Design Director, Design System and Visual Experience

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Design Director, Design System and Visual Experience Company: OKX Location: San Jose, California, United States Job Type: Full-Time Category: Design Leadership / Operations Date Posted: 2025-10-03 Experience Level: 10+ Years Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic vision and execution for OKX's global design system and visual experience, ensuring brand consistency and product scalability across CeFi, DeFi, and Web3.
• Drive world-class art direction and visual storytelling to elevate the look, feel, and usability of all product touchpoints, directly impacting product adoption and retention.
• Scale and evolve the design system to foster efficiency, maintain quality, and unify design efforts across globally distributed teams.
• Provide strong leadership and mentorship to a global design team, cultivating a culture of growth, collaboration, and innovation.
• Partner closely with product, engineering, and marketing leadership to integrate design excellence into user journeys and business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a senior leadership position within Product Design, focusing on the critical intersection of Design Systems and Visual Experience. The emphasis on "global leader," "set the creative standard," and "influence at C-suite level" indicates a strategic, high-impact role that will significantly shape OKX's brand identity and user engagement across its diverse crypto offerings. The mention of "cross-functional design operations" suggests a need for operational excellence in managing design processes and team workflows.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive design system strategy that supports rapid iteration, global consistency, and brand differentiation.
• Oversee the art direction and visual design execution for all product interfaces, ensuring a cohesive and compelling aesthetic across the OKX ecosystem.
• Lead the evolution of the design system, defining component libraries, style guides, and best practices for product and engineering teams.
• Foster a collaborative environment where design, product, and engineering teams can effectively leverage the design system for efficient and high-quality product development.
• Manage and mentor a team of designers, providing guidance on visual design craft, design system utilization, and career development.
• Translate complex product requirements and business goals into clear, impactful visual design solutions and scalable design patterns.
• Champion design thinking and best practices across the organization, influencing product strategy and roadmap.
• Measure the impact of design system adoption and visual consistency on key business metrics such as user adoption, retention, and brand perception.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic leadership, hands-on art direction, and operational oversight of the design system. The focus on "scalable, unified systems" and "cross-functional design operations in high-growth environments" points to a need for robust process management and the ability to drive adoption across multiple disciplines.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Graphic Design, Product Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is typically expected for this level of leadership. Experience: A minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in design, with a significant focus on visual design, product design, and design systems. This should include recent experience in a management or leadership capacity, overseeing design teams and initiatives.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in visual design principles, typography, color theory, and layout.
• Deep understanding and hands-on experience in building, scaling, and managing comprehensive design systems.
• Strong capabilities in product design art direction and visual storytelling, with a portfolio demonstrating this.
• Proficiency in systematic design thinking and experience creating scalable, unified design patterns.
• Demonstrated experience in leading and inspiring globally distributed design teams.
• Exceptional executive presence and the ability to influence senior leadership (C-suite) and represent design externally.
• Proven track record of managing cross-functional design operations in high-growth environments.
• Strong understanding of user-centered design principles and their application in product development.
• Adaptability, solution-orientation, and comfort working in a fast-paced, demanding environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with Web3 culture, blockchain technology, and community engagement to enhance brand differentiation.
• Experience bridging visual design and product design systems during significant organizational growth phases.
• A track record of contributing to design communities (e.g., speaking at conferences, writing articles, open-source contributions, thought leadership).
• Proficiency in Mandarin for effective communication with engineering teams in Hong Kong and Singapore.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "10+" years experience level, combined with the emphasis on management, executive presence, and global team leadership, indicates this is a senior director or VP-level role. The requirement for "recent experience in management" and "hands-on execution as an IC" suggests a leader who can both strategize and provide tactical guidance.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A robust portfolio showcasing a strong foundation in visual design and art direction, with clear examples of aesthetic leadership and brand elevation.
• Detailed case studies demonstrating experience in developing, scaling, and maintaining design systems, highlighting their impact on consistency, efficiency, and product quality.
• Evidence of systematic design thinking, including examples of how scalable components and patterns were established.
• Documentation or examples of how design systems and visual guidelines were implemented and adopted across product and engineering teams.
• Case studies illustrating the ability to balance creativity with scalability and deliver impactful design solutions.

Process Documentation:

• Examples of strategies for fostering design culture, encouraging growth, and promoting collaboration within design teams.
• Documentation of processes for managing globally distributed teams, ensuring effective communication and project alignment.
• Evidence of successful collaboration with product, engineering, and marketing partners to ensure design excellence across user journeys.
• Demonstrations of how design direction was strategically set and how stakeholders at the highest levels were influenced.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's focus on design systems and visual experience, the portfolio should not only showcase creative output but also demonstrate operational rigor in how systems are built, maintained, and scaled. Case studies should detail the strategic implementation and measurable impact of these systems.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $300,533 - $450,799 USD per year. Benefits:

• Competitive total compensation package.
• Equity grants with refresh opportunities, reflecting long-term commitment and company growth.
• Learning & Development (L&D) programs and education subsidies to support continuous professional growth.
• Various team-building programs and company events to foster a strong organizational culture and camaraderie.
• Wellness and meal allowances to support employee well-being.
• Comprehensive healthcare schemes for employees and their dependents, ensuring robust health coverage.

Working Hours: While not explicitly stated, for a Director-level position, a standard full-time commitment is expected, likely around 40 hours per week. Given the hybrid nature and global team management, some flexibility may be required to accommodate different time zones and project demands.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is substantial, reflecting the senior leadership level, strategic importance of the role, and the high cost of living in San Jose, California. This range is consistent with Director-level positions in major tech hubs for specialized design leadership roles. The benefits package is comprehensive, typical for senior roles in the tech industry, with an emphasis on professional development and well-being.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Technology. OKX is a prominent player in the global crypto exchange market, offering trading services, OKX Wallet, and access to decentralized applications (dApps). Company Size: While not explicitly stated in the provided data, OKX is a large, global organization with multiple offices worldwide, employing a significant number of people across various functions. Founded: The founding date of OKX is not provided, but it has established itself as a leading institutional-grade crypto exchange.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design organization is undergoing a "new chapter of growth," suggesting an evolving and expanding team structure.
• This role will lead a "global leader in Design Systems and Visual Experience," implying a team that is likely distributed across different regions.
• The Design Director will partner with "product and business leadership," indicating a highly cross-functional reporting structure and collaboration model.
• Collaboration with "product, engineering, and marketing partners" is a key aspect, suggesting strong inter-departmental relationships.

Methodology:

• Emphasis on "design systems" to ensure consistency, efficiency, and quality across all product experiences.
• Focus on "art direction and visual storytelling" to elevate the brand and user engagement.
• Commitment to "systematic design thinking" for building scalable and unified systems.
• A culture driven by core principles: "We Before Me," "Do the Right Thing," and "Get Things Done."

Company Website: https://www.okx.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: OKX operates in the dynamic and rapidly evolving cryptocurrency space. The company culture is characterized by a belief in the transformative power of crypto, a focus on freedom, and strong core principles that guide their operations. The growth trajectory of the product design organization suggests an environment ripe for innovation and impact.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at the Director level, overseeing a critical function (Design Systems and Visual Experience) for a global organization. It requires significant experience, strategic vision, and leadership capabilities.

Reporting Structure: The Design Director will report into senior product or design leadership, likely a VP of Product Design or Chief Design Officer, and will partner closely with C-suite executives and other departmental heads (Product, Engineering, Marketing).

Operations Impact: The Design Director's work will directly influence how millions of users engage with OKX's products, from first-time traders to global institutions. By establishing a strong design system and visual identity, this role will be instrumental in driving product adoption, retention, brand differentiation, and overall user experience across complex CeFi, DeFi, and Web3 offerings. The role's success is tied to tangible business outcomes like increased engagement and brand perception.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to grow into a VP or Chief Design Officer role as the company and design function continue to expand.
• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape the long-term design strategy for a leading global cryptocurrency platform.
• Skill Specialization & Expansion: Deepen expertise in design systems, visual design leadership, and managing global design operations, potentially expanding into broader product strategy.
• Industry Impact: Contribute significantly to the visual language and user experience of the Web3 space, influencing how users interact with decentralized technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant career growth potential within a high-growth, innovative industry. The leadership scope, strategic impact, and exposure to cutting-edge technologies like Web3 provide a strong foundation for continued career progression within OKX or the broader tech/crypto landscape.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. This indicates a blend of remote work and in-office presence, allowing for flexibility while maintaining in-person collaboration. Office Location(s): Primarily San Jose, California, United States. The role also involves managing "globally distributed teams," suggesting interactions with colleagues and teams across various international locations.

Workspace Context:

• The San Jose office will likely serve as a hub for collaboration, team meetings, and strategic discussions, particularly for those working hybrid schedules.
• The role requires managing and collaborating with designers across different time zones, necessitating effective remote communication and collaboration tools.
• There will be opportunities for direct interaction with product, engineering, and marketing teams, fostering a cross-functional and dynamic work environment.
• Access to design tools and technologies is implied, essential for developing and maintaining design systems and visual assets.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time work schedule is expected (likely 40 hours/week). The hybrid arrangement offers flexibility, but managing global teams may require occasional adjustments to working hours to accommodate different time zones for critical meetings or urgent project needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work model in San Jose, coupled with the global nature of the teams managed, suggests a modern work environment that values flexibility and asynchronous communication, balanced with the need for in-person strategic alignment and team cohesion.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a recruiter screen to assess basic qualifications, experience level, and cultural fit.
• Hiring Manager Interview: Deep dive into your experience with design systems, visual design leadership, and team management. Expect to discuss your approach to art direction and scaling design.
• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A critical stage where you will present your portfolio, focusing on specific case studies related to design systems, visual experience, and team leadership. Be prepared to articulate your strategic thinking, process, and impact.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from Product, Engineering, and Marketing to assess collaboration skills, strategic alignment, and ability to influence.
• Executive Interview: A final interview with senior leadership (potentially C-suite) to evaluate executive presence, strategic vision, and overall fit for the organization.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that directly align with the job description: design systems, visual design leadership, art direction, and managing global teams.
• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed, the solutions you implemented, and the measurable impact (quantitative and qualitative).
• Highlight Systems Thinking: For design system projects, showcase the architecture, component library, governance, and adoption strategies.
• Demonstrate Visual Craft: For visual design and art direction, ensure your examples are high-fidelity and clearly illustrate your aesthetic judgment and ability to elevate brand experience.
• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use data to demonstrate the success of your initiatives (e.g., increased adoption rates, reduced design/dev time, improved user satisfaction scores).
• Prepare for "Why": Be ready to explain your design decisions, leadership philosophy, and how you'd approach building and scaling OKX's design system and visual identity.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design System Workshop: You might be asked to critique an existing system or propose improvements for a specific product area. Focus on scalability, consistency, and developer experience.
• Art Direction Scenario: You could be given a hypothetical product or feature and asked to define its visual direction and how it aligns with OKX's brand.
• Leadership/Strategy Discussion: Be prepared to discuss how you would manage a global team, foster collaboration, and influence stakeholders. Understand OKX's core principles and how they translate into design operations.
• Web3 Context: Research OKX and the broader Web3 landscape to demonstrate your understanding of the industry and how design can differentiate OKX in this space.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to rigorously assess strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and hands-on design expertise. A strong portfolio with well-articulated case studies demonstrating impact and operational understanding of design systems is crucial. The mention of Mandarin proficiency and Web3 culture in "Nice to Haves" suggests these may be explored during interviews.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects), Principle, Framer. Figma is likely the primary tool for design system development and collaboration.
• Design System Management: Tools for managing component libraries, documentation, and version control (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook, internal tools).
• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello, Slack, Microsoft Teams. Essential for managing global teams and cross-functional projects.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics, or similar for understanding user behavior and impact.
• Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI, Looker, or internal dashboards for reporting on design system adoption and impact.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a design tool, understanding how design systems integrate with CRM (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms can be beneficial for broader GTM alignment.
• Version Control: Git for managing design system code components.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in industry-standard design tools, particularly Figma, is expected. Experience with design system documentation platforms and project management tools is crucial for operationalizing the design system across global teams. Familiarity with analytics tools will be important for measuring the impact of design initiatives.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• We Before Me: Emphasizes teamwork, collective success, and prioritizing the company's goals over individual achievements. For operations, this means seamless collaboration and shared ownership of processes and outcomes.
• Do the Right Thing: Highlights integrity, ethical conduct, and making responsible decisions. In design operations, this translates to building fair, accessible, and user-centric systems and processes.
• Get Things Done: Focuses on execution, efficiency, and delivering results. This value is critical for a Design Director managing a fast-paced environment, ensuring the design system is actively used and drives product development forward.
• Data-Driven Approach: While not an explicit core principle, OKX's mention of "Proof of Reserves" and the general tech industry's reliance on data suggests a data-informed culture. This applies to measuring the impact of design systems and visual consistency.
• Efficiency & Scalability: Core to the role's responsibilities, the company values creating systems and processes that can scale effectively with growth.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Strong emphasis on partnering with Product, Engineering, and Marketing to ensure design excellence and alignment across all product touchpoints.
• Global Teamwork: Requires effective strategies for managing and collaborating with geographically dispersed teams, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose.
• Process-Oriented: The development and management of a design system inherently requires a structured, process-driven approach to ensure consistency and quality.
• Feedback & Iteration: A culture that likely encourages continuous feedback and iteration on design systems and visual assets to drive improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core values of "We Before Me," "Do the Right Thing," and "Get Things Done" provide a strong foundation for how design operations should function. The ideal candidate will embody these principles, fostering a collaborative, ethical, and results-oriented environment for their team and cross-functional partners.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling Design Systems: Evolving a design system to meet the needs of a rapidly growing, multi-product company (CeFi, DeFi, Web3) is a continuous challenge requiring foresight and adaptability.
• Global Team Management: Effectively leading and aligning a distributed, global design team presents challenges in communication, time zones, cultural nuances, and maintaining a cohesive team culture.
• Balancing Creativity & Consistency: Striking the right balance between artistic expression and the need for systematic consistency across a wide range of product experiences.
• Cross-Functional Buy-in: Ensuring consistent adoption and adherence to design systems and visual guidelines by diverse product, engineering, and marketing teams, who may have different priorities.
• Rapid Industry Evolution: Staying ahead of trends in design, technology (especially Web3), and the crypto market to ensure OKX's visual experience remains cutting-edge and relevant.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen Web3 Expertise: Gain unparalleled insight into the design challenges and opportunities within the Web3 ecosystem.
• Expand Leadership Scope: Opportunity to grow within a rapidly scaling organization, potentially leading larger design functions or taking on broader product strategy roles.
• Master Design Operations: Refine skills in operationalizing design processes, managing global teams, and demonstrating the business impact of design.
• Industry Recognition: Potential to become a thought leader by contributing to design communities through speaking, writing, or open-source initiatives, leveraging OKX's prominent position.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior design leadership roles in fast-paced, innovative companies. They offer significant opportunities for professional growth and skill development, particularly in areas of strategic leadership, operational excellence, and navigating complex product ecosystems.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach developing a design system for a rapidly growing company with diverse product offerings like CeFi, DeFi, and Web3?" (Focus on phased rollout, governance, and adoption strategies.)
• "Describe a time you had to influence C-suite executives to adopt a new design strategy or system. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?" (Highlight executive presence, data-driven persuasion, and stakeholder management.)
• "How do you balance the need for creative expression and art direction with the requirements of a scalable, consistent design system?" (Discuss frameworks for allowing flexibility within guardrails.)
• "What are your key principles for managing and inspiring a globally distributed design team?" (Emphasize communication, empathy, process, and fostering a shared culture.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your understanding of OKX and the crypto industry, how would you tailor our visual experience to resonate with both institutional clients and individual users?" (Showcase research and strategic thinking about target audiences.)
• "How do OKX's core values – 'We Before Me,' 'Do the Right Thing,' 'Get Things Done' – influence your approach to design leadership and operations?" (Connect your philosophy to their stated values.)
• "How do you measure the success and impact of a design system and visual experience initiatives?" (Discuss key metrics, ROI, and qualitative feedback.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly outline the problem, your strategic approach, the specific actions you took (design system architecture, visual direction, team management), the tools and processes used, and the tangible results achieved.
• Quantify Everything Possible: Use data to support your claims – e.g., "increased design system adoption by X%," "reduced UI development time by Y%," "improved user satisfaction scores by Z points."
• Showcase Leadership: For management-focused projects, illustrate your ability to mentor, guide, and inspire teams.
• Address the "Why": Be prepared to defend your design decisions and strategic choices. Explain the rationale behind your system's architecture, visual style, and management approach.
• Tailor to OKX: Weave in how your experience and approach specifically address the challenges and opportunities at OKX, referencing their mission, products, and values.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic vision, operational excellence in design systems, strong leadership, and a deep understanding of the crypto/Web3 space. Quantifiable results and clear articulation of impact are paramount.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Design Director position:

• Submit your application through the OKX careers site.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your most impactful projects that highlight your expertise in design systems, visual design leadership, and managing global teams. Ensure each case study clearly articulates the problem, your role, process, solutions, and measurable outcomes.
• Optimize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to emphasize your experience in design leadership, design systems, art direction, global team management, and cross-functional operations within high-growth environments. Use keywords from the job description.
• Prepare Your Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio presentation thoroughly, focusing on clear storytelling, strategic rationale, and quantifiable impact. Be ready to discuss your approach to OKX's specific challenges and opportunities.
• Research OKX: Deeply understand OKX's products, target audience, mission, and core values. Familiarize yourself with the crypto and Web3 landscape to demonstrate industry acumen.

⚠️ 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.

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