Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Aikido Security

Location: Ghent, Flanders, Belgium

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / User Experience

Date Posted: August 17, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the user experience (UX) design for a developer-first security platform, ensuring intuitive and engaging interactions for end-users.

• Drive the full design lifecycle from initial concept and user research through to final implementation and launch of impactful features.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers (PMs) and Engineering teams to translate user needs and business requirements into elegant design solutions.

• Develop and maintain a cohesive design system, ensuring consistency and scalability across the product.

• Create compelling visual assets, including illustrations and icons, to enhance the product's visual identity and brand appeal.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the raw input is for a "Product Designer," the context provided (developer-first security, reducing risk, winning market share against legacy tools) strongly suggests a focus on SaaS product design with a significant UX/UI component aimed at a technical audience. The role emphasizes hands-on design execution and cross-functional collaboration, typical of a mid-level product designer in a fast-growing tech company.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conceptualize, design, and prototype user interfaces and user experiences for new and existing product features, focusing on developer workflows and security integration.

• Conduct user research, usability testing, and gather feedback to inform design decisions and iteratively improve the product's usability and effectiveness.

• Translate complex technical requirements and user needs into clear, intuitive, and visually appealing design solutions within Figma.

• Contribute to and maintain the company's design system, ensuring adherence to established guidelines for components, typography, color, and iconography.

• Create high-fidelity mockups, interactive prototypes, and detailed design specifications for engineering handoff.

• Develop custom illustrations and icons that align with Aikido Security's brand identity and enhance user comprehension.

• Work closely with engineers to ensure accurate implementation of designs and provide ongoing design support throughout the development process.

• Actively participate in product strategy discussions, bringing a user-centric perspective to feature planning and roadmap development.

• Collaborate with Product Management to define feature scope, user stories, and product requirements from a design perspective.

• Stay abreast of industry trends in UX/UI design, cybersecurity, and developer tools to continuously elevate the product's design quality.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities are inferred from the core description of leading UX, full design lifecycle involvement, and collaboration with PMs/engineers, tailored to a SaaS product context in the cybersecurity domain. The emphasis on "developer-first" and "making security suck less" highlights the need for design that streamlines complex processes.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred for foundational understanding, though equivalent practical experience is highly valued.

Experience: 3-5 years of professional experience in SaaS product design, with a strong portfolio showcasing end-to-end design solutions.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in SaaS product design, with a portfolio demonstrating a deep understanding of user-centered design principles and methodologies.

• Advanced proficiency in Figma for UI design, prototyping, and collaborative workflows.

• Experience in building and maintaining design systems, ensuring consistency and scalability.

• Strong understanding of user experience (UX) principles and best practices for web applications.

• Excellent visual design skills, with a keen eye for detail, typography, color theory, and layout.

• Demonstrated ability to create compelling illustrations and icons that align with brand identity.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams (PMs, Engineers).

• Analytical and customer-focused mindset, capable of translating user needs and data into actionable design improvements.

• Fluent in English, both written and spoken, for clear communication within an international team. Preferred Skills:

• Prior experience in the cybersecurity sector, understanding the unique challenges and user needs within this domain.

• Experience with agile development methodologies and working in fast-paced startup environments.

• Familiarity with user research techniques and usability testing methodologies.

• Basic understanding of front-end development principles (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to facilitate better collaboration with engineers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "3-5 years of experience in SaaS" and "Ideally based in Belgium or Europe" are direct inputs. The specific skills are derived from the "Proven expertise in Figma and design systems," "Strong communicator," "Analytical and customer-focused, with a sharp eye for clean design," and "Fluent English." The "Big plus if you have: Experience in the cybersecurity sector. Skills in illustration and icon design" directly informs the preferred skills.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio that clearly demonstrates end-to-end product design ownership, from problem definition to final shipped product.

• Detailed case studies showcasing a minimum of 2-3 significant SaaS product design projects, highlighting your specific contributions.

• Prototypes and user flows that illustrate problem-solving capabilities and design thinking process.

• Examples of user interface (UI) design, including high-fidelity mockups and visual design elements.

• Evidence of collaboration with product managers and engineers, detailing how you navigated feedback and implementation challenges.

• Specific examples of how your design work has positively impacted user experience, engagement, or key business metrics. Process Documentation:

• Showcase your process for user research, ideation, and iteration, including any user testing or feedback mechanisms employed.

• Demonstrate how you have contributed to or managed a design system, including its components, guidelines, and evolution.

• Provide examples of your workflow for translating requirements into design specifications for engineering teams.

• Illustrate your approach to problem-solving complex UX challenges, with a focus on efficiency and user-centricity.

📝 Enhancement Note: Portfolio requirements are inferred based on standard expectations for a mid-level Product Designer role in a SaaS company. The emphasis is on demonstrating a structured design process, impact, and collaborative ability, which are critical for operations and GTM roles that rely on clear process documentation and measurable outcomes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the provided location (Ghent, Belgium), experience level (2-5 years), and the company's stage (well-funded startup), a competitive salary range for a Product Designer would typically fall between €50,000 and €75,000 gross per year. This estimate considers the cost of living in Belgium and industry benchmarks for similar roles in European tech hubs.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary package, reflecting your skills and contributions.

• Flexibility in working hours, allowing for better work-life integration.

• Hybrid work culture, offering a balance between in-office collaboration and remote work.

• Opportunity for rapid growth in responsibility and career advancement.

• High-impact position within a fast-growing, well-funded startup environment.

• Exposure to cutting-edge technology in the cybersecurity domain.

• A company culture that emphasizes its values, fostering an open and informal atmosphere.

Working Hours: The standard full-time working hours are estimated at 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered in scheduling to accommodate individual needs and team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary range estimated based on typical European tech salaries for a Product Designer with 2-5 years of experience in a city like Ghent, Belgium. Data from sites like Glassdoor, SalaryExpert, and local recruitment agencies were cross-referenced. Benefits are directly extracted from the "What you can expect" section.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software / Cybersecurity. Aikido Security operates within the rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape, focusing on modern software development practices and addressing the security needs of developers. This industry demands innovation, agility, and a deep understanding of user workflows.

Company Size: Aikido Security is a fast-growing startup, founded in 2022, that has secured significant funding ($85M). This indicates a dynamic, innovative, and potentially rapidly scaling environment where roles can evolve quickly and individuals have the opportunity to make a substantial impact. The team is described as "all-star," suggesting a high-caliber, motivated workforce.

Founded: 2022. As a relatively young company, Aikido Security is likely to have a culture that is agile, forward-thinking, and focused on rapid iteration and market penetration. The company is driven by third-time founders, suggesting experienced leadership with a clear vision and a proven track record.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team is likely small and highly integrated, working directly within product squads alongside Product Managers and Engineers.

• The reporting structure probably leads to a Head of Product or CTO, with a focus on direct collaboration rather than a rigid hierarchy.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a cornerstone, with designers expected to work hand-in-hand with PMs and engineers throughout the entire product development lifecycle. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making, using user feedback and analytics to inform design iterations.

• Agile development practices, allowing for rapid prototyping, testing, and deployment.

• A strong emphasis on user-centric design, ensuring that developer needs are at the forefront of product development.

• Continuous improvement and iteration, driven by a desire to "make security suck less" and build products developers enjoy.

Company Website: https://aikido.dev/

📝 Enhancement Note: Company context is derived from the "Founded in 2022 by third-time founders, Aikido has $85M in the bank and a long runway ahead. We’re building toward self-securing software. Join an all-star team." and the general description of their mission. The implications for operations and GTM are that the company is likely focused on rapid growth, product-market fit, and building a strong engineering and product culture.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This Product Designer role is positioned at a mid-level, offering significant hands-on design work and a direct impact on the product. It's ideal for someone looking to deepen their expertise in SaaS product design within a specialized domain like cybersecurity.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will likely report to a Product Manager or potentially a Head of Design/Product. The emphasis is on close, collaborative work within cross-functional product teams, rather than a steep hierarchical structure.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer will have a direct and significant impact on Aikido Security's success by shaping the user experience of its core product. A well-designed, intuitive platform is crucial for adoption, retention, and market differentiation, especially when targeting developers who are often critical of cumbersome tools. The designer's work will directly contribute to the company's mission of making security more accessible and less of a bottleneck.

Growth Opportunities:

• Deepening Specialization: Opportunity to become a subject matter expert in designing for developer tools and cybersecurity platforms, a highly valuable niche.

• Increased Responsibility: Potential to take ownership of larger feature sets, lead design initiatives, and mentor junior designers as the team grows.

• Leadership Potential: As the company scales, there will be opportunities to move into more senior design roles, potentially leading design efforts for specific product areas or the entire platform.

• Skill Expansion: Exposure to product strategy, market analysis, and the business impact of design decisions will foster holistic professional growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: Career growth is analyzed based on the "Product Designer" title, the "3-5 years of experience" requirement, and the "fast-growing company" context. The focus is on how this role contributes to the broader GTM and operational success of a SaaS company.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Aikido Security offers a hybrid work culture, suggesting a blend of in-office collaboration and remote work flexibility. This implies a modern approach to workplace dynamics, balancing the benefits of face-to-face interaction with the autonomy and flexibility of remote work.

Office Location(s): The primary listed location is Ghent, Belgium. The company also mentions "Ideally based in Belgium or Europe," indicating a potential for remote employees within Europe, provided they can align with hybrid requirements and time zones.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model suggests dedicated spaces for in-office collaboration, team meetings, and focused work, fostering interaction among designers, PMs, and engineers.

• Tools & Technology: Expect access to industry-standard design tools (Figma is explicitly mentioned) and collaboration platforms necessary for a distributed or hybrid team.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular design critiques, brainstorming sessions, and cross-functional syncs, both in-person and virtually.

Work Schedule: Flexibility in working hours is a key benefit, allowing individuals to structure their workday in a way that maximizes productivity and accommodates personal needs, while still ensuring alignment for team collaboration and critical project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: Inferred from "Flexibility in working hours and hybrid culture" and the location details. This section focuses on how the work environment supports the operational efficiency and collaborative needs of a design role within a tech company.

📄 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.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: Candidates will likely present their portfolio, discussing their process, design decisions, and impact on previous projects. A practical design challenge or case study analysis may be assigned to evaluate problem-solving skills and design execution.

• Team Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers and Engineers to assess collaboration style, technical understanding, and ability to integrate into the team.

• Final Interview: A discussion with a senior leader (e.g., Head of Product, CTO) to evaluate strategic thinking, long-term vision, and overall fit with the company.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Focus on 2-3 of your strongest, most relevant SaaS product design projects. Prioritize those that demonstrate end-to-end ownership and impact.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed (research, ideation, iteration), the solution, and the measurable outcomes. Use visuals effectively to support your narrative.

• Highlight Collaboration: Emphasize how you worked with PMs and engineers, detailing any challenges and how you overcame them through collaboration.

• Showcase Figma & Design Systems: Be prepared to discuss your proficiency with Figma and your experience with design systems, including how you've contributed to or utilized them.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the positive impact of your design decisions on user behavior, engagement, or business goals.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Product: Familiarize yourself with Aikido Security's mission, target audience (developers), and existing product (if publicly available).

• Focus on Process: For any design challenge, demonstrate a clear, user-centered design process. It's often more about how you arrive at a solution than the final pixel-perfect output.

• Think Like a PM/Engineer: Consider the business goals and technical constraints that would influence design decisions.

• Practice Articulation: Be prepared to clearly explain your thought process, assumptions, and design rationale under pressure.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview and portfolio review process is inferred based on standard practices for hiring Product Designers in fast-paced SaaS companies, with an emphasis on practical application of skills and collaborative capabilities.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Expect advanced usage for creating complex interfaces, interactive prototypes, and managing design specifications.

• Design Systems: Experience with creating, maintaining, or contributing to design systems is crucial. This includes understanding component libraries, style guides, and version control.

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma is primary, familiarity with other prototyping tools or advanced Figma prototyping features for complex interactions is beneficial.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or similar platforms used to track user behavior, feature adoption, and engagement metrics.

• A/B Testing Tools: Understanding how designs are tested and iterated upon using A/B testing frameworks.

• Data Visualization: Ability to interpret data presented in dashboards (e.g., Tableau, Looker, or internal tools) to inform design decisions.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a designer's primary tool, understanding how CRM data (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) or marketing automation platforms might influence user segmentation or personalized experiences can be advantageous.

• Project Management Tools: Proficiency with tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for managing design tasks, tracking progress, and collaborating with engineering teams.

• Communication & Collaboration: Slack, Microsoft Teams, or similar for day-to-day team communication.

📝 Enhancement Note: Tools are directly extracted or inferred from the job description's requirements, particularly "Proven expertise in Figma and design systems," and typical SaaS product development environments.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Developer-First: A core principle is to build products that genuinely serve and empower developers, reducing friction and improving their workflow.

• Impactful Innovation: A drive to solve real problems and make a tangible difference in the cybersecurity space, moving beyond legacy solutions.

• Ownership & Autonomy: Encouraging individuals to take initiative, drive projects, and have a significant impact on the product and company direction.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Fostering an open environment where ideas are shared freely, feedback is constructive, and teams work together seamlessly.

• Efficiency & Effectiveness: A focus on building tools that are not only secure but also efficient and easy to use, cutting through complexity.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers are expected to be deeply embedded within product teams, working closely with PMs and engineers from ideation through to deployment.

• Iterative & Feedback-Driven: A culture that embraces continuous feedback, regular design critiques, and iterative improvements based on user input and data.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, design patterns, and insights across the team and wider organization.

• Informal & Open: The company emphasizes an "open and informal atmosphere" and sticking to its values, suggesting a culture that is approachable and supportive.

📝 Enhancement Note: Values and collaboration style are inferred from the company description, mission statement ("making security suck less for developers"), and the emphasis on teamwork and an informal atmosphere.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for a Technical Audience: Creating intuitive interfaces for complex security concepts that resonate with developers who may have varying levels of security expertise.

• Balancing Security Needs with Developer Experience: Ensuring robust security features are implemented without creating significant friction or workflow interruptions for developers.

• Rapidly Evolving Threat Landscape: Keeping pace with the dynamic cybersecurity environment and designing solutions that remain relevant and effective.

• Scaling Design Systems: As the product and company grow, maintaining and expanding the design system to support new features and evolving needs will be an ongoing challenge.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Cybersecurity Design: Gaining deep expertise in designing for a critical and complex industry.

• Product Strategy Involvement: Opportunity to contribute to high-level product strategy and roadmap planning, understanding the business impact of design.

• Leadership Track: Potential to grow into senior or lead design roles as the company scales, managing design initiatives and potentially a team.

• Industry Exposure: Learning from experienced founders and an "all-star team" in a well-funded, fast-paced startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges and growth are analyzed based on the specific industry (cybersecurity), target audience (developers), and the startup environment described, focusing on how these factors present unique opportunities for a Product Designer.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance conflicting requirements from Product Management and Engineering. How did you resolve it?" (Focus on communication, negotiation, and user-centric trade-offs.)

• "Walk us through your process for designing a new feature for a complex SaaS product. What steps do you take from initial brief to final delivery?" (Demonstrate your end-to-end design methodology, including research, ideation, prototyping, and testing.)

• "How do you ensure your designs are accessible and cater to a diverse user base, particularly developers with varying technical backgrounds?" (Highlight your understanding of inclusive design principles.)

• "Tell us about a time your design decision was challenged. How did you respond, and what was the outcome?" (Showcase your ability to defend design choices with data and rationale, and to be open to constructive feedback.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Aikido Security and our mission to make security better for developers?" (Research the company's product, mission, and recent news. Align your passion with their goals.)

• "How do you see your role contributing to a 'developer-first' product philosophy?" (Emphasize your user-centric approach and understanding of developer workflows.)

• "Describe your ideal team environment and how you collaborate with Product Managers and Engineers." (Highlight your experience with hybrid work, agile methodologies, and cross-functional teamwork.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your specific role and contributions, the design process undertaken, the solution you developed, and the impact/results achieved.

• Quantify Your Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics (e.g., increased conversion rates, reduced task completion time, improved user satisfaction scores) to demonstrate the success of your designs.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use high-fidelity mockups, interactive prototypes, and user flow diagrams to visually communicate your design solutions.

• Explain Your 'Why': Be prepared to articulate the rationale behind your design decisions, linking them back to user needs, business objectives, and design principles.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design choices, trade-offs made, and how you handled feedback or technical constraints.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview questions and preparation tips are tailored to a Product Designer role in a SaaS cybersecurity startup, focusing on demonstrating design process, collaboration, impact, and understanding of the target audience.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Aikido Security's careers page.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful SaaS product design projects, focusing on end-to-end ownership and demonstrable user or business impact. Ensure your portfolio clearly outlines the problem, your process, your role, the solution, and the results.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 3-5 years of SaaS product design experience, proficiency in Figma and design systems, and any relevant cybersecurity or illustration skills. Use keywords from the job description to optimize for applicant tracking systems (ATS).

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio case studies, focusing on clear storytelling, articulating your design rationale, and quantifying impact. Be ready to discuss your collaborative process with PMs and engineers.

• Research Aikido Security: Understand their mission, product, target audience (developers), and company culture. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers about their design process, challenges, and growth trajectory.

⚠️ 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.