(mid.) Product Designer (x,f,m)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer (Mid-Level)

Company: DKB Code Factory

Location: Berlin, Germany

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX / Service Design

Date Posted: 2026-02-26

Experience Level: Mid-Level (0-2 years inferred)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the design and iteration of digital financial products, focusing on complex areas like Loans and Mortgages.

• Transform intricate financial services into intuitive, trustworthy, and user-friendly digital experiences.

• Collaborate closely with Product Owners, engineers, and stakeholders to translate research into tangible product improvements.

• Apply a blend of UX, service design, and product strategy principles to deliver real customer impact.

• Contribute to shaping product vision and roadmaps through a service design lens, mapping end-to-end customer journeys.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is for a Product Designer with a specific focus on the Loans & Mortgages domain within the financial services sector. The "mid-level" designation, combined with the 0-2 years inferred experience, suggests a role for someone who has foundational experience and is ready to take on more complex projects and contribute strategically. The hybrid work model implies a balance between in-office collaboration and remote flexibility.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conduct and iterate on mortgage discovery concepts, validating them through usability testing and close stakeholder alignment.

• Analyze user journeys for loan and mortgage products to identify usability pain points and design impactful UX enhancements.

• Translate user insights from discovery phases into successfully shipped product features and track their effectiveness using metrics like usability and engagement.

• Contribute to strategic product discussions, including vision and roadmap planning, by bringing a service design perspective and mapping comprehensive customer journeys.

• Enhance collaboration between design and product teams by refining handover processes and establishing consistent alignment with Product Owners.

• Act as a champion for customer-centricity, promoting a user-focused approach across all cross-functional teams.

• Develop and iterate on end-to-end customer journey maps to inform product strategy and identify areas for improvement.

• Facilitate workshops and design sprints to foster ideation and problem-solving within product teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a hands-on design role with a strong emphasis on user research, iteration, and cross-functional collaboration. The inclusion of "shipped product outcomes" and "tracking success using metrics" indicates a results-oriented approach to design, moving beyond conceptualization to measurable impact. The focus on "service design perspective" and "mapping end-to-end customer journeys" points to a broader, holistic approach to product development, considering the entire customer lifecycle.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is typically expected for Product Designer roles.

Experience:

• Minimum of 0-2 years of experience as a Product Designer, UX Designer, or in a similar design role.

• Prior experience within the financial services industry, particularly in digital lending or mortgage products, is highly preferred.

• Demonstrated experience in translating user research and discovery insights into actionable design solutions.

Required Skills:

• Proficient in Figma (including FigJam) for design, prototyping, and collaborative ideation.

• Skilled in using Miro for whiteboarding, user journey mapping, and workshop facilitation.

• Experience with collaboration and project management tools such as Jira and Confluence for workflow management and documentation.

• Strong understanding of Design Thinking methodologies and the full product development lifecycle, from discovery to delivery.

• Ability to analyze complex user data and translate findings into clear, actionable design recommendations.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

• Strategic thinking and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with service design principles and methodologies.

• Familiarity with conducting and analyzing usability testing.

• Knowledge of agile development processes.

• Experience in banking or fintech environments.

• Ability to create and present comprehensive customer journey maps.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on specific tools like Figma, FigJam, and Miro, along with Jira and Confluence, indicates a need for candidates who are already proficient in these commonly used design and collaboration platforms within product teams. The requirement for German and English fluency is a critical differentiator for this role in Berlin.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating your product design process from problem identification to solution delivery.

• For each case study, clearly articulate the user problem, your role and contribution, the design process followed (including research, ideation, prototyping, and testing), and the final outcome.

• Highlight projects that involved complex user journeys or regulated environments, such as financial services, if applicable.

• Demonstrate your proficiency with design tools such as Figma, FigJam, and Miro within your case studies.

Process Documentation:

• Be prepared to discuss your approach to user research and discovery, including methods for validating concepts and gathering feedback.

• Explain your process for analyzing user data and identifying key usability issues within complex product areas like loans and mortgages.

• Detail your workflow for translating insights into design solutions, including prototyping, iteration, and handover to engineering.

• Describe how you approach collaboration with Product Owners and cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and successful product delivery.

• Be ready to explain how you contribute to product vision and roadmap discussions from a design and service design perspective.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is crucial for this role, especially for demonstrating the ability to handle complex financial products. Candidates should be ready to walk through their process, highlighting how they've used design thinking, user research, and specific tools to solve problems and drive impact. The emphasis on translating insights into shipped product outcomes is key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the location (Berlin, Germany), the mid-level experience (0-2 years), and the industry (Tech/Finance), a competitive salary range for a Product Designer would typically fall between €45,000 and €65,000 annually. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for similar roles in major German tech hubs, considering the specific skills and responsibilities outlined.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary package.

• Opportunities for professional development and continuous learning in the FinTech space.

• Hybrid working model offering flexibility between office-based collaboration and remote work.

• Access to DKB Code Factory's vibrant community and team events.

• Contribution to building digital products used by millions of customers.

• Potential for participation in after-work events and team-building activities.

• Comprehensive benefits package typical for German tech companies (specifics to be confirmed with employer).

Working Hours: The standard working hours are likely around 40 hours per week, typical for a full-time position in Germany. The hybrid work arrangement allows for flexibility in structuring these hours, with expectations for core collaboration times.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is an estimate based on general market data for Product Designers in Berlin with 0-2 years of experience. Actual compensation will depend on the candidate's specific skills, experience, and negotiation. The listed benefits are inferred from the company culture description and typical offerings for tech roles in Germany.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology / FinTech / Banking Services. DKB Code Factory operates within the digital transformation arm of DKB (Deutsche Kreditbank AG), focusing on creating innovative digital solutions for millions of banking customers. This industry context means a strong emphasis on security, reliability, and user trust, balanced with a modern, agile approach to product development.

Company Size: DKB Code Factory is part of DKB, a significant banking institution. While the specific size of the Code Factory team isn't detailed, it operates within a larger organization, suggesting access to resources and a stable environment while fostering an agile, startup-like culture within its digital product teams.

Founded: While the founding date of DKB Code Factory isn't provided, DKB itself was founded in 1996. The Code Factory represents a modern initiative within an established financial institution to drive digital innovation.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team likely operates within a Product Squad structure, working closely with Product Owners, Software Engineers, and QA specialists.

• Designers are expected to collaborate extensively across disciplines, contributing to product strategy from concept through to execution.

Methodology:

• Agile Development: The use of tools like Jira and Confluence, along with the emphasis on iterative design and collaboration, points to an agile or hybrid agile development methodology.

• Customer-Centricity: A core value, driving all design and product decisions based on user needs and feedback.

• Data-Driven Design: Insights from user data and engagement metrics are used to inform design iterations and measure success.

• Service Design: A key approach to understanding and designing the entire customer journey, not just isolated digital touchpoints.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: DKB Code Factory aims to blend the agility and innovation of a tech startup with the stability and customer base of a large bank. The culture encourages staying curious, being oneself, and working collaboratively. The focus on digital products for millions of users means a high degree of responsibility and impact.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Mid-Level Product Designer role. It signifies a step beyond entry-level positions, requiring demonstrated ability to work independently on significant design challenges, contribute to product strategy, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams. The designer is expected to take ownership of specific product areas and drive design initiatives with minimal supervision.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will likely report to a Design Lead or Head of Product Design, and work within a dedicated Product Squad reporting to a Product Owner. There's a strong emphasis on close collaboration with Product Owners and engineers.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's impact is directly tied to improving the usability, trustworthiness, and engagement of critical financial products like loans and mortgages. By creating seamless and intuitive user experiences, they contribute to customer satisfaction, retention, and ultimately, the bank's digital business objectives. Their work influences product vision and roadmap prioritization, directly affecting the company's strategic direction in the digital banking space.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in financial services design, service design, or UX research.

• Leadership Development: Progress to Senior Product Designer, Lead Designer, or Design Manager roles, taking on more strategic responsibilities and mentoring junior designers.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Gain experience in product management or other areas of digital product development.

• Industry Exposure: Work on cutting-edge digital banking solutions and contribute to the evolution of financial services.

• Continuous Learning: Access to internal and external training, workshops, and conferences to stay abreast of design trends and technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a clear path for growth within product design, with opportunities to specialize, lead, and impact critical business areas. The combination of a stable company backing and an agile product development environment provides a solid foundation for career progression.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is advertised as Hybrid, indicating a blend of remote work and in-office collaboration. DKB Code Factory likely has a modern office space designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and community.

Office Location(s): Berlin, Germany. This location is a hub for tech and design talent, offering a vibrant urban environment. Specific office details would typically be available upon inquiry or during the interview process.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The office environment is expected to feature collaborative zones, meeting rooms, and potentially quiet areas for focused work, supporting the hybrid model.

• Technology & Tools: Access to the necessary design software (Figma, Miro, etc.), hardware, and robust IT infrastructure to support both remote and in-office work.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular face-to-face interaction with design peers, Product Owners, engineers, and other stakeholders, fostering strong team dynamics and knowledge sharing.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is typical, with flexibility inherent in the hybrid model. Core working hours will likely be established to ensure team synchronization and effective collaboration, particularly for meetings and workshops.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role suggests a modern work policy that balances employee flexibility with the need for in-person collaboration, crucial for design sprints and team cohesion.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with HR or a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest in the role.

• Portfolio Review & Technical Interview: A deep dive into your portfolio with a Design Lead or senior designer. Expect to walk through 1-2 case studies, discussing your process, decision-making, and impact. This stage may also include theoretical questions about design principles, UX methodologies, and problem-solving approaches.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A conversation with the hiring manager (likely a Head of Design or Product Lead) to discuss your experience, career aspirations, and how you align with the team's vision and the company's culture.

• Cross-functional Interview: An interview with key stakeholders, such as a Product Owner and/or a Lead Engineer, to assess your collaboration skills, communication style, and ability to work effectively within a product team.

• Final Interview/Offer: Possibly a final discussion with senior leadership or a confirmation of the offer.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your strongest, most relevant case studies. Prioritize projects that showcase your process for complex problems in regulated environments, ideally financial services.

• Tell a Story: Structure each case study as a narrative: the problem, your approach, your specific contributions, the challenges faced, the solutions developed, and the measurable outcomes.

• Highlight Process: Clearly articulate why you made certain design decisions. Show your thinking process, including research, user testing, iteration, and collaboration.

• Showcase Tools: Mention and demonstrate your proficiency with Figma, FigJam, Miro, and other relevant tools within your case studies.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, include metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased conversion rates, improved usability scores, reduced error rates).

• Be Concise: While detailed, ensure your presentation is clear, well-organized, and respects the interviewer's time.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Challenge: Be prepared for a take-home design exercise or a live whiteboarding session. This will likely involve a problem related to financial products or user journeys. Focus on demonstrating your problem-solving approach, user-centricity, and ability to think strategically.

• Process Explanation: Be ready to articulate your design process, how you collaborate with product and engineering, and how you handle feedback and iteration.

• Company Research: Understand DKB's mission, its digital products, and the specific challenges in the Loans & Mortgages domain. Tailor your responses to align with their goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not only design skills but also problem-solving abilities, collaboration proficiency, and strategic thinking. A well-prepared and relevant portfolio is paramount, and candidates should be ready to discuss their process in detail.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Core tool for UI design, prototyping, and design system management. Expect to use its advanced features for complex interfaces and collaborative workflows.

• FigJam: For brainstorming, workshops, user journey mapping, and collaborative ideation.

• Miro: Another powerful tool for visual collaboration, whiteboarding, user journey mapping, and workshop facilitation.

• Jira: For project management, task tracking, and workflow management within agile development teams.

• Confluence: For documentation, knowledge sharing, design specifications, and team collaboration.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly mentioned, familiarity with analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) may be beneficial for understanding user behavior and measuring design impact.

CRM & Automation:

• While primarily a design role, an understanding of how CRM systems and automation tools impact user experience within financial products could be a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency with Figma and Miro is non-negotiable for this role. Experience with Jira and Confluence is essential for effective team collaboration and workflow management within an agile development environment.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A fundamental value, ensuring all design decisions prioritize the needs and experiences of the end-user.

• Curiosity & Learning: Encouraging a mindset of continuous exploration, questioning, and skill development, especially within the dynamic FinTech landscape.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Fostering a supportive environment where ideas are shared openly, and teams work together to achieve common goals.

• Ownership & Accountability: Taking responsibility for design outcomes and driving projects to successful completion.

• Trust & Transparency: Building an environment where honest opinions are shared, and feedback is constructive, leading to growth.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Close working relationships with Product Owners, engineers, researchers, and other stakeholders are essential for a cohesive product development process.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: Regular design reviews, critiques, and feedback sessions to refine designs and ensure alignment.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the exchange of best practices, learnings, and insights across the design and product teams.

• Open Communication: Maintaining clear and open channels of communication to address challenges and celebrate successes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company emphasizes a culture where individuals can "stay yourself" while also "staying curious" and "staying together." This suggests a balance between individual expression and strong team cohesion, driven by shared values of customer focus, continuous learning, and collaborative problem-solving.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Financial Products: Designing for loans and mortgages involves navigating intricate regulations, complex financial concepts, and diverse user needs, requiring a deep understanding and thoughtful simplification.

• Balancing User Needs with Business Goals: Effectively translating user needs into product features that also align with DKB's business objectives and regulatory requirements.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent understanding and buy-in from diverse stakeholders (Product, Engineering, Legal, Compliance) throughout the design process.

• Iterative Improvement in a Hybrid Environment: Maintaining design momentum and effective collaboration in a hybrid work setting, ensuring seamless handovers and synchronized efforts.

• Staying Ahead of FinTech Trends: Continuously adapting design strategies and tools to keep pace with the rapidly evolving digital banking landscape.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Training: Opportunities to deepen expertise in financial services UX, service design, or advanced design tooling.

• Industry Exposure: Engaging with cutting-edge digital banking solutions and contributing to innovative financial products.

• Mentorship Programs: Access to senior designers and product leaders for guidance and career development.

• Conferences & Workshops: Support for attending relevant industry events and professional development courses.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Learning opportunities to understand the broader product development lifecycle and business context.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents exciting challenges in a high-impact sector, offering significant opportunities for professional growth and skill development in a dynamic environment.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design Process & Problem Solving: "Walk me through a complex product design challenge you faced, ideally in a regulated industry. How did you approach it, what were your key decisions, and what was the outcome?" Focus on demonstrating your structured thinking, user empathy, and ability to iterate.

• Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: "Describe a time you had to align diverse stakeholders with conflicting priorities on a design solution. How did you facilitate collaboration and reach a consensus?" Prepare examples showcasing your communication, negotiation, and influencing skills.

• Product Vision & Strategy: "How do you contribute to shaping a product's vision and roadmap from a design perspective? Can you give an example of how your design insights influenced product strategy?" Be ready to discuss your ability to think beyond UI and contribute to the 'why' behind product decisions.

Company & Culture Questions:

• Cultural Fit: "What does 'a place to stay yourself' mean to you in a professional context?" "How do you approach collaboration within a cross-functional team?" Be ready to articulate how your values and working style align with DKB Code Factory's culture.

• Motivation: "Why are you interested in designing for financial products, specifically loans and mortgages?" Demonstrate your understanding of the domain's importance and your passion for solving related user problems.

• Impact & Metrics: "How do you measure the success of your designs? Can you provide an example where you used metrics to iterate on a product?" Show your results-oriented mindset.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Flow: Structure your presentation like a story, guiding the interviewer through the problem, your discovery, your design journey, and the impact.

• Visual Clarity: Use clean, well-organized slides. Highlight key visuals, user flows, and prototypes.

• Focus on Your Role: Clearly define your contributions, especially if you worked on a team. Use "I" when discussing your specific actions and "we" when referring to team efforts.

• Explain the 'Why': For every design decision, explain the rationale based on user research, business goals, or design principles.

• Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about your process, tool usage, trade-offs made, and how you handle feedback.

• Demonstrate Tool Proficiency: Briefly showcase how you leverage Figma/FigJam/Miro in your workflow if relevant to the case study.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on articulating your design process, demonstrating problem-solving skills, highlighting your collaborative approach, and showcasing your understanding of the financial services domain. A strong portfolio that tells a compelling story is your most vital asset.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Greenhouse.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features 2-3 detailed case studies that showcase your product design process for complex problems, ideally within financial services or regulated industries. Clearly articulate your role, the problem, your approach, and the outcomes.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight relevant experience as a Product Designer or UX Designer, emphasizing skills in Figma, Miro, Design Thinking, and user research. Quantify achievements where possible, especially those related to user experience improvements or product impact.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, prepare to discuss your case studies in detail, and research DKB Code Factory's mission, values, and digital products. Be ready to discuss your experience with hybrid work environments and your familiarity with German and English communication.

• Company Research: Gain a deeper understanding of DKB's digital offerings, particularly in the loans and mortgages sector. Familiarize yourself with their stated values ("stay yourself," "stay curious," "stay together") and consider how your own approach aligns with them.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description incorporates AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions relevant to operations and design roles. All details, including salary estimates and specific benefit offerings, should be verified directly with the hiring organization during the application and interview process.