Middle Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Middle Product Designer

Company: UPSTARS

Location: Kyiv, Ukraine (Remote OK)

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-05-12

Experience Level: Mid-Level

Remote Status: Remote OK

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and enhance complex web interfaces for B2B iGaming products, focusing on user needs, business objectives, and key product metrics.

• Own critical product flows such as registration, authorization, user profiles, gamification, navigation, and search.

• Proactively identify UX issues, gather context, formulate hypotheses, and develop design solutions for implementation and validation.

• Initiate and conduct UX research, post-launch analysis, competitive reviews, and user behavior studies to inform design decisions.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Developers, Analysts, QA, Copywriters, Support, and other cross-functional teams to deliver cohesive product experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a "Middle" Product Designer, indicating a need for a candidate with a solid foundation of 3+ years of experience who can work independently on defined tasks and contribute meaningfully to product strategy. The emphasis on B2B iGaming products suggests a need for understanding complex user journeys and potentially high-stakes environments.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Product Interface Design & Optimization: Design and iteratively improve web interfaces for UPSTARS' B2B products, ensuring alignment with user needs, business goals, and measurable product metrics.

• User Flow Development: Take ownership of key product user flows, including but not limited to registration, authorization, user profile management, gamification elements, site navigation, and search functionality.

• Problem Identification & Hypothesis Generation: Analyze UX challenges, gather comprehensive context, formulate data-driven hypotheses, and prepare design solutions for implementation and subsequent A/B testing or validation.

• UX Research & Analysis: Proactively initiate and conduct user experience research, including post-launch analysis, competitive landscape reviews, and in-depth user behavior studies to identify opportunities for improvement.

• Design Deliverables Creation: Develop detailed user flows, wireframes, interactive prototypes, define various interface states, map out edge cases, and provide clear specifications and logic descriptions for the development team.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Engage in close collaboration with Product Managers, Software Developers, Data Analysts, QA Engineers, Copywriters, Customer Support, and other stakeholders to ensure a unified and effective product development process.

• Design System Consistency: Maintain and contribute to the company's design system, ensuring UI consistency across all product interfaces and features.

• Design Solution Presentation: Effectively present design decisions to the team, articulate the rationale behind the chosen approach, and actively participate in product strategy discussions.

• Technical Understanding: Possess a foundational understanding of frontend development constraints (HTML/CSS) to create feasible and optimized designs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a comprehensive product design lifecycle, from research and ideation to detailed design and collaboration. The emphasis on "product metrics" and "hypothesis generation" indicates a data-driven approach to design, which is critical for mid-level roles where candidates are expected to demonstrate impact.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is explicitly mentioned, a background in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field is often beneficial for understanding design principles and technical constraints.

Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years of professional experience in a Product Designer role.

• Proven track record of designing complex web and mobile interfaces within a product team environment.

Required Skills:

• Figma Proficiency: Expert-level experience with Figma, including mastery of components, auto layout, variants, styles, variables, prototyping, and preparing mockups for development.

• Design Process Mastery: Comprehensive understanding of the entire design process, from problem analysis and context gathering to design execution, validation, handoff, and post-launch analysis.

• Detail Orientation: Meticulous attention to detail in UI design, ensuring correct spacing, alignment, clear layer/frame naming conventions, consistent component usage, and accurate state representation.

• Problem-Solving & Autonomy: Ability to independently analyze tasks, define problems, clarify constraints, propose effective solutions, and drive them to successful completion.

• Proactive Communication: Aptitude for proactively seeking context, asking clarifying questions, identifying ambiguities, and ensuring a thorough understanding of tasks, constraints, and desired outcomes before commencing work.

• User Scenario Design: Expertise in designing detailed user scenarios, including user flows, page structures, form logic, navigation patterns, various interface states, error handling, tooltips, and validation rules, as well as edge cases.

• Interface Quality: Capability to create clean, consistent, and adaptive user interfaces.

• Product Metrics Understanding: Familiarity with product metrics such as conversion rates, engagement, retention, and churn, and an understanding of their impact on design decisions.

• Hypothesis Formulation: Ability to formulate product hypotheses, articulate design rationales, and explain the expected impact on users and the business.

• UX Research Skills: Experience in independently conducting UX research or initiating and collaborating on research efforts with a team.

• Data-Driven Design: Proficiency in working with existing data, analytics, and user feedback to inform design choices.

• Technical Awareness: Basic understanding of frontend development principles, including HTML and CSS, to ensure design feasibility.

• English Proficiency: Intermediate English level or higher, essential for communication within an international team.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with behavioral analytics tools such as FullStory, Hotjar, Google Analytics (GA), or Tableau.

• Experience in conducting competitive analysis and presenting findings as actionable insights and recommendations.

• Experience in improving or developing design systems.

• Experience preparing detailed documentation, specifications, UX annotations, or descriptions for complex interface states.

• Experience in mentoring junior designers or a willingness to develop in this area.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Figma proficiency, detailed design process understanding, and the ability to work autonomously with a data-driven mindset are key indicators for a mid-level Product Designer role. The preferred skills suggest a company that values analytical rigor and a proactive approach to design optimization.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating your product design process from problem identification to solution and impact. Each case study should clearly articulate the user problem, your role, the design process followed, key decisions made, and the resulting outcomes, ideally with quantifiable metrics.

• Figma Mastery: Include examples of complex Figma work, highlighting your use of components, auto layout, variants, styles, and variables. Demonstrate your ability to create scalable and maintainable design systems or contribute to existing ones.

• User Flow & Wireframing: Present examples of user flows, wireframes, and interactive prototypes that illustrate your approach to structuring complex information and user journeys.

• Edge Case & State Management: Show your attention to detail by including examples of how you handle various interface states, error conditions, and edge cases within your designs.

• Impact & Metrics: Wherever possible, quantify the impact of your design solutions. This can include improvements in conversion rates, user engagement, task completion times, or reduction in support queries, supported by data.

Process Documentation:

• Discovery & Research: Provide evidence of your approach to user research, competitive analysis, and data analysis. This could be through research summaries, user personas, or journey maps.

• Design & Iteration: Document your iterative design process, showing how you moved from initial concepts to refined solutions, including wireframes, mockups, and prototypes.

• Handoff & Collaboration: Illustrate how you collaborate with developers and other cross-functional teams, including examples of design specifications, annotations, and a smooth handoff process.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Product Designer role, the portfolio is paramount. The emphasis here is on demonstrating a structured, user-centered design process, proficiency with core design tools (Figma), and the ability to measure and articulate the impact of design decisions. This aligns with industry expectations for mid-level designers to be strategic and results-oriented.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the provided information (Middle Product Designer, Kyiv, Ukraine, remote OK, 3+ years experience), a competitive salary range for a Middle Product Designer in Kyiv with remote flexibility typically falls between $2,000 - $4,000 USD per month. This estimate is derived from industry benchmarks for product design roles in Eastern Europe, considering the company's focus on international clients and the typical compensation for a mid-level position requiring specialized skills like Figma and UX research. The final salary will depend on the candidate's specific experience, portfolio, and performance during the interview process.

Benefits:

• Official Employment: Secure employment status officially registered in Ukraine or Poland.

• Generous Paid Time Off: 20 days of paid annual vacation, complemented by public holidays and sick leave, emphasizing work-life balance.

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical insurance provided through top-tier clinics, including coverage for psychological support via the Pleso platform.

• Flexible Benefits: A monthly "Benefit Cafe" allowance to be spent on personal preferences such as hobbies, sports, or other chosen activities.

• Engaging Events: Opportunities to participate in masterclasses, team-building activities, and corporate events.

• Continuous Learning Budget: An individual budget allocated for professional development, including courses, workshops, and access to a corporate English language program.

• Extensive Online Library: Access to a digital library for continuous learning and skill enhancement.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are expected to be 40 hours per week, aligning with full-time employment expectations. The remote-friendly nature of the role suggests flexibility in scheduling, within reasonable bounds to facilitate team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on common market rates for this role and location. The benefits package is detailed, highlighting a company that invests in employee well-being, professional growth, and work-life balance, which are attractive factors for experienced professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology / IT Services, with a specialization in B2B solutions for the international iGaming sector. UPSTARS also holds a B2B license for gambling services in Ukraine, indicating a commitment to regulated and transparent operations.

Company Size: The description mentions active scaling of projects and the "dream team," suggesting a growing company, likely in the range of 50-250 employees, aiming for significant expansion.

Founded: Founded in 2019 (based on context of obtaining the license third in the country and active scaling in 2026), UPSTARS has established itself as a product IT company focused on technological solutions and B2B services for international clients, emphasizing rapid growth and innovation.

Team Structure:

• Product Department: The role is within the Product department, indicating a structured approach to product development.

• Cross-functional Teams: Collaboration is highlighted with Product Managers, Developers, Analysts, QA, Copywriters, and Support, suggesting agile, cross-functional team structures common in product companies.

• Reporting: The Product Designer will likely report to a Product Lead, Head of Product, or a Senior Product Manager, within a flat hierarchy that values open communication and proactivity.

Methodology:

• Agile Development: The emphasis on cross-functional teams and iterative work implies an agile or hybrid agile development methodology.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: The focus on product metrics, UX research, and hypothesis validation points to a data-informed approach to product development and design.

• Automation: The company actively automates routine tasks to allow team members to focus on development and professional growth.

• User-Centric Design: The core responsibilities revolve around understanding user needs and improving user experience.

Company Website: https://career.upstars.com

📝 Enhancement Note: UPSTARS positions itself as a modern, agile product company with a strong focus on innovation and employee growth. The iGaming industry context is significant, requiring designers to navigate complex user journeys and potentially high-stakes environments. The company's values of teamwork, positivity, courage, openness, and a commitment to automation are key cultural indicators.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is designated as "Middle Product Designer," signifying a mid-level position. Candidates are expected to have a solid foundation (3+ years of experience) and the ability to work independently on moderately complex tasks. They are expected to contribute to design strategy, execute designs with high quality, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams. This level is a crucial stepping stone towards Senior Product Designer or specialized roles.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will report to a Product Manager or Head of Product. The environment fosters open communication, meaning direct interaction with stakeholders and team members across different functions (development, analytics, QA) is expected and encouraged.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's impact is directly tied to the success of UPSTARS' products. This includes improving user engagement, conversion rates, retention, and overall user satisfaction. By designing intuitive and effective interfaces for B2B clients, the designer contributes to client acquisition, retention, and the company's reputation in the competitive iGaming market. Their work directly influences the usability and effectiveness of the product, which in turn drives business outcomes.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas of product design, such as UX research, interaction design, or design systems, potentially leading to specialized roles.

• Career Progression: A clear career plan with performance reviews suggests a structured path towards Senior Product Designer, Lead Product Designer, or even management roles within the product department.

• Learning & Development: Access to individual training budgets, corporate English courses, workshops, and an online library provides ample opportunities for continuous skill enhancement and staying current with industry trends.

• Mentorship: Potential for mentorship from senior designers or product leaders, as well as the opportunity to mentor junior designers as they progress.

• Industry Exposure: Working within the iGaming sector offers unique challenges and learning experiences related to user behavior, regulation, and competitive landscapes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Middle" designation implies a candidate ready to take on significant responsibility and contribute strategically, not just execute tasks. The emphasis on a clear career plan and various learning avenues indicates a company that invests in its employees' long-term development within the product design field.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company offers flexibility, allowing employees to work from their offices or remotely. This indicates a hybrid or fully remote-friendly approach, prioritizing employee comfort and accessibility.

Office Location(s): While remote work is an option, UPSTARS maintains offices in Kyiv, Ukraine. Specific details about office amenities or accessibility are not provided, but the option suggests a physical hub for collaboration and in-person interaction if desired.

Workspace Context:

• Flexibility & Comfort: The ability to choose between office and remote work ensures a comfortable and personalized work environment, catering to individual preferences and needs.

• Tools & Technology: Employees will have access to modern design tools, primarily Figma, and collaboration platforms essential for remote and cross-functional work. The company's commitment to automation suggests efficient workflows and readily available digital resources.

• Collaboration & Interaction: Whether remote or in-office, the environment encourages collaboration through various channels. Regular team events, masterclasses, and open communication practices foster a connected and interactive work atmosphere.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is 40 hours per week. Given the remote option and focus on automation, there's likely a degree of flexibility in daily hours, provided that core working hours for team collaboration and meetings are met. This flexibility supports a healthy work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The blend of office and remote work options, coupled with a focus on employee comfort and efficient workflows, suggests a modern and adaptable work environment. This flexibility is a significant draw for product design professionals seeking autonomy and work-life balance.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio to assess alignment with the role's requirements and the company's needs.

• Technical Interview (Product Design Focus): This stage will likely involve a deep dive into your portfolio, discussing your design process, problem-solving approaches, and specific project details. Expect questions about your experience with Figma, UX research methodologies, and how you've used product metrics to drive design decisions.

• Case Study Presentation: You may be asked to present a detailed case study from your portfolio or tackle a small design challenge/scenario to demonstrate your thinking process, communication skills, and ability to articulate design rationale.

• Cross-functional Team Interaction: An opportunity to meet with potential team members, including Product Managers, Developers, or Analysts, to assess cultural fit and collaboration style.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader or hiring manager to discuss career aspirations, company alignment, and finalize the offer.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies to tell a compelling narrative – the problem, your process, your solution, and the impact. Clearly define your role in each project.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (wireframes, prototypes, final UIs) to illustrate your design journey. Highlight your Figma skills by showcasing component usage, auto layout, and design system elements.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, present data and metrics that demonstrate the success of your designs. Explain how your work contributed to business objectives or user satisfaction.

• Process Clarity: Clearly articulate your design process, including user research, ideation, iteration, and collaboration. Show how you handle constraints and trade-offs.

• Tailor to UPSTARS: While showcasing your best work, subtly highlight projects or skills that align with UPSTARS' focus on B2B, iGaming, complex user flows, and data-driven design.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a design challenge, ensure you fully understand the problem statement, target audience, and any constraints provided.

• Articulate Your Approach: Focus on explaining your thought process step-by-step. Discuss how you would approach research, ideation, and solution development.

• Prioritize: Demonstrate an understanding of prioritization, especially when faced with multiple requirements or constraints.

• Be Realistic: For technical constraints, show an awareness of what's feasible from a development perspective.

• Ask Questions: Don't hesitate to ask clarifying questions to ensure you're addressing the core of the challenge.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes a practical demonstration of design skills and process. Candidates should be prepared to deeply discuss their portfolio and articulate their decision-making rationale, showcasing their ability to contribute strategically to product development.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: This is the core design tool, and proficiency is mandatory. Candidates must demonstrate advanced usage, including components, auto layout, styles, variants, variables, and prototyping.

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma has robust prototyping capabilities, familiarity with other tools like InVision or Adobe XD might be beneficial, though not explicitly required.

• Collaboration Platforms: Tools like Slack, Jira, Confluence, or similar for team communication, project management, and documentation.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Behavioral Analytics: Experience with tools like FullStory, Hotjar, or similar for user session recording and heatmapping is preferred.

• Web Analytics: Familiarity with Google Analytics (GA) or similar platforms for tracking user behavior and key metrics is valuable.

• Data Visualization: Experience with tools like Tableau or similar for analyzing data and presenting insights is a plus.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly listed for the designer role, understanding how CRM systems (like Salesforce, HubSpot) and automation platforms (like Zapier, Marketo) interact with the product can provide valuable context for user journey design. The company's emphasis on automation suggests an internally driven focus on process efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is clearly the central tool. The preferred analytics tools indicate a company that values data-informed design decisions and wants its designers to leverage user behavior insights effectively.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Teamwork: A core value, emphasizing collaborative efforts in work, rest, and community initiatives. This means actively contributing to team success and fostering a supportive environment.

• Positivity: Approaching work and challenges with a positive attitude, deriving drive from successful outcomes, engaging tasks, and constructive feedback from teammates.

• Opportunities: A commitment to providing clear career paths, performance reviews, training, and mentorship to facilitate both professional and personal growth.

• Courage: Willingness to take on challenging and ambitious projects, embrace risks, and tackle complex problems head-on.

• Openness: Encouraging direct and transparent communication, valuing diverse ideas and feedback, and rewarding proactivity.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The design team works closely with product management, development, analytics, and QA, fostering a highly integrated and collaborative workflow.

• Feedback Culture: An environment that encourages open feedback exchange, allowing for continuous improvement of designs and processes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Practices that promote sharing of insights, best practices, and learnings across teams, contributing to collective growth and efficiency.

• Efficiency & Automation: A drive towards automating routine tasks to maximize time for creative work, problem-solving, and professional development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is built around strong collaboration, individual growth, and a proactive, positive approach to work. These values are critical for a product designer who needs to work effectively within cross-functional teams and contribute to an innovative environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complex User Journeys: Designing for the iGaming industry, especially with B2B clients, can involve intricate user flows, regulatory considerations, and diverse user needs, requiring careful planning and user empathy.

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Effectively translating the needs of B2B clients, business objectives, and internal stakeholders into cohesive and user-friendly designs.

• Rapid Iteration & Validation: The fast-paced nature of product development requires designers to quickly iterate on solutions and effectively validate them through research and data analysis.

• Maintaining Design System Scalability: As the product suite grows, ensuring the design system remains robust, scalable, and consistently applied across all interfaces.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Skill Development: Deepen expertise in UX research methodologies, interaction design patterns, or advanced Figma techniques.

• Industry Knowledge: Gain deep insights into the B2B iGaming sector, understanding its unique market dynamics, user behaviors, and technological trends.

• Leadership Potential: Opportunities to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives, or contribute to product strategy, paving a path towards senior or lead roles.

• Continuous Learning: Access to a personal training budget, corporate English classes, workshops, and an extensive online library supports ongoing professional development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a growing product company in a specialized industry. The growth opportunities are well-defined, emphasizing both skill enhancement and career progression within the product design field.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Product Vision & Strategy: "How would you approach designing a new feature for a B2B iGaming platform to increase client engagement?" (Prepare to discuss user research, feature ideation, and metric-driven design.)

• Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: "Describe a time you had to balance conflicting feedback from a Product Manager and a Development Lead. How did you resolve it?" (Focus on communication, negotiation, and data-backed decision-making.)

• Problem-Solving & Process: "Walk me through your process for identifying and solving a complex UX problem in a previous role. What tools and methods did you use?" (Be ready to detail your systematic approach, from problem definition to solution validation.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• Company Operations & Culture: "Based on what you know about UPSTARS, what aspects of our culture and values resonate most with you as a Product Designer, and why?" (Research company values and connect them to your work style and aspirations.)

• Team Dynamics: "How do you prefer to collaborate with Product Managers and Developers? Can you give an example of a successful collaboration?" (Highlight your teamwork skills and understanding of cross-functional dynamics.)

• Impact Measurement: "How do you measure the success of your design solutions? Can you share an example of how your design impacted a key product metric?" (Prepare specific examples with quantifiable results.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Flow: Structure your presentation around clear case studies, each with a beginning (problem), middle (process/solution), and end (impact).

• Highlight Your Role: Clearly define your contributions and responsibilities in each project, especially if it was a team effort.

• Showcase Figma Skills: Demonstrate your mastery of Figma by highlighting your use of components, auto layout, design systems, and prototyping features.

• Data & Metrics: Present data visually and explain how your design decisions led to specific, positive outcomes. Quantify impact wherever possible.

• Interactive Elements: If possible, use interactive prototypes within your presentation to give a feel for the user experience. Be prepared to explain design rationale and trade-offs transparently.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just design execution but also strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication within a product development context. The portfolio is the primary tool to showcase these capabilities.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Middle Product Designer position:

• Submit Your Application: Navigate to the provided career link (https://career.upstars.com/jobs/7723976-middle-product-designer) and submit your application.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio is up-to-date and showcases your best work, especially projects demonstrating expertise in Figma, complex user flows, and data-driven design. Tailor it to highlight relevant experience in B2B, iGaming, or similar complex product environments.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly articulate your 3+ years of experience, emphasizing key skills such as Figma proficiency, UX research, user flow design, and your impact on product metrics. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on explaining your design process, decision-making rationale, and quantifiable results. Prepare to discuss your experience with the tools and methodologies mentioned.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with UPSTARS' company values, industry focus (iGaming), and product offerings. Understand their commitment to automation and their positive, courageous culture to align your responses during the interview.

⚠️ 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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