Product Designer (all level)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer (all levels)

Company: Craft Docs

Location: Budapest, Hungary (Hybrid) / Remote within EU

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI Design

Date Posted: 2026-06-05

Experience Level: All Levels (Entry to Senior)

Remote Status: Hybrid / Remote (EU)

🚀 Role Summary

• This Product Designer role focuses on strategic problem framing and holistic product experience design, going beyond traditional UI/UX tasks.

• The position emphasizes system thinking, connecting user needs with business objectives, and leveraging AI tools for rapid prototyping and iteration.

• Candidates will be expected to exhibit strong judgment, a user-first mindset, and a passion for crafting exceptional product experiences in a fast-paced, small-team environment.

• The role is ideal for self-directed individuals with a high learning velocity who are comfortable with ambiguity and thrive on end-to-end ownership.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is categorized under Product Design, with a strong emphasis on UX/UI, strategic thinking, and the innovative use of AI in the design process. The "all levels" designation suggests a flexible approach to seniority, with opportunities for both junior and experienced designers to contribute and grow. The hybrid/remote nature, with an initial onsite period, points to a company that values both flexibility and in-person collaboration for onboarding and team cohesion.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and frame strategic problems for product development, aligning user needs with business objectives.

• Employ system thinking to design holistic product experiences, considering the interplay of features and user flows.

• Rapidly move from concept to testable prototypes, optimizing time for strategic and creative decision-making.

• Leverage AI tools, including Claude Code and Codex, for accelerated prototyping, iteration, and concept validation.

• Apply strong taste, judgment, and attention to detail to validate, refine, and ensure the quality of all design outputs.

• Conduct user research and apply insights to inform design decisions and product strategy.

• Collaborate closely with engineering and product teams to ensure seamless implementation of designed experiences.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of design processes and tools within a small, agile team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strategic and hands-on approach, emphasizing problem definition and the creative application of AI. The need to "define the right problems to solve" and "think in systems" indicates a senior-level expectation for strategic contribution, even for less experienced candidates who show potential. The emphasis on rapid prototyping with AI suggests a need for agility and a proactive approach to validating design concepts efficiently.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating foundational design principles is paramount. Candidates with degrees in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or related fields may have relevant coursework.

Experience: Experience requirements are flexible, ranging from entry-level with strong foundational skills and AI project work, to senior-level with a proven track record in product design and strategic problem-solving.

Required Skills:

• Strong foundation in product design fundamentals: user research, interaction design, visual design, and prototyping.

• Demonstrated comfort and proficiency with AI tools for design and prototyping (e.g., Claude Code, Codex, or similar).

• A system thinking mindset, with the ability to consider edge cases, user states, and component interactions holistically.

• Excellent communication skills for articulating design decisions, providing constructive feedback, and fostering transparency.

• Natural curiosity, self-direction, and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

• High learning velocity and the ability to quickly adopt new tools and workflows.

• Exceptional taste and judgment, with a keen eye for detail and quality.

• User-first thinking, consistently grounding design decisions in user needs and benefits.

• Adaptability and comfort working in environments with ambiguity and evolving paths. Preferred Skills:

• Experience working within small, agile, and fast-paced product teams.

• Familiarity with modern design systems and component-based design methodologies.

• Experience in a startup environment or a similar fast-growth context.

• Understanding of software development lifecycles and cross-functional team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "all levels" suggests that candidates should highlight their most relevant skills and experiences, whether foundational or strategic. For junior candidates, demonstrating potential and a strong learning aptitude with AI tools will be key. For senior candidates, showcasing strategic impact, system thinking, and leadership in problem framing will be crucial.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated collection of projects demonstrating a strong grasp of product design fundamentals (user research, interaction design, visual design, prototyping).

• Case studies that clearly articulate the problem framed, the strategic approach taken, and the user-centered solutions developed.

• Examples of how you've used AI tools (e.g., Claude Code, Codex) to accelerate the design process, iterate on concepts, or validate ideas.

• Projects that showcase system thinking, illustrating how different components or features work together harmoniously.

• Evidence of strong judgment and taste, with a focus on refined details and high-quality execution. Process Documentation:

• For each project, outline the design process followed, highlighting key decision points and methodologies.

• Detail how user needs were identified and translated into design solutions.

• Explain the iterative process, including how feedback was incorporated and how AI tools were utilized for refinement.

• Showcase the ability to move efficiently from concept to a testable prototype.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio should not just display finished products but also the candidate's thought process, strategic contributions, and innovative use of technology. Emphasis on problem framing, system thinking, and AI tool application will be critical for differentiation. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their judgment calls and the rationale behind their design decisions.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the "all levels" designation and the hybrid/remote nature within the EU, a typical salary range for a Product Designer in Budapest, Hungary, would be approximately €30,000 - €70,000 annually, depending on experience, skills, and specific responsibilities. For senior roles or designers with highly specialized AI skills, this could extend higher. For remote EU roles, salaries would align with market rates in the respective country, potentially higher than Budapest.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience and location.

• Opportunity to work with cutting-edge AI tools and contribute to a world-class product.

• Flexible working environment (hybrid or remote within the EU).

• Initial onsite onboarding period in Budapest to foster team integration.

• Potential for significant impact and growth within a small, high-performing team.

• Exposure to strategic decision-making and end-to-end product ownership.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours (approximately 40 hours per week), with flexibility offered within the hybrid/remote arrangement. Core collaboration hours will likely be established to facilitate team communication.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on general market data for Product Designers in Central Europe and the EU, considering the "all levels" aspect. It's crucial for candidates to research specific market rates for their experience and location within the EU. The benefits focus on the unique aspects of the role: AI integration, strategic impact, and a dynamic startup environment.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software / Productivity Tools (specifically document collaboration and creation). Craft Docs operates in a competitive market, aiming to provide a superior user experience through thoughtful design and innovative technology.

Company Size: Small team, implying a flat hierarchy, rapid decision-making, and high individual impact. This structure fosters close collaboration and end-to-end ownership.

Founded: Craft Docs was founded with a mission to build intuitive and powerful tools for creators and professionals. Its relatively young age suggests a dynamic, agile, and growth-oriented culture.

Team Structure:

• The design team is likely small, working in close conjunction with product management and engineering.

• Reporting structure is expected to be relatively flat, with direct access to leadership.

• Cross-functional collaboration is essential, with designers actively participating in problem framing, strategy development, and execution. Methodology:

• Emphasis on deep craft, sharp judgment, and user-centricity.

• Agile development practices, with a focus on rapid iteration and validation.

• Strategic use of AI tools to augment human creativity and efficiency.

• Data-informed decision-making, balanced with strong qualitative insights and design intuition.

Company Website: https://www.craft.do/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is defined by its small size, high standards, and innovative approach. For operations professionals, this means a need for adaptability, strong ownership, and the ability to contribute across multiple facets of product development. The emphasis on "craft" and "judgment" suggests a culture that values quality and thoughtful execution.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role spans "all levels," meaning it can serve as a foundational role for aspiring Product Designers or a senior contributor role for seasoned professionals. The responsibilities, particularly in problem framing and system thinking, suggest opportunities for growth into lead designer or product strategy roles.

Reporting Structure: Designers likely report to a Head of Product, Design Lead, or a founding team member. The flat structure allows for direct interaction with key decision-makers.

Operations Impact: Designers at Craft Docs are integral to shaping the product's success. Their work directly influences user acquisition, retention, and satisfaction, thereby impacting revenue and market position. The strategic nature of the role means designers have a significant voice in product direction.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas like AI-assisted design, interaction design, or user research methodologies.

• Strategic Leadership: Progress to defining product strategy, leading design initiatives, and mentoring junior designers.

• Cross-functional Development: Gain broader experience in product management, engineering collaboration, and business strategy through close team interaction.

• Impactful Project Ownership: Lead significant product features from conception to launch, owning the entire design lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "all levels" designation is a significant factor for growth analysis. Junior designers can expect to learn from experienced team members and rapidly develop core competencies. Senior designers will have opportunities to influence strategic direction and potentially lead design efforts. The company's small size fosters an environment where individual contributions are highly visible and can accelerate career progression.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, with an initial onsite onboarding requirement in Budapest. This suggests a blend of focused remote work and collaborative in-office sessions.

Office Location(s): Budapest, Hungary, is the primary hybrid location. Remote work is possible within the European Union.

Workspace Context:

• Remote work emphasizes autonomy and self-management, requiring strong organizational skills.

• Hybrid model allows for focused individual work at home and collaborative sessions, ideation, and team building in the Budapest office.

• Access to modern design tools and potentially cloud-based collaboration platforms.

• Opportunities for spontaneous ideation and problem-solving with colleagues during onsite periods.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours, with flexibility conducive to remote and hybrid work. Core collaboration hours will likely be established to ensure effective team communication and alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature with an initial onsite requirement is a key differentiator. It signals a commitment to building strong team rapport and ensuring a smooth transition for new hires, while still offering the flexibility of remote work for EU-based employees. This balance is crucial for fostering a cohesive team culture.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of portfolio and resume to assess foundational skills, relevant experience, and fit with the company's focus on AI and strategic design.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: Candidates will likely be given a problem to solve, potentially involving AI tools, and asked to present their process, rationale, and proposed solution. This assesses problem framing, system thinking, and execution.

• Team/Hiring Manager Interviews: Discussions to evaluate core traits (curiosity, learning velocity, judgment), communication skills, and cultural fit.

• Final Interview: Potential discussion with founders or senior leadership to assess strategic alignment and long-term potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase AI Integration: Clearly demonstrate how you've leveraged AI tools in your projects. Highlight specific examples and the impact on your workflow or outcomes.

• Problem Framing: Dedicate sections of your case studies to how you identified and framed the core problem, not just how you solved it.

• System Thinking Examples: Include projects where you've considered the broader system, edge cases, and holistic user journeys.

• Judgment & Taste: Provide rationale for your design decisions, especially where trade-offs were made. Highlight specific details that demonstrate your attention to quality.

• Conciseness & Clarity: Ensure your portfolio is well-organized, easy to navigate, and clearly articulates your contributions and thought process.

Challenge Preparation:

• Practice articulating your design process, focusing on the "why" behind your decisions.

• Be prepared to discuss how you would approach problem framing in ambiguous situations.

• Familiarize yourself with current AI tools relevant to design and how you might integrate them into a workflow.

• Think about how you would balance user needs, business objectives, and technical constraints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not only design skills but also strategic thinking, adaptability, and proficiency with emerging technologies like AI. The portfolio review will be critical, with a specific focus on how candidates approach problem-solving and leverage AI tools.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (as foundational tools).

• AI Tools: Claude Code, Codex, and other AI-powered tools for rapid prototyping, code generation, concept iteration, and validation.

• Collaboration: Slack, Notion, or similar for team communication and knowledge sharing.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Tools for user analytics (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel) may be used to inform design decisions, though primary focus is on qualitative insights and AI-driven validation.

• Project management tools (e.g., Jira, Asana) for tracking progress. CRM & Automation:

• While not a primary focus for the designer role, understanding CRM principles (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) may be beneficial for context on user journeys and business objectives.

• Familiarity with workflow automation concepts can be helpful for system thinking.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of AI tools like Claude Code and Codex is a critical requirement. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience and comfort level with these technologies, as they are central to the role's execution.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Craft & Quality: A commitment to producing high-quality, well-executed designs that users love. This translates to meticulous attention to detail and a drive for excellence.

• Curiosity & Learning: An intrinsic desire to explore, question, and continuously learn new tools, methodologies, and user needs.

• User-First: Every design decision is rooted in making the user's experience better, simpler, and more effective.

• Ownership & Accountability: Taking full responsibility for outcomes, from problem definition to final execution, especially within a small team context.

• Judgment & Taste: The ability to make informed decisions, discern quality, and know when a design is truly ready.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Working openly with the team, sharing insights, and providing constructive feedback.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly collaborative, with designers working closely with product managers, engineers, and potentially founders.

• Emphasis on open communication, constructive feedback, and shared problem-solving.

• Agile and iterative, with frequent check-ins and reviews to ensure alignment and progress.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values emphasize a blend of technical skill, strategic thinking, and a strong work ethic. For operations professionals, understanding and aligning with these values is key to cultural fit. The emphasis on "craft" and "judgment" suggests a culture that appreciates nuanced decision-making and high standards.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Defining the "Right" Problems: Navigating a wide array of potential product directions to identify those with the highest user and business impact.

• Balancing Speed and Quality: Rapidly iterating with AI while maintaining a high bar for design quality and user experience.

• AI Integration: Effectively leveraging nascent AI tools to enhance, rather than replace, human creativity and judgment.

• Ambiguity and Fast Pace: Thriving in a small-team environment where priorities can shift and the path forward may not always be clear.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring design vision is effectively communicated and implemented across different disciplines.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Cutting-edge AI Tooling: Become an expert in using AI for design, staying ahead of technological advancements.

• Strategic Product Design: Develop skills in problem framing, user research, and strategic decision-making at a high level.

• End-to-End Ownership: Gain comprehensive experience across the entire product development lifecycle.

• Mentorship: Learn from experienced team members and potentially mentor junior designers as the team grows.

• Industry Exposure: Contribute to a product that aims for world-class standards in a competitive productivity software market.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are inherent to a fast-paced, innovative environment. The growth opportunities are directly tied to addressing these challenges, offering a path for significant professional development in strategic design and AI integration.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How do you approach defining a problem space before jumping into solutions?" (Prepare to discuss your process for user research, competitive analysis, and stakeholder interviews.)

• "Describe a time you had to make a tough judgment call on a design. What was the situation, your decision, and the outcome?" (Focus on your rationale, trade-offs, and ability to defend your choices.)

• "How would you use AI tools like Claude Code or Codex to accelerate the design process for a new feature?" (Be ready to walk through a hypothetical scenario, detailing specific AI applications and your role in validating outputs.)

• "What does 'system thinking' mean to you in the context of product design, and can you give an example?" (Prepare to discuss interconnectedness, edge cases, and holistic user flows.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Craft Docs specifically, and how do you see yourself contributing to our mission?" (Research the product, its users, and its market position.)

• "How do you handle ambiguity and uncertainty in a fast-paced environment?" (Share examples of your adaptability and proactive problem-solving.)

• "Describe your ideal team environment and how you contribute to collaboration." (Highlight your communication style, feedback approach, and comfort in a small team.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: Structure your presentation around compelling narratives for each project, highlighting the problem, your strategic approach, and the impact of your solutions.

• AI Integration Demonstration: Clearly show how you used AI tools, what the outputs were, and how you refined them. Don't just mention them; demonstrate their application.

• Focus on Judgment: Explain the "why" behind your decisions, especially where there were trade-offs or difficult choices. Discuss your taste and attention to detail.

• Conciseness: Be mindful of time. Focus on the most impactful aspects of your work and be prepared to go deeper on specific points if asked.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should emphasize strategic thinking, problem-framing, and the practical application of AI tools. Candidates should be ready to demonstrate their design process, judgment, and ability to thrive in a dynamic, small-team setting.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects demonstrating strong product design fundamentals, strategic problem framing, system thinking, and your experience with AI tools. Clearly articulate your process and decision-making.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly states your experience level and highlights key skills relevant to the job description, such as "Product Design," "AI Tooling," "System Thinking," and "User Research." Quantify achievements where possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, strategic approach, and how you leverage AI. Prepare specific examples for behavioral questions and be ready to present your portfolio with a focus on storytelling and key decision points.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Craft Docs' product, target audience, and the competitive landscape. Understand their emphasis on "craft," "judgment," and "user-first" principles.

⚠️ 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.