Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer (UX/UI) - Remote

Company: Pavago

Location: Kenya

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: May 06, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and develop intuitive, modern, and user-friendly digital experiences for web and mobile products.

• Conduct comprehensive UX research, including user interviews, usability testing, and surveys, to inform product strategy and design decisions.

• Create detailed wireframes, user flows, personas, journey maps, and interactive prototypes using industry-leading design tools.

• Develop and maintain scalable design systems, ensuring UI consistency, reusability of components, and adherence to brand guidelines.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Developers, and stakeholders to ensure seamless product handoffs and successful feature implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Product Designer," the description clearly indicates a strong emphasis on UX/UI responsibilities, including user research, wireframing, prototyping, and design systems. This role is geared towards a designer who can own the end-to-end design process from discovery to detailed UI. The "U.S. Hours (Flexible)" indicates a need for overlap with U.S. time zones for collaboration, which is common for remote roles serving U.S. markets.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead UX research initiatives, including planning and executing user interviews, usability testing sessions, and surveys to gather actionable insights.

• Develop detailed user personas, journey maps, and user flows to create a deep understanding of user needs and pain points.

• Design high-fidelity wireframes and interactive prototypes using tools like Figma, Adobe XD, or Sketch, ensuring a seamless user experience.

• Craft polished and visually appealing UI designs for both web and mobile applications, adhering to brand guidelines and design principles.

• Build, maintain, and scale design systems, including defining reusable components, typography, and color palettes, to ensure consistency and efficiency.

• Ensure designs are compliant with WCAG standards and best practices for accessibility across all digital products.

• Collaborate effectively with Product Managers to define product requirements and translate them into intuitive design solutions.

• Work closely with Developers to support smooth product handoffs, providing clear design specifications and assets via tools like Figma Dev Mode, Zeplin, or InVision.

• Continuously iterate on designs based on user feedback, analytics data (Mixpanel, Amplitude, Hotjar), and A/B testing results.

• Contribute to product discovery by translating complex problems into elegant and functional design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities are broken down into distinct phases of the design lifecycle, from research and discovery to UI design and handoff. The emphasis on using specific analytics and handoff tools suggests a data-informed and collaborative design process.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience, is typically expected for mid-level design roles.

Experience: 2-5 years of dedicated experience in Product Design, UX Design, or UI Design roles, with a proven track record of delivering user-centered digital products.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in conducting UX research methodologies (user interviews, usability testing, surveys).

• Proficiency in creating user flows, personas, and journey maps.

• Expertise in designing wireframes and interactive prototypes using Figma, Adobe XD, or Sketch.

• Strong UI design skills with a keen eye for visual aesthetics, typography, and layout.

• Solid understanding of UX principles, usability best practices, and accessibility standards (WCAG).

• Experience in building, maintaining, or contributing to design systems.

• Ability to translate user needs and business requirements into effective design solutions.

• Experience with responsive design principles for web and mobile applications.

• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with experience working alongside product managers and developers.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for SaaS platforms, consumer mobile applications, or enterprise tools.

• Basic understanding of HTML/CSS and how designs translate to code.

• Familiarity with analytics tools such as Mixpanel, Amplitude, and user behavior tools like Hotjar.

• Experience with A/B testing and interpreting results to inform design decisions.

• Experience scaling design systems across multiple products or platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements clearly distinguish between core competencies and desirable additions, signaling the ideal candidate profile. The "2+ years" requirement aligns with a mid-level position, and the "Nice to Have" section points to areas where candidates can further differentiate themselves.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio is mandatory, showcasing a minimum of 2-3 detailed case studies that demonstrate end-to-end product design thinking.

• Each case study should clearly articulate the problem statement, your role and contributions, the design process followed (research, ideation, prototyping, testing), and the final solution.

• Highlight your UX thinking, including user research methodologies employed, insights gained, and how they informed design decisions.

• Showcase your UI craftsmanship with high-quality mockups and interactive prototypes, demonstrating attention to detail and aesthetic sensibility.

Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate your ability to document design processes, including user flows, wireframes, and interaction specifications, in a clear and organized manner.

• Provide evidence of how you have used design systems or contributed to their development, showcasing reusable components and design tokens.

• Show examples of how you've collaborated with engineering teams, including design handoff documentation and how you supported implementation.

• Include examples of how you've incorporated user feedback and analytics into your design iterations, illustrating a data-driven approach to design optimization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "strong portfolio showcasing UX thinking and UI craftsmanship" is paramount. Candidates should prepare detailed case studies that not only display visual design but also the strategic thinking and research behind it. The mention of specific tools like Figma Dev Mode and Zeplin suggests a need for practical, ready-to-implement designs.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a mid-level Product Designer with 2-5 years of experience in Kenya, the typical annual salary range can vary significantly based on specific skills, the company's funding, and the scope of responsibilities. Based on industry benchmarks and cost of living in Kenya, a competitive range would likely be between KES 2,000,000 - KES 4,500,000 per year (approximately $17,000 - $38,000 USD).

Benefits:

• Fully Remote Work: Enjoy the flexibility and autonomy of working from anywhere within Kenya.

• U.S. Hours Collaboration: Opportunity to align with U.S. business hours, potentially allowing for flexible scheduling and work-life balance.

• Health Insurance: Comprehensive health coverage for the employee, potentially including dependents.

• Professional Development: Budget or opportunities for attending design conferences, workshops, and online courses to enhance skills.

• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation days, sick leave, and public holidays.

• Equipment Stipend: Potential for a stipend to acquire necessary work equipment or a home office setup.

• Performance Bonuses: Potential for performance-based bonuses tied to individual and company success.

Working Hours: The role specifies "U.S. Hours (Flexible)," implying a need for significant overlap with U.S. business hours for effective collaboration with product and engineering teams. While the exact start and end times may be flexible, approximately 40 hours per week are expected, with a focus on availability during core collaboration windows.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimates are provided based on general market data for Kenya and mid-level design roles. Actual compensation will depend on Pavago's specific compensation strategy and the candidate's qualifications. The "U.S. Hours" flexibility is a key point for candidates to consider regarding work-life integration.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology / Software Development. Pavago operates within the tech industry, likely focusing on SaaS platforms, consumer apps, or enterprise tools as indicated by preferred skills. This implies an environment that values innovation, agility, and data-driven decision-making.

Company Size: Information not directly provided but the context of hiring a Product Designer suggests a growing company, likely in the startup or scale-up phase, ranging from 50-250 employees. This size typically offers a balance of structure and agility, with opportunities for significant individual impact.

Founded: Pavago was founded in 2019. This indicates a relatively young company with established processes but still in a growth phase, offering opportunities to shape its trajectory.

Team Structure:

• The design team is likely integrated within product development teams, working closely with Product Managers and Engineers.

• The Product Designer will report to a Design Lead or Head of Product, forming part of a broader Go-To-Market (GTM) or Product organization.

Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is a core tenet, utilizing tools like Mixpanel and Amplitude for user behavior analysis.

• Agile methodologies are likely employed for product development, requiring flexibility and iterative design processes.

• A strong emphasis on user-centricity, ensuring product design directly addresses user needs and pain points.

• Focus on building scalable and maintainable design systems for efficiency and consistency.

Company Website: https://pavago.co/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's founding date and the nature of the role suggest a dynamic, growth-oriented environment. The emphasis on U.S. hours implies a global reach and client base.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at the Mid-Level (2-5 years of experience). The Product Designer is expected to independently manage design projects, contribute significantly to product strategy, and mentor junior designers if applicable. They are beyond an entry-level position and are expected to deliver high-quality work with minimal supervision.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will likely report to a Design Lead, Head of Product, or a Senior Product Manager. This structure indicates a clear line of management and guidance, with opportunities for direct mentorship and feedback on design strategy and execution.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's impact is central to the success of Pavago's digital products. By creating intuitive and engaging user experiences, they directly influence user adoption, engagement, retention, and ultimately, revenue. Their work directly translates business goals into functional and desirable product features, contributing to customer satisfaction and market competitiveness.

Growth Opportunities:

• Senior Product Designer: With proven success and expanded scope, opportunities exist to move into a Senior Product Designer role, taking on more complex projects, leading design initiatives, and mentoring junior team members.

• Lead Designer/Design Systems Lead: The role's emphasis on design systems presents a clear path to specialize as a Design Systems Lead, focusing on the architecture, governance, and evolution of the company's design language. Alternatively, progression to a general Lead Designer role overseeing a specific product area is feasible.

• Product Management Transition: For individuals interested in a broader product scope, the close collaboration with Product Managers and deep understanding of user needs could facilitate a transition into Product Management roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth paths outlined are typical for design roles in growing tech companies, emphasizing both specialization and broader leadership opportunities. The "opportunity to influence real product decisions" and "high ownership" suggest a role where impact is measurable and recognized.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote position, meaning there is no central office requirement.

Office Location(s): The role is based in Kenya, allowing candidates to work from their preferred location within the country. The "U.S. Hours (Flexible)" requirement indicates that while remote, there is an expectation of availability and collaboration during specific U.S. time zones.

Workspace Context:

• Flexibility: Work from home, a co-working space, or any location within Kenya that provides a productive environment.

• Technology: Access to modern design and collaboration tools is standard. The company provides or subsidizes necessary software and potentially hardware.

• Collaboration: While remote, expect frequent virtual interactions through video conferencing, instant messaging, and collaborative design platforms. The culture supports open communication and knowledge sharing among distributed teams.

• Focus: The environment supports deep work for design tasks, balanced with scheduled collaborative sessions.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, typically around 40 hours per week. The "U.S. Hours (Flexible)" designation means candidates should be prepared to adjust their schedules to accommodate overlap with U.S. teams, which might involve early mornings or late afternoons depending on the specific U.S. time zone being supported.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature combined with U.S. hour alignment is a critical aspect for candidates to understand regarding their daily schedule and work-life balance.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief review of your application and resume to assess basic qualifications and alignment with the role.

• Recruiter Interview: A conversation with a recruiter to discuss your background, experience, career goals, and understand your motivation for applying. This stage also assesses cultural fit and salary expectations.

• Portfolio Review + Design Task: This is a crucial stage where you'll present your portfolio, discussing 1-2 key case studies in detail. You may also be given a small design task or challenge to assess your practical design skills, problem-solving approach, and ability to articulate your design decisions.

• Client Interview: An interview with the hiring manager and potentially key team members (e.g., Product Manager, Lead Developer) to delve deeper into your technical skills, design process, collaboration style, and how you would contribute to the team.

• Offer: Final offer extended if all stages are successfully completed.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Storytelling: Structure your portfolio case studies as narratives. Clearly define the problem, your role, your process, the challenges faced, the solutions you designed, and the impact of those solutions.

• Demonstrate Process: Don't just show final screens. Include sketches, wireframes, user flows, research insights, and iterations to illustrate your thought process and problem-solving approach.

• Highlight UX & UI: Ensure your portfolio clearly showcases both your user experience (UX) thinking and your user interface (UI) design skills. Quantify impact where possible (e.g., "increased conversion by X%", "reduced task completion time by Y%").

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that align with Pavago's stated needs, such as SaaS platforms, consumer apps, or enterprise tools, and highlight your experience with design systems and accessibility.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design choices, how you handle feedback, your collaboration methods, and how you approach trade-offs.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brief: If a design task is provided, read the brief carefully and ask clarifying questions. Understand the core problem and the desired outcome.

• Time Management: Allocate your time wisely between research, ideation, design, and preparation for presentation.

• Focus on Process: Even for a small task, demonstrate your design process. Explain your assumptions, your approach to research (even if brief), and how you arrived at your solution.

• Articulate Reasoning: Be ready to clearly explain why you made specific design decisions, referencing UX principles, accessibility guidelines, or user insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured to evaluate skills, experience, and cultural fit. A strong portfolio that tells a compelling story about the candidate's design journey and impact is essential for success.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (primary), Adobe XD, Sketch. Proficiency in at least one, ideally Figma, is expected. Figma's collaboration features and Dev Mode are particularly relevant.

• Design System Management: Experience with tools or frameworks for building and maintaining design systems.

• Collaboration & Handoff: Zeplin, InVision, Figma Dev Mode for seamless handoff to developers.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Behavior Analytics: Mixpanel, Amplitude for tracking user actions and product usage.

• User Feedback & Heatmaps: Hotjar for understanding user behavior on web pages and gathering qualitative feedback.

• A/B Testing Tools: Familiarity with platforms for running A/B tests to validate design hypotheses.

CRM & Automation: While not directly a designer's primary tool, understanding how CRM systems (like Salesforce, HubSpot) and marketing automation platforms impact user journeys and data collection can be beneficial.

Other Tools:

• Project Management: Tools like Jira, Asana, Trello for managing tasks and workflows.

• Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams for daily team communication.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Figma, along with specific analytics and handoff tools, indicates a modern, data-informed, and collaborative design workflow. Candidates should be comfortable with this tech stack.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving user needs, ensuring that design decisions are always user-first.

• Data-Driven: Utilizing data and analytics to inform design choices, measure impact, and drive continuous improvement.

• Collaboration: Fostering a team environment where open communication, shared feedback, and cross-functional partnerships are valued.

• Excellence & Craftsmanship: A dedication to producing high-quality, polished, and intuitive design solutions with attention to detail.

• Innovation: Encouraging creative problem-solving and the exploration of new ideas to build best-in-class products.

• Efficiency: Striving for streamlined processes, reusable design patterns (through design systems), and effective handoffs to maximize productivity.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers are integral members of product teams, working hand-in-hand with Product Managers and Engineers throughout the product lifecycle.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: Embracing regular feedback from peers, stakeholders, and users to refine designs and improve product outcomes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Actively participating in design critiques, sharing best practices, and contributing to the team's collective knowledge base.

• Agile & Adaptable: Willingness to adapt to changing priorities and project requirements within an agile development framework.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values and collaboration style emphasize a dynamic, team-oriented, and results-driven environment where designers are empowered to make a significant impact.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing User Needs with Business Goals: Effectively navigating the inherent tension between delivering optimal user experiences and meeting business objectives, requiring strong negotiation and strategic thinking.

• Remote Collaboration Dynamics: Maintaining strong communication, team cohesion, and design consistency across a distributed team and time zones.

• Scaling Design Systems: The challenge of evolving and maintaining a design system as the product suite and company grow, ensuring it remains efficient and relevant.

• Rapid Iteration Cycles: Adapting to fast-paced product development cycles that require quick ideation, design, and iteration while maintaining quality.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced UX/UI Techniques: Opportunities to deepen expertise in areas like advanced interaction design, user psychology, accessibility, and inclusive design.

• Design Systems Specialization: Potential to become a subject matter expert in design systems, contributing to their architecture, governance, and adoption.

• Product Strategy Influence: Growing influence on product roadmaps and strategic decision-making by leveraging user insights and design expertise.

• Mentorship and Leadership: Opportunities to mentor junior designers and potentially take on leadership responsibilities as the team grows.

• Industry Trends: Staying abreast of emerging design tools, methodologies, and trends through company-sponsored learning or personal development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are common in growing tech companies and offer opportunities for significant professional growth and skill development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance conflicting user needs with business requirements. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your decision-making process, negotiation skills, and ability to find optimal solutions.)

• "How would you approach designing a new feature for a SaaS platform that needs to be intuitive for both novice and expert users?" (Demonstrate your understanding of user segmentation, progressive disclosure, and layered complexity.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Pavago and this specific Product Designer role?" (Research Pavago's products, mission, and recent news. Connect your skills and interests to their work.)

• "How do you ensure effective collaboration with remote product managers and developers?" (Share examples of your communication strategies, use of collaboration tools, and proactiveness.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process (research, ideation, prototyping, testing), your solutions, and the quantifiable impact. Use a story-telling approach.

• Focus on Impact: Emphasize the "why" behind your design decisions and the results achieved. Use metrics and data to support your claims whenever possible.

• Showcase Process, Not Just Pixels: Include sketches, wireframes, user flows, and iterations to demonstrate your thought process and problem-solving abilities.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your design choices, the tools you used, and the trade-offs you made. Be honest about challenges and how you overcame them.

• Tailor to Pavago: If possible, connect your past work to the types of products Pavago develops (SaaS, consumer apps, enterprise tools) and highlight your experience with design systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a strong design process, user-centricity, collaborative skills, and the ability to articulate design decisions and their impact clearly.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Workable.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio is up-to-date and prominently features 2-3 detailed case studies that highlight your UX thinking, UI craftsmanship, and experience with relevant tools (Figma, prototyping, design systems). Tailor your case study selection to align with Pavago's product types (SaaS, consumer apps, enterprise).

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly state your years of experience in Product Design/UX/UI and highlight key skills and responsibilities mentioned in the job description, using keywords like "UX Research," "UI Design," "Figma," "Design Systems," and "Responsive Design."

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, decision-making, and the impact of your work. Prepare to discuss your portfolio in detail and be ready for potential design challenges.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Pavago, its products, mission, and target audience. Understand how your skills and passion align with their goals and culture, especially regarding their focus on user experience and innovation.

⚠️ 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.