Product Designer - Freelance

AKQA
Full_time$3,200-4,000/week (USD)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer - Freelance Company: AKQA Location: Remote (Approved States within the United States) Job Type: Freelance / Contract Category: Product Design / UI/UX Design Date Posted: 2025-10-02 Experience Level: Mid-Senior (5-10 years implied) Remote Status: Remote (with potential for hybrid elements and occasional travel)

🚀 Role Summary

  • Design and craft intuitive, elegant digital experiences for marquee brands, focusing on simplifying complex, multi-step user journeys.
  • Apply a strong user-centered design methodology, emphasizing UI craft within intricate systems and product ecosystems.
  • Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including stakeholders, developers, and partners, to deliver exceptional design outcomes.
  • Leverage advanced proficiency in Figma for creating components, layouts, interactive prototypes, and maintaining design systems at scale.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is a 3-4 month freelance engagement with potential for extension, requiring a strong portfolio showcasing UI design within complex systems. The implied experience level of 5-10 years suggests a need for demonstrated strategic thinking and independent problem-solving.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

  • Translate complex, multi-lane processes and interconnected product ecosystems into user-friendly, efficient, and engaging digital experiences.
  • Develop and maintain design systems, ensuring brand integrity and consistency across various platforms and touchpoints.
  • Plan, execute, and synthesize user research, including usability testing and in-depth interviews, to inform design decisions and validate solutions.
  • Create detailed user flows, wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototypes to effectively communicate design concepts and solutions.
  • Collaborate proactively with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to understand requirements, address technical constraints, and ensure successful design implementation.
  • Champion continuous improvement by identifying opportunities for design innovation and process optimization.
  • Apply a deep understanding of web and app paradigms, interaction patterns, and best practices in UI design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "multi-step, multi-lane processes" and "interconnected product ecosystems" indicates a need for designers experienced in enterprise-level applications or complex service design, rather than simple consumer apps.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Not specified, but a Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, or a related field is typically expected for this level of experience. A strong portfolio can often substitute for formal education. Experience: Minimum of 5-10 years of professional experience in Product Design, with a significant focus on UI Design for complex systems.

Required Skills:

  • Demonstrated expertise in user-centered design principles and methodologies.
  • Advanced proficiency in Figma, including component libraries, auto layout, collaborative features, and interactive prototyping.
  • Proven ability to design efficient, functional, and engaging digital experiences across multi-step flows and various platforms (web, mobile).
  • Experience navigating and simplifying complex, interconnected product ecosystems and multi-lane processes.
  • Proficiency in strategic design thinking (vision, patterns, systems) and tactical execution (flows, components, prototypes).
  • Deep empathy for end users, staff, and operators, translating insights into actionable design solutions.
  • Strong understanding of web and app paradigms, established interaction patterns, and scalable design systems.
  • Experience planning, conducting, and synthesizing research studies (e.g., usability testing, IDIs) to inform design.
  • Exceptional written, visual, and oral communication skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions clearly.
  • Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with an inclusive, team-first mindset.

Preferred Skills:

  • Experience working with marquee brands or for large-scale digital products.
  • Familiarity with other design and prototyping tools beyond Figma.
  • Experience in agile development environments.
  • A proactive approach to identifying opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for Figma proficiency is critical. Candidates should be prepared to showcase their mastery of its advanced features, especially regarding design systems and complex prototyping.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • A compelling portfolio showcasing distinctive product design work, with a strong emphasis on UI design within complex systems.
  • Demonstrate the ability to develop simple and elegant solutions for multi-step, layered problems through case studies.
  • Include examples of how you've simplified complex user journeys and product ecosystems.
  • Showcase your understanding and application of design systems and component-based design.
  • Highlight projects where you've translated strategic vision into tactical design execution.

Process Documentation:

  • Case studies should clearly outline the design process, from problem definition and research to ideation, prototyping, testing, and final implementation.
  • Illustrate how user research (e.g., usability testing, IDIs) informed your design decisions and led to measurable improvements.
  • Detail your approach to collaborating with stakeholders, developers, and other teams throughout the design lifecycle.
  • Show evidence of how you maintained brand integrity and consistency at scale within your designs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is paramount for this freelance role. It must clearly articulate the candidate's problem-solving approach, design craft, and ability to handle complexity, backed by tangible results and a clear process.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $3,200 - $4,000 per week.

  • This range is commensurate with a 40-hour work week for a seasoned freelance Product Designer. The specific rate will depend on the candidate's experience, portfolio, and interview performance.

Benefits:

  • As a freelance engagement, standard benefits like health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off are typically not provided directly by AKQA.
  • Candidates are expected to manage their own benefits and taxes.
  • Potential for long-term engagement and extension offers a degree of job security and consistent income flow.
  • Opportunity to work on high-profile projects for marquee global brands.
  • Exposure to AKQA's innovative and collaborative work environment.

Working Hours: 40 hours/week.

  • While the role is remote, adherence to standard working hours is expected for effective collaboration and project delivery. Flexibility may be possible, but the core 40-hour commitment is standard for this compensation level.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided ($3,200 - $4,000 per week) is for a freelance role and translates to approximately $166,400 - $208,000 annually if the contract were to run for a full year at 52 weeks. This is a competitive rate for experienced freelance Product Designers in the US market.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Advertising & Marketing, Digital Transformation, Experience Design. AKQA operates at the intersection of creativity, technology, and strategy, focusing on building innovative digital products and services. Company Size: AKQA is a global company with a significant number of employees (implied by its operations and client roster), likely falling into the 1,000+ employee category. This suggests a well-established, structured organization with robust processes. Founded: AKQA was founded in 2001. Its history reflects a commitment to pioneering digital experiences and evolving with technological advancements.

Team Structure:

  • Product Designers at AKQA are part of creative teams that are often multidisciplinary, working alongside strategists, technologists, project managers, and other specialists.
  • The structure typically supports project-based work, with designers reporting to creative directors or design leads on specific client engagements.
  • Cross-functional collaboration is a cornerstone of AKQA's methodology, fostering an environment where diverse perspectives contribute to design solutions.

Methodology:

  • AKQA emphasizes an imaginative and entrepreneurial approach, blending art and science to create "beautiful ideas, products, and services."
  • The company focuses on user-centered design, strategic insight, and craftsmanship to deliver adaptive digital services.
  • Data analysis and user research are integral to informing design decisions and measuring impact, driving continuous improvement.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: AKQA is known for its high-caliber creative work and client roster. This freelance role offers an opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge projects within a globally recognized agency known for its innovative culture.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid-Senior level Freelance Product Designer. While freelance, the responsibilities align with senior individual contributors who can operate independently and drive significant design outcomes. The expectation for handling complex systems and leading design efforts within specific project scopes points to a senior individual contributor track.

Reporting Structure: Freelance designers typically report to a Design Lead, Creative Director, or Project Manager within AKQA for the duration of their contract. They are expected to integrate seamlessly into existing project teams.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's impact is directly tied to the success of the digital products and services they help shape. By translating complex requirements into intuitive user experiences, they contribute to increased user adoption, customer satisfaction, brand loyalty, and ultimately, positive business outcomes for AKQA's clients. This role is critical in ensuring the usability and effectiveness of digital solutions that serve millions.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Project Diversity: Working on multiple marquee brands and diverse projects can significantly broaden a designer's portfolio and experience across different industries and problem spaces.
  • Skill Enhancement: The focus on complex systems and Figma proficiency offers opportunities to deepen expertise in UI design, design systems, and advanced prototyping.
  • Networking: Collaboration within AKQA's global network can lead to future freelance opportunities or even full-time considerations.
  • Professional Development: While not a formal program, the nature of agency work and exposure to AKQA's best practices fosters continuous learning and adaptation to new design trends and technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a freelance role, "growth" is often measured by the quality and scope of projects, the opportunity to expand one's professional network, and the ability to command higher rates based on demonstrated expertise and successful project delivery.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: AKQA operates on a hybrid model, suggesting a mix of remote work and in-office collaboration. The job description notes required in-office days and potential travel for workshops or team collaboration, indicating a structured approach to in-person interaction. However, this specific freelance role is advertised as remote within the US. Office Location(s): While the role is remote, AKQA has offices globally. The remote expectation specifically mentions "approved states within the United States." Occasional travel might be required to specific AKQA offices or client sites for research, workshops, or team collaboration.

Workspace Context:

  • The remote nature of the role allows for flexibility in personal workspace setup.
  • Collaboration is facilitated through digital tools and scheduled virtual meetings, supplemented by occasional in-person interactions.
  • Access to AKQA's internal resources, design systems, and project-specific documentation will be provided.
  • Designers are expected to be self-motivated and manage their time effectively to contribute to team goals.

Work Schedule: 40 hours/week.

  • While remote, a consistent 40-hour work week is expected. This ensures availability for core working hours, team syncs, and project deadlines. The emphasis is on delivering high-quality work within the allocated timeframe.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "hybrid approach including required in-office days" mentioned in the general company context might not directly apply to this fully remote freelance position, but candidates should be aware of AKQA's overall work model and be open to potential in-person requirements if projects demand it or if the contract is extended into a hybrid capacity.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  • Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess experience and alignment with role requirements.
  • Portfolio Presentation: A session where you will walk through selected case studies from your portfolio, detailing your design process, problem-solving approach, UI craft, and impact. Be prepared to discuss specific challenges and solutions related to complex systems.
  • Skills Assessment: Potential practical exercises or discussions focused on Figma proficiency, design system thinking, or problem-solving scenarios relevant to complex user flows.
  • Stakeholder/Team Interview: Conversations with hiring managers and potential team members to evaluate collaboration style, communication skills, and cultural fit within AKQA's creative environment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best demonstrate your experience with complex systems, UI craft, and user-centered design. Prioritize projects that showcase your ability to simplify intricate processes.
  • Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role and process, the challenges faced, the solutions you designed (with visual aids), and the outcomes or impact achieved.
  • Highlight Figma Mastery: Be ready to discuss your specific use of Figma features, including components, variants, auto layout, interactive prototypes, and design system management.
  • Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improvements in task completion time, user satisfaction scores, conversion rates).
  • Showcase Empathy: Explain how you incorporated user research and empathy into your design process.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Anticipate design challenges that involve simplifying complex workflows or user journeys.
  • Be prepared to discuss your approach to conducting user research and synthesizing findings.
  • Practice articulating your design decisions concisely and persuasively, especially when explaining trade-offs or complex technical constraints.
  • Familiarize yourself with AKQA's work and culture to demonstrate genuine interest and alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given this is a freelance role, the interview process will likely be focused heavily on the portfolio and demonstrating immediate capability. Candidates should be ready to showcase their ability to hit the ground running and contribute effectively on complex projects from day one.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Figma: High proficiency is mandatory for UI design, component creation, layout design, interactive prototyping, and design system management.
  • Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma's capabilities, experience with tools like InVision, ProtoPie, or similar for advanced interactive prototypes may be beneficial.
  • User Research Tools: Experience with platforms for usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com), session recording (e.g., Hotjar), or survey tools (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Typeform) is expected.

Analytics & Reporting:

  • Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) to understand user behavior and inform design decisions.
  • Experience interpreting data to identify areas for design improvement.

CRM & Automation:

  • While not a direct requirement for this design role, an understanding of how design impacts CRM systems and automated workflows can be advantageous. Familiarity with the outputs and requirements of such systems is helpful.

Other:

  • Collaboration platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams.
  • Project management tools like Jira, Asana, Trello for workflow tracking.
  • Tools for creating user flows and journey maps (e.g., Miro, Whimsical).

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is the cornerstone of this role's toolset. Candidates must demonstrate not just basic usage, but advanced mastery, particularly in building and maintaining robust design systems and interactive prototypes for complex applications.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • Imaginative Application: Encouraging creative thinking and the innovative use of art and science to solve problems.
  • Craftsmanship: A commitment to high-quality execution, attention to detail, and delivering beautifully designed products and services.
  • Collaboration: Fostering a multidisciplinary and inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued and integrated.
  • User-Centricity: Placing the end-user at the heart of all design decisions, driven by empathy and research.
  • Entrepreneurial Spirit: Encouraging proactive identification of opportunities and a bold approach to innovation.
  • Continuous Improvement: A drive to constantly learn, adapt, and refine processes and outcomes.

Collaboration Style:

  • AKQA promotes a highly collaborative, team-first approach. Designers are expected to work closely with strategists, technologists, project managers, and clients.
  • Open communication, constructive feedback, and a willingness to share knowledge are key.
  • The company values inclusivity, ensuring all team members feel respected and have opportunities to contribute and grow.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this is a freelance role, integrating into AKQA's collaborative and value-driven culture is essential. Candidates should demonstrate an ability to work effectively within a team, contribute positively to discussions, and align with the company's core principles.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Complexity Management: Translating highly complex, multi-step processes into simple, intuitive user experiences requires significant strategic thinking and design skill.
  • Scale and Brand Integrity: Maintaining consistent UI and user experience across large-scale digital products for marquee brands demands rigorous design system governance and attention to detail.
  • Remote Collaboration: Effectively collaborating and maintaining strong relationships with a distributed team and stakeholders requires excellent communication and proactive engagement.
  • Fast-Paced Environment: Agency life can be demanding, with tight deadlines and evolving project scopes, requiring adaptability and efficient time management.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Exposure to High-Profile Projects: Working with leading global brands provides invaluable experience and portfolio-building opportunities.
  • Advanced Figma Skills: Deepening expertise in complex Figma workflows, design systems, and advanced prototyping.
  • Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Gaining insights from strategists, technologists, and other creative professionals within AKQA.
  • Industry Best Practices: Staying at the forefront of design trends and methodologies through project work and collaboration with industry leaders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary growth opportunity in this freelance role lies in the exceptional caliber of projects and the chance to hone skills in designing for complex, large-scale digital products. The challenge is inherent in the complexity of the work itself, pushing designers to their limits.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "Describe a time you had to simplify a complex, multi-step process into an intuitive user experience. Walk us through your design process and the outcomes." (Focus on your structured approach, user research, and tangible results.)
  • "How do you approach building and maintaining design systems for large-scale applications to ensure brand consistency and scalability?" (Highlight your understanding of component architecture, documentation, and collaboration with development teams.)
  • "Imagine you're designing a critical feature for a platform used by millions. What are your key considerations for ensuring usability, accessibility, and brand integrity?" (Discuss your user-centric approach, research methods, and commitment to quality.)

Company & Culture Questions:

  • "What interests you about AKQA and this specific freelance opportunity?" (Research AKQA's work, values, and recent projects. Connect your skills and aspirations to their mission.)
  • "How do you typically collaborate with developers, product managers, and other stakeholders on design projects?" (Emphasize your proactive communication, willingness to listen to constraints, and ability to build consensus.)
  • "Describe a situation where you had to advocate for a design decision based on user needs or research, even when there was pushback." (Showcase your persuasive communication skills and commitment to user-centered design.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Structure is Key: Organize your presentation logically, ideally following a problem-solution-outcome framework for each case study.
  • Visuals Matter: Use high-quality mockups, flows, and prototypes. Clearly annotate key design decisions and their rationale.
  • Figma Deep Dive: Be ready to demonstrate specific Figma techniques or discuss your component library structure if asked.
  • Focus on Impact: Quantify results where possible. If exact metrics aren't available, discuss the intended impact and how you would measure it.
  • Be Concise: Respect the interviewer's time. Practice your narrative to ensure it's engaging and to-the-point.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to articulate your design process with clarity and confidence, especially your ability to handle intricate systems and leverage Figma effectively. The interview will likely assess not just your design skills but also your professionalism and ability to integrate into AKQA's collaborative workflow.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this freelance Product Designer position:

  • Submit your application through the provided link on the AKQA careers page.
  • Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features 2-3 case studies that highlight your experience with complex UI design, multi-step processes, and Figma proficiency. Tailor any accompanying case study descriptions to emphasize user-centered design principles and problem-solving.
  • Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly state your freelance/contract experience and highlight key achievements relevant to UI design, complex systems, and Figma. Use keywords from the job description.
  • Prepare Your Narrative: Practice explaining your design process and portfolio projects concisely. Be ready to discuss your approach to research, collaboration, and handling design challenges.
  • Research AKQA: Understand AKQA's mission, values, and recent work. Prepare thoughtful questions that demonstrate your interest and alignment with their creative culture.

⚠️ 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. The freelance nature means compensation, benefits, and specific project details will be finalized through a contract.

Application Requirements

Strong demonstration of user-centered design principles and proficiency in Figma are essential. You should have deep empathy for end users and the ability to simplify interconnected product ecosystems.