills.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Techniques: Deepen expertise in complex UX/UI patterns, interaction design, and advanced prototyping.

• Accessibility Mastery: Become a go-to expert for WCAG compliance and inclusive design strategies.

• Platform Specialization: Further hone skills in Drupal and WordPress theming and front-end development integration.

• Client Management & Strategy: Develop skills in client communication, workshop facilitation, and strategic design planning for larger initiatives.

• Industry Engagement: Opportunities to present at webinars or conferences, contributing to personal and agency brand building.

• Mentorship: Gain experience mentoring junior designers and contributing to team skill development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for senior remote roles in agencies, revolving around communication, client management, and continuous learning. Growth opportunities are substantial for those who embrace leadership, specialization, and contributing to the agency's broader goals.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How do you approach the end-to-end design process for a complex website project, from discovery to launch?" (Be ready to walk through a case study, highlighting your steps and decision-making.)

• "Describe a time you had to present and defend a design decision to a client who disagreed. How did you handle it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your communication, rationale, and ability to find common ground.)

• "How do you ensure accessibility is integrated into your design process from the beginning, rather than as an afterthought?" (Provide specific examples of tools, techniques, and considerations.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Kanopi and our mission-driven client base?" (Research Kanopi's website and values; connect your own motivations.)

• "How do you thrive in a fully remote, distributed team environment? What are your strategies for effective async communication and collaboration?" (Highlight self-discipline, proactivity, and tool proficiency.)

• "What is your experience working with Drupal and WordPress, or how do you approach designing for these platforms?" (Even if you don't code, show understanding of their capabilities and constraints.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select Your Best: Choose 1-2 projects that most strongly represent your skills in UI/UX, accessibility, and client presentation. Ensure they align with Kanopi's focus (complex websites, mission-driven).

• Structure Your Narrative:

  1. Project Overview: Client, goal, your role, timeline.
  2. Discovery & Strategy: How you understood the problem, user needs, and business goals (workshop outputs, research).
  3. Design Process: Wireframes, user flows, IA, key UI decisions, prototypes. Explain why you made these choices.
  4. Accessibility & Usability: Specific features or considerations you implemented.
  5. Collaboration: How you worked with developers, content strategists, etc.
  6. Outcome/Impact: What was achieved? What was learned?

• Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about your choices, challenges, how you handled feedback, and what you would do differently.

• Technical Readiness: Ensure your presentation tool (Figma, etc.) is ready, screen sharing works flawlessly, and you're in a quiet environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not only design skills but also communication, collaboration, strategic thinking, and cultural fit within a remote, mission-driven agency. The portfolio presentation is a critical evaluative component.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Contract Senior Website Visual Designer (UX/UI) position:

• Apply Online: Utilize the 'Apply for this Job' button on the Kanopi Workable careers page.

• Resume & Cover Letter: Submit a current resume and a compelling cover letter.

  • Cover Letter Focus: Address your suitability for the role and specifically answer the question: "What’s your favorite piece of technology, and why?" This is a key part of the initial screening.

• Portfolio Upload/Link: Ensure your portfolio is easily accessible, either by uploading it or providing a clear, direct link. Prioritize projects that showcase your expertise in responsive website UI/UX design and accessibility.

• Prepare for Next Steps: Be ready for potential follow-up questions, multiple interview rounds, and a skills assessment or portfolio presentation exercise.

• Research Kanopi: Familiarize yourself with Kanopi's work, values, and client base to demonstrate genuine interest and understanding during the interview process.

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