Product Designer

Capital on Tap
Full-timeLondon, United Kingdom

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Capital on Tap

Location: London, Greater London, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI Design

Date Posted: 2026-08-04T14:47:16

Experience Level: 2-5 years

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in office)

🚀 Role Summary

  • Contribute to the design and evolution of Capital on Tap's web and mobile applications, impacting the user experience for small business owners.

  • Play a key role in shaping and maintaining the company's design system, ensuring consistency and efficiency across product surfaces.

  • Engage in a hybrid design role, with a focus on UX/Product (70%), UI/Visual Design (20%), and Marketing/Growth (10%).

  • Collaborate closely with engineering, product management, and other stakeholders to drive product initiatives from conception to launch, influencing prioritization and strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is positioned for someone early in their design career, emphasizing growth and end-to-end feature ownership within a supportive team structure. The "hybrid" nature of the design work (UX, UI, Growth) suggests a need for versatility and a broad understanding of the product lifecycle.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

  • Design intuitive and engaging user experiences for both web and mobile applications, focusing on core financial tools for small businesses.

  • Develop and maintain high-fidelity wireframes, prototypes, user flows, and detailed design specifications for new features and product enhancements.

  • Actively participate in defining, refining, and expanding the design system, ensuring its usability, accessibility, and adherence to brand guidelines.

  • Conduct user research, usability testing, and gather feedback to inform design decisions and iterate on product solutions.

  • Collaborate with engineering teams to ensure accurate implementation of designs and to address technical constraints or opportunities.

  • Support marketing and growth initiatives by designing user interfaces and experiences that drive customer acquisition and engagement.

  • Contribute to product strategy discussions, bringing a user-centric perspective and advocating for design best practices.

  • Proactively identify areas for design improvement and innovation within the product suite.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a hands-on approach to design, requiring the candidate to be deeply involved in the entire product development lifecycle, from strategy and research to execution and iteration. The emphasis on "defining components" and "supporting acquisition campaigns" indicates a broad scope of work beyond typical feature design.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a background in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field is advantageous.

Experience: 2-5 years of professional experience in Product Design, UX Design, or a closely related role, with demonstrated experience in a scaling product organization.

Required Skills:

  • Proven ability to define and solve complex user problems, evidenced by a strong portfolio showcasing UX fundamentals (problem definition, interaction design, usability, accessibility).

  • Fluency in Figma and proficiency with modern design and prototyping tools.

  • Experience in designing for both web and mobile applications.

  • A keen eye for visual polish and UI design principles.

  • Demonstrated ability to work proactively, ask clarifying questions, and seek out information from cross-functional teams (support, engineering, ops, data).

  • Ability to define design based on functional requirements and apply appropriate patterns and elements.

  • Experience leveraging and contributing to design systems, prioritizing existing solutions before inventing new ones. Preferred Skills:

  • Exposure to Design Operations (DesignOps), including managing design tooling, workflows, and processes.

  • Familiarity with design-to-production workflows and handoff processes.

  • Experience working within a fast-paced fintech environment or with SME-focused financial products.

  • Understanding of AI-assisted design workflows or tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a proactive and problem-solving mindset, moving beyond execution to strategic contribution. The "2-5 years" experience level suggests a mid-level role where mentorship is available, but significant ownership is expected.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • A curated portfolio showcasing 3-5 diverse projects that demonstrate end-to-end product design ownership.

  • Projects should clearly articulate the problem statement, user research conducted, design process, key design decisions, and the impact of the final solution.

  • Evidence of strong UX fundamentals, including user flows, wireframes, interaction design, and consideration for usability and accessibility.

  • Visual design examples that highlight a strong aesthetic sense and attention to detail.

  • Examples of contributions to or utilization of a design system, demonstrating an understanding of component-based design and consistency. Process Documentation:

  • Case studies that detail the iterative design process, including how user feedback and data were incorporated.

  • Examples of how you've collaborated with engineering and product teams to bring designs to life.

  • Demonstrations of how you've defined design based on functional needs and applied existing patterns effectively.

  • Any experience with design-to-production workflows or contributing to design ops initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is critical for this role, acting as the primary evidence of a candidate's ability to think critically, execute effectively, and contribute to a scalable design practice. Emphasis on "defining design by what it needs to do" suggests a need for process-oriented case studies rather than purely aesthetic showcases.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Product Designers with 2-5 years of experience in London, the estimated salary range is £45,000 - £65,000 per annum.

Benefits:

  • Competitive salary and potential for performance-based bonuses.

  • Comprehensive health and wellness benefits, including private medical insurance.

  • Generous paid time off and company holidays.

  • Pension scheme with employer contributions.

  • Opportunities for professional development, training, and attending industry conferences.

  • Hybrid working model with 3 days in the London office, offering flexibility and collaboration.

  • Access to company perks and social events.

  • Potential for stock options or equity in a rapidly growing fintech company.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours are expected, typically around 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered within the hybrid model.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is estimated based on London market rates for a mid-level Product Designer in a fintech company, considering the company's growth stage and the provided experience level. Benefits are inferred based on common offerings for tech companies in the UK, particularly those in scaling phases.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Fintech (Financial Technology), specializing in business credit cards, spend management, and financial services for SMEs.

Company Size: Over 1,000 employees, indicating a well-established yet still scaling organization with a significant market presence.

Founded: Capital on Tap was founded to address the underserved needs of small businesses in accessing financial services, emphasizing innovation and customer focus.

Team Structure:

  • The Product team is centralized, with the Product Designer joining a team of three. This suggests a collaborative environment where designers work across various product areas rather than being siloed.

  • The role involves close collaboration with engineering, product management, and potentially marketing and operations teams.

  • Reporting likely to a Lead Product Designer or Head of Product/Design. Methodology:

  • Emphasis on moving fast and working closely with engineering.

  • A strong customer-centric approach, obsessing over outcomes for users.

  • Data-driven decision-making is implied by the mention of "ops, data" as sources of information.

  • A focus on first principles thinking, encouraging designers to question and derive solutions from core needs.

  • Design system-driven approach to ensure consistency and efficiency.

Company Website: https://www.capitalontap.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Capital on Tap positions itself as a disruptive fintech, aiming to empower small businesses. The culture appears to be fast-paced, innovative, and collaborative, with a strong emphasis on user outcomes and data. The small product design team size implies a high degree of individual impact and cross-functional integration.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as an early-to-mid career Product Designer (2-5 years experience). It offers the opportunity to grow from owning specific features to potentially leading design initiatives and developing expertise within the fintech space.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will report to a senior member of the design team, likely the Lead Product Designer, and will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's work directly influences the usability and effectiveness of financial tools used by small businesses. Getting the design "right" has a tangible impact on customer day-to-day operations, financial decision-making, and the overall success of their businesses. This role contributes to driving customer acquisition, retention, and satisfaction through superior product experiences.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Feature Ownership: Progress from designing components and supporting features to owning entire product features or user journeys end-to-end.

  • Design System Expertise: Develop deep expertise in building, maintaining, and scaling design systems, potentially leading design system initiatives.

  • Cross-Functional Leadership: Gain experience influencing product strategy and roadmaps through strong design advocacy and collaboration with senior stakeholders.

  • Specialization: Opportunity to specialize in specific product areas (e.g., payments, lending, spend management) or design disciplines (e.g., growth design, accessibility).

  • Mentorship: Receive guidance from senior designers and potentially mentor junior designers as the team grows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a clear path for growth within a scaling fintech environment. The emphasis on ownership and cross-functional involvement provides excellent exposure to product strategy and business impact, preparing the designer for more senior or leadership roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is hybrid, requiring 3 days per week in the London office. This suggests a modern office environment designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and team cohesion.

Office Location(s): London, Greater London, United Kingdom. Specific office address details would typically be provided during the application process.

Workspace Context:

  • Collaborative workspace designed to facilitate interaction between product designers, engineers, product managers, and other team members.

  • Access to modern design tools and technology, including Figma and prototyping software.

  • Opportunities for informal "water cooler" conversations and structured brainstorming sessions that drive product innovation.

  • A dynamic environment where designers are encouraged to think from first principles and contribute their point of view.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time work schedule (approx. 40 hours/week) is expected, with the flexibility of a hybrid model allowing for remote work on designated days. This structure supports focused individual work (remote) and collaborative team activities (office).

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key aspect of the work environment, balancing the need for in-person collaboration and team building with the flexibility and focused work potential of remote arrangements.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  • Stage 1: Intro & Values Call (30 mins): An initial screening with a Talent Partner to assess cultural fit, motivation, and alignment with Capital on Tap's values. Be prepared to discuss your career aspirations and why you're interested in this specific role and company.

  • Stage 2: Technical Chat (45 mins): A virtual or in-person discussion with the Lead Product Designer to delve into your design skills, process, and technical proficiency. Expect questions about your UX/UI approach, tool usage (especially Figma), and how you tackle design challenges.

  • Stage 3: Presentation Interview (60 mins): A critical stage where you'll present a portfolio case study to 2-3 team members. Focus on a project that best showcases your end-to-end design process, problem-solving skills, and impact. Be ready to articulate your decisions and answer in-depth questions.

  • Stage 4: Head of Department Interview (30 mins): A final conversation with the Head of Department to discuss your strategic thinking, leadership potential, and overall fit within the broader product organization.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Select Impactful Projects: Choose 2-3 projects that best demonstrate your core skills, problem-solving abilities, and impact on users or business goals. Prioritize projects with clear problem statements and measurable outcomes.

  • Tell a Story: Structure your case studies as narratives. Clearly outline the problem, your role, the process you followed (research, ideation, iteration), the solutions you designed, and the results achieved.

  • Showcase Your Process: Don't just show final screens. Include wireframes, user flows, prototypes, and explain why you made specific design decisions. Highlight how you incorporated feedback and iterated.

  • Highlight Design System Contributions: If applicable, show how you've used or contributed to a design system. Explain its benefits and how you ensure consistency.

  • Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., conversion rate improvements, task completion times, user satisfaction scores).

  • Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design choices, challenges faced, how you handle constructive criticism, and how you collaborate with others.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Design System Application: Be ready to discuss how you'd apply or extend the existing design system for a new feature or component.

  • Problem-Solving Scenarios: Prepare for hypothetical design challenges related to fintech products or SME needs. Practice articulating your thought process and exploring multiple solutions.

  • Collaboration Scenarios: Think about how you'd approach design challenges when working with engineers or product managers who have different priorities or perspectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured to progressively assess technical skills, cultural fit, and strategic thinking. The portfolio presentation is a key component, requiring candidates to effectively communicate their design process and impact.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Figma: Essential for UI design, wireframing, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency is a must.

  • Prototyping Tools: Experience with built-in Figma prototyping or other tools like InVision, Principle, or ProtoPie for interactive mockups.

Analytics & Reporting:

  • While not explicitly stated, familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude) for understanding user behavior and measuring design impact would be beneficial. CRM & Automation:

  • Not directly relevant to the Product Designer role, but an understanding of how CRM systems and automation tools interact with the product might be helpful for context. Design System Tools:

  • Experience with tools or methodologies for managing and scaling design systems, potentially including code-based components if the design system is implemented using code.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly mentioned as a core requirement. While other tools aren't detailed, a modern product designer is expected to be adaptable and able to quickly learn new technologies. Familiarity with analytics tools is always a plus for demonstrating impact.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • Customer Obsession: A deep focus on understanding and solving the problems of small business owners.

  • Proactivity & Ownership: Taking initiative, seeking out information, and owning features end-to-end.

  • Collaboration: Working closely with engineering, product, and other teams to achieve shared goals.

  • Data-Driven: Using data and insights to inform design decisions and measure impact.

  • Efficiency & Scalability: Building robust solutions and contributing to a scalable design system.

Collaboration Style:

  • Cross-Functional Integration: Designers are embedded within product teams, working daily with engineers and product managers.

  • Open Communication: Encouraged to ask questions, bring a point of view, and engage in prioritization discussions.

  • Feedback-Oriented: A culture where design feedback is integral to the process, from peer reviews to user testing.

  • System Thinking: Valuing consistency and leverage through the design system, promoting a shared understanding across teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture emphasizes a proactive, user-centric, and collaborative approach. The design team operates within this framework, contributing strategically rather than just executing specifications.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Balancing Speed and Quality: Working in a fast-paced fintech environment requires delivering high-quality designs quickly without compromising user experience or accessibility.

  • Evolving Design System: Contributing to and maintaining a design system that supports multiple product surfaces and evolving needs.

  • Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring design vision is understood and executed effectively across different teams with potentially competing priorities.

  • Impact Measurement: Quantifying the impact of design decisions, especially in areas like marketing and growth, can be challenging but rewarding.

  • Adapting to Fintech Landscape: Staying current with design trends and best practices specific to the fintech industry and SME financial services.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Mentorship: Direct support and guidance from senior designers and product leaders.

  • Skill Expansion: Opportunity to deepen expertise in UX, UI, visual design, and potentially growth design or design ops.

  • Industry Exposure: Working on products that directly impact a significant customer segment (SMEs) and contribute to financial inclusion.

  • Design System Development: Gaining hands-on experience in building and scaling design systems.

  • Fintech Domain Knowledge: Developing a strong understanding of financial products and the needs of small businesses.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a designer in a scaling tech company, offering significant learning opportunities. The growth potential is tied to taking on more responsibility and developing specialized skills within a dynamic industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "Describe a time you had to define a design from first principles. What was your process?" (Focus on your problem-definition, research, and ideation stages.)

  • "How do you approach building or working with a design system? Give an example of a time you contributed to one." (Highlight your understanding of reusability, consistency, and how you ensure adoption.)

  • "Walk me through a project where you had to collaborate closely with engineering and product managers. How did you handle disagreements or conflicting priorities?" (Emphasize communication, negotiation, and finding common ground.)

  • "How do you ensure your designs are usable and accessible for all users, especially small business owners who may have diverse needs?" (Discuss your process for incorporating accessibility and usability testing.) Company & Culture Questions:

  • "Why Capital on Tap? What interests you about our mission and products?" (Research the company's history, values, and recent achievements. Connect your aspirations to their goals.)

  • "How do you stay proactive and go find out information when faced with unknowns?" (Provide specific examples of times you've taken initiative to clarify requirements or solve problems independently.)

  • "How do you define design by what it needs to do, rather than just applying aesthetics?" (Explain your user-centered approach and how you prioritize functionality and user needs.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Choose Your Best Case Study: Select one project that best showcases your end-to-end process, problem-solving skills, and impact. Ensure it aligns with the job requirements.

  • Structure Your Narrative: Clearly define the problem, your role, the context, your process, the solutions, and the results. Use visuals effectively to support your story.

  • Highlight Design Decisions: Be prepared to explain why you made specific design choices. What trade-offs did you consider? What alternatives did you explore?

  • Quantify Impact: Use metrics and data to demonstrate the success of your designs. If quantitative data is unavailable, use qualitative feedback or user testimonials.

  • Practice, Practice, Practice: Rehearse your presentation multiple times to ensure smooth delivery, clear articulation, and adherence to time limits. Be ready to answer follow-up questions confidently.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating a strong understanding of the design process, a user-centric mindset, and the ability to collaborate effectively within a fast-paced, product-focused environment. Articulating impact through case studies is paramount.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

  • Submit your application through the provided application link on Greenhouse.

  • Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that demonstrate end-to-end product design, UX fundamentals, UI polish, and ideally, contributions to or use of a design system. Tailor your selection to highlight experience relevant to fintech and SME products.

  • Optimize Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly outlines your 2-5 years of experience, key skills (Figma, UX/UI, Prototyping, Design Systems), and achievements with quantifiable results where possible. Use keywords from the job description.

  • Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting one of your selected portfolio case studies. Focus on telling a clear, concise story about the problem, your process, your solutions, and the impact. Be ready to answer in-depth questions.

  • Research Capital on Tap: Understand their mission, products, target audience (SMEs), and company values. This will help you tailor your answers during interviews and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.


Application Requirements

Candidates should have 2-5 years of experience in product or UX design with a strong portfolio demonstrating solid UX fundamentals and visual polish. Proficiency in Figma and experience working with design systems are required, along with a proactive, curious approach to problem-solving.