Staff Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Product Designer
Company: Adobe
Location: San Francisco, California, United States | San Jose, California, United States
Job Type: Full-Time
Category: Product Design, UX/UI Design, Creative Technology
Date Posted: January 16, 2026
Experience Level: Staff / Senior
Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end design strategy and execution for Adobe's Project Graph, a cutting-edge creative system leveraging AI and modular tools.
• Develop scalable design systems and interaction patterns for complex, node-based editing and extensible ecosystems.
• Translate sophisticated technical capabilities, including AI models, into intuitive and elegant user experiences for creators and developers.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration with engineering and product leadership to align design vision with technical strategy and roadmap.
• Champion user-centered design principles and accessibility standards across a groundbreaking platform.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Staff Product Designer," the description heavily emphasizes systems thinking, complex technical workflows (AI, node graphs), and leadership within a new platform's development. This role is positioned at a critical juncture for a new product, requiring a strong operational understanding of how design systems scale and integrate with engineering and product roadmaps, making it highly relevant for operations-minded professionals who appreciate the strategic impact of design on product development and adoption.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design Leadership: Own and execute the comprehensive design strategy for core Project Graph workflows, ensuring consistency, usability, and delight for a diverse user base.
• Systems Thinking & Scalability: Architect and implement scalable design systems, interaction models, and frameworks specifically for node-based editing, extensibility, and AI-driven creative processes.
• User Experience Innovation: Translate complex generative AI capabilities, modular tool integrations, and custom interactive components into approachable, powerful, and flexible user experiences.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Forge strong partnerships with engineering and product management leadership to ensure design vision is technically feasible, strategically aligned, and integrated into the product roadmap.
• Mentorship & Craftsmanship: Guide and inspire fellow designers, fostering a culture of high-quality craft, user advocacy, inclusivity, and continuous learning within the design team.
• Accessibility & Inclusivity: Advocate for and implement robust user-centered design principles and accessibility standards throughout the Project Graph ecosystem.
• Technical Collaboration: Work closely with engineers to understand technical constraints and opportunities, contributing to the development of innovative and feasible design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight the need for deep strategic thinking and execution, particularly in system design and cross-functional leadership. This goes beyond typical UI/UX tasks, requiring an operational mindset for scaling design, managing complex dependencies, and influencing product roadmaps, aligning with the strategic demands of a Staff-level role in a product development environment.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

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

Experience:

• 8+ years of professional experience in product design.
• Minimum of 3 years in a senior or staff-level design role, with a proven track record of designing complex, technical, or creative tools.

Required Skills:

• Interaction Design Expertise: Deep understanding of user interaction principles, usability heuristics, and user flow design.
• Visual Design Proficiency: Strong aesthetic sensibility and ability to create visually compelling and consistent user interfaces.
• Design Systems Development: Proven experience in creating, scaling, and maintaining robust design systems and component libraries.
• Systems Thinking: Ability to conceptualize and design complex, interconnected systems and workflows.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with product managers, engineers, researchers, and other stakeholders.
• Storytelling & Communication: Exceptional ability to articulate design decisions, present concepts clearly, and influence stakeholders through compelling narratives and presentations.
• User-Centered Design: Commitment to user advocacy, incorporating user feedback and research into the design process.
• Technical Fluency: Comfort and capability in collaborating with engineering teams on technical feasibility and implementation challenges.

Preferred Skills:

• Creative Tooling Experience: Prior experience designing for creative professionals (e.g., graphic designers, video editors, animators).
• Developer-Facing Tool Design: Experience designing tools or platforms for developers, understanding their unique needs and workflows.
• Generative AI Design: Familiarity with designing user experiences for AI-powered creative tools or workflows.
• Node-Based Interfaces: Experience with or understanding of node-based visual programming or editing systems.
• Extensible Platforms: Knowledge of designing for platforms that allow for third-party extensions, plugins, or custom components.
• Prototyping Skills: Strong proficiency in modern prototyping tools and frameworks (e.g., Figma, Framer, etc.) for creating interactive mockups and user flows.
• Accessibility Standards: In-depth knowledge and practical application of WCAG or other accessibility guidelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "8+ years" and "3 years at senior or staff level" signifies a role requiring significant strategic impact and leadership. The preferred skills in AI, node-based interfaces, and creative/developer tools are niche but critical for this specific platform, indicating a need for specialized operational understanding within the design domain.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Systems Design Case Studies: Showcase examples of how you've developed or significantly contributed to design systems, demonstrating scalability, consistency, and maintainability. Highlight the impact on efficiency and product quality.
• Complex Workflow Design: Present case studies detailing your approach to designing intricate, multi-step workflows, particularly those involving technical or creative tools, illustrating your ability to bring clarity to complexity.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration Evidence: Include examples demonstrating your ability to collaborate effectively with engineering and product teams, showing how you translated technical constraints into innovative design solutions and aligned on roadmaps.
• User-Centered Problem Solving: Feature projects where you identified user needs and translated them into elegant, effective design solutions, showcasing your process from research and ideation to final execution.
• AI/Technical Tooling Examples (if applicable): If you have experience with AI-driven tools, node-based interfaces, or extensible platforms, showcase these projects to demonstrate technical fluency and domain understanding.

Process Documentation:

• Design Process Walkthroughs: Clearly articulate your design process for key projects, detailing phases such as research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and iteration.
• System Architecture Diagrams: For design system projects, consider including diagrams that illustrate the structure, component relationships, and governance model.
• Impact Metrics & ROI: Where possible, provide quantifiable results and metrics demonstrating the positive impact of your design work on user experience, adoption, efficiency, or business goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Staff-level role, the portfolio is not just about aesthetics but about demonstrating strategic impact, systems thinking, and operational efficiency. The focus should be on how design decisions were made based on user needs, technical feasibility, and product strategy, and how these designs were scaled and maintained.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• US National Range: $139,700 - $265,800 annually.
• California Range: $183,600 - $265,800 annually.

Note on Salary: This range reflects the cost of labor across various U.S. geographic markets. The specific salary within this range will depend on factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and the candidate's work location. The recruiter will provide more precise details during the hiring process.

Benefits:

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.
• Retirement Savings: 401(k) plan with company match.
• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays.
• Work-Life Balance: Policies and programs designed to support employee well-being.
• Professional Development: Opportunities for continuous learning, training, and career advancement.
• Equity: Potential eligibility for new hire equity awards.
• Incentives: Annual Incentive Plan (AIP) for non-sales roles.

Working Hours:

• Typically 40 hours per week, consistent with full-time employment expectations. Flexibility may be available, but the role is on-site, requiring consistent availability during core business hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary ranges provided are broad, reflecting the Staff level and the high cost of living in California. The inclusion of "Total Target Compensation (TTC)" for sales roles and "Annual Incentive Plan (AIP)" for non-sales roles indicates a structured compensation approach common in large tech organizations, emphasizing performance-based incentives alongside base salary.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software, Digital Media, Creative Tools, Cloud Services, Artificial Intelligence. Company Size: Large Enterprise (over 10,000 employees). Founded: 1982. Company History: Adobe has a long-standing history of innovation in digital media and creativity, evolving from desktop software to a leading cloud-based provider of creative and digital experience solutions. This evolution reflects a culture of adaptability and forward-thinking.

Team Structure:

• Design Team: Part of the broader Adobe Design organization, which is a distributed global team. The Project Graph design team likely consists of a focused group of designers, researchers, and potentially UX engineers working closely with dedicated product and engineering teams.
• Reporting: A Staff Designer typically reports to a Design Manager or Director, with significant autonomy and influence over their product area.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Expect close partnerships with Product Management, Engineering, AI Research, and potentially Marketing and Developer Relations teams.

Methodology:

• User-Centricity: Adobe strongly emphasizes user-centered design principles, backed by extensive research and testing.
• Systems Thinking: For platforms like Project Graph, a strong emphasis is placed on creating scalable, consistent, and extensible design systems.
• Agile Development: The company likely operates within agile or hybrid agile development frameworks, requiring design to be iterative and responsive to changing requirements.
• Data-Informed Design: Decisions are informed by user data, analytics, and A/B testing where applicable.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Adobe's established presence and broad product portfolio suggest a well-defined operational framework for product development. The Project Graph team is likely operating with a significant degree of autonomy to innovate, but within the established design and engineering processes of a large tech company.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Staff-level position, indicating a highly experienced individual contributor with significant influence. It sits above Senior Designer and is a critical role for driving strategic product direction and technical innovation within design. Reporting Structure: Typically reports to a Design Director or Head of Design for a specific product area. The Staff Designer will work closely with Engineering Leads and Product Managers, acting as a design thought leader within these cross-functional teams. Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on the success of a new, strategic platform (Project Graph). By defining intuitive user experiences for complex AI and modular tools, this designer will influence user adoption, developer engagement, and the overall competitive positioning of Adobe's creative offerings. The operational aspect comes from ensuring the design system and interaction patterns are scalable and efficient for future development.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven design, node-based systems, and extensible platform design.
• Leadership Development: Grow into a formal leadership role (e.g., Design Manager, Director) or become a recognized Principal/Distinguished Designer within Adobe.
• Strategic Influence: Contribute to broader Adobe design strategy and potentially influence product vision across multiple lines of business.
• Cross-Product Collaboration: Opportunity to work on or influence other Adobe products that may integrate with Project Graph.
• Mentorship: Formal and informal opportunities to mentor junior and mid-level designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: A Staff Designer role at Adobe is a significant career milestone. It requires not only exceptional design craft but also the ability to operate strategically, influence across disciplines, and contribute to the operational efficiency of product development through robust design systems and clear interaction patterns.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site, within potentially modern, collaborative office spaces designed to foster innovation and teamwork, common in major tech hubs like San Francisco and San Jose. Office Location(s): San Francisco, California, and San Jose, California. These locations offer vibrant tech ecosystems with access to talent and industry events. Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Expect access to meeting rooms, brainstorming areas, and open-plan workspaces designed for team interaction and agile collaboration.
• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design software, hardware, and potentially advanced prototyping and testing labs.
• Team Interaction: Regular opportunities for in-person design critiques, team syncs, and cross-functional meetings with product and engineering.

Work Schedule:

• Full-time, on-site role. Standard working hours are expected, with flexibility typically managed by the team and manager to ensure project deliverables are met. The on-site requirement suggests a focus on high-bandwidth collaboration and team cohesion.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement points towards a preference for high-touch, in-person collaboration, which is often crucial for complex, innovative projects like Project Graph. This environment supports rapid iteration and deep dives that are harder to achieve purely remotely.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Resume and portfolio review by a recruiter and hiring manager to assess qualifications and alignment with the role's requirements.
• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where the candidate presents 2-3 key case studies from their portfolio, focusing on systems thinking, complex problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Design Exercises: May include a take-home assignment or an on-site/virtual whiteboarding session focusing on a design challenge relevant to Project Graph (e.g., designing a component of the node graph, solving a specific interaction problem).
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and potentially other designers to assess collaboration skills, technical fluency, and strategic thinking.
• Leadership Interview: A final interview, possibly with a Design Director or VP, to evaluate leadership potential, strategic vision, and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Systems Thinking: Clearly articulate your approach to building or scaling design systems, emphasizing consistency, maintainability, and efficiency gains.
• Demonstrate Complexity Management: Showcase how you tackled complex user flows, technical challenges, or ambiguous problems, and how you brought clarity and usability to these areas.
• Showcase Collaboration: Provide context on how you partnered with engineering and product teams, detailing your role in decision-making and problem-solving.
• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs – e.g., improved user task completion, adoption rates, efficiency gains, or reduction in support tickets.
• Focus on Process: Explain your design process, not just the final output. Show your thinking, iterations, and how you adapted based on feedback or constraints.
• Tailor to Project Graph: Emphasize any experience with AI, node-based interfaces, creative tools, or extensible platforms.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Project Graph: Research the concept of node-based editors, AI in creative tools, and Adobe's existing creative ecosystem.
• Practice Design Thinking: Be prepared to articulate your problem-solving process from problem definition to solution.
• Prepare for System Design Questions: Think about how you would approach designing scalable components and interactions for a new, complex platform.
• Anticipate Collaboration Scenarios: Be ready to discuss how you handle disagreements or alignment challenges with engineers and product managers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio review and potential design challenges underscores the practical, execution-oriented nature of this role, even at a Staff level. Candidates need to demonstrate not just strategic thinking but also the ability to translate that strategy into tangible, high-quality design solutions and effectively communicate their process and impact.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable), Adobe XD (legacy, but possible), Sketch (less likely for new projects), Framer (for advanced prototyping).
• Design Systems Management: Tools like Zeroheight, Storybook, or custom internal solutions for documenting and managing design system components.
• Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Confluence, Asana.
• Research & Testing: UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback, or internal research platforms.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Adobe Analytics (internal, widely used), Google Analytics, Tableau, Power BI, or custom internal dashboards.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding the user journey and how design impacts conversion or adoption may involve familiarity with CRM concepts and marketing automation platforms. Salesforce is a common enterprise CRM.

Specialized Tools (for Project Graph):

• Node Graph Editors: Familiarity with concepts from tools like Unreal Engine's Blueprints, Blender's Geometry Nodes, Houdini, or similar visual scripting/node-based environments would be highly advantageous.
• AI/ML Platforms: Understanding of how users interact with AI models, potentially involving tools or frameworks related to machine learning interfaces.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma and experience with design system tools are almost certainly required given Adobe's internal practices and industry standards. Familiarity with node-based interfaces is a key differentiator for this specific role, indicating a need to understand specialized technical paradigms.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Creativity: A core Adobe value, driving the creation of new tools and experiences.
• User Focus: Deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of creators and developers.
• Excellence & Craft: High standards for design quality, usability, and visual polish.
• Collaboration & Inclusion: Fostering a supportive environment where diverse perspectives are valued and integrated.
• Impact & Ownership: Taking responsibility for driving product success and making a tangible difference.
• Adaptability: Willingness to embrace new technologies (like AI) and evolve design approaches.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnerships: Strong emphasis on working integrally with Product Management and Engineering to achieve shared goals.
• Design Critiques: Regular and constructive feedback sessions to elevate design quality and foster learning.
• Open Communication: Encouraging transparency and direct communication across teams.
• Data-Informed Decision Making: Using research and analytics to validate design choices and drive iterative improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: Adobe's culture is generally known for fostering creativity and innovation. For a role like this, the emphasis will be on how design can operationalize these values by creating scalable systems and intuitive interfaces that empower a broad user base.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Complexity: Effectively simplifying highly technical and abstract concepts (AI, node graphs, extensibility) into intuitive user experiences.
• Balancing Power and Usability: Creating a tool that is powerful enough for advanced users without alienating newer creators or developers.
• Establishing New Patterns: Defining and setting the standard for interaction patterns in a novel creative system.
• Cross-Team Alignment: Ensuring consistent vision and execution across distributed design, product, and engineering teams.
• Technical Constraints: Navigating the technical limitations and opportunities of integrating AI models and custom components.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into AI/ML Interfaces: Gain hands-on experience designing for cutting-edge AI technologies.
• Mastery of Node-Based Systems: Become an expert in designing for complex visual programming paradigms.
• Influence on Future Creative Tools: Shape the direction of Adobe's next-generation creative platform.
• Leadership and Mentorship: Develop leadership skills and mentor emerging design talent.
• Industry Conferences & Training: Access to industry events, workshops, and Adobe's internal learning resources.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are inherent to pioneering a new platform. The growth opportunities are significant, positioning this role as a key player in shaping the future of creative tooling at Adobe.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led the design of a complex, technical system. What were the biggest challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Focus on systems thinking, problem-solving, and cross-functional leadership).
• "How would you approach designing an intuitive interface for combining multiple AI models within a node graph editor?" (Demonstrate understanding of AI interaction, node-based systems, and user needs).
• "How do you balance user needs with technical constraints and business goals when designing a new platform?" (Showcase your decision-making process and ability to find pragmatic solutions).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Adobe's Project Graph and this specific role?" (Show genuine curiosity and research into the product).
• "How do you foster collaboration and inclusivity within a design team and with cross-functional partners?" (Align your approach with Adobe's stated values).
• "How do you measure the success of your design work, especially for new platforms?" (Discuss metrics and impact demonstration).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, your process, the solution, and the impact.
• Emphasize Systems Thinking: For any design system or scalable solution, explain the architecture, governance, and how it promotes efficiency.
• Showcase Collaboration: Detail your interactions with engineering and product, including how you navigated challenges and achieved alignment.
• Use Visuals Effectively: Ensure your slides are clean, professional, and clearly illustrate your design decisions and outcomes.
• Be Ready for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your design choices, trade-offs, and how you would apply your experience to Project Graph.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, leadership, and a deep understanding of complex systems, not just UI execution. Candidates need to articulate their process and impact with clarity and confidence.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Product Designer position:

• Submit your resume and a comprehensive portfolio through the Adobe careers portal.
• Tailor Your Portfolio: Curate 2-3 key projects that best showcase your experience with design systems, complex technical workflows, cross-functional collaboration, and ideally, any work related to AI, node-based interfaces, or creative tools.
• Optimize Your Resume: Highlight your 8+ years of experience, specifically mentioning your 3+ years at a senior/staff level, and use keywords from the job description such as "design systems," "interaction design," "systems thinking," "AI-driven workflows," and "cross-functional collaboration."
• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your chosen portfolio case studies, focusing on your process, strategic decisions, and quantifiable impact. Be ready to discuss how your experience translates to Adobe's Project Graph.
• Research Adobe: Understand Adobe's mission, its product suite (especially Creative Cloud), and its design philosophy. Familiarize yourself with the concept of Project Graph and its potential implications.

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

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