UX/UI Designer_Quincy
📍 Job Overview
Job Title: UX/UI Designer Company: Photon Location: Quincy, United States Job Type: Full-time, Contractor Category: User Experience / User Interface Design Operations Date Posted: July 29, 2025 Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years) Remote Status: On-site
🚀 Role Summary
- Focus on enhancing user experience through intuitive UI design and data visualization within the financial services sector.
- Drive process optimization by analyzing and improving user workflows and conducting rigorous usability testing.
- Contribute to product development by creating wireframes, prototypes, and maintaining design consistency across all platforms.
- Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including engineers, product managers, marketing, and executive leadership, to deliver cohesive design solutions.
📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "UX/UI Designer," the emphasis on "Workflow Analysis and Optimization," "Data Visualization," and "Performance Optimization" strongly suggests a role that bridges traditional UX/UI with aspects of process improvement and operations, particularly within a data-intensive industry like financial services. This indicates a need for a candidate who can not only design aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly interfaces but also understand and improve the underlying operational workflows that the UI supports.
📈 Primary Responsibilities
- Collaborate closely with engineers, product managers, and stakeholders to translate user requirements and business needs into intuitive and efficient UI solutions, ensuring a superior user experience.
- Design and develop compelling visual representations of complex data, enabling users to easily interpret performance metrics and support data-driven decision-making.
- Create detailed wireframes, interactive prototypes, and mock-ups to effectively communicate design concepts, layout, functionality, and user flow using industry-standard tools.
- Analyze existing workflows, identify usability gaps through heuristic evaluations and user research, and propose design-driven optimizations to streamline processes and achieve business objectives.
- Lead and execute usability testing sessions, gathering critical user feedback to iterate on designs and implement improvements that enhance overall product usability.
- Actively participate in agile design sprints, including daily stand-ups, code reviews, and retrospectives, contributing to the continuous refinement of the design process.
- Foster strong collaborations with marketing, IT, customer service, and executive leadership to integrate feedback, align on project requirements, and deliver unified design outcomes.
- Develop and maintain a comprehensive style guide to ensure design consistency and a cohesive brand language across all company products and platforms.
- Contribute to performance optimization initiatives, focusing on improving product responsiveness, load times, and overall user interaction efficiency.
📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on user-centric design and process improvement. The expectation to "analyze current workflows," "conduct usability testing," and "streamline processes" suggests that this role will be instrumental in optimizing how users interact with the company's products and services, which directly impacts operational efficiency and customer satisfaction within the financial services domain.
🎓 Skills & Qualifications
Education:
- A Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
Experience:
- Minimum of 2-5 years of professional experience in UX/UI design, with a strong portfolio showcasing successful projects.
- Demonstrated experience in designing for financial services or similarly complex, data-rich industries is essential for understanding sector-specific user needs and regulatory considerations.
- Proven ability to conduct thorough workflow analysis, identify pain points, and implement design solutions that lead to measurable process improvements and enhanced user efficiency.
Required Skills:
- User-Centered Design: Expertise in applying user-centered design principles to create intuitive, accessible, and engaging user interfaces.
- Data Visualization Design: Proficiency in designing clear, actionable, and aesthetically pleasing visualizations of complex datasets to facilitate user understanding and decision-making.
- Prototyping & Wireframing: Mastery of creating detailed wireframes and interactive prototypes using tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision, Axure, Principle, or Framer.
- Usability Testing & Analysis: Proven ability to plan, conduct, and analyze usability tests and heuristic evaluations to identify design flaws and areas for improvement.
- Agile Methodologies: Experience working within Agile development environments, participating in sprints, stand-ups, and retrospectives, and adapting to iterative design cycles.
- Strong Communication & Collaboration: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with diverse cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
- Design Tool Proficiency: Competence with industry-standard design software including Sketch, Adobe XD, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience with performance optimization projects, focusing on UI responsiveness and efficiency.
- Up-to-date knowledge of the latest UI/UX design trends, patterns, and best practices in the digital product space.
- Familiarity with collaboration tools like Abstract and Microsoft Teams.
- Experience with A/B testing and iterative design based on performance data.
📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for financial services experience is critical. This implies a need for a candidate who understands the specific compliance, security, and user behavior nuances within this sector, which often involve complex data interactions and a high degree of trust. Proficiency in specific prototyping tools like Figma and Sketch, along with analytical skills for workflow optimization, are key differentiators.
📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements
Portfolio Essentials:
- Demonstrated Process Improvement: Showcase projects where your design interventions led to measurable improvements in user workflows, task completion rates, or efficiency gains. Quantify impact wherever possible.
- Data Visualization Examples: Include case studies featuring your design of complex data visualizations, highlighting how you translated data into understandable and actionable insights for users.
- Prototyping & User Flow: Present interactive prototypes that clearly illustrate user journeys, interaction design, and the overall flow of an application or feature.
- Usability Testing Impact: Detail instances where usability testing informed your design decisions, leading to significant enhancements in user experience and product usability.
- Cross-functional Collaboration: Provide examples of projects where you successfully collaborated with engineers, product managers, and other stakeholders, demonstrating your ability to integrate diverse perspectives into the design process.
Process Documentation:
- Evidence of creating and maintaining design systems or style guides that ensure UI consistency and scalability across multiple products.
- Documentation of your process for conducting user research, usability testing, and incorporating feedback into design iterations.
- Examples of how you've analyzed and optimized user workflows, potentially through flowcharts, journey maps, or process diagrams.
📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to present a portfolio that not only displays visual design skills but also articulates their process for problem-solving, user research, and iterative design, with a clear focus on how their contributions improved operational efficiency or user task completion within a business context.
💵 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: USD $45,000 - $158,000 per year.
- This range is a good faith estimate and will be adjusted based on the candidate's actual experience, qualifications, and the specific demands of the role. Compensation is highly dependent on the depth of relevant experience, particularly in financial services and advanced data visualization.
Benefits:
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, Vision, and Dental insurance plans.
- Retirement Planning: 401k retirement plan with potential company matching.
- Performance-Based Rewards: Variable pay and incentive programs tied to individual and company performance.
- Work-Life Balance: Paid Time Off (PTO) for vacation, personal days, and sick leave.
- Recognized Holidays: Paid holidays throughout the year.
Working Hours:
- Standard 40-hour work week, typical for full-time roles. While the role is on-site, flexibility may be offered depending on team needs and project deadlines, consistent with Agile practices.
📝 Enhancement Note: The broad salary range suggests a significant variance based on experience, with the higher end likely reserved for candidates with extensive experience in financial services UX/UI, advanced data visualization skills, and a proven track record in process optimization. The benefits package is standard for full-time US employees. The "contractor" designation implies that benefits may differ or be managed through a third-party for that employment type.
🎯 Team & Company Context
🏢 Company Culture
Industry: Financial Services (implied by "Experience in Financial Services" qualification).
- Photon, operating in the financial services sector, likely fosters a culture that values precision, data integrity, security, and client trust. This environment demands meticulous attention to detail in design and a deep understanding of regulatory compliance.
Company Size: Not specified.
- The size of Photon will influence the team structure and the scope of individual responsibilities. A smaller company might offer broader exposure to different aspects of design and operations, while a larger organization could provide more specialized opportunities and structured career paths.
Founded: Not specified.
- The founding year provides context on the company's history and evolution, potentially indicating its approach to innovation and established processes.
Team Structure:
- Operations Focus: The UX/UI team likely works closely with Product Management, Engineering, and potentially dedicated operations or data analysis teams.
- Cross-functional Integration: Expect regular collaboration with marketing for brand consistency, IT for technical feasibility, and customer service for user feedback insights.
- Agile Environment: The team operates within an Agile framework, emphasizing iterative development, continuous feedback, and cross-functional teamwork.
Methodology:
- User-Centric Design: Emphasizes understanding user needs and behaviors as the primary driver for design decisions.
- Data-Driven Optimization: Utilizes data analysis and user feedback to identify and implement improvements in design and workflows.
- Agile & Iterative: Adopts agile principles for rapid development, testing, and refinement of design solutions.
Company Website: https://www.photon.in/
- The company website provides insights into Photon's broader offerings and market position, which can inform understanding of the UX/UI team's role and its impact on the business.
📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "Financial Services" requirement, the company likely prioritizes a culture of compliance, security, and robust data handling. The UX/UI team's role will be crucial in making these complex systems accessible and user-friendly, requiring a blend of creative design and operational understanding.
📈 Career & Growth Analysis
Operations Career Level: Mid-Level Designer (2-5 years experience).
- This role is positioned as a key contributor, expected to take ownership of design projects, influence product direction, and mentor more junior designers if applicable. The focus on workflow analysis and process optimization elevates it beyond a purely aesthetic design role.
Reporting Structure:
- Typically, a UX/UI Designer reports to a Design Lead, UX Manager, or Product Manager. The specific structure will depend on the company's organizational design, but collaboration with multiple departments is a given.
Operations Impact:
- The designer's work directly impacts user adoption, operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and potentially revenue through improved conversion rates and reduced support costs. By optimizing workflows and simplifying complex financial data interactions, the designer plays a crucial role in the company's overall operational success.
Growth Opportunities:
- Specialization: Develop expertise in specific areas like financial data visualization, complex workflow design, or accessibility standards.
- Leadership: Progress to Senior UX/UI Designer, Lead Designer, or UX Manager roles, managing teams and strategic design initiatives.
- Cross-functional Mobility: Transition into Product Management, UX Research, or even operations strategy roles, leveraging design thinking and process optimization skills.
- Skill Development: Opportunities to hone skills in emerging design technologies, user research methodologies, and advanced analytics tools.
📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on workflow analysis and process optimization suggests a growth path that could lead into roles with a stronger operational focus, such as Operations Design Specialist or even a transition into a Business Analyst or Product Operations role, leveraging the deep understanding of user and system workflows gained in this position.
🌐 Work Environment
Office Type: On-Site.
- The role is based in Quincy, United States, indicating a physical workspace within a company office. This environment typically promotes direct collaboration, spontaneous brainstorming, and a stronger team cohesion.
Office Location(s): Quincy, United States.
- Specific details about the office's accessibility, amenities, and proximity to public transport would be beneficial for candidates.
Workspace Context:
- Collaborative Hub: The workspace is likely designed to facilitate interaction, with shared design spaces, meeting rooms, and potentially open-plan areas.
- Tool Availability: Access to necessary design hardware (high-performance workstations) and software licenses (Figma, Adobe Suite, prototyping tools) is expected.
- Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular face-to-face interaction with design peers, product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to foster a cohesive and efficient workflow.
Work Schedule:
- Standard 40-hour work week, likely with some flexibility managed within the Agile framework. The on-site nature means adherence to office hours is generally expected, but project-driven flexibility is common.
📝 Enhancement Note: Being on-site in Quincy is key. Candidates should consider commute times and the general work environment of the location. The collaborative nature of the workspace will be important for UX/UI roles that thrive on feedback and co-creation.
📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process
Interview Process:
- Initial Screening: HR or recruiter call to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.
- Portfolio Review & Technical Interview: A session with hiring managers or senior designers to discuss your portfolio, design process, and problem-solving approach. Be prepared to walk through specific projects, explaining your rationale, challenges, and outcomes.
- Design Challenge/Case Study: You may be asked to complete a take-home design exercise or a live design challenge to assess your skills in a practical scenario, potentially focusing on data visualization or workflow optimization.
- Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with engineers, product managers, or stakeholders to evaluate collaboration skills and understanding of development processes.
- Final Interview: Often with senior leadership to confirm alignment with company vision and culture.
Portfolio Review Tips:
- Curate for Relevance: Select projects that best demonstrate your skills in user-centered design, data visualization, workflow analysis, and prototyping, ideally from the financial services sector.
- Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed, the design solutions you implemented, and the quantifiable impact (e.g., improved conversion, reduced task time).
- Highlight Process: Show your thinking process – sketches, wireframes, user flows, usability test findings, and iterations.
- Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs – e.g., X% increase in task completion, Y% reduction in errors, Z% improvement in user satisfaction.
- Showcase Tools: Briefly mention the tools you used for each project.
Challenge Preparation:
- Understand the Context: If given a case study, thoroughly research the company and industry to understand potential user needs and business goals.
- Focus on Process: Emphasize your approach to problem-solving, user research, and design iteration rather than just the final visual output.
- Time Management: Practice delivering your thoughts and solutions concisely and effectively within the allotted time.
- Articulate Rationale: Be ready to explain why you made certain design choices, linking them back to user needs, business objectives, and best practices.
📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will likely place a strong emphasis on practical application of design skills, particularly in translating complex requirements into usable interfaces and demonstrating a clear, data-informed design process. Portfolio presentations should focus on impact and process, not just aesthetics.
🛠 Tools & Technology Stack
Primary Tools:
- Design Software: Sketch, Adobe XD, Illustrator, Photoshop. Proficiency in at least one of these is essential.
- Prototyping Tools: Figma (highly preferred), InVision, Axure, Principle, Framer. Experience with Figma is a significant advantage given its prevalence in modern design workflows.
- Collaboration Tools: Abstract (for version control in design), Microsoft Teams (for communication and project coordination).
Analytics & Reporting:
- While not explicitly listed as a primary design tool, understanding how to interpret data from analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude) and translate insights into design improvements is crucial. Familiarity with dashboard tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) for understanding data visualizations might also be beneficial.
CRM & Automation:
- No specific CRM or automation tools are listed for the designer's direct use, but understanding how CRM systems (like Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms impact user journeys and data availability can be advantageous.
📝 Enhancement Note: Mastery of Figma and proficiency in Sketch/Adobe XD are critical. The mention of Abstract suggests a team that values organized design systems and version control, a common practice in mature design operations. A foundational understanding of analytics tools is highly beneficial for data-driven design.
👥 Team Culture & Values
Operations Values:
- User-Centricity: A core commitment to understanding and serving user needs as the primary driver of all design decisions.
- Data-Driven Decisions: Utilizing analytics, user research, and performance metrics to inform and validate design choices, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness.
- Collaboration & Transparency: Fostering an environment where open communication, feedback exchange, and cross-functional teamwork are encouraged to achieve shared goals.
- Continuous Improvement: A dedication to constantly seeking ways to enhance user experiences, optimize workflows, and refine design processes.
- Attention to Detail: Essential for working within the financial services sector, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and a polished user interface.
Collaboration Style:
- Cross-functional Integration: Regular interaction and joint problem-solving with product managers, engineers, and business stakeholders to ensure designs are feasible, meet business objectives, and align with user needs.
- Iterative Feedback Loops: Openness to feedback from peers, stakeholders, and users, with a commitment to iterating on designs based on constructive criticism.
- Knowledge Sharing: A culture that encourages sharing best practices, design patterns, and learnings to elevate the entire team's capabilities.
📝 Enhancement Note: The values likely reflect a blend of creative design principles and the rigorous, data-informed approach common in operations and financial services. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate how they embody these values in their work and interactions.
⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities
Challenges:
- Balancing User Needs with Business Goals: Effectively mediating between user desires and the company's strategic objectives, technical constraints, and regulatory requirements.
- Designing for Complexity: Translating intricate financial data and processes into simple, intuitive user experiences that cater to a diverse user base.
- Maintaining Design Consistency: Ensuring a unified and high-quality user experience across a growing product suite, especially in a dynamic financial services environment.
- Adapting to Evolving Technologies: Keeping pace with new design tools, methodologies, and user expectations in the rapidly changing digital landscape.
Learning & Development Opportunities:
- Advanced Design Techniques: Opportunities to deepen expertise in areas like advanced data visualization, interaction design patterns, and accessibility standards (WCAG).
- Industry Exposure: Gaining in-depth knowledge of the financial services industry and its specific user challenges and opportunities.
- Process Optimization Skills: Developing a stronger understanding of business processes and how design can be leveraged for operational efficiency improvements.
- Mentorship: Potential to learn from experienced designers and collaborate with cross-functional leaders, fostering professional growth.
📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges present opportunities for significant professional development, particularly in bridging the gap between creative design and operational efficiency within a regulated industry.
💡 Interview Preparation
Strategy Questions:
- Design Process for Complex Data: "Describe your process for designing a data visualization dashboard for financial performance metrics. What key principles do you follow, and how do you ensure clarity and actionability?" (Focus on your methodology, user research, iteration, and ability to translate data into insights.)
- Workflow Optimization Example: "Walk us through a time you identified an inefficient user workflow and redesigned it. What was the problem, your solution, and what was the impact?" (Highlight your analytical skills, problem-solving approach, and ability to quantify results.)
- Agile Design Collaboration: "How do you collaborate with engineers and product managers in an Agile environment to ensure design feasibility and timely delivery? Describe a challenging collaboration scenario and how you navigated it." (Showcase your teamwork, communication, and adaptability.)
Company & Culture Questions:
- Financial Services UX: "What unique challenges and considerations do you believe are most important when designing for the financial services industry compared to other sectors?" (Demonstrate awareness of compliance, security, and user trust.)
- Team Dynamics: "Describe your ideal team environment and how you contribute to a positive and productive design culture." (Align your response with the company's likely values of collaboration and continuous improvement.)
- Impact Measurement: "How do you measure the success of your UI/UX designs? What metrics do you typically track, and how do you present this data to stakeholders?" (Emphasize your data-driven approach and ability to demonstrate ROI.)
Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
- Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly state the problem, your specific role and contributions, the design process you employed (research, wireframing, prototyping, testing), the final solution, and the measurable impact.
- Highlight Process Over Polish: While polished visuals are important, focus on demonstrating your thought process, iteration, and problem-solving skills. Show your journey.
- Quantify Achievements: Use numbers and data to back up your claims about how your designs improved user experience or business outcomes.
- Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design choices, alternatives considered, and how you handled feedback or challenges.
- Tool Demonstration: Be ready to briefly showcase interactive prototypes or key design artifacts if requested.
📝 Enhancement Note: Expect interview questions to probe deeply into your process, analytical skills, and ability to translate complex requirements into user-friendly solutions, particularly within the financial services context. Preparing specific examples that showcase both design excellence and operational impact is crucial.
📌 Application Steps
To apply for this operations-adjacent UX/UI Designer position:
- Submit your application through the provided Oracle Cloud portal link.
- Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight your experience in user-centered design, data visualization, workflow analysis, and prototyping, with a strong emphasis on any financial services or complex data projects.
- Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly lists proficiency in required design tools (Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD) and collaboration platforms (Abstract, MS Teams). Quantify achievements with metrics wherever possible, focusing on process improvements and user experience enhancements.
- Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, methodologies, and the impact of your work. Prepare specific examples for common interview questions related to collaboration, problem-solving, and data-driven design.
- Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Photon's services and market position. Understand the nuances of UX/UI design within the financial services industry to better align your responses with the company's needs and culture.
⚠️ 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
Proven experience in UI/UX projects within the financial sector is required, along with strong analytical skills and proficiency in data visualization. Excellent communication skills and experience in an Agile environment are also essential.