Senior UX Designer at Askable

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer Company: Askable Location: Bowen Hills, Queensland, Australia Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: Product Design / User Experience Date Posted: May 29, 2025 Experience Level: 5+ Years

🚀 Role Summary

This role focuses on driving user-centric product development through in-depth user research and intuitive design solutions, directly impacting the usability and effectiveness of Askable's user research platform.
The Senior UX Designer will be responsible for the end-to-end design process, from initial problem discovery and ideation through to prototyping, testing, and final implementation, ensuring a seamless user experience for researchers and designers.
A key aspect of this position involves close collaboration with cross-functional teams, including product management and engineering, to translate user needs and business objectives into tangible, high-quality design outcomes.
The role emphasizes a commitment to craft and detail, aiming to create experiences that are not only functional and efficient but also refined, intentional, and aligned with user expectations within the research and design community.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is Senior UX Designer, the responsibilities and required skills heavily lean into Product Design, emphasizing the full product lifecycle from discovery to iteration. The role requires a strong focus on user research and a deep understanding of SaaS platforms, particularly those serving design and research professionals.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

Lead the discovery phase of product development by planning and conducting user interviews, usability testing, and analyzing quantitative data to identify and define user problems and opportunities.
Design intuitive, user-centered experiences for web and mobile applications that cater to the specific needs of researchers and designers, ensuring ease of use and efficiency.
Develop comprehensive user journey maps, information architecture diagrams, wireframes, and interactive prototypes to effectively communicate design concepts and solutions.
Collaborate effectively with Product Managers and Engineers to define product requirements, ideate solutions, and ensure the successful implementation of design specifications.
Maintain a high standard of design craft, paying meticulous attention to detail in visual design, interaction patterns, and overall polish to create refined and intentional user experiences.
Act as a strong advocate for the user throughout the product development lifecycle, integrating research insights and user feedback into product strategy and design decisions.
Contribute to the evolution and maintenance of the company's design system, ensuring consistency, scalability, and adherence to best practices across the platform.
Manage the design process from concept to launch, working closely with development squads to iterate on features based on user feedback and performance metrics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic thinking (advocating for user in product strategy) and tactical execution (prototyping, design system contribution). The emphasis on "shipping real things" with squads signals an agile, hands-on approach.

🎓 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 in senior-level product design roles. Equivalent practical experience will also be strongly considered.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in product design or UX design, with a significant portion within a SaaS or technology-focused company, is required.

Required Skills:

A robust portfolio showcasing a strong design process, including case studies that detail problem definition, research methodologies, design iterations, and final outcomes.
Proven experience in planning, conducting, and synthesizing findings from user research methodologies, including user interviews, surveys, and usability testing.
Expertise in interaction design, demonstrating a deep understanding of user flows, micro-interactions, and creating intuitive interfaces.
Strong systems thinking capabilities, enabling the design of coherent and scalable user experiences within a complex product ecosystem.
Proficiency in information architecture to organize and structure content logically and facilitate easy navigation.
Exceptional attention to detail, with a commitment to design craft, visual polish, and the creation of intentional, high-quality user interfaces.
Experience with prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD) to create interactive mockups for testing and stakeholder communication.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including product managers, engineers, and researchers.
Strong user advocacy skills, effectively translating user needs and research insights into actionable product recommendations.
Experience in contributing to or evolving a design system to ensure brand consistency and design scalability.
Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to navigate ambiguity and find creative solutions.
A curious mindset, eager to learn and understand user behaviors and industry trends.
A quality-driven approach, ensuring that work is executed to a high standard.
An outcome-focused perspective, prioritizing impact and effectiveness.
Adaptability to changing project requirements and priorities within a dynamic environment.

Preferred Skills:

Experience designing or working with tools specifically for research teams or design professionals.
Familiarity with agile development methodologies and participation in agile ceremonies.
Knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG) and best practices for inclusive design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio with "case studies that show your thinking, not just outcomes" is critical. Candidates should prepare to articulate their design process, decision-making rationale, and the impact of their work, not just present final visuals.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Case Studies: Detailed case studies are paramount, demonstrating a deep dive into the problem space, user research methodologies employed, design exploration and iteration process, and the measurable impact of the final solution.
Process Documentation: Showcase your approach to user research, including participant recruitment, interview guides, and usability testing plans and reports, highlighting how insights informed design decisions.
Systemic Design Thinking: Include examples that illustrate your ability to think about the product as a system, demonstrating how individual features connect and contribute to a cohesive user experience, potentially including design system contributions.
Interaction & Visual Design: Present high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes, clearly articulating the rationale behind interaction patterns and visual choices, underscoring your craft and attention to detail.

Process Documentation:

Workflow Design: Provide examples of how you've mapped user flows, defined information architecture, and designed end-to-end user journeys.
Implementation & Iteration: Detail how you've worked with engineering to implement designs and how you've used feedback loops (user testing, analytics) to iterate and improve upon existing features.
Measurement & Analysis: Illustrate how you've used metrics or qualitative feedback to measure the success of your design solutions and inform future iterations, demonstrating an outcome-focused approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: The request for "thinking, not just outcomes" in the portfolio means candidates should be prepared to discuss their process, challenges, and how they arrived at their solutions, rather than just presenting a gallery of finished work.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Senior UX Designer with 5+ years of experience in Brisbane, Australia, a competitive salary range would typically fall between AUD $120,000 to $170,000 per annum. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for senior design roles in major Australian cities, considering the company's growth stage and the specialized nature of the product.

Benefits:

Competitive Salary: A salary commensurate with experience and market rates.
Askable Days: An additional paid day off each month, contributing to a total of 7 weeks of annual leave, promoting work-life balance and employee well-being.
Daily Lunch: A provided lunch each day, described as "half-decent, mostly healthy, and always delicious," contributing to employee convenience and satisfaction.
Free Public Transport: Coverage for public transport to and from the office, reducing commuting costs and environmental impact.
Comprehensive Perks: Additional benefits will be discussed during the interview process, indicating a potentially robust employee benefits package.

Working Hours: The role is for a full-time position, typically expected to involve around 40 hours per week, aligning with standard full-time working arrangements in Australia. The description emphasizes independence and self-management, suggesting flexibility within the standard work week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimation is based on general market data for a Senior UX Designer in Brisbane. Actual compensation may vary based on the candidate's specific skills, experience, and negotiation. The benefit of 7 weeks of annual leave (including Askable Days) is a significant differentiator and should be highlighted.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: The company operates within the SaaS (Software as a Service) sector, specifically focusing on User Research Platforms. This industry is characterized by rapid innovation, a strong emphasis on user experience, and a data-driven approach to product development. Askable's position as a "user research platform" places it at the intersection of design technology and market research tools.

Company Size: Askable is described as growing, with offices in Brisbane, London, and Chicago. While precise employee numbers aren't stated, the mention of multiple international offices and serving hundreds of clients (including large corporations) suggests a company that has moved beyond the startup phase and is in a significant growth trajectory, likely employing between 50-200 people. This size often means a dynamic environment where individuals can have a significant impact, but processes are still being refined.

Founded: Askable was founded in 2017. This relatively recent founding indicates a modern, agile company culture that likely embraces new technologies and methodologies. The origin story, born from frustration with existing processes, suggests a company mission focused on innovation and improving user experiences within its niche.

Team Structure:

The UX Designer will likely be part of a Product team, which typically includes Product Managers, other Designers (UX/UI), and Engineers (Frontend/Backend).
The role implies a flat or semi-flat hierarchical structure, common in tech companies, where collaboration and direct communication are encouraged across all levels. The Senior UX Designer will likely report to a Head of Product, Design Lead, or a similar senior management role.
Close collaboration with Product and Engineering is explicitly mentioned, suggesting a highly integrated, cross-functional team environment where designers work hand-in-hand with other disciplines to deliver features.

Methodology:

User-Centricity: The core methodology revolves around understanding and serving the user, with a strong emphasis on user research and feedback loops.
Agile Development: The mention of "squads" and shipping "all the way to release and iteration" points towards an agile or Scrum-like development process.
Data-Driven Decisions: While not explicitly stated for the design role, the general SaaS and tech environment implies a reliance on data analytics to inform product strategy and design choices. Askable itself uses its platform for research and feedback.
Iterative Design: The company's use of its own platform for feedback and iteration suggests a continuous improvement cycle for its products.

Company Website: https://askable.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on being a "user research platform" means the Senior UX Designer will be designing for a sophisticated audience (researchers and designers). This requires a deep understanding of their workflows, tools, and pain points, and the ability to design for complex functionalities.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior level position within the Product Design/UX discipline. It signifies a role that requires not only strong execution skills but also the ability to influence product strategy, mentor junior designers (potentially), and operate with a high degree of autonomy. The "Senior" title implies ownership of significant product areas and the expectation of contributing beyond individual design tasks, such as improving design processes or contributing to the design system's strategic direction.

Reporting Structure: The Senior UX Designer will likely report into a Product leadership role, such as a Head of Product, Director of Product, or a Lead UX/Product Designer. They will work within a cross-functional "squad" that includes Product Managers and Engineers. This structure fosters close alignment and shared ownership of product outcomes.

Operations Impact: The Senior UX Designer's work will have a direct and significant impact on Askable's product, which is the core offering to its clients. By improving the user experience of the Askable platform, this role will contribute to:

Customer Acquisition & Retention: A superior user experience can be a key differentiator, attracting new clients and retaining existing ones.
User Satisfaction: Ensuring researchers and designers can efficiently conduct their work using Askable will lead to higher satisfaction and loyalty.
Product Adoption: Intuitive design encourages wider adoption of the platform's features.
Brand Reputation: As a company that "loves" its users, a well-designed product reinforces this brand promise.

Growth Opportunities:

Leadership & Mentorship: As a senior member, there will be opportunities to mentor less experienced designers, lead design initiatives, and influence the overall design strategy.
Specialization: Potential to deepen expertise in designing for research tools, user research methodologies, or specific platform functionalities.
Strategic Influence: Greater involvement in product strategy, roadmap planning, and contributing to the long-term vision of the Askable platform.
Team Growth: As the company scales, opportunities may arise to move into management roles (e.g., Design Manager) or lead design for specific product verticals.
Skill Development: Continuous learning through working with sophisticated users, exposure to a growing SaaS product, and potential for professional development in areas like advanced research techniques or design operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is positioned as influential, not just an executor. Candidates should emphasize their ability to drive product direction through design and research, and their aspiration for growth within a scaling tech company.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based in-person at their office in Brisbane, Australia. This suggests a traditional office environment designed to foster collaboration and team cohesion, rather than a remote or hybrid setup.

Office Location(s): The specific office is located at 2 King St, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, 4006, Australia. Fortitude Valley is a well-known business and entertainment precinct in Brisbane, suggesting a modern, accessible office location with good amenities.

Workspace Context:

Collaborative Environment: The in-person requirement and emphasis on teamwork suggest a workspace designed for collaboration, likely featuring open plan areas, meeting rooms, and spaces for informal discussions.
Tools & Technology: As a tech company, the workspace will be equipped with modern technology, including high-performance computers, design software, and potentially collaboration tools integrated with their platform.
Team Interaction: The setup will facilitate regular face-to-face interaction with product managers, engineers, and other designers, crucial for the agile development process and for fostering a strong team culture.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is full-time, likely aligning with typical business hours in Brisbane (e.g., 9 AM to 5 PM AEST), but the emphasis on "independence and curiosity" and "managing your own workflow" suggests a degree of flexibility may be offered within this framework.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "in-person" and the provided Brisbane address is important for candidates to consider, especially regarding commuting and the preference for a collaborative, office-based work environment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely review the application, focusing on resume and portfolio. Be prepared to articulate your experience and suitability concisely.
Portfolio Review & Discussion: A dedicated session to walk through your portfolio. Expect to discuss your design process, key case studies, your role in each project, challenges faced, and the outcomes achieved. Focus on demonstrating "thinking, not just outcomes."
Design Challenge/Exercise: You may be given a take-home assignment or an in-person whiteboard exercise to assess your problem-solving skills, design thinking, and ability to articulate your process under pressure. This could involve critiquing an existing design or proposing a solution for a given problem.
Team/Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other designers to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and cultural fit.
Final Interview: Likely with a senior leader (e.g., Head of Product, CEO) to discuss overall fit, career aspirations, and alignment with company values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Curate Thoughtfully: Select 2-3 strong case studies that best represent your skills in user research, problem-solving, interaction design, and your process. Tailor them to Askable's context where possible.
Tell a Story: Structure each case study as a narrative: the problem, your approach, the process, the solution, and the impact. Clearly define your specific contributions.
Highlight Research: Emphasize how user research and data informed your design decisions at each stage. Show your methodologies and insights.
Showcase Process: Include wireframes, user flows, prototypes, and iterations to demonstrate your design thinking and problem-solving journey.
Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics or specific user feedback to demonstrate the success of your designs.
Be Prepared to Discuss: Know your portfolio inside out. Be ready to answer questions about your choices, challenges, and learnings.

Challenge Preparation:

Understand the User: If given a challenge, quickly identify the target user and their core needs. Think about Askable's users (researchers, designers).
Structure Your Approach: Outline your process (e.g., define, ideate, prototype, test) and articulate your assumptions clearly.
Focus on Process, Not Perfection: For a design exercise, demonstrating a sound design process and logical thinking is often more important than delivering a pixel-perfect final design.
Communicate Clearly: Practice articulating your thoughts and rationale concisely, especially if presenting to a group or under time constraints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "winning with your team" and "independence and curiosity" should be reflected in your interview responses. Be ready to share examples of successful collaborations and instances where you took initiative to solve problems.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

Design & Prototyping: Proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or similar. Figma is particularly prevalent in modern design teams for its collaborative features.
User Research Tools: Familiarity with tools used for conducting user interviews, surveys, and usability testing (e.g., Lookback, UserTesting.com, Maze, Google Forms, Typeform). Given Askable's product, deep understanding of the research process is key.
Collaboration & Project Management: Tools like Jira, Asana, Trello, or Notion for managing tasks, workflows, and team communication.
Design System Management: Experience with tools or methodologies for building and maintaining design systems, ensuring consistency and scalability.

Analytics & Reporting:

Web Analytics: Understanding of tools like Google Analytics or Amplitude to track user behavior and product usage.
Data Visualization: Experience with tools for creating dashboards and reports (e.g., Tableau, Looker, Power BI) to communicate insights and performance metrics.

CRM & Automation:

While not directly designing CRM systems, an understanding of how user data is managed within a CRM (like Salesforce) can be beneficial for context regarding user profiles and data flow.
Familiarity with automation tools used by companies to streamline processes could be helpful for understanding the broader tech stack.

📝 Enhancement Note: The ability to use Askable's own platform for research and feedback is a unique aspect. Demonstrating familiarity with or an eagerness to learn user research platforms will be a significant advantage.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

Winning with Your Team: A core value emphasizing collaboration, mutual support, and collective success over individual achievement. This involves strong communication and a willingness to help colleagues succeed.
Independence and Curiosity: Encourages self-driven individuals who proactively seek knowledge, solve problems autonomously, and ask insightful questions. This fosters a culture of continuous learning and initiative.
Quality-Driven: A commitment to excellence in all aspects of work, ensuring that designs are not only functional but also polished, refined, and of high craftsmanship.
Outcome-Focused: Prioritizing impact and results, balancing the need to do things well with the necessity of achieving meaningful business and user outcomes.
Adaptable: Embracing change, comfortable with ambiguity, and able to transition smoothly from complex, undefined problems to clear, actionable solutions.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-functional Integration: Designers are expected to work closely with product and engineering, acting as integral members of product squads rather than siloed specialists. This involves open communication and shared ownership.
Feedback Culture: A willingness to both give and receive constructive feedback is crucial for team improvement and individual growth. This implies an environment where critiques are seen as opportunities for refinement.
Knowledge Sharing: An environment that encourages sharing insights, best practices, and learnings across the team to elevate collective capabilities and foster continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is deeply embedded in its "Culture Book." Candidates should express an understanding of these values and how they would embody them in their daily work, particularly "Winning with Your Team" and "Independence and Curiosity."

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

Designing for a Sophisticated Audience: Creating an intuitive and effective platform for experienced researchers and designers requires a deep understanding of their workflows and a high bar for usability and functionality.
Balancing Craftsmanship with Speed: In a fast-paced SaaS environment, maintaining a high level of design quality while meeting development timelines can be challenging.
Evolving Design System: Contributing to and maintaining a design system for a growing product requires strategic thinking, consistency, and scalability considerations.
Navigating Ambiguity: As a growing company, processes and priorities may evolve, requiring adaptability and proactive problem-solving.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Deepen Expertise: Gain specialized knowledge in the user research and design tools domain.
Professional Development: Opportunities to attend industry conferences, workshops, or pursue relevant certifications.
Mentorship: Potential to be mentored by senior leaders or to mentor junior team members, fostering leadership skills.
Impactful Projects: Work on features that directly shape how a significant user community conducts their work, offering a unique sense of purpose and impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should frame the challenges as opportunities for growth and demonstrate how their skills and mindset can help overcome them. Highlighting a proactive approach to learning and problem-solving will be key.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

Operations Strategy & Methodology: "How would you approach understanding and improving the onboarding flow for new users on the Askable platform?" or "Describe your process for prioritizing design features when faced with multiple competing user needs and business goals." Be ready to articulate your design strategy, user research methods, and how you'd balance user needs with business objectives.
Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: "Tell me about a time you successfully collaborated with engineering to implement a complex design feature. What were the challenges and how did you overcome them?" or "How do you handle disagreements with product managers or engineers regarding design decisions?" Prepare examples that showcase your communication skills, ability to influence, and how you build consensus.
Problem-Solving & Efficiency: "Imagine a key feature in our platform is receiving negative feedback regarding usability. How would you diagnose the problem and propose solutions?" Focus on demonstrating a structured problem-solving approach, leveraging user research and data.

Company & Culture Questions:

"What excites you about Askable and our mission?" Research the company's values, product, and market position.
"How do you embody our core values, such as 'Winning with your team' or 'Independence and curiosity'?" Prepare specific anecdotes from your experience.
"How do you approach giving and receiving feedback?" Discuss your comfort with constructive criticism and your methods for providing helpful feedback.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Structure for Impact: Begin with a high-level overview of your career and what you're looking for. Then, dive into 2-3 case studies. For each, clearly state the problem, your role, your process, the solution, and the outcome.
Interactive Walkthrough: Use your live portfolio (or screenshare) to guide the interviewer through your work. Highlight key screens, decision points, and user flows.
Focus on "Thinking": For each case study, be ready to discuss why you made certain decisions, the trade-offs you considered, and what you learned. Explain your user research methodology and how it informed your design.
Demonstrate Craftsmanship: Briefly touch upon the visual and interaction details that make your designs effective and polished.

📝 Enhancement Note: Anticipate questions about your experience with user research platforms and how you'd approach designing for a user base of researchers and designers. This shows you've done your homework and understand the unique context of the role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Designer position:

Submit your application through the provided link on the Askable Teamtailor portal.
Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio is up-to-date and clearly showcases 2-3 relevant case studies that highlight your user research methodology, design process, problem-solving skills, and the impact of your work. Tailor your portfolio to demonstrate experience with SaaS products and, if possible, user research tools.
Resume Optimization: Update your resume to emphasize your 5+ years of product design experience, focusing on achievements and responsibilities that align with the job description. Use keywords like "user research," "interaction design," "prototyping," "design systems," and "SaaS." Quantify your accomplishments where possible.
Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process and key case studies. Prepare to answer behavioral questions related to collaboration, problem-solving, and company values. Be ready to discuss your approach to user research and designing for a sophisticated user base.
Company Research: Thoroughly research Askable, its product, its mission, and its stated culture values. Understand their place in the market and the needs of their target users (researchers and designers).

⚠️ 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.

Senior UX Designer