Product Designer (UX Designer)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer (UX Designer) Company: Intrinsic Location: Mountain View, California, United States Job Type: Full-Time Category: Product Design / User Experience Date Posted: October 08, 2025 Experience Level: 2-5 Years Remote Status: Remote OK

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive innovation and excellence in product design for industrial robotics, leveraging a strong understanding of user-centered design principles and best practices.
• Engage in all facets of the product design lifecycle, including early-stage workshops, requirements gathering, concept prototyping, and implementation specifications.
• Develop and refine user journeys, wireframes, mockups, prototypes, and presentation diagrams to effectively communicate design ideas and user flows.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including User Researchers, Engineers, Product Managers, and other Designers, to deliver exceptional and intuitive user experiences.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of a comprehensive design system, ensuring consistency, delight, and efficiency across Intrinsic's evolving product suite.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is situated within a dynamic startup environment, emphasizing innovation in ambiguous design contexts and a mission-driven approach to democratizing industrial robotics. The position requires a blend of creative design talent and a pragmatic understanding of technical constraints, with a focus on creating accessible and usable interfaces for a broad range of users.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design intuitive and delightful user experiences for Intrinsic's industrial robotics software and platforms, focusing on usability and accessibility.
• Create comprehensive design artifacts, including user journeys, wireframes, interactive prototypes, storyboards, and detailed presentation diagrams, to articulate design concepts and solutions.
• Partner with User Researchers, Engineers, and Product Managers to strategize and design user-centric solutions that address complex industrial challenges and deliver significant value.
• Rapidly iterate on design concepts and prototypes based on constructive feedback from user testing, stakeholder reviews, and cross-functional team input.
• Collaborate with other designers to evolve and maintain the design system, ensuring adherence to established guidelines and integrating new components or features seamlessly.
• Work closely with the engineering team to ensure accurate implementation of designs, providing detailed specifications and collaborating on creative solutions to overcome technical challenges.
• Translate complex technical requirements and system functionalities into clear, user-friendly interfaces for both internal and external users.
• Contribute to the creation of data visualizations and presentation graphics that effectively communicate product insights and strategic initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a hands-on design role requiring significant collaboration and adaptability. The emphasis on "ambiguous design contexts" and "mission-first company" suggests that the candidate will need to be comfortable defining problems and solutions with incomplete information, while always aligning with the overarching goal of making industrial robotics more accessible.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. Experience: Minimum of 2 years of professional experience working as a User Experience Designer, with a track record of contributing to the end-to-end design process.

Required Skills:

• Deep understanding of user-centered design principles, interaction design best practices, and visual design fundamentals.
• Fluency in utilizing industry-standard UX design and prototyping tools such as Figma, Sketch, Framer, or similar.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong working relationships across all organizational levels.
• Proven experience collaborating effectively with multidisciplinary teams, including Designers, Engineers, Product Managers, and Researchers.
• Ability to translate complex user needs and business requirements into elegant and effective design solutions.
• Experience in rapid prototyping and iterative design based on user feedback and stakeholder input.

Preferred Skills:

• A strong passion for design and a keen awareness of emerging trends, products, and relevant technologies in the tech and robotics space.
• Hybrid design proficiency encompassing interaction design, visual design, prototyping, and motion design.
• Solid understanding of technical requirements and limitations within software development, particularly in a complex technical environment.
• Experience designing for intricate platform ecosystems within a fast-paced startup environment with multiple stakeholders.
• Ability to effectively collaborate with and manage design processes across different time zones and with a global team.
• Experience with data visualization techniques and creating compelling presentation diagrams.

📝 Enhancement Note: While a Bachelor's degree is listed, equivalent practical experience is explicitly mentioned, broadening the appeal to seasoned professionals. The preferred skills emphasize adaptability, technical acumen, and experience in complex, fast-paced environments, characteristic of a growth-stage startup.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 2-3 distinct projects that clearly demonstrate your experience in crafting engaging digital interfaces and designing consumer-focused digital products.
• Highlight projects that illustrate your end-to-end involvement in the design process, from initial concept and user research to final implementation and iteration.
• Include case studies that detail your problem-solving approach, design decisions, and the rationale behind your solutions, emphasizing user impact.
• Demonstrate proficiency in creating user journeys, wireframes, interactive prototypes, and pixel-perfect mockups within your portfolio.
• Present projects that showcase your ability to collaborate with engineering and product teams, detailing how you navigated technical constraints or feedback.

Process Documentation:

• Clearly articulate the design process followed for each portfolio project, including methodologies for requirements gathering, user research, ideation, and validation.
• Illustrate how you incorporated user feedback and stakeholder input to iterate on designs and achieve optimal outcomes.
• Provide examples of how you contributed to or leveraged design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency across projects.
• Detail your approach to working with engineers for implementation, including the creation of design specifications and ongoing collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirement is crucial for this role, serving as the primary evidence of design capability. Applicants should focus on demonstrating not just aesthetic skill but also a structured, user-centric design process, problem-solving abilities, and collaborative experience, especially within technical contexts.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $160,000 - $182,000 USD per year. Benefits:

• Eligible for bonus compensation.
• Eligibility for equity in the company.
• Comprehensive benefits package (specifics to be detailed by recruiter).

Working Hours: This is a full-time position. While not explicitly stated, a standard full-time workweek is typically 40 hours. The role's remote flexibility may allow for some degree of schedule adjustment, but core collaboration hours will likely be expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is a competitive benchmark for experienced Product Designers in the Mountain View, California area, reflecting the high cost of living and demand for specialized tech talent. The inclusion of bonus and equity indicates a startup compensation model designed to reward performance and long-term commitment.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Industrial Robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Software Development, Robotics. Intrinsic is a subsidiary of Alphabet (Google's parent company), positioning it at the forefront of technological innovation in industrial automation. Company Size: Intrinsic is a growing startup within the Alphabet ecosystem. Precise current headcount is not specified, but it operates with the agility of a startup, supported by the resources of a large tech conglomerate. Founded: Intrinsic was launched in 2021, making it a relatively new but rapidly developing entity focused on transforming industrial robotics.

Team Structure:

• The Design team is described as small, implying a highly collaborative and integrated environment where each member's contribution is significant.
• Designers will work closely with Product Managers, Engineers, User Researchers, and business partners, necessitating strong cross-functional communication and alignment.
• Reporting lines are not explicitly detailed but are expected to be flat, typical of a startup setting, with potential direct reporting to a Head of Design or Product Lead.

Methodology:

• A strong emphasis on user-centered design and data-driven decision-making, aligning with Alphabet's broader product development philosophy.
• Agile and iterative development processes are implied, given the startup context and the need for rapid prototyping and feedback incorporation.
• Focus on innovation and problem-solving in ambiguous design spaces, encouraging creative exploration and strategic thinking.

Company Website: intrinsic.us

📝 Enhancement Note: Intrinsic's culture is shaped by its mission to democratize industrial robotics and its foundation within Alphabet. This suggests a blend of ambitious innovation, robust engineering practices, and a commitment to user impact. The "startup" nature implies a fast-paced, collaborative, and potentially less structured environment than a traditional large corporation, with opportunities for significant individual impact.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-level Product Designer (UX Designer), requiring 2+ years of experience. It involves hands-on design work with significant autonomy and collaboration, rather than purely junior or senior-level strategic oversight. The "small Design team" aspect suggests potential for early influence on process and direction. Reporting Structure: The designer will likely report to a Design Lead or Head of Design, working closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads on a day-to-day basis. Cross-functional collaboration is a key aspect of the role, impacting how work is coordinated and executed. Operations Impact: Product Designers at Intrinsic directly influence the usability, accessibility, and adoption of industrial robotics technology. Their work is critical in translating complex robotics and AI capabilities into intuitive tools for businesses and developers, thereby driving the company's mission forward and impacting market reach.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas of UX, such as interaction design, visual design, motion design, or user research methodologies, within the unique context of industrial robotics.
• Design System Leadership: Potential to take on more ownership of the design system, contributing to its architecture, growth, and adoption across the organization.
• Cross-Functional Influence: As the company grows, there will be opportunities to influence product strategy and roadmap through strong design contributions and advocacy.
• Leadership Potential: With demonstrated success and growth within the small team, opportunities for leading design initiatives or mentoring junior designers may arise.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers significant growth potential due to Intrinsic's startup phase and its ambitious mission. Individuals who excel can expect to have a tangible impact on product direction and potentially grow into leadership positions as the design function matures.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: While the role is listed as "Remote OK," Intrinsic also has a physical headquarters in Mountain View, California. This suggests a hybrid work model is likely supported, with opportunities for in-office collaboration for those located nearby. Office Location(s): Mountain View, California, United States. This location places Intrinsic within the heart of Silicon Valley, fostering collaboration with other leading tech companies and access to a rich talent pool.

Workspace Context:

• The environment is described as a "fast-paced startup environment with many stakeholders," indicating a dynamic and potentially high-pressure setting that requires adaptability.
• Collaboration is central, with designers expected to work closely with diverse teams, suggesting an open and communicative workspace, whether physical or virtual.
• Access to advanced tools and technologies, including industry-standard UX software, will be provided to facilitate effective design work.

Work Schedule: As a full-time role, a standard workweek is expected. The "Remote OK" status implies flexibility in terms of work hours, allowing for potential adjustments to accommodate different time zones or personal needs, provided core collaboration requirements are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Remote OK" designation, coupled with a physical HQ in a prime tech hub, offers flexibility. Candidates should be prepared for a dynamic, collaborative, and potentially demanding work environment characteristic of a growing tech startup, with strong emphasis on cross-functional teamwork.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely conduct an initial call to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest in the role and company mission.
• Portfolio Review & Design Exercise: Candidates will be asked to present their portfolio, discussing their process, design decisions, and project outcomes. This may be followed by a design challenge or exercise, either take-home or live, to evaluate problem-solving skills and design thinking.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other Designers to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to integrate into the team.
• Hiring Manager/Leadership Interview: A final interview to discuss overall fit, career aspirations, and strategic alignment with Intrinsic's goals.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Storytelling: Structure your portfolio presentations around compelling narratives that highlight the problem, your process, your solutions, and the measurable impact of your designs.
• Process Emphasis: Clearly articulate your design methodology, emphasizing user-centered approaches, iterative refinement, and collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• Technical Context: For this role, specifically highlight any experience designing for complex systems, technical products, or in environments with significant engineering constraints.
• Demonstrate Impact: Quantify the impact of your designs whenever possible (e.g., improved conversion rates, increased user satisfaction, reduced task completion time).
• Tailor to Intrinsic: Research Intrinsic's mission and products. Connect your portfolio projects to how you can contribute to their goals of democratizing industrial robotics.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for design challenges that might involve rapid ideation, problem-solving for ambiguous scenarios, or creating a user flow for a complex technical task.
• Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, explaining your design choices and trade-offs.
• Understand the core business of Intrinsic – industrial robotics and AI – and consider how design can solve user problems in this domain.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process will heavily rely on the candidate's portfolio and their ability to articulate their design process and problem-solving skills. Demonstrating an understanding of both user needs and technical realities will be key.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX/UI Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Framer, or similar industry-standard tools. Proficiency in at least one is mandatory.
• Design Systems: Experience contributing to or working within established design systems is highly valued.
• Collaboration Tools: Tools like Slack, Jira, Confluence, or similar for team communication and project tracking.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed as a requirement for the designer, an understanding of how design impacts key metrics and the ability to interpret analytics data to inform design decisions is beneficial. Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics or Amplitude could be advantageous.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly relevant to the Product Designer role, but awareness of how user interfaces integrate with backend systems and workflows is a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in modern UX design tools, particularly Figma, is essential. Experience with design systems is a significant advantage, indicating an ability to contribute to scalable and consistent product experiences. While direct analytics tool experience isn't mandated, a data-informed design approach will be highly regarded.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven: A core value is the mission to make industrial robotics intelligent, accessible, and usable for millions. Designers are expected to align with and contribute to this overarching goal.
• Innovation & Excellence: Pushing boundaries in design and technology is encouraged, with a focus on delivering high-quality, craft-driven user experiences.
• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on teamwork, open communication, and building good working relationships across diverse disciplines and organizational levels.
• User-Centricity: A commitment to understanding and serving user needs, ensuring that designs are not only functional but also delightful and valuable.
• Adaptability: Thriving in an ambiguous and fast-paced startup environment, embracing change and iterating quickly.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly collaborative, involving close partnerships with Product Managers, Engineers, and User Researchers throughout the entire product development lifecycle.
• Open to feedback and iterative design, with a culture that encourages constructive critique to improve outcomes.
• Emphasis on clear communication to ensure alignment on design vision and technical feasibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: Intrinsic values a proactive, collaborative, and mission-focused culture. Designers are expected to be team players who are passionate about their work, comfortable with ambiguity, and dedicated to creating impactful, user-centric solutions within a fast-paced environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Ambiguous Design Contexts: Navigating and defining design problems in a rapidly evolving field like industrial robotics, where user needs and technical possibilities are still being explored.
• Technical Complexity: Translating highly technical concepts and functionalities of robotics and AI into intuitive and accessible user interfaces.
• Balancing Innovation with Scalability: Creating novel designs while ensuring they fit within a growing design system and can be implemented efficiently by engineering.
• Stakeholder Management: Effectively managing expectations and incorporating feedback from a diverse group of stakeholders with varying priorities.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Industry Exposure: Gaining deep insights into the industrial robotics and AI sectors, a rapidly growing and transformative field.
• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Working closely with world-class engineers, AI experts, and product leaders to broaden technical and business understanding.
• Design System Evolution: Opportunity to significantly influence and grow a foundational design system for a complex platform.
• Mentorship and Growth: Potential for mentorship from experienced design and engineering leaders, fostering professional development and career advancement within Intrinsic.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical of innovative tech startups, offering significant learning opportunities. Candidates who embrace these challenges will find ample room for professional growth and skill development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Be prepared to discuss how you approach designing for complex technical products and what strategies you employ to make them user-friendly.
• Expect questions about your process for handling ambiguous design requirements and how you would define a problem space given limited initial information.
• Discuss scenarios where you had to balance user needs with technical constraints or business objectives, and how you navigated those trade-offs.
• Prepare to articulate how you would contribute to and evolve a design system, and the importance of such systems in a growing product organization.

Company & Culture Questions:

• Research Intrinsic's mission, its parent company (Alphabet), and the broader industrial robotics market. Be ready to explain why you are passionate about this specific domain.
• Discuss your experience working in collaborative, cross-functional teams and how you build effective working relationships.
• Prepare to describe your ideal work environment and how you thrive in a fast-paced, startup setting.
• Consider how you would embody Intrinsic's values of innovation, user-centricity, and excellence in your daily work.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure your presentation logically, walking through 2-3 of your strongest projects.
• For each project, clearly define the problem statement, your role, your design process, key decisions, and the outcomes/impact.
• Be ready to discuss the specific tools and techniques you used and why.
• Highlight your collaboration with engineers and product managers, and any challenges overcome.
• Practice your presentation to ensure it is concise, engaging, and fits within the allotted time.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a strong design process, excellent collaboration skills, adaptability, and a genuine interest in Intrinsic's mission. Your portfolio is your primary tool; ensure it's well-rehearsed and tailored to showcase relevant experience.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Greenhouse link.
• Craft a compelling resume: Tailor your resume to highlight experience in user-centered design, interaction design, visual design, and collaboration with technical teams. Use keywords from the job description.
• Curate your portfolio: Ensure your portfolio showcases 2-3 strong projects that demonstrate your end-to-end design process, problem-solving skills, and ability to create engaging digital interfaces for complex products. Include case studies with clear narratives and measurable impact.
• Prepare for your presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on storytelling, design rationale, and collaboration. Be ready to discuss your process and decisions confidently.
• Research Intrinsic: Understand their mission, products, and the industrial robotics landscape. Prepare thoughtful questions about the role, team, and company to demonstrate your engagement and interest.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.