Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer
Company: Almabase
Location: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Job Type: FULL_TIME
Category: Product Design / User Experience
Date Posted: August 13, 2025
Experience Level: Entry-Level (1-3 years)
Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive end-to-end product design for key product areas, from initial concept through to final execution, ensuring a seamless user experience.
• Collaborate closely with product managers and engineers to define problems, develop creative solutions, and deliver high-quality, impactful products.
• Actively contribute to shaping Almabase's design culture by establishing best practices, building a robust component library, and mentoring future design hires.
• Design for multiple user personas, including advancement professionals, alumni, students, and administrators, each with distinct needs and technical proficiencies.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is titled "Product Designer," the responsibilities and required skills heavily emphasize UX/UI design, interaction design, and design systems thinking. The focus on B2B product experience and complex workflows suggests a strong need for analytical and problem-solving skills within the design process, aligning with operations-oriented roles that require process optimization and efficiency.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the complete design process from concept to execution for significant product areas, ensuring alignment with user needs and business objectives.
• Define and iterate on new interaction patterns and user flows for core workflows within the Almabase platform.
• Create clear, intuitive, and aesthetically pleasing interfaces tailored for professional users in complex B2B scenarios.
• Partner closely with engineers and product managers to translate design concepts into functional, high-quality product solutions.
• Balance the need for rapid iteration and speed with maintaining high standards of design craft and quality.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of product development by advocating for user needs and leveraging design thinking methodologies.
• Build, maintain, and evolve Almabase's design system using atomic design principles to ensure consistency and scalability.
• Share design knowledge, refine existing processes, and contribute to the overall enhancement of the design function as the company scales.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of individual design execution and strategic contribution to the design function itself, indicating a growth-oriented role. The emphasis on "owning complete design process" and "defining new interaction patterns" suggests a need for proactive problem-solving and a strong understanding of user-centered design principles, akin to operations specialists who optimize workflows.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred for roles requiring a deep understanding of user-centered design principles and technical integration.

Experience: 1-3 years of professional experience in digital product design, with a strong preference for experience in B2B environments.

Required Skills:

• Figma Mastery: Proficient in utilizing Figma for all aspects of the design process, including components, variants, auto layout, and library management, adhering to atomic design principles.
• Design Systems Thinking: Demonstrated ability to build, maintain, and contribute to scalable and maintainable design systems.
• B2B Product Experience: Proven understanding of professional user needs, complex workflows, and the nuances of designing for business-to-business applications.
• Visual Craft: Ability to create intuitive, appealing, and pixel-perfect interfaces that enhance user engagement and task completion for professional users.
• Business Acumen: Capacity to balance user needs with business practicality, technical constraints, and strategic goals.
• Communication Skills: Excellent ability to articulate design decisions, tell compelling stories, and present concepts with clarity and confidence to diverse stakeholders.
• Autonomy & Initiative: Proven ability to identify needs, take ownership of tasks, and drive initiatives forward with minimal supervision.

Preferred Skills:

• Frontend Knowledge: Familiarity with or experience in HTML/CSS, providing a valuable understanding of implementation constraints and possibilities.
• User Research: Experience conducting user research, usability testing, and synthesizing feedback to inform design decisions.
• Prototyping: Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes to effectively communicate design concepts and user flows.
• Agile Methodologies: Experience working within agile development environments and collaborating effectively in iterative cycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Figma mastery and design systems thinking is critical. For an operations professional, this translates to understanding structured frameworks, componentization, and the efficiency gains derived from standardized design elements, much like process standardization in operations. The "Business Acumen" and "Autonomy" requirements are particularly relevant, mirroring the problem-solving and self-direction expected in operations roles.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 comprehensive case studies detailing your involvement in the complete design process, from discovery and research to final execution and iteration.
• Problem-Solution Framing: Clearly articulate the user problems or business challenges identified and the design solutions developed to address them.
• Process Documentation: Illustrate your design process, including user flows, wireframes, mockups, and prototyping, demonstrating your methodology.
• Design System Contribution: Highlight any experience in building or contributing to design systems, showcasing component creation, pattern definition, and library management.
• Impact & Metrics: Where possible, demonstrate the impact of your designs through quantifiable metrics or qualitative feedback, showing how your work improved user experience or business outcomes.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Provide examples of how you map out and simplify complex user workflows for B2B applications.
• System Implementation: Showcase an understanding of how design systems are implemented and maintained, emphasizing consistency and scalability.
• Measurement & Analysis: Detail how you use user feedback, analytics, and testing to iterate on designs and measure their effectiveness.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is paramount for this role, requiring candidates to demonstrate not just visual output but also a structured, process-driven approach. This aligns with operations roles where process documentation, system implementation, and measurable impact are key evaluation criteria. Candidates should be prepared to articulate their design process with the same rigor they would apply to documenting an operational workflow.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Product Designer with 1-3 years of experience in Bangalore, India, the estimated annual salary range typically falls between ₹6,00,000 and ₹12,00,000. This can vary based on the candidate's specific skills, the depth of their portfolio, and performance during the interview process.

Benefits:

• Competitive Salary: Reflecting the value of design expertise in a growing SaaS company.
• Health Insurance: Comprehensive medical coverage for employees and potentially dependents.
• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation, sick leave, and public holidays.
• Professional Development: Opportunities for training, workshops, and conferences to enhance design skills and industry knowledge.
• Team Events & Activities: Regular team gatherings and social events to foster camaraderie and a positive work environment.
• Stock Options/ESOPs: Potential for equity in a profitable, bootstrapped company, aligning employee success with company growth.
• Flexible Work Arrangements: While the role is hybrid, there's an allowance for remote work when needed, offering some flexibility.

Working Hours: The standard work week is likely 40 hours, with the understanding that customer-facing activities (research calls) will occur between 4 PM and 2 AM IST. Collaboration with the internal product and engineering teams will largely happen during standard Indian business hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on current market data for Product Designers with 1-3 years of experience in Bangalore, India, considering the tech industry and SaaS sector. The benefits listed are typical for established tech companies in India and reflect a commitment to employee well-being and professional growth. The "Work timings" section highlights a crucial aspect of this role, requiring adaptability to support a primarily US-based customer base.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software as a Service (SaaS) within the Education Technology (EdTech) sector, specifically focusing on alumni engagement and fundraising platforms for educational institutions. Company Size: Almabase operates with a lean team, described as a "15-person PDEQ team (Product, Design, Engineering, Quality)," indicating a small but cohesive unit focused on product delivery. The overall company size is not explicitly stated but implied to be early-stage or growth-stage given its bootstrapped nature and team structure. Founded: Almabase was founded with a mission to democratize quality education by enhancing school fundraising efficiency. Its bootstrapped and profitable status since inception suggests a focus on sustainable growth and value creation.

Team Structure:

• The core product delivery unit is the PDEQ team, comprising Product, Design, Engineering, and Quality Assurance. This integrated structure fosters close collaboration and rapid iteration.
• Designers work directly alongside Product Managers and Engineers, implying a flat, collaborative hierarchy within the product development cycle.
• Reporting lines are likely to be to a Head of Product or CTO, given the team's composition.

Methodology:

• Agile & Iterative: The emphasis on shipping quickly, balancing speed with craft, and iterating based on feedback suggests an agile development methodology.
• User-Centric Design: A strong focus on understanding user needs, designing for adoption, and considering the entire user journey points to a user-centered approach.
• Data-Informed Decisions: The mention of "data insights" and designing for "action, not analysis paralysis" implies a reliance on data to guide product improvements and design choices.
• Design System Driven: The commitment to building and evolving a design system highlights a focus on consistency, efficiency, and scalability in design output.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Almabase's bootstrapped and profitable status is a key differentiator, suggesting a culture focused on long-term value and efficiency rather than rapid growth at all costs. The integrated PDEQ team structure is common in agile environments and promotes strong cross-functional collaboration, which is essential for efficient product development and operations.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at an entry-to-mid-level for a Product Designer. With 1-3 years of experience, the focus is on developing core design skills, understanding B2B product complexities, and contributing to a growing design practice. This level requires a blend of execution and a growing understanding of strategic product thinking.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will likely report to a Head of Product or a Lead Designer within the PDEQ team. Collaboration will be fluid, working directly with Product Managers and Software Engineers on a daily basis.

Operations Impact: While not a traditional "operations" role, the impact of a Product Designer is significant in enabling operational efficiency for Almabase's clients (educational institutions). By creating intuitive and effective tools for fundraising and alumni engagement, the designer directly contributes to the operational success and revenue generation of these institutions. Internally, the designer's work on the design system and processes directly impacts the efficiency and scalability of the product development lifecycle.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas like interaction design, user research, or design systems.
• Product Strategy Influence: As one of the early design hires, there's a chance to influence product direction and contribute to strategic decisions.
• Team Leadership: Potential to grow into a lead design role, mentoring junior designers and shaping team practices as Almabase scales.
• Cross-Functional Skill Development: Exposure to product management and engineering workflows can broaden understanding of the end-to-end product lifecycle.
• Domain Expertise: Develop deep knowledge of the EdTech sector, specifically alumni relations and fundraising, which is valuable in the SaaS industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth path for a Product Designer at a company like Almabase often involves increasing ownership of product areas, contributing to strategic product decisions, and potentially moving into leadership roles. This mirrors the career progression in operations, where individuals can move from process execution to process optimization, strategic planning, and team management. The emphasis on "shaping design culture" as an early hire is a significant growth opportunity.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The job description implies a physical office presence in Bangalore for the PDEQ team. While remote work is possible for extended periods when needed, the general expectation is for team members to be in the office when based in Bangalore. This suggests a hybrid model with a strong emphasis on in-office collaboration.

Office Location(s): Bangalore, Karnataka, India. Specific office address is not provided but it's noted that the PDEQ team works out of their office in Bangalore.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office environment is likely designed to foster collaboration, with team members working closely together on product development. The mention of enjoying working "with people around" suggests a preference for a vibrant, shared workspace.
• Tool Accessibility: Employees will have access to the necessary design and collaboration tools within the office, facilitating efficient workflow.
• Team Interaction: The office setting provides ample opportunities for informal interactions, knowledge sharing, and quick problem-solving sessions with engineers and product managers.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is likely 40 hours per week. However, a significant aspect of the role involves adapting to the time zones of US-based customers. This means conducting research and feedback calls between 4 PM and 2 AM IST, necessitating a flexible approach to the workday. Internal collaboration typically occurs during standard Indian business hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work arrangement, with a preference for in-office presence, is typical for companies that value team cohesion and spontaneous collaboration. The need to accommodate US customer hours is a critical factor for candidates to consider, reflecting a common operational challenge in global SaaS companies.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit, likely with an HR or recruiting representative.
• Portfolio Review: A dedicated session where candidates present their portfolio, discussing case studies, design process, and problem-solving approaches. This is a crucial stage to evaluate design craft and strategic thinking.
• Design Challenge/Case Study: Candidates might be asked to complete a design exercise or work on a take-home case study to assess their skills in a practical context. This could involve redesigning a feature or proposing solutions for a given problem.
• Team Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers and Engineers to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to integrate into the PDEQ team.
• Manager/Leadership Interview: A final discussion with a hiring manager or company leader to gauge overall fit, ambition, and alignment with company values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies as narratives, clearly outlining the problem, your process, the solution, and the outcome.
• Showcase Process, Not Just Polish: Highlight your thought process, the decisions you made, and why, rather than just presenting final polished screens. Include wireframes, user flows, and iterations.
• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data or metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. If direct metrics aren't available, use qualitative feedback or logical reasoning.
• Highlight B2B Nuances: For this role, emphasize any experience with complex workflows, professional users, and enterprise-level solutions.
• Design System Focus: If you have experience with design systems, be prepared to discuss your contributions, the principles you followed, and the benefits derived.
• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design choices, how you handle feedback, and your approach to collaboration.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Product: Familiarize yourself with Almabase's existing products and the EdTech fundraising landscape.
• Emphasize B2B Context: If given a challenge, think about the specific needs and constraints of advancement professionals and educational institutions.
• Focus on Clarity and Efficiency: Design solutions that are intuitive, easy to use, and streamline complex tasks.
• Articulate Your Thinking: Clearly explain the rationale behind your design decisions, focusing on user needs and business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes a deep dive into the candidate's design capabilities, problem-solving approach, and ability to collaborate within a product team. The portfolio review is critical, requiring candidates to demonstrate a structured, data-informed, and user-centric process, much like an operations professional would present a process improvement initiative.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Mastery is essential for component creation, variants, auto layout, and library management, adhering to atomic design principles.
• Design Systems (ARC): Almabase likely uses or is building its own design system, referred to as "ARC." Proficiency in using and contributing to such systems is key.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly stated, expect to work with data from product analytics tools (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics) to understand user behavior and inform design decisions.
• Reporting on design impact might involve collaborating with Product Managers to track key performance indicators (KPIs).

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly relevant to the designer's primary toolset, but understanding how the CRM and automation tools support the overall customer journey can provide valuable context for design decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma and design systems are the primary technical skills required. The ability to leverage analytics to inform design decisions is crucial, mirroring how operations professionals use data to optimize processes. Candidates should be comfortable integrating their design work with development workflows and understanding the impact of their designs on user engagement metrics.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven Impact: A strong focus on enabling educational institutions, contributing to a meaningful mission beyond pure profit.
• Craftsmanship & Detail: An obsession with details, pixels, typography, and the overall quality of the user experience.
• Speed & Iteration: A pragmatic approach that balances the need for speed with maintaining high standards of design and execution.
• User Advocacy: A commitment to understanding and designing for the needs of diverse user groups, ensuring clarity and ease of use.
• Collaboration & Ownership: A culture where team members take initiative, work closely together, and contribute to shared goals.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers work hand-in-hand with Product Managers and Engineers, fostering a highly integrated and collaborative product development process.
• Open Feedback Culture: The mention of participating in design critiques and providing thoughtful feedback suggests an environment where constructive criticism is valued and used for improvement.
• Knowledge Sharing: Early hires are expected to contribute to scaling design practices, implying a culture of sharing knowledge and best practices across the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture emphasizes a blend of mission-driven work, meticulous craftsmanship, and agile execution. The collaborative style within the PDEQ team is critical for efficient product delivery and aligns with operational principles of teamwork and shared responsibility.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing B2B Complexity with User Simplicity: Designing intuitive interfaces for complex professional workflows can be challenging, requiring a deep understanding of user needs and task flows.
• Supporting US Customer Time Zones: Adapting work hours to accommodate customer calls during evenings and nights IST requires flexibility and effective time management.
• Establishing Design Practices: As an early design hire, there's an opportunity to build and refine design processes, which can be challenging but rewarding.
• Scaling a Design System: Continuously evolving and maintaining a design system to support a growing product suite requires ongoing effort and strategic thinking.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen B2B Design Expertise: Gain significant experience in designing for complex enterprise software and understanding the unique needs of institutional clients.
• Contribute to Design System Growth: Play a key role in expanding and refining Almabase's design system, developing expertise in design system architecture and maintenance.
• Mentorship and Leadership: Opportunity to mentor junior designers and influence the direction of the design team as it grows.
• Exposure to Product Strategy: Contribute to product strategy discussions and gain insights into how design impacts business outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for growth-stage tech companies and often present significant opportunities for learning and professional development. Candidates who thrive in dynamic environments and enjoy shaping processes will find this role particularly appealing, similar to operations professionals who excel at optimizing and implementing new systems.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design Process: "Walk me through your process for designing a new feature, from initial concept to final handoff. How do you incorporate user feedback and business requirements?" (Focus on structured approach, user research integration, and iterative refinement.)
• Design System Contribution: "Describe your experience with design systems. What are the key principles of atomic design, and how would you contribute to building or maintaining one at Almabase?" (Highlight understanding of scalability, consistency, and component-based design.)
• B2B vs. B2C Design: "What are the key differences in designing for B2B products compared to B2C, especially when dealing with complex workflows and professional users?" (Showcase understanding of user context, task efficiency, and professional user needs.)
• Problem Solving: "How do you approach a complex design problem with ambiguous requirements? Can you give an example?" (Demonstrate analytical thinking, hypothesis generation, and iterative problem-solving.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• Almabase's Mission: "What excites you about Almabase's mission to transform education through design?" (Show genuine interest in the company's purpose and impact.)
• Design Culture Fit: "How do you contribute to a positive and productive design culture? How do you handle constructive criticism?" (Emphasize collaboration, open communication, and a growth mindset.)
• Working with Time Zones: "How do you manage your work schedule and collaborate effectively when dealing with customers in different time zones?" (Highlight flexibility, proactive communication, and time management strategies.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the solution, and the measurable impact (user metrics, business outcomes, or qualitative feedback).
• Showcase Your Process: Include wireframes, user flows, prototypes, and any research or testing artifacts to demonstrate your methodology.
• Highlight B2B Relevance: If possible, select case studies that showcase experience with complex B2B products or professional user interfaces.
• Design System Examples: If you have design system work, present it clearly, explaining the principles and components you developed.
• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your design choices, trade-offs considered, and rationale behind specific UI elements.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a structured, user-centric design process, an understanding of B2B product nuances, and the ability to contribute to a collaborative team culture. Candidates should be ready to articulate their design decisions with the same clarity and data-driven rationale expected in operations roles when discussing process improvements.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.
• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight 2-3 strong case studies that showcase your end-to-end design process, problem-solving skills, and impact, particularly emphasizing any B2B or complex workflow experience.
• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly outlines your 1-3 years of experience, highlights proficiency in Figma and design systems, and uses keywords like "UX/UI Design," "B2B Product," "Interaction Design," and "Visual Craft." Quantify achievements where possible.
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, rationale for design decisions, and how you handle feedback. Prepare to discuss your experience with design systems and your approach to collaborating with engineers and product managers.
• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Almabase’s mission, products, and the EdTech industry. Understand their bootstrapped status and how that influences their culture and operations.

⚠️ 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.