Staff Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Product Designer

Company: Artisan

Location: San Francisco, California, United States / New York, New York, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations Enablement

Date Posted: April 07, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level to Senior (3-5+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the design of innovative user experiences for AI employees, focusing on creating intuitive and magical interactions that define the future of SaaS.

• Collaborate closely with product management, engineering, and executive leadership to translate user needs and business objectives into high-fidelity designs and prototypes.

• Drive user research initiatives to deeply understand customer pain points and inform product strategy, ensuring a customer-centric approach to all design decisions.

• Contribute significantly to the long-term product vision and roadmap, leveraging UX expertise to guide strategic product development.

• Enhance and expand the existing design system to ensure consistency, scalability, and efficiency across the product.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is primarily a Product Designer position, the focus on "AI employees" and the company's product (Ava, an AI BDR) directly impacts Go-To-Market (GTM) operations, particularly in sales enablement and revenue generation. Therefore, this role can be categorized under GTM Operations Enablement due to its influence on how sales teams leverage AI tools for lead generation and outbound sequences.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and prototype new features for Artisan's AI employee platform, ensuring seamless integration and exceptional user experience.

• Partner with engineering teams from concept through to production, facilitating smooth hand-offs and ensuring design fidelity is maintained.

• Conduct regular customer interviews and usability testing to gather feedback and identify opportunities for UX improvement.

• Translate customer insights and market trends into actionable design recommendations and contribute to the product roadmap.

• Maintain and evolve the company's design system, ensuring it supports rapid iteration and scalable product development.

• Define and iterate on user flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity mockups for complex features within the AI employee ecosystem.

• Advocate for user needs and best practices in design throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Contribute to defining the visual language and interaction patterns for human-AI collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a hands-on approach to design coupled with strategic input, typical for a senior individual contributor role in a fast-paced startup environment. The emphasis on "AI employees" and "customer tone of voice" suggests a need for nuanced design that balances automation with personalization, directly impacting sales effectiveness and thus GTM operations.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience: Minimum of 3 years of professional product design experience, with a strong preference for candidates who have worked in fast-growing SaaS companies.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in product design, with a strong portfolio showcasing end-to-end design process for digital products.

• Proficiency in Figma for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity design creation.

• Deep understanding of user experience (UX) principles and user-centered design methodologies.

• Experience building and maintaining design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency.

• Ability to conduct user research, synthesize findings, and translate them into design solutions.

• Strong understanding of user interaction design principles, especially in creating intuitive and engaging experiences.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with product managers, engineers, and executive leadership.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for AI-powered products or complex enterprise SaaS solutions.

• Familiarity with Agile development methodologies and cross-functional team collaboration.

• Understanding of sales processes and BDR/SDR workflows, given the company's product focus.

• Experience with front-end development concepts (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to better collaborate with engineering.

• A keen eye for detail and a passion for creating pixel-perfect, polished interfaces.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "3+ years of Figma product design experience, ideally in fast-growing SaaS companies" is a clear indicator of the expected experience level. The emphasis on "product-minded" and "customer-first" aligns with the need for designers to understand business outcomes, especially relevant for a role supporting a BDR AI product that directly drives revenue.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing at least 3-5 distinct product design projects, demonstrating the full design lifecycle from discovery to launch.

• Projects should highlight your ability to solve complex user problems and deliver measurable business impact, particularly in SaaS environments.

• Include examples of user research, wireframes, interactive prototypes, high-fidelity mockups, and final UI designs.

• Showcase your experience with design systems, including contributions to their development or consistent application.

Process Documentation:

• Provide case studies that detail your involvement in defining product requirements, user flows, and interaction models.

• Explain how you collaborated with cross-functional teams (product management, engineering) to bring designs to life.

• Illustrate how you incorporated user feedback and data to iterate on designs and improve user outcomes.

• Detail your approach to ensuring design quality and consistency throughout the development process.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a product design role, especially in a startup, the portfolio is paramount. It serves as tangible evidence of process, problem-solving skills, and ability to deliver high-quality output. The emphasis on "fast-growing SaaS" and "customer outcomes" implies a need for portfolio pieces that demonstrate impact on core business metrics like lead generation, conversion rates, or customer adoption—metrics crucial for GTM operations.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $175,000 - $275,000 Annually

Benefits:

• Stock options: Opportunity to own a piece of a rapidly growing company with significant upside potential.

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.

• Generous paid time off (PTO) policy.

• Opportunities for professional development and continuous learning.

• Collaborative and innovative work environment.

• Potential for significant impact and career growth in a fast-paced startup.

Working Hours: Full-time, approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility expected in a startup environment to meet project deadlines and business needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range of $175,000 - $275,000 USD is competitive for a Staff Product Designer in major tech hubs like San Francisco and New York. This range reflects the experience level, the strategic importance of the role, and the high cost of living in these locations. The inclusion of "stock options" is a standard and attractive benefit for early-stage startups, aligning with the "Founder mindset" culture.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Software as a Service (SaaS), Sales Technology.

Company Size: Early-stage startup, having raised $35M+ and achieved $7M+ ARR, indicating significant traction and growth potential.

Founded: The company went through Y Combinator (W24), suggesting a recent founding or rapid scaling phase, likely within the last 1-3 years.

Team Structure:

• The Product & Design team is currently small, with the candidate being the second Product Designer.

• The role reports to the CPTO (Chief Product and Technology Officer), Sam Stallings.

• Collaboration is expected with the CEO (Jaspar), the current sole Product Designer (Gagan), and engineering teams.

Methodology:

• Emphasis on "impact" and applying the "80/20 rule" to focus on high-leverage activities.

• Data-driven decision-making is implied through the focus on impact and optimization.

• Customer-first approach is a core value, driving user research and product development.

• High standards for quality in all aspects of work, from product to copy and design.

Company Website: https://www.artisan.co/

📝 Enhancement Note: Artisan's focus on "AI employees" and building "autonomous teammates" places it at the forefront of AI innovation in the SaaS space. The company's rapid growth ($7M+ ARR, $35M+ funding) and Y Combinator affiliation signify a high-potential, fast-paced environment. The culture values ownership, impact, and customer obsession, which are critical for success in a startup, especially for roles that directly enable revenue generation through product design.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Staff Product Designer, indicating a senior individual contributor level. It demands a high degree of autonomy, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence product direction. It's a critical role for shaping the user experience of cutting-edge AI products.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report directly to the CPTO, Sam Stallings. This close proximity to executive leadership offers visibility and direct influence on product strategy and roadmap. The designer will also work closely with the existing Product Designer, Gagan, suggesting a collaborative learning environment.

Operations Impact: As the second Product Designer, this role has a significant opportunity to shape the user experience of AI employees, specifically Ava, an AI BDR. This directly impacts how businesses generate leads, engage prospects, and ultimately drive revenue. The design choices made will influence the adoption, effectiveness, and perceived value of Artisan's core product, making it a pivotal role in the company's GTM strategy and revenue operations enablement.

Growth Opportunities:

• Product Leadership: Potential to grow into a Product Design Lead or Manager role as the company scales and the design team expands.

• Specialization: Opportunity to become a deep expert in AI UX and human-AI interaction design, a rapidly growing and highly valuable field.

• Strategic Influence: Direct involvement in shaping the long-term product vision and roadmap, offering significant strategic career development.

• Skill Expansion: Exposure to rapid product development cycles, cross-functional collaboration, and startup operational dynamics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Staff" title suggests a level beyond a standard Senior Designer, implying a need for leadership qualities and significant strategic contribution. The close reporting line to the CPTO and CEO, coupled with the opportunity to shape a novel product category (AI employees), presents substantial growth potential and impact, particularly in enabling GTM functions through innovative product design.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is on-site in either San Francisco or New York, indicating a traditional office-based work environment. This setup is designed to foster close collaboration, spontaneous idea generation, and a strong team culture.

Office Location(s): San Francisco, California and New York, New York. These are major tech hubs offering access to talent, networking opportunities, and vibrant professional communities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The on-site requirement suggests an emphasis on in-person collaboration, facilitating direct interaction with product managers, engineers, and fellow designers. This is crucial for rapid iteration and problem-solving in a startup.

• Tooling: Access to industry-standard design tools like Figma, likely supported by robust hardware and software infrastructure.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for frequent brainstorming sessions, design critiques, and direct feedback loops with executive leadership and team members.

Work Schedule: Full-time, likely with core office hours to maximize team collaboration, but with the expectation of flexibility common in startups to meet critical project deadlines and business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in competitive tech hubs like San Francisco and New York suggests a company that values in-person collaboration and a strong team dynamic. This environment is often conducive to rapid prototyping and iterative design processes, which are essential for a fast-moving startup like Artisan.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Recruiter Intro: Initial screening to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and understanding of the role.

• Designer Call: A 30-minute discussion with Gagan, the current Product Designer, to assess technical skills, design philosophy, and collaborative potential.

• Take-Home Task: A practical exercise to evaluate design thinking, problem-solving abilities, and execution skills within a defined scope.

• Task Review: A 30-minute call with the CPTO, Sam Stallings, to review the take-home task, discuss design decisions, and assess strategic thinking.

• Culture/Values Call: A 30-minute conversation with the CEO, Jaspar, to evaluate alignment with Artisan's core values and assess founder mindset potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best demonstrate your problem-solving skills, design process, and impact, particularly those relevant to SaaS or complex user interfaces.

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies to clearly articulate the problem, your approach, the solutions you designed, and the outcomes achieved. Quantify impact where possible (e.g., improvements in conversion, engagement, efficiency).

• Highlight Collaboration: Emphasize your ability to work effectively with product, engineering, and other stakeholders. Show how you integrated feedback and navigated trade-offs.

• Showcase Figma & Design Systems: Clearly demonstrate your proficiency in Figma and any experience you have with design systems, as these are critical tools for this role.

• Address AI/SaaS: If possible, include projects that touch upon AI, automation, or complex SaaS workflows to show relevant experience.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Product: Familiarize yourself with Artisan's mission, its product (Ava), and the concept of "AI employees."

• Practice Design Thinking: Be prepared to articulate your design process for solving user problems and creating engaging experiences.

• Prepare for Strategy Questions: Anticipate questions about your product philosophy, how you approach defining long-term product vision, and your understanding of user outcomes.

• Articulate Values: Be ready to discuss how your work aligns with Artisan's core values (Founder mindset, impact-obsessed, customer-first, etc.).

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured to assess a candidate's technical skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit, with a significant emphasis on evaluating their practical design capabilities through a take-home task and portfolio review. The process is lean and fast-paced, typical for a high-growth startup.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design tool for wireframing, prototyping, high-fidelity mockups, and design system management. Proficiency is a non-negotiable requirement.

• Prototyping Tools: Likely advanced Figma prototyping capabilities, potentially supplemented by tools like Principle or After Effects for micro-interactions or complex animations if needed.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed as a designer tool, understanding product analytics tools (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics) is beneficial for informing design decisions based on user behavior and performance metrics.

CRM & Automation:

• Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) and sales automation platforms can provide valuable context for designing BDR-focused AI tools. Understanding how data flows through these systems will be advantageous.

• Knowledge of AI concepts and potential automation workflows within sales processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma as a required skill highlights its centrality to the design workflow. While other tools aren't detailed, a designer in this role should be adaptable and capable of learning new technologies as needed, particularly those related to AI, SaaS platforms, and user analytics that inform product iteration.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Founder Mindset: Take initiative, think like an owner, challenge ideas, and strive for 10x outcomes. This translates to a proactive approach to design and problem-solving.

• Obsessed with Impact: Focus on what moves the needle, apply the 80/20 rule, and prioritize high-leverage activities. Design decisions should demonstrably contribute to user outcomes and business goals.

• Customer-First, Always: Every design decision is made with the customer experience at its center. This requires deep empathy and a commitment to user research.

• High Standards, Every Detail: A commitment to pixel-perfect designs, robust user flows, and overall quality in all aspects of work.

• Clear, Direct Communication: Value candor, fast responses, and constructive feedback. This fosters efficient collaboration and rapid iteration.

• Winning Team Energy: Bring positive vibes, low ego, zero drama, and genuinely enjoy building together. This promotes a supportive and productive work environment.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Close collaboration with product management and engineering is essential, requiring clear communication and shared ownership of product development.

• Feedback-Driven: An environment that encourages direct, honest feedback exchange to drive continuous improvement in both product and team dynamics.

• Agile & Iterative: The culture supports rapid iteration and quick decision-making, aligning with the fast-paced nature of a startup.

📝 Enhancement Note: Artisan's values are strongly aligned with a high-performance startup culture. The emphasis on "Founder mindset," "Impact," and "Customer-First" are particularly relevant for a designer shaping a product that directly impacts revenue generation and customer success. This means designs must be not only aesthetically pleasing but also strategically sound and demonstrably effective.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for AI: Creating intuitive and "magical" user experiences for interacting with autonomous AI employees is a novel challenge that requires pushing the boundaries of current design paradigms.

• High-Velocity Environment: Balancing the need for meticulous design quality with the demands of rapid iteration and fast product development in a startup.

• Defining a New Category: Helping to establish the user experience standards for a nascent product category (AI employees) requires foresight and innovation.

• Balancing Automation and Personalization: Designing interactions that feel both efficient due to AI and personalized to individual customer needs and tones of voice.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Expertise in AI UX: Becoming a leader in designing for artificial intelligence and human-AI collaboration.

• Strategic Product Influence: Gaining significant experience in shaping product strategy and roadmap at a rapidly growing company.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Developing strong collaboration and influencing skills across product, engineering, and executive teams.

• Startup Operational Acumen: Deepening understanding of startup growth, GTM strategies, and the impact of design on business metrics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge lies in defining the user experience for a groundbreaking product category. This presents a unique opportunity for a designer to innovate and shape the future of human-AI interaction, with significant potential for professional growth and recognition.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you designed a feature that significantly improved a key user metric. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on impact, process, and quantification).

• "How would you approach designing the onboarding experience for a new user interacting with an AI employee for the first time?" (Assess creativity, user empathy, and understanding of AI interaction).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do you embody a 'Founder Mindset' in your work?" (Evaluate initiative, ownership, and proactive problem-solving).

• "How do you prioritize tasks when faced with multiple urgent design requests?" (Assess ability to manage workload and focus on impact in a high-velocity environment).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the design solution, and the measurable impact achieved (e.g., conversion rates, engagement, efficiency gains).

• Showcase Your Process: Walk through your design thinking, research, iterations, and decision-making rationale. Highlight how you leveraged Figma and design systems.

• Emphasize Collaboration: Detail how you worked with product managers and engineers, and how you incorporated feedback.

• Connect to Artisan: Frame your experience in the context of Artisan's mission and product. Discuss how your skills can contribute to building "AI employees" and driving GTM success.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating a strong understanding of user-centered design, a data-informed approach to problem-solving, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-impact startup environment. Highlighting experience with SaaS and any exposure to AI or automation will be particularly beneficial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight 2-3 of your most impactful SaaS product design projects that demonstrate end-to-end process, user research, and measurable outcomes. Ensure it clearly showcases your Figma proficiency and any design system experience.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to emphasize achievements and responsibilities relevant to product design, user experience, SaaS environments, and ideally, any experience with AI-adjacent technologies or sales enablement tools. Quantify your accomplishments whenever possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, strategic thinking, and how your work aligns with Artisan's values (Founder Mindset, Impact, Customer-First). Prepare to discuss your approach to designing for AI and complex SaaS products.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Artisan, its product (Ava), its mission, and its recent achievements (funding, ARR). Understand their target market and the role AI employees play in sales and GTM operations.

⚠️ 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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