New Grad Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: New Grad Product Designer

Company: Plot Technologies, Inc.

Location: New York City, New York, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations Enablement

Date Posted: 2026-06-01T00:00:00

Experience Level: Entry Level (0-2 Years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on the design of core product experiences and AI-first workflows for a rapidly growing enterprise software company, Plot.

• The Product Designer will be instrumental in defining and evolving Plot's design systems, patterns, and practices, ensuring a high bar for visual craft and interaction quality.

• Collaboration will be key, involving close partnerships with engineers, direct customer interaction for user research, and translating needs into actionable product decisions.

• The position emphasizes a hands-on approach, requiring rapid prototyping and a product-minded perspective to drive outcomes and long-term impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the core role is Product Design, its application within an enterprise SaaS company like Plot, focused on analyzing social video data for brands, has significant implications for Go-To-Market (GTM) operations enablement. The design of these AI-first workflows directly impacts how sales, marketing, and customer success teams leverage product insights for strategic decision-making. Therefore, this role can be framed as contributing to GTM operations by creating intuitive and powerful tools for business users.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and iterate on core product experiences, from initial concept and ideation through to shipped features, with a focus on AI-first workflows.

• Develop, define, and evolve Plot's design patterns, systems, and best practices to ensure consistency, cohesion, and scalability.

• Elevate the visual craft, interaction quality, and overall polish of the product to meet the expectations of creative and enterprise users.

• Collaborate closely with engineering teams to ensure thoughtful implementation and high-quality execution of design solutions.

• Engage directly with customers through calls, workflow observations, and user interviews to deeply understand needs and translate them into product decisions.

• Rapidly prototype ideas to explore concepts, test assumptions, gather feedback, and iterate effectively.

• Contribute to storytelling and communication through decks, documentation, and visual assets as needed.

• Partner with product management and engineering to align design efforts with business objectives and product strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a New Grad role, the emphasis on "defining and evolving design systems" suggests an opportunity to contribute to foundational design elements rather than solely maintaining them. The responsibility of "talking directly to customers" is crucial for new designers to gain real-world user insights and develop empathy. The expectation of "prototyping quickly" highlights the agile nature of the startup environment and the need for rapid iteration.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience: 0-2 years of experience in product design, UX/UI design, or a closely related field, with a strong portfolio demonstrating design thinking and execution.

Required Skills:

• Product Design: Proven ability to design user-centered products from concept to completion.

• Prototyping: Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes using tools like Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or similar.

• AI Tooling Fluency: Active daily use and understanding of AI tools and workflows, with excitement for designing AI-first experiences.

• Visual Craft & Taste: A strong aesthetic sense and attention to detail, capable of creating high-quality visual designs.

• Systems Thinking: Ability to think in patterns, design for consistency, and understand the implications of design decisions across a product.

• User Research & Empathy: Experience or demonstrated interest in understanding user needs and translating them into design solutions.

• Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams (engineering, product) and directly with customers.

• Comfort with Ambiguity & Speed: Ability to navigate unclear problems, make decisions with incomplete information, and iterate quickly in a fast-paced startup environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Design Systems: Experience contributing to or working within established design systems.

• Interaction Design: Deep understanding of microinteractions, user flows, and creating intuitive interfaces.

• 0→1 Product Experience: Experience in building products from the ground up or contributing to early-stage product development.

• Enterprise Software Design: Familiarity with designing for complex B2B or enterprise applications.

• Storytelling: Ability to communicate design rationale and product vision effectively through visuals and documentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "tinkerer at heart," "fluent with AI tools," "strong in craft and taste," "systems thinker," "comfortable with ambiguity and speed," and "product-minded" are key indicators of the desired candidate profile. These are not just skills but also cultural attributes highly valued in a startup environment. The "0→1 Product" experience, while not strictly required for a new grad, is a strong plus that signals an ability to thrive in a foundational role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Design Process Showcase: Demonstrate a clear and repeatable design process, from problem definition and user research to ideation, prototyping, testing, and final execution.

• AI-First Workflow Examples: Include at least one project that showcases experience designing with or for AI tools and workflows, highlighting how AI was integrated to enhance user experience or solve a complex problem.

• Systems Thinking Examples: Present projects where you've considered or contributed to design systems, pattern libraries, or ensured visual and interactive consistency across multiple screens or features.

• Visual Craft & Polish: Ensure your portfolio exhibits high standards of visual design, typography, spacing, and attention to detail, reflecting an understanding of aesthetic quality.

• Prototyping Demonstrations: Include interactive prototypes or clear explanations of user flows that showcase your ability to make ideas tangible and testable.

Process Documentation:

• Problem Framing: Clearly articulate the user problem or business need being addressed in each project.

• User Research & Insights: Detail any user research conducted, key insights derived, and how these informed design decisions.

• Iterative Design: Show evidence of iteration based on feedback, testing, or evolving requirements, demonstrating adaptability.

• Collaboration Evidence: If possible, highlight instances of collaboration with engineers or other stakeholders, detailing how you worked together to achieve outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a new grad, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to compensate for a lack of extensive professional experience by clearly showcasing potential, process, and foundational skills. The emphasis on AI-first workflows is critical given the role's focus. Demonstrating an understanding of systems thinking and process is as important as the final visual output.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $80,000 - $150,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Equity: Significant stock options in a venture-backed startup.

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation and sick leave policies.

• Professional Development: Support for continuous learning, conferences, and skill enhancement.

• Team Events & Culture: Opportunities for team building and engaging in a vibrant startup culture.

• Opportunity for Impact: A chance to shape a core product and influence the company's trajectory.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours per week), with flexibility expected in a fast-paced startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is quite broad for a new grad role and likely reflects a significant equity component that could drive total compensation higher. The range itself suggests a strong belief in the role's potential impact and a competitive market for design talent in NYC, especially for startups with significant funding. The "Equity" benefit is particularly important for new grad roles in startups as it offers potential for substantial financial upside.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Data & Analytics, Social Media Intelligence, Enterprise Software, AI. Plot operates at the intersection of social listening, AI analysis, and enterprise solutions, providing brands with actionable insights from video content.

Company Size: Small team (likely <50 employees, given the "Small Team. High Bar." ethos and funding stage). This means high individual impact and direct influence.

Founded: Plot Technologies was founded recently, indicated by the "less than a year since launch" and "new phase of growth" statements. This implies a dynamic, agile, and evolving environment.

Team Structure:

• Lean & Builder-Focused: The team prioritizes intrinsic motivation and proactive problem-solving over heavy process.

• Experienced & Diverse Backgrounds: Team members bring experience from top tech companies (Uber, Dropbox, Microsoft, Apple) and deep startup experience, fostering a culture of learning and high standards.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Close partnerships between Design, Engineering, and Product are fundamental to the company's agile development methodology.

Methodology:

• Agile Development: Fast iteration cycles, shipping quickly, learning, and refining.

• Data-Driven Insights: Leveraging AI to extract meaningful data from millions of social videos.

• Customer-Centric Design: Direct engagement with customers to inform product decisions and ensure utility.

• Quality & Craftsmanship: Balancing speed with a deep commitment to excellence in product quality and design.

Company Website: https://www.plot.so

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is explicitly described as "Small Team. High Bar." and "We keep the team lean and we favor builders over process." This indicates a high-performance environment where individual initiative and strong execution are paramount. The blend of startup grit with experience from established tech giants suggests a culture that values both rapid innovation and thoughtful execution.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is an entry-level Product Designer role (New Grad, 0-2 years experience). It offers the chance to contribute to core product development in an AI-first company, with significant potential for growth as the company scales.

Reporting Structure: The designer will likely report to a Head of Product, Design Lead, or a senior product manager. Given the small team size, direct access to leadership is probable, facilitating mentorship and learning.

Operations Impact: While not a direct "operations" role, the product designed by this individual will directly enable GTM operations (Sales, Marketing, Customer Success) by providing them with critical insights derived from social video analysis. The intuitiveness and effectiveness of the design will directly impact how these teams leverage Plot's data for strategic decision-making, customer understanding, and market analysis.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to become an expert in AI-first product design, user research within an AI context, and enterprise SaaS design patterns.

• Design System Ownership: Potential to grow into a role responsible for defining and scaling the design system as the company expands.

• Product Strategy Influence: As experience grows, the designer can gain more influence over product strategy and roadmap decisions.

• Leadership Potential: Within a growing startup, there's potential to move into lead design roles or management positions as the team expands.

• Industry Expertise: Develop deep knowledge in social media analytics, AI applications in business intelligence, and enterprise client needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a new grad, the growth opportunities are less about formal promotions and more about acquiring valuable, in-demand skills and gaining exposure to critical product development phases. The ability to work on an "AI-first" product and contribute to an "enterprise" solution in a fast-growing startup is a significant career accelerator. The role's success is directly tied to enabling business users (GTM teams), making it a strategic position within the company's growth.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site in New York City. This suggests a collaborative, in-person work environment conducive to rapid ideation and team cohesion.

Office Location(s): New York City, NY, United States. A major hub for tech and design talent, offering access to industry events and a vibrant professional community.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The on-site nature fosters direct interaction, spontaneous problem-solving, and a strong team culture.

• Tools & Technology: Access to modern design and prototyping tools, likely within a cloud-based ecosystem. Close collaboration with engineers implies a shared understanding of development tools and workflows.

• Direct Customer Interaction: The opportunity to engage directly with customers in their environment (or virtually) provides rich context for design work.

Work Schedule: While standard full-time hours are expected, the startup environment often involves periods of intense work leading up to launches or deadlines, balanced by a culture that values intrinsic motivation and ownership.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "On-site" requirement is a key differentiator. For a new grad, this offers invaluable opportunities for organic learning, mentorship, and building strong working relationships through direct, in-person collaboration. It signals a company that values face-to-face interaction for innovation and team cohesion.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter or hiring manager to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest in the role and company.

• Portfolio Review & Discussion: A deeper dive into the candidate's portfolio, focusing on design process, problem-solving skills, and specific project outcomes. This is a critical stage for new grads.

• Design Challenge/Exercise: Candidates may be asked to complete a take-home design exercise or a live design challenge focused on a hypothetical product problem relevant to Plot.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with engineers and potentially product managers to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and alignment with team dynamics.

• Final Interview: A discussion with senior leadership (e.g., CEO, Head of Product) to evaluate strategic thinking, cultural alignment, and overall potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Tell a Story: Structure your portfolio projects as narratives, clearly outlining the problem, your role, the process, your decisions, and the outcomes (even if they are learnings).

• Highlight Your Process: For a new grad, demonstrating a strong, thoughtful design process is often more important than the final polished outcome. Explain why you made certain decisions.

• Showcase AI Fluency: Clearly articulate any experience or understanding of AI tools and how you might approach designing AI-first experiences.

• Demonstrate Craft & Systems Thinking: Ensure visual examples clearly show attention to detail, good typography, and an understanding of how designs fit into a larger system.

• Be Concise but Thorough: While you don't need dozens of projects, ensure each project included is well-documented and representative of your best work.

• Explain Your Role: Be very clear about your specific contributions, especially if projects were done in teams.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Plot's Product: Thoroughly research Plot's mission, target audience (enterprise brands), and the problem they solve (social video analysis).

• Think AI-First: Approach any design challenge with an AI-first mindset. How can AI enhance the proposed solution?

• Focus on User Value: Prioritize how the solution benefits the user (e.g., brand marketers, social media managers) and drives business outcomes.

• Structure Your Thinking: For live challenges, think out loud, articulate your assumptions, and walk through your process methodically.

• Prepare Questions: Have thoughtful questions ready about Plot's challenges, design culture, and product strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not just design skills but also problem-solving aptitude, collaboration potential, and cultural fit. For a new grad, the portfolio review is the most crucial step, requiring a clear demonstration of potential and process. The emphasis on AI and enterprise context suggests that preparation should focus on these specific areas.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable given industry trends and startup agility), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite.

• Prototyping Tools: InVision, Principle, Framer (for more advanced interactions).

• Collaboration Platforms: Slack, Notion, Jira, Asana (for project management and team communication).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Mixpanel, Amplitude, Google Analytics (for understanding user behavior once features are launched).

• Customer Feedback Tools: SurveyMonkey, Typeform, UserTesting.com.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot (Plot's B2B clients will likely use these, giving context to user needs).

• Design System Management: Storybook (potentially for documenting UI components).

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job description doesn't explicitly list tools, common industry standards for product design in startups include Figma for design and prototyping, and Slack/Notion for communication and documentation. Familiarity with product analytics tools will be beneficial for understanding user adoption and feature impact.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Curiosity: A drive to understand how things work, why users behave a certain way, and how technology can solve problems.

• Taste: A commitment to high standards of quality, aesthetics, and user experience, particularly important for a product targeting creatives and brands.

• Speed with Intention: The ability to move quickly without sacrificing thoughtful execution or strategic alignment.

• Humility: Openness to feedback, learning from mistakes, and recognizing the contributions of others.

• Playfulness: An approach that fosters creativity, experimentation, and a positive, engaging work environment.

Collaboration Style:

• Builder-to-Builder: Direct, hands-on collaboration with engineers and product managers, focusing on shared ownership and rapid iteration.

• Customer-Centric: A strong emphasis on understanding and incorporating user feedback into the design process.

• Transparent Communication: Open sharing of ideas, progress, and challenges, likely facilitated by tools like Slack and Notion.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Design is not siloed but deeply integrated into the product development lifecycle, working alongside other functions to achieve common goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicitly stated values (Curiosity, Taste, Speed with intention, Humility, Playfulness) are key cultural indicators. Candidates should prepare to discuss how their personal values and work style align with these. The collaboration style emphasizes a flat hierarchy and a focus on shared outcomes, typical of high-performing startup teams.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Speed and Quality: Maintaining rapid iteration cycles while ensuring the product's design quality and polish remain exceptionally high for enterprise clients.

• Designing for AI Complexity: Translating complex AI capabilities into intuitive, trustworthy, and user-friendly workflows that feel "obvious."

• Evolving Design System: As the product grows and new features are added, scaling and maintaining a cohesive design system effectively.

• Customer Adoption: Ensuring that new designs and AI features are readily adopted by enterprise users who may have established workflows.

• Ambiguity in a Fast-Paced Environment: Navigating unclear requirements and rapidly changing priorities common in early-stage startups.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI-First Design Expertise: Becoming a specialist in designing for AI-powered products, a rapidly growing and in-demand field.

• Enterprise SaaS Design: Gaining deep experience in the nuances of designing for B2B clients with complex needs and high expectations.

• Product Strategy & Ownership: Opportunities to contribute significantly to product vision and roadmap, gaining strategic experience.

• Cross-Functional Acumen: Developing a strong understanding of engineering, product management, and customer success through close collaboration.

• Mentorship from Experienced Builders: Learning from a team with diverse backgrounds from top tech companies and successful startups.

📝 Enhancement Note: Identifying these challenges and growth opportunities allows candidates to demonstrate foresight and a proactive approach to problem-solving and personal development. For a new grad, framing challenges as learning opportunities is key.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing an AI-first workflow for [a specific task related to social video analysis, e.g., identifying emerging brand trends]?" (Focus on process, AI integration, user value)

• "Describe a time you had to make a design decision with incomplete information. How did you proceed, and what was the outcome?" (Assesses comfort with ambiguity, decision-making)

• "How do you balance the need for speed in a startup with maintaining high design quality and craft?" (Tests understanding of Plot's culture and values)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on our website and job description, what do you see as the biggest design challenges for Plot?" (Shows research and strategic thinking)

• "How do you incorporate feedback from engineers and product managers into your design process?" (Assesses collaboration skills)

• "What does 'high bar' mean to you in the context of product design?" (Tests alignment with company values)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Lead with the Problem: Start each project by clearly stating the user problem or business need.

• Define Your Role & Contribution: Be explicit about what you did, especially in team projects.

• Walk Through Your Process: Show, don't just tell. Use visuals to illustrate your research, ideation, wireframes, prototypes, and final designs.

• Articulate Your Decisions: Explain the why behind your design choices, linking them back to user needs, business goals, or design principles.

• Highlight Outcomes & Learnings: Discuss the impact of your work (metrics, user feedback) and what you learned, even if the project didn't go as planned.

• Showcase AI/Systems Thinking: Ensure at least one project clearly demonstrates your capabilities in AI-first design or systems thinking.

• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your process, decisions, and alternative approaches.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on understanding Plot's unique position at the intersection of AI, social media, and enterprise software. Candidates should be ready to discuss their design process, how they approach ambiguity, and how they align with the company's specific values. The portfolio presentation is a critical opportunity to showcase these attributes.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link (https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/plot/a6c59c22-2549-417b-87dd-eaf2ec0a9c9b).

• Customize your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight skills and experiences relevant to product design, AI-first workflows, systems thinking, and the specific requirements of this role. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best showcase your design process, problem-solving abilities, visual craft, and any experience with AI or systems thinking. Ensure it's easily navigable and clearly articulates your contributions.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your design process, key decisions, and project outcomes concisely and compellingly, especially for your portfolio walkthrough.

• Research Plot Technologies: Thoroughly understand Plot's product, mission, target market (enterprise brands), and recent news. Be prepared to discuss how your skills align with their goals and challenges.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions for a role of this nature. All details, especially regarding specific interview stages or exact team structure, should be verified directly with Plot Technologies, Inc. during the application process.