Product Designer (Middle/Middle+) at Stellar Tech

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer (Middle/Middle+) Company: Stellar Tech Location: Remote (Cyprus, Poland) Job Type: OTHER Category: Product Design / UX/UI Date Posted: 2025-07-30T00:00:00 Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years) Remote Status: Hybrid/Remote

🚀 Role Summary

This role focuses on enhancing the initial user experience, specifically the onboarding and activation journey for a consumer-facing mobile application.
The Product Designer will be instrumental in driving product discovery, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and translating user needs into intuitive and delightful design solutions.
A key aspect of the role involves contributing to the core learning experience and experimenting with AI-powered features within an internal AI Lab.
The position requires a strong product mindset, ownership of design initiatives from concept to launch, and a keen eye for detail in craft and execution.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job title "Product Designer (Middle/Middle+)" and the description strongly suggest a mid-level role requiring 2-5 years of relevant experience. The emphasis on ownership, driving initiatives, and collaboration with engineers and analysts aligns with a mid-level contributor who can operate with a degree of autonomy but still benefits from team support and guidance. The mention of working with experienced professionals from companies like Miro, Palta, Uber, and Bolt implies a high-standard, performance-driven environment.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

Own and elevate the first-time user experience (FTUE): Design and refine onboarding flows, "aha" moments, and early success loops to ensure users' initial interaction is delightful, intuitive, and memorable.
Support monetization through user-centric UX: Design monetization flows that align with user intent and provide real value, avoiding dark patterns and making premium offerings desirable and accessible.
Shape the core learning experience: Contribute to evolving the product's core functionality, including content delivery and habit-forming mechanics for long-term user growth and success.
Experiment within the AI Lab: Participate in fast-moving teams to prototype, test, and validate cutting-edge AI-powered features, such as personalized tutors and adaptive learning journeys.
Drive product discovery and problem framing: Collaborate with product leadership, engineers, and analysts to identify and frame user problems, define product strategy, and contribute to the "what" and "why" of new features.
End-to-end design execution: Design and iterate on solutions, write clear specifications, and guide features through development and launch, ensuring design quality and user impact.
User validation and testing: Validate ideas early through user testing and lightweight prototyping before development begins.
Design system contributions: Contribute to the evolution and expansion of the company's design system for scalability and consistency across product directions.
Cross-functional collaboration: Work closely with engineers, analysts, and fellow designers to align on user needs, technical feasibility, and business priorities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a holistic product design approach, extending beyond traditional UI/UX to include product strategy, discovery, and direct impact on key business metrics like activation and monetization. The emphasis on owning initiatives and working with uncertainty, particularly within the AI Lab, suggests a need for proactive problem-solving and adaptability.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred for mid-level design roles, demonstrating a foundational understanding of design principles and user-centered methodologies.

Experience: 2-5 years of hands-on experience in product design, with a strong portfolio showcasing work on real-world products. Experience with mobile-first consumer applications is highly valued, with EdTech, wellness, or habit-building product experience being a significant plus.

Required Skills:

Product Design Expertise: Proven ability to design for real-world products, with a preference for mobile-first consumer applications.
Activation & Retention Focus: Demonstrated experience in designing user flows that successfully drive onboarding, engagement, and early habit formation.
Figma Proficiency: Strong command of Figma, including components, auto layout, variants, prototyping, and version control workflows.
Product Mindset & Ownership: Ability to think beyond pixels, understand the "why" behind design decisions, own work end-to-end, and advocate for product excellence.
Initiative & Drive: Proactive approach to identifying opportunities, proposing ideas, and leading initiatives within a team setting.
Detail-Oriented Craft: Keen attention to detail in spacing, typography, visual clarity, and overall user interface polish.
Clear Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills for articulating design decisions and collaborating effectively in various formats (Slack, Figma, live sessions).
AI Awareness: Comfort and aptitude for designing around AI-powered features and working with hypotheses in an evolving AI landscape.

Preferred Skills:

Design System Proficiency: Experience contributing to and expanding scalable design systems.
User Testing & Prototyping: Experience conducting user research, usability testing, and creating interactive prototypes to validate design concepts.
Cross-functional Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively with engineers, product managers, and analysts.
EdTech/Wellness/Habit-Building Domain Experience: Prior experience in these specific product categories is a strong advantage, indicating familiarity with user motivations and design challenges in these spaces.
Understanding of Monetization Design: Experience designing effective and ethical monetization strategies within applications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Middle/Middle+" designation implies a need for demonstrated experience beyond entry-level. The "AI Awareness" requirement suggests that candidates with exposure to AI-driven products or an interest in the space will be well-positioned. The blend of technical design skills and strong "human skills" like ownership and communication is critical for this role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Demonstrated FTUE Ownership: Showcase specific projects where you owned and significantly improved the first-time user experience, including onboarding, activation, and early engagement loops. Highlight your process from problem identification to solution.
Activation & Retention Case Studies: Provide detailed case studies that illustrate your experience in designing flows that drive user activation and encourage habit formation. Quantify impact where possible (e.g., increased activation rates, improved retention metrics).
Figma Design Workflow Samples: Include examples of your Figma work demonstrating proficiency with components, auto layout, variants, and prototyping. Show how you leverage these tools for efficiency and scalability.
Design System Contributions: If applicable, present examples of your contributions to a design system, showcasing how you maintained consistency, scalability, and efficiency.
Problem Framing & Discovery: Illustrate your ability to frame problems, conduct user research, and translate insights into design solutions. This could be through a project where you initiated a discovery process.

Process Documentation:

User Journey Mapping: Include examples of user journey maps or flow diagrams you've created to understand and optimize user experiences, particularly for onboarding.
Prototyping & User Testing Artifacts: Showcase prototypes (linking to interactive versions if possible) and any user testing feedback or iteration summaries that demonstrate your validation process.
Design Specifications: Provide examples of clear, concise design specifications or documentation that facilitated smooth hand-offs to engineering teams.
Impact Measurement: Demonstrate how you measured the success of your designs, ideally with data and metrics related to activation, engagement, or retention.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is paramount for this design role. Candidates should focus on showcasing their process, problem-solving skills, and quantifiable impact, particularly in the areas of first-time user experience and activation. Demonstrating proficiency with Figma and an understanding of design systems is also crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Product Designer with 2-5 years of experience in a remote or hybrid capacity in or near Cyprus/Poland, a competitive annual salary range would typically fall between €30,000 - €55,000 (approximately $32,000 - $59,000 USD), depending on specific experience, qualifications, and the company's compensation philosophy.

Benefits:

Health Insurance: Offered for hybrid employees in Cyprus and Poland.
Flexible Paid Time Off: 21 days of annual leave plus 10 bank holidays, providing significant work-life balance.
Competitive Salary: Compensation is designed to be competitive within the market.
AI Solutions Access: Provision of GPT Chatbot/ChatGPT subscriptions and other AI tools to enhance productivity.
Collaborative Culture: Opportunity to work alongside passionate and driven professionals.
Innovative Environment: Focus on experimentation and pushing boundaries in EdTech.

Working Hours: While the specific number of hours is not explicitly stated, the mention of "flexible paid time off" and a "flexible role" suggests a culture that values work-life balance and may offer some flexibility in daily working hours, though a standard 40-hour work week is generally assumed unless otherwise specified.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimates are based on industry benchmarks for mid-level product designers in European tech hubs like Cyprus and Poland, considering cost of living and market demand. The benefits package emphasizes work-life balance and access to modern tools, aligning with a progressive tech company culture.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Stellar Tech operates within the EdTech (Educational Technology) sector, focusing on personalized learning and skill development. The company leverages AI to create innovative learning experiences. Company Size: Stellar Tech is likely a growing startup or scale-up, given the mention of experienced professionals from various tech companies and the focus on rapid experimentation. The exact size isn't specified, but it suggests a dynamic environment where individual contributions are highly visible. Founded: The founding date isn't provided, but the company's focus on AI and modern tech stacks suggests a relatively recent establishment or a significant pivot towards these areas.

Team Structure:

The Product Design team likely works closely with Product Management, Engineering, and Data Analytics.
The designer will be part of a product pod or team focused on specific user journeys or product areas, such as activation or AI features.
Collaboration is emphasized, with designers working alongside engineers and analysts throughout the product lifecycle.

Methodology:

Agile/Lean Product Development: The emphasis on rapid prototyping, user testing, and iterative development points towards agile or lean methodologies.
Data-Driven Decision Making: Collaboration with analysts suggests a strong reliance on data to inform product decisions and validate hypotheses.
User-Centric Design: The core mission of creating delightful and effective user experiences underscores a user-centric approach.
AI Integration: A commitment to exploring and integrating AI capabilities into the product offering.

Company Website: stellar.io (derived from organization_url and domain_derived)

📝 Enhancement Note: Stellar Tech appears to be a forward-thinking EdTech company that values innovation, user experience, and a collaborative, impact-driven culture. The team structure likely mirrors modern tech company practices with cross-functional product teams.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid-Level Product Designer. It requires demonstrated proficiency in core design skills, the ability to work autonomously on defined problems, and contribute meaningfully to product strategy and discovery. Middle+ implies readiness for more complex projects and potentially mentoring junior designers in the future.

Reporting Structure: The designer will likely report to a Head of Product, Design Lead, or a Senior Product Manager, depending on the specific team structure. They will be embedded within a cross-functional product team.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's work directly impacts key business metrics critical to Stellar Tech's success, including user acquisition (activation rates), user engagement, retention, and monetization. By improving the first-time user experience and supporting premium offerings, the designer directly contributes to revenue growth and customer lifetime value.

Growth Opportunities:

Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in AI-driven product design, EdTech UX, or advanced activation/retention strategies.
Increased Ownership: Take on more complex product areas or lead design initiatives for new feature sets.
Leadership Potential: As a "Middle+" designer, there's potential to grow into a Senior Designer role, mentor junior designers, or even move into a Design Lead position within a specific product vertical.
Cross-functional Exposure: Gain deeper insights into product management, engineering, and data analysis, broadening their understanding of the product development lifecycle.
Industry Expertise: Develop specialized knowledge in the fast-growing EdTech and AI sectors.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a clear path for growth within a dynamic tech environment. The focus on AI and EdTech provides opportunities for specialization in high-demand areas. The "Middle+" designation suggests a candidate who is ready to take on more responsibility and contribute strategically.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company offers a hybrid work model with options for remote work or working from offices located in Cyprus or Poland. This structure provides flexibility to employees.

Office Location(s): Cyprus, Poland. These locations are specified for employees opting for the hybrid model.

Workspace Context:

Collaborative Environment: The company culture emphasizes working alongside passionate and driven professionals, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Tools & Technology: Access to AI solutions like ChatGPT and potentially other cutting-edge tools within the AI Lab environment.
Innovation Hub: Working in an environment that encourages experimentation and pushing boundaries, particularly with AI-powered features.

Work Schedule: While specific daily hours are not detailed, the emphasis on "flexible paid time off" suggests a culture that supports work-life balance. A standard full-time commitment is expected, with flexibility in how the work is structured throughout the day.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid/remote options cater to modern work preferences, offering flexibility while maintaining opportunities for in-person collaboration in specific office locations. The workspace context highlights a culture of innovation and teamwork.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

Application Submission: Interested candidates should apply via the provided link.
Portfolio Review: The initial screening will likely involve a review of the candidate's portfolio to assess design skills, experience, and alignment with the role's requirements, particularly in FTUE and activation.
Initial Screening Call: A brief call with a recruiter or hiring manager to discuss experience, motivation, and cultural fit.
Design Challenge/Case Study: Candidates may be asked to complete a design challenge or present a case study from their portfolio, focusing on problem-solving, design process, and impact.
Team Interviews: Interviews with potential team members, including other designers, product managers, and engineers, to assess collaboration skills and technical fit.
Hiring Manager/Leadership Interview: A final interview to discuss strategic thinking, ownership, and alignment with company vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the problem you solved, your process, and the measurable impact of your design solutions, especially for FTUE and activation.
Showcase Figma Proficiency: Include clear examples of your Figma work, highlighting component usage, auto layout, and prototyping.
Demonstrate Process: Walk through your design thinking, from user research and problem framing to iteration and final execution.
Highlight Ownership: Emphasize projects where you took initiative and owned the design process end-to-end.
Tailor to the Role: Ensure your portfolio specifically addresses Stellar Tech's focus on activation, AI, and the consumer app experience.

Challenge Preparation:

Understand the Product: Research Stellar Tech and its product, SmartyMe, to understand its target audience, value proposition, and current user experience.
Anticipate FTUE/Activation Questions: Be prepared to discuss your approach to designing onboarding and activation flows.
AI Design Considerations: Think about how you would approach designing with AI features and the unique challenges and opportunities they present.
Communication Skills: Practice articulating your design decisions clearly and concisely, explaining the rationale behind your choices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely to be thorough, with a strong emphasis on the candidate's portfolio and demonstrated ability to drive impact in key areas like user activation. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their process and rationale in detail.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

Figma: This is the core design tool mentioned, with specific requirements around components, auto layout, variants, and prototyping. Proficiency is essential.
Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma's built-in capabilities, experience with tools like InVision, ProtoPie, or similar for more complex interactions might be beneficial.
User Research Platforms: Tools for user testing, surveys, and feedback collection (e.g., UserTesting.com, SurveyMonkey, Maze) would be valuable.

Analytics & Reporting:

Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with product analytics tools (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics) is beneficial for understanding user behavior and measuring design impact.
Data Visualization: Experience with tools that help visualize data to inform design decisions.

CRM & Automation:

While not explicitly mentioned for the designer role, understanding how CRM systems and marketing automation tools impact user journeys can provide valuable context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is the primary tool requirement. Candidates should be comfortable leveraging its advanced features. Familiarity with analytics tools will help demonstrate a data-informed design approach and the ability to measure impact.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

Product Excellence: A commitment to high-quality design and a focus on delivering exceptional user experiences.
Ownership & Initiative: Encouraging team members to take responsibility for their work and proactively seek out opportunities for improvement.
Curiosity & Learning: A culture that values continuous learning, staying up-to-date with industry trends (especially AI and UX), and embracing new ideas.
Collaboration & Transparency: Open communication and teamwork across disciplines to achieve shared goals.
Impact-Driven: Focusing on designs that deliver tangible value to users and the business.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-functional Integration: Designers work closely with product managers, engineers, and analysts, participating in discovery, planning, and development phases.
Iterative Feedback: An environment where feedback is actively sought and given to refine designs and processes.
Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of insights, best practices, and learnings within the design team and across the wider product organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: Stellar Tech fosters a culture of innovation, ownership, and collaboration, driven by a passion for improving education through technology. The team values continuous learning and a data-informed approach to design.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

Designing for AI Uncertainty: Navigating the evolving landscape of AI and designing user experiences for features that may still be experimental or rapidly changing.
Balancing Innovation with Usability: Ensuring that cutting-edge AI features are not only innovative but also intuitive and easy for users to adopt.
Driving Activation in a Competitive Market: Standing out in the EdTech space by creating a truly compelling and effective first-time user experience.
Scaling Design Systems: Contributing to a design system that needs to accommodate new product directions and AI integrations effectively.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

AI in Design Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing for AI-powered products, including areas like personalization, natural language interfaces, and generative content.
EdTech Industry Insights: Gain specialized knowledge in the EdTech sector, understanding user motivations and pedagogical approaches.
Advanced UX Methodologies: Opportunities to refine skills in user research, usability testing, and data analysis for design decision-making.
Exposure to High-Growth Environment: Experience working in a dynamic, fast-paced tech company with opportunities for rapid career progression.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents exciting challenges in the burgeoning field of AI-driven EdTech, offering significant opportunities for professional growth and skill development in a high-impact area.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

FTUE Design Philosophy: Be prepared to discuss your approach to designing onboarding and activation flows, including key principles, common pitfalls, and how you measure success.
AI Feature Design: How would you approach designing a user interface for an AI-powered personalized tutor or adaptive learning journey? What are the key considerations?
Problem-Solving Approach: Describe a complex design problem you faced and how you used your process (research, ideation, testing, iteration) to solve it.
Collaboration Scenarios: How do you collaborate with engineers and product managers to ensure design feasibility and alignment with business goals? Provide an example.

Company & Culture Questions:

Motivation for EdTech/AI: Why are you interested in the EdTech industry and specifically in designing for AI-powered products?
Fit with Stellar Tech Values: How do your personal values and work style align with Stellar Tech's emphasis on ownership, curiosity, and collaboration?
Handling Ambiguity: How do you approach projects where requirements are not fully defined, particularly in an experimental AI Lab setting?

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Storytelling: Frame your portfolio pieces as narratives, clearly outlining the problem, your role, your process, the challenges, and the outcomes.
Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs, focusing on activation, engagement, or retention improvements.
Showcase Figma Skills: Be ready to demonstrate your Figma workflow, explaining your use of components, auto layout, and prototyping.
Focus on FTUE: Highlight projects that specifically showcase your experience in designing effective first-time user experiences.
AI Awareness: If you have relevant AI-related design work, be prepared to discuss it; otherwise, articulate your understanding of designing for AI.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to articulate their design process, demonstrate their problem-solving skills, and showcase how their work aligns with Stellar Tech's focus on user activation and AI innovation. A strong emphasis on storytelling and quantifiable impact in their portfolio presentation will be key.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

Submit your application through the provided link on the Stellar Tech careers page.
Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight your strongest projects related to first-time user experience, activation, and consumer mobile app design. Ensure your Figma proficiency is evident.
Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly articulate your experience in product design, emphasizing achievements related to user activation, retention, and cross-functional collaboration. Use keywords from the job description.
Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, problem-solving approach, and how you drive impact. Prepare specific examples for behavioral questions and be ready to present a case study from your portfolio. Research Stellar Tech and the EdTech industry.
Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Stellar Tech's mission, product (SmartyMe), and the broader EdTech landscape. Understand their approach to AI and user engagement.

⚠️ 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.

Product Designer (Middle/Middle+)