Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: SimplyCook

Location: London, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: March 06, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end design of customer-facing web and mobile applications, ensuring a cohesive and consistent user experience across all platforms.

• Collaborate within cross-functional product squads, driving design from initial discovery and user journey mapping through to final UI details and user testing.

• Leverage data, customer research, and experimentation to inform product direction and advocate for best-in-class user experiences.

• Contribute to the evolution and improvement of SimplyCook's internal design system and design practices within a fast-growing environment.

• Apply creative thinking and first-principles reasoning to solve complex user problems and deliver intuitive, accessible designs.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a lead Product Designer within a cross-functional squad, indicating a need for a candidate with significant experience in influencing product direction and mentoring junior designers, even if not explicitly stated as a management role. The emphasis on "leading design" and "contributing to the future vision" suggests a strategic contribution beyond typical execution tasks.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead the design strategy and execution for SimplyCook's externally-facing web and mobile applications, ensuring a unified and delightful customer journey.

• Take ownership of the design lifecycle within a product squad, from user research and journey mapping to wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity UI design.

• Conduct and interpret customer research, user testing, and A/B experiments to gather insights and validate design decisions, ensuring a data-informed approach.

• Translate complex user needs and business requirements into intuitive, accessible, and aesthetically pleasing user interfaces and experiences.

• Actively participate in design critiques, provide constructive feedback, and foster a collaborative design environment to elevate the overall quality of design outputs.

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of a robust and scalable design system, ensuring consistency and efficiency across all product touchpoints.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Developers, Data Analysts, and other stakeholders to ensure design feasibility, alignment with technical constraints, and successful product implementation.

• Champion user-centric design principles and advocate for the user throughout the product development process, balancing user needs with business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a blend of strategic leadership ("Lead design," "contributing to future vision") and hands-on execution ("creation and user testing," "final UI details"). This suggests the candidate will be expected to both define design direction and meticulously craft the user experience. The mention of "React Native framework" implies a need for understanding or experience with the nuances of designing for this platform.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 5-10 years of professional experience in Product Design, with a strong focus on designing for externally-facing web and mobile applications.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience leading the design of complex, customer-facing web and mobile applications within a fast-paced, growth-oriented company.

• Expertise in user-centered design methodologies, including user research, persona development, journey mapping, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing.

• Strong proficiency in design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite).

• Demonstrated ability to work with data and insights, using customer research and experimentation to inform product strategy and design decisions.

• Excellent communication, documentation, and facilitation skills to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

• A pragmatic approach to problem-solving, balancing user experience goals with technical constraints, business objectives, and delivery timelines.

• Experience in advocating for and implementing accessible design principles (WCAG compliance).

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for subscription-based e-commerce or food-related products.

• Familiarity with React Native framework and its design implications.

• Experience in building and maintaining design systems.

• Understanding of front-end development principles and constraints.

• Experience working within Agile/Scrum development methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience level (5-10 years) combined with the responsibilities of "leading design" and "improving design practices" suggests a senior or lead product designer role. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate not only their design execution skills but also their strategic thinking and ability to influence design direction and processes.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 significant product design projects that highlight your end-to-end design process, from problem definition to final solution.

• Include case studies demonstrating your ability to lead design initiatives for externally-facing web and mobile applications.

• For each project, clearly articulate the user problem, your role, the design process undertaken, key decisions made, and the measurable outcomes or impact.

• Demonstrate experience with user research, data analysis, and experimentation as drivers of design decisions.

Process Documentation:

• Documented examples of how you have leveraged customer research and data to inform design strategy and iterate on product features.

• Evidence of user testing methodologies employed and how feedback was integrated into design improvements.

• Examples of how you have collaborated with product managers, developers, and data analysts throughout the design and development lifecycle.

• Showcase contributions to design systems, including component design, documentation, and implementation guidelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on data and experimentation, a strong portfolio will need to clearly show how quantitative and qualitative data influenced design choices and led to measurable improvements in user experience or business metrics. SimplyCook's focus on a "tech-enabled food subscription business" means demonstrating an understanding of e-commerce UX and mobile app design is crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £55,000 - £75,000 per annum (estimated)

Benefits:

• Free SimplyCook Subscription: Enjoy a complimentary subscription to SimplyCook recipe kits, with additional kits available from the office.

• Hybrid Working Model: Flexible arrangement with Thursday as an anchor day in the Wandsworth office.

• Generous Holiday Allowance: 35 days of holiday per year, including bank holidays.

• Excellent Office Perks: Includes free meals and snacks, a dog-friendly workspace, fresh herbs to take home, complimentary parking, and access to a gym.

• Food Tastings: Opportunity to participate in weekly food tastings and provide feedback on new recipes.

• Summer Hours: Early finish at 3 PM on Fridays from June to August.

• Salary Sacrifice Schemes: Cycle to Work and Home & Tech schemes available for cost savings.

• Enhanced Parental Leave: Supportive parental leave policy for growing families.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours (estimated 40 hours per week), with summer hours offering earlier finishes on Fridays during June-August.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is estimated based on industry benchmarks for a Senior Product Designer in London with 5-10 years of experience, considering the company's industry and growth stage. Benefits are directly listed from the provided information and are highly attractive for attracting talent.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Food & Beverage / E-commerce / Subscription Service. SimplyCook operates in a dynamic and competitive market, leveraging technology to deliver a unique food experience directly to consumers. The company's mission is to bring joy and exceptional flavour to mealtimes, making it easy for customers to cook delicious meals at home.

Company Size: Small to Medium-sized (likely 50-250 employees, given the context of a "relatively small team" punching "well above our weight" and backed by Nestlé). This size suggests an environment where individual contributions are highly visible and impactful, but also requires individuals to be adaptable and wear multiple hats.

Founded: While the founding date is not provided, the company's growth trajectory and backing by Nestlé indicate a mature yet rapidly expanding business.

Team Structure:

• SimplyCook operates with cross-functional product squads, each containing members from Product Management, Design, Development, and Data Analysis.

• The Product Designer will be part of one such squad, reporting functionally to a Head of Design or Design Lead, and collaboratively to the Product Manager of their squad.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: The company emphasizes using data and insights to guide product direction and design choices.

• Agile & Collaborative: Work is conducted in a highly collaborative and agile manner, with a focus on rapid iteration and continuous improvement.

• Customer-Centricity: A strong focus on understanding and serving customer needs is paramount, driven by direct interaction and research.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to be a blend of startup agility and established corporate backing (Nestlé). This means opportunities for significant impact and growth within a structured yet flexible environment. The emphasis on collaboration and data suggests a team that values shared learning and evidence-based decisions.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Product Designer. This role is pivotal in shaping the user experience of a tech-enabled food subscription service. The designer will be responsible for both strategic product vision and detailed execution, influencing key customer touchpoints across web and mobile platforms. The role offers significant autonomy and the opportunity to make a tangible impact on customer engagement and business growth.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will work within a cross-functional product squad, likely reporting to a Product Manager for squad-specific priorities. They will also have a functional reporting line to a Design Lead or Head of Design, who will oversee design standards, provide mentorship, and guide career development within the design team.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's work directly impacts customer acquisition, retention, and overall satisfaction. By creating intuitive and engaging user experiences, they contribute to increased conversion rates, reduced churn, and enhanced brand loyalty. Their insights and designs are crucial for driving the growth of SimplyCook's tech-enabled subscription service and achieving ambitious business objectives.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Potential to grow into a Lead Product Designer or Design Manager role, taking on more strategic responsibilities and mentoring a larger team.

• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas such as e-commerce UX, mobile app design, or subscription service optimization.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain deep understanding of product management, engineering, and data science functions, broadening career perspectives.

• Impactful Projects: Work on high-visibility projects that directly contribute to the company's growth and success, offering substantial career advancement potential.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth opportunities are framed around increasing responsibility and specialization within the product design field, aligned with the company's growth trajectory. The role offers a clear path for a designer to evolve into a leadership position or a highly specialized expert.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: SimplyCook offers a hybrid working model, with a focus on collaborative anchor days in their physical office. The office is described as "beautiful" and "vibrant," located in Wandsworth, London.

Office Location(s): Juniper Drive, London, SW18 1UY, England, United Kingdom. This location is accessible and situated in a dynamic part of London.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office serves as a central point for team collaboration, innovation, and community building, particularly on anchor days.

• Resource-Rich: The workspace is equipped with amenities such as free meals, snacks, and access to a gym, fostering employee well-being.

• Dog-Friendly: A welcoming environment for pet owners, contributing to a relaxed and inclusive atmosphere.

• Tech-Enabled: While not explicitly detailed, a tech-enabled food subscription business would typically provide designers with modern hardware and software necessary for their work.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is full-time, with flexibility offered through the hybrid model. Additionally, "Summer Hours" from June to August provide an earlier finish on Fridays, promoting work-life balance during warmer months.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model with designated anchor days suggests a company that values both in-person collaboration and individual flexibility. The office perks and dog-friendly policy indicate a focus on employee well-being and a positive work culture.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter to assess initial fit, understand career aspirations, and discuss the role and company.

• Portfolio Review & Technical Interview: A deep dive into your portfolio with a Design Lead and/or Senior Product Designer. Expect to walk through 1-2 case studies, discussing your design process, problem-solving approach, and impact. This stage will assess your practical design skills and ability to articulate your work.

• Cross-functional Interview: Meet with members of a product squad, including a Product Manager and/or Developer. This interview will focus on your collaboration style, ability to work within a team, and understanding of the product development lifecycle.

• Final Interview / Cultural Fit: A conversation with a senior leader (e.g., Head of Product, Head of Design) to assess cultural alignment, strategic thinking, and overall fit with SimplyCook's values and mission.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Storytelling is Key: Structure your case studies as compelling narratives. Clearly define the problem, your specific role and contributions, the process you followed, the rationale behind your design decisions, and the measurable outcomes.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use high-quality visuals – wireframes, user flows, prototypes, and final UI designs. Annotate your work to explain design choices and challenges.

• Highlight Impact: Quantify your achievements whenever possible. Use metrics to demonstrate how your designs improved user experience, conversion rates, engagement, or other key business objectives.

• Tailor to SimplyCook: Emphasize projects that showcase experience with web and mobile applications, e-commerce, subscription models, or complex user journeys. Demonstrate an understanding of their brand and customer base.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design process, how you handle feedback, how you collaborate, and how you approach difficult design challenges.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Challenge: You may be given a small, time-bound design challenge (e.g., to redesign a specific feature or solve a hypothetical user problem). Focus on demonstrating your process, not just the final deliverable. Think aloud, explain your assumptions, and outline how you would validate your solution.

• Problem-Solving: Be ready to discuss how you approach ambiguous problems, break them down, and arrive at pragmatic solutions.

• Collaboration Scenarios: Prepare examples of how you've collaborated effectively with engineers, PMs, and other stakeholders, especially when facing disagreements or technical constraints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess a candidate's skills, experience, and cultural fit comprehensively. Candidates should prepare to not only showcase their design work but also articulate their thought process, collaborative abilities, and understanding of SimplyCook's business context.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable given industry trends and its collaborative nature), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator).

• User Research & Testing: Tools for conducting user interviews, surveys, and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze, Typeform, Google Forms).

• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello (for managing design tasks and collaborating with development teams).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude (for understanding user behavior on the website and app).

• Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI, Looker (or similar tools used by the Data Analyst team for reporting on user metrics).

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a designer's tool, understanding the CRM (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) and marketing automation platforms used by SimplyCook can provide context for user journeys and data flows.

• Mobile Development Framework: React Native (explicitly mentioned in the job description), indicating designers may need to understand its capabilities and limitations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "React Native framework" is a key technical requirement. While designers don't necessarily code in it, understanding its implications for UI consistency, performance, and component-based design is crucial. Proficiency in modern design tools like Figma is expected.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Joy: A core value focused on delighting customers through exceptional flavour and ease of use. This translates to designing user experiences that are intuitive, enjoyable, and solve real customer problems in the kitchen.

• Agility & Collaboration: The team thrives on being agile in decision-making and working collaboratively across functions. This means designers must be adept at teamwork, open to feedback, and able to adapt quickly to changing priorities.

• Passion for Food: A genuine enthusiasm for food and cooking is likely a shared trait, influencing how the team approaches product development and design.

• Growth Mindset: A desire to learn, grow, and continuously improve both personally and as a team is essential for success in this fast-paced environment.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Design is deeply integrated into product squads, working hand-in-hand with Product Managers, Developers, and Data Analysts. This ensures a holistic approach to product development.

• Open Communication: Expect a culture where ideas are shared freely, feedback is constructive and frequent, and communication channels are open and accessible.

• Iterative Design: The team likely embraces an iterative design process, valuing continuous feedback loops and ongoing refinement of solutions based on user data and stakeholder input.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture emphasizes a strong passion for its product, combined with a pragmatic, data-driven, and highly collaborative approach to work. Designers are expected to be team players who are passionate about user experience and eager to contribute to a growing business.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing User Needs with Business Goals: Navigating the complexities of delivering exceptional user experiences while meeting ambitious business growth targets and technical constraints.

• Scaling Design Systems: As the company grows, maintaining and scaling the design system to support new features and platforms will be an ongoing challenge.

• Evolving User Habits: Keeping pace with changing customer expectations and food trends in a dynamic market requires continuous learning and adaptation in design strategy.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent design vision and execution across multiple product squads and stakeholders requires strong communication and negotiation skills.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into E-commerce UX: Opportunities to hone skills in optimizing conversion funnels, subscription models, and customer retention strategies through design.

• Mentorship and Leadership: Potential to be mentored by experienced design leaders and grow into a role with greater strategic influence and team leadership responsibilities.

• Exposure to Food Tech Innovation: Working within a food subscription business offers unique insights into the intersection of technology and the food industry.

• Skill Enhancement: Access to learning resources, workshops, and industry conferences to stay updated on the latest design trends and tools, particularly in mobile and web application design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a growing tech company and offer significant opportunities for professional development. Candidates who are proactive problem-solvers and keen learners will find ample avenues for growth.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance conflicting stakeholder requirements with user needs. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your negotiation, communication, and prioritization skills.)

• "How do you use data and customer research to inform your design decisions? Walk us through an example where data led you to a design pivot." (Be ready to showcase your analytical approach and ability to translate insights into actionable design.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about SimplyCook's mission and our product?" (Show genuine interest and alignment with the company's purpose.)

• "How do you contribute to a positive and collaborative team environment?" (Highlight your teamwork, communication, and feedback-giving skills.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your specific contribution, the design process, and the quantifiable results. Use metrics to demonstrate the value of your work.

• Tell a Story: Structure your presentation as a narrative. Explain the context, the challenges, your thought process, and the solution in a way that is engaging and easy to follow.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Prepare to answer detailed questions about your design decisions, the tools you used, and how you collaborated with others.

• Showcase Process: Illustrate your design process with visuals such as user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and final UI mockups. Explain why you made certain choices.

• Address Accessibility: Be prepared to discuss how you ensured accessibility in your designs, referencing relevant guidelines if possible.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not only design proficiency but also strategic thinking, collaborative capabilities, and a genuine understanding of SimplyCook's business and user base. The portfolio is your primary tool for showcasing these skills.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the SimplyCook careers page.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience in designing externally-facing web and mobile applications, data-driven design processes, and contributions to design systems. Use keywords from the job description such as "Product Design," "User Experience," "Web Applications," "Mobile Applications," "Customer Research," and "Design System."

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 strong case studies that best showcase your end-to-end design process, problem-solving abilities, and impact on user experience and business metrics. Ensure your portfolio clearly demonstrates your skills in user research, UX/UI design, and collaboration.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice articulating your case studies concisely and compellingly, focusing on your thought process, design decisions, and measurable outcomes. Be ready to discuss your experience with React Native and data-informed design.

• Research SimplyCook: Understand their mission, product, target audience, and recent developments. Familiarize yourself with their website and app to gain context on their current user experience.

⚠️ 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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