Staff Product Designer

Origin
Full_time

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Product Designer
Company: Origin
Location: Remote (United States)
Job Type: Full-Time, Salaried
Category: Product Design / User Experience (UX) / Fintech
Date Posted: March 12, 2025
Experience Level: 5+ Years
Remote Status: Fully Remote (United States)

🚀 Role Summary

  • Lead the end-to-end design process for AI-driven financial experiences, transforming user insights and complex financial data into actionable recommendations.
  • Drive the creation of intuitive and engaging user interfaces that empower users to understand, act, and grow with confidence.
  • Collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, and data scientists to deliver seamless and impactful user experiences.
  • Champion user-centered design principles, advocating for clear, scalable, and easy-to-use solutions within a fintech context.
  • Contribute to the strategic direction of product design, focusing on innovation in AI and data-driven insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the original title is "Staff Product Designer," the responsibilities and requirements strongly suggest a senior or lead individual contributor role within the design function, particularly focused on product strategy and execution within a data-intensive and AI-driven environment. The emphasis on "staff" level implies a significant level of autonomy, strategic input, and influence on the product's direction.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

  • Spearhead the design of AI-driven, insights-focused user experiences by collaborating with cross-functional teams, including product management, engineering, and data science.
  • Translate complex user research findings, behavioral data, and AI capabilities into clear, intuitive design solutions that simplify financial concepts.
  • Develop comprehensive user flows, wireframes, and interactive prototypes to illustrate how users will engage with financial data and AI-generated insights.
  • Create polished, high-fidelity visual designs that adhere to brand guidelines, prioritizing clarity, scalability, and user-friendliness for fintech applications.
  • Act as a strong advocate for user experience, ensuring AI insights are presented in an actionable and empowering manner for end-users.
  • Work hand-in-hand with developers throughout the implementation phase to guarantee design accuracy and a smooth, high-quality user experience.
  • Plan, execute, and analyze usability testing sessions to validate design hypotheses and iterate on designs based on user feedback.
  • Articulate and present design rationale effectively to diverse stakeholders, ensuring alignment with user needs, business objectives, and AI-driven product opportunities.
  • Contribute to the development and maintenance of robust design systems and documentation to ensure visual and interactive consistency across all product touchpoints.
  • Drive product innovation by exploring and implementing creative, scalable solutions that leverage AI and data insights to solve user challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic product thinking, hands-on design execution, and cross-functional leadership, typical of a senior-level product designer. The emphasis on "AI-driven solutions" and "financial data" indicates a need for a designer who is comfortable with complexity and can translate technical capabilities into user-friendly interfaces.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

  • Bachelor of Science (BS) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, or a closely related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience:

  • A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in product design, with a proven track record of delivering high-quality digital products and user experiences.
  • Demonstrated experience in designing for fintech platforms, data-rich applications, or products that heavily utilize AI, insights, or complex financial data.
  • Proven ability to think strategically about product direction and translate intricate concepts into user-centered, straightforward design solutions.
  • A strong portfolio showcasing a robust design process, including user research methodologies, wireframing, interaction design, and high-fidelity prototyping skills.
  • Experience working effectively in a remote-first environment, demonstrating strong self-management, prioritization, and task execution capabilities.

Required Skills:

  • Product Design: Expertise in the full product design lifecycle, from conception to launch.
  • User Experience (UX) Design: Deep understanding of UX principles, user-centered design methodologies, and information architecture.
  • AI-Driven Solutions Design: Ability to design experiences that leverage artificial intelligence and data insights effectively for users.
  • User Research & Analysis: Proficiency in conducting user research, analyzing user behavior data, and synthesizing insights to inform design decisions.
  • Wireframing & Prototyping: Skilled in creating low-fidelity wireframes and high-fidelity, interactive prototypes using industry-standard tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD).
  • Visual Design: Strong aesthetic sense and proficiency in visual design principles, including typography, color theory, and layout for digital interfaces.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Excellent ability to work effectively with product managers, engineers, data scientists, and other stakeholders.
  • Usability Testing: Experience planning, conducting, and analyzing usability tests to validate and refine design solutions.
  • Communication Skills: Clear and persuasive communication skills, both written and verbal, for presenting design rationale and collaborating with teams.
  • Strategic Product Thinking: Ability to understand business goals and user needs to drive product strategy and design solutions.
  • Self-starter & Proactive: Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage priorities, and drive projects to completion with minimal supervision.
  • Remote Work Proficiency: Proven ability to thrive in a remote work environment, managing time and communication effectively.
  • English Fluency: Fluent or native-level English language proficiency.

Preferred Skills:

  • Fintech Design Expertise: Specialized knowledge and experience designing for financial technology products, trading platforms, or wealth management tools.
  • Data Visualization: Skill in designing clear and effective data visualizations that communicate complex financial information.
  • Design Systems: Experience contributing to or maintaining design systems for consistency and scalability.
  • Interaction Design: Advanced understanding of crafting intuitive and engaging user interactions.
  • Agile Methodologies: Familiarity with Agile development processes and how design integrates within them.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Must Have" section has been expanded into a more detailed "Required Skills" list to provide better clarity on the specific competencies sought for this senior role. The preference for fintech and data visualization experience is crucial for candidates to highlight.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • A comprehensive portfolio demonstrating a strong command of the end-to-end product design process, from initial research and ideation to final visual design and interaction detailing.
  • Case studies that clearly articulate the problem statement, the user research conducted, design challenges faced, your specific contributions, and the impact of your design solutions.
  • Evidence of designing for complex data sets or AI-driven features, showcasing how you translated intricate information into intuitive user experiences.
  • Prototypes that effectively communicate user flows and interaction design, demonstrating a deep understanding of user journeys within financial applications.
  • Visual design examples that highlight your ability to create polished, high-fidelity interfaces aligned with brand standards and best practices for clarity and usability.

Process Documentation:

  • Your portfolio should clearly document your design process, including:
    • Research & Discovery: Detail user research methods employed (interviews, surveys, persona development), competitive analysis, and how insights were synthesized.
    • Ideation & Wireframing: Showcase iterative wireframing and user flow development to explore different solutions and information architectures.
    • Prototyping & User Testing: Illustrate the creation of interactive prototypes and the methodology for conducting and incorporating feedback from usability testing.
    • Visual Design & Implementation: Present final visual designs and detail how you collaborated with engineering to ensure accurate implementation, including any design system components used or developed.
    • Impact & Iteration: Quantify the impact of your designs where possible (e.g., through metrics related to user engagement, task completion, or satisfaction) and discuss any iterative improvements made post-launch.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is critical for this role. Candidates should focus on showcasing their ability to handle complex data and AI within a financial context, demonstrating a structured and user-centric design process. Highlighting quantifiable results or impact is highly recommended.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $150,000 - $200,000 USD per year (Estimated)

Benefits:

  • Financial:
    • Generous base salary commensurate with experience.
    • Meaningful equity package, offering ownership in the company's growth.
    • Retirement 401k plan available for USA-based employees.
  • Healthcare & Wellness:
    • Comprehensive healthcare coverage.
    • Wellness stipend to support personal health and well-being.
    • Mental wellness program and resources.
    • Unlimited access to financial planning services.
    • Life insurance coverage for USA-based employees.
  • Work-Life Balance:
    • Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO) policy.
    • Remote-first culture promoting flexibility and autonomy.
    • Flexible working hours, with core business hours of 9 AM to 5 PM local time.
    • Paid Parental Leave to support new parents.
  • Additional Perks:
    • Parenthood and fertility assistance programs.
    • Monthly reimbursement for co-working space memberships.
    • English tutoring stipend for international employees to enhance communication skills.
    • A one-time stipend to help set up a home office.
    • Choice of preferred technology setup (Apple or Windows) and accessories.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, approximately 40 hours per week, with flexible scheduling around core hours (9 AM - 5 PM local time) to accommodate remote work and work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on industry standards for a Staff Product Designer in the US with 5+ years of experience, particularly in the fintech sector and for a remote role. Benefits are extensive and reflect a modern, employee-centric approach, especially for a remote-first company.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Fintech / Financial Services / AI-Powered Personal Finance
Company Size: Origin is likely a growing startup or scale-up, given the "Staff" level role and the comprehensive benefits package often offered by venture-backed companies. The exact size isn't specified, but the context suggests a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
Founded: The founding date is not provided, but the company's mission to "make money simple for everyone, everywhere" and its focus on AI-driven experiences indicate a modern, forward-thinking organization.

Team Structure:

  • The Staff Product Designer will be part of a Product team, working closely with Product Managers, Engineers (including potentially Data Scientists), and other Designers.
  • The reporting structure is not explicitly stated, but a Staff Designer typically reports to a Head of Product, Director of Design, or a Senior Product Lead.
  • Collaboration is expected to be highly cross-functional, with designers needing to integrate closely with technical and product strategy teams to bring AI-driven features to life.

Methodology:

  • Data-Driven Design: The company emphasizes using user insights and financial data to inform design decisions, aligning with a data-centric approach to product development.
  • Agile & Iterative Development: The description implies a need for speed, creativity, and flexibility, suggesting an agile or iterative product development process where user feedback is continuously incorporated.
  • AI Integration: A core aspect of the company's methodology is the integration of AI to provide actionable recommendations and insights, requiring designers to understand and translate these capabilities effectively.

Company Website: https://www.useorigin.com/ (Assumed based on ATS URL)

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is described as fast-paced, creative, autonomous, and ownership-driven, with a strong focus on user experience and making financial management simple. The emphasis on "Originals" suggests a unique company identity and a desire to attract talent who align with their values.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Staff Product Designer. This is a senior individual contributor role, often considered a stepping stone to Principal Designer or Design Lead/Manager positions. It implies a high degree of autonomy, strategic influence, and the ability to mentor junior designers. The focus is on driving complex projects and contributing significantly to the product's vision.

Reporting Structure: The Staff Product Designer likely reports to a senior leader within the Product or Design organization, such as a Head of Product, Director of Design, or VP of Product. They will collaborate closely with Product Managers and Engineering leads on a day-to-day basis.

Operations Impact: This role has a direct and significant impact on user acquisition, engagement, and retention by creating intuitive financial tools. By translating AI insights into actionable recommendations, the designer can empower users to make better financial decisions, directly contributing to Origin's mission and business success. The design of these experiences is critical for user trust and adoption in the competitive fintech space.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Leadership within Design: Potential to grow into a Principal Product Designer role, taking on more complex strategic initiatives, or moving into a Design Lead/Manager position to build and mentor a design team.
  • Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in AI-driven design, fintech user experiences, or data visualization.
  • Cross-Functional Leadership: Develop skills in influencing product strategy and roadmap through strong design advocacy and collaboration.
  • Impactful Projects: Work on high-visibility projects that have a direct impact on millions of users, contributing to a meaningful mission.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Staff" title signifies a senior role with high expectations for strategic contribution and problem-solving. Growth opportunities are geared towards increased influence, leadership, and specialization within the product design domain.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Origin operates with a "Remote-first culture," indicating that remote work is the primary mode of operation, not an exception. This suggests a distributed workforce where collaboration and communication are optimized for remote interactions.

Office Location(s): While the job is listed as "Remote (United States)," the company might have a headquarters or hubs in specific locations, but the role itself is not tied to a physical office. The "Monthly co-working membership reimbursement" perk suggests flexibility for employees who prefer or need to work from a co-working space.

Workspace Context:

  • Collaborative Environment: Despite being remote-first, the company fosters collaboration through cross-functional teams. Expect frequent interaction via digital tools like Slack, video conferencing, and project management software.
  • Tech-Enabled: Employees are provided with stipends and choices for their setup (Apple/Windows, accessories), ensuring they have the necessary tools to work effectively from home.
  • Team Interaction: Opportunities for team interaction will be through virtual meetings, design critiques, and potentially virtual team-building events. The "flexible hours" and "core hours" policy aim to facilitate synchronous collaboration.

Work Schedule: The company offers flexible hours, with core working hours from 9 AM to 5 PM local time. This structure allows for both focused individual work and essential team collaboration across different time zones within the United States. The "Unlimited PTO" policy supports a healthy work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote-first nature of the company is a key aspect of its work environment. Candidates should be comfortable with asynchronous communication and have strong self-discipline for managing their workday.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  • Application Submission: Submit your resume and a link to your portfolio.
  • Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications and portfolios to assess fit for the role.
  • Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: Expect a detailed review of your portfolio, possibly followed by a take-home design challenge or a live design exercise focused on a relevant product problem.
  • Interviews with Cross-Functional Team: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other Designers to evaluate technical skills, design process, collaboration style, and cultural fit.
  • Hiring Manager Interview: A final interview with the hiring manager to discuss overall fit, career aspirations, and strategic alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Highlight AI & Fintech: Specifically showcase projects where you designed for complex data, AI insights, or within the fintech space. Clearly articulate the challenges and your solutions in these areas.
  • Demonstrate Process: Walk through your design process for at least 2-3 key projects. Explain your research methods, decision-making rationale, and how you iterated based on feedback.
  • Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, include metrics or qualitative results that demonstrate the success or impact of your designs (e.g., user engagement, task completion rates, satisfaction scores).
  • Showcase Prototyping Skills: Include interactive prototypes that clearly illustrate user flows and interactions.
  • Tailor to Origin: Research Origin's existing products and mission. Consider how your portfolio and your presentation can align with their goals of making money simple through AI-driven experiences.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with common fintech user needs and challenges, particularly in areas related to personal finance management, AI-driven recommendations, and data interpretation.
  • Structure Your Thinking: For any design challenge, be prepared to articulate your thought process clearly, starting with problem definition, user needs, potential solutions, and how you would validate them.
  • Focus on AI & Data: If the challenge involves AI or complex data, be ready to discuss how you would simplify these elements for the end-user.
  • Presentation Skills: Practice presenting your work concisely and confidently, focusing on the "why" behind your design decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely to be rigorous, with a strong emphasis on portfolio assessment and problem-solving skills. Candidates should prepare to discuss their design process in detail and demonstrate their ability to handle the complexities of AI and financial data.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable, industry standard for collaborative design), Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision.
  • User Research: Tools for user interviews, surveys (e.g., UserTesting.com, SurveyMonkey, Typeform), analytics platforms.
  • Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides), Jira, Confluence.

Analytics & Reporting:

  • Product Analytics: Mixpanel, Amplitude, Google Analytics, or similar platforms to track user behavior and product performance.
  • Data Visualization: Tools for creating dashboards or presenting data insights (e.g., Tableau, Looker, or internal tools).

CRM & Automation:

  • While not directly a design tool, familiarity with CRM systems (like Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms (like HubSpot) can be beneficial for understanding the broader Go-To-Market (GTM) context, though less critical for this specific design role.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in modern design and collaboration tools is essential. Familiarity with data analytics platforms is advantageous for understanding how design impacts user behavior and product metrics, especially in a data-rich fintech environment.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • Excellence & Commitment: A drive for excellence and a deep commitment to the mission of making money simple for everyone.
  • Creativity, Autonomy, Flexibility: Valuing innovative thinking, the freedom to act independently, and the ability to adapt quickly.
  • Ownership: Encouraging individuals to take full responsibility for their work and its outcomes.
  • User Obsession: A focus on delivering the best possible solutions for users through elegant and self-guided experiences.
  • Teamwork & Individuality: Fostering a diverse environment where individual uniqueness is valued, contributing to a stronger collective team.
  • Continuous Learning: Embracing uncertainty and actively seeking ways to learn and grow.

Collaboration Style:

  • Cross-functional Integration: Seamless collaboration is expected across product, engineering, and data science teams.
  • Feedback-Driven: A culture that encourages open feedback exchange, particularly during design reviews and project iterations.
  • Knowledge Sharing: Practices that promote sharing insights, best practices, and learnings across the team.
  • Data-Informed Decision Making: Decisions are expected to be grounded in user data and insights, fostering a rational and objective approach to problem-solving.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to be a blend of startup agility with a strong user-centric and mission-driven ethos. Candidates who are proactive, collaborative, and passionate about financial empowerment will likely thrive here.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Simplifying Complexity: The primary challenge will be translating intricate financial data and AI insights into intuitive, user-friendly interfaces that empower users without overwhelming them.
  • Balancing AI Capabilities with User Needs: Effectively designing experiences that leverage AI advancements while remaining grounded in genuine user needs and providing clear value.
  • Remote Collaboration: Maintaining strong communication and collaboration across a distributed team, ensuring alignment and shared understanding without in-person proximity.
  • Pace of Innovation: Keeping pace with rapid advancements in AI and fintech, and translating these into product features that offer a competitive advantage.
  • Data Privacy & Security: Designing with a keen awareness of data privacy regulations and security best practices inherent in the fintech industry.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • AI & Data Science Exposure: Direct collaboration with data scientists provides opportunities to learn about AI models, data analysis techniques, and how to integrate these into user-facing products.
  • Fintech Industry Knowledge: Deepen understanding of financial products, user financial behaviors, and the regulatory landscape of the fintech sector.
  • Advanced Design Techniques: Opportunities to hone skills in areas like complex data visualization, behavioral design, and AI-assisted design tools.
  • Strategic Product Influence: Develop strategic thinking and leadership skills by contributing to product roadmaps and influencing product direction.
  • Mentorship: Potential to mentor more junior designers and learn from experienced product leaders within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to working in a cutting-edge fintech environment with AI integration. The growth opportunities are substantial for designers looking to build expertise in these specialized areas.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • Product Vision & Strategy: "How would you approach designing a new feature that uses AI to provide personalized financial advice for users who are new to investing?" or "Describe your process for identifying and prioritizing user needs for a complex financial product."
  • Design Process & Methodology: "Walk me through a challenging design project from your portfolio. What was your process, what were the key decisions, and what was the outcome?" or "How do you incorporate user research and data analytics into your design process?"
  • Problem Solving & AI: "Imagine a user is confused by an AI-generated recommendation. How would you design an interface to clarify the recommendation and build user trust?" or "How do you approach designing for data sparsity or uncertainty in AI outputs?"

Company & Culture Questions:

  • Mission Alignment: "What interests you most about Origin's mission to make money simple?" or "How do your personal values align with Origin's emphasis on creativity, autonomy, and ownership?"
  • Remote Work & Collaboration: "How do you maintain productivity and collaboration effectively in a remote-first environment?" or "Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders who had different opinions on a design direction."
  • Impact & Metrics: "How do you measure the success of your designs, especially in a fintech context?" or "Can you provide an example of how your design decisions led to a measurable positive impact for users or the business?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Storytelling: Structure your portfolio presentations as compelling stories. Start with the problem, introduce your user-centric approach, highlight key design decisions and trade-offs, and conclude with the impact and learnings.
  • Focus on "Why": For each design decision, explain the rationale behind it, referencing user research, data, or strategic goals.
  • Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals, prototypes, and concise explanations to demonstrate your skills. Avoid lengthy text descriptions that can be conveyed visually.
  • Quantify Results: Present metrics or data points that support the success of your designs. If exact metrics aren't available, discuss qualitative feedback or expected outcomes.
  • Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about your process, challenges, and how your designs align with Origin's mission and values.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to articulate their design process, demonstrate strategic thinking related to AI and fintech, and clearly communicate how their work aligns with Origin's mission. Practicing portfolio presentations is crucial.


📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Product Designer position:

  • Submit your application through the provided link on the Origin careers page.
  • Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects that demonstrate your experience with AI-driven features, complex financial data, and user-centric design within the fintech space. Ensure case studies clearly articulate your design process and impact.
  • Resume Optimization: Update your resume to prominently feature keywords related to product design, UX, AI, fintech, user research, prototyping, and collaboration. Quantify achievements with specific metrics where possible.
  • Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, problem-solving approach, and how you collaborate. Prepare to discuss your portfolio in detail and potentially complete a design challenge. Research Origin's products and mission thoroughly.
  • Company Research: Gain a deep understanding of Origin's mission, values, and target audience. Consider how your design philosophy and skills can contribute to their goal of making money simple for everyone.

⚠️ 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.

Application Requirements

Candidates must have a BA/BS degree or equivalent experience in Design or a related field, along with 5+ years of experience in product design, particularly in fintech or data-rich products. A proactive approach and effective communication skills are essential for success in this role.