Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: DC Thomson (Findmypast)

Location: Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, or London, UK

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / User Experience

Date Posted: April 16, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level to Senior (Estimated 5-10 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (1 day per month in London office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive end-to-end product design for complex, data-rich platforms, focusing on user acquisition, engagement, and retention strategies.

• Collaborate with Product, Engineering, and Data teams to shape product direction and translate user needs into scalable, intuitive digital experiences.

• Contribute to the evolution of a design system, ensuring consistency and efficiency across web and app interfaces.

• Leverage qualitative and quantitative insights, including AI tools, to inform design decisions and measure product outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is described as "experienced," and the responsibilities suggest a mid-level to senior individual contributor capable of owning significant design challenges, hence the estimated 5-10 years of experience. The hybrid nature with a consistent but infrequent office requirement in London is noted.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the design process from problem definition and user research through to the delivery of polished, production-ready solutions for both B2C and B2B products.

• Design intuitive and scalable user experiences across web and mobile applications, focusing on holistic user journeys rather than isolated screens.

• Actively contribute to product strategy by collaborating with Product Managers, Engineers, Data Analysts, and Researchers to identify opportunities and define product direction.

• Utilize a blend of qualitative user insights and quantitative data analysis to inform design decisions, formulate hypotheses, and rigorously evaluate product outcomes.

• Explore and present multiple design solutions, effectively balancing the need for speed, design quality, and long-term product coherence and consistency.

• Design across a variety of critical product areas, including core search and discovery workflows, user onboarding and activation funnels, subscription models, and engaging content experiences.

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of the design system, advocating for scalable design patterns and ensuring brand consistency across the Findmypast platform.

• Foster a strong design culture by openly sharing work, providing constructive feedback to peers, and actively participating in design critiques and team discussions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize end-to-end ownership and strategic contribution, indicating a role that requires significant autonomy and influence within the product development lifecycle. The mention of "supporting and mentoring other designers" suggests potential for informal leadership or a future growth path towards a senior/lead role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is typically preferred for roles of this nature. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: Demonstrated experience in designing digital products for web and/or app, with a strong portfolio showcasing end-to-end product thinking and successfully shipped work. Experience working within cross-functional teams, contributing to product strategy and execution, and utilizing data/research to inform decisions.

Required Skills:

• Product Design: Expertise in end-to-end product design, encompassing user research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, and visual design.

• User Research & Data Analysis: Proficiency in using qualitative (user interviews, usability testing) and quantitative data (analytics, A/B testing results) to inform design decisions and measure impact on activation, engagement, and retention.

• Interaction & Visual Design: Strong skills in creating intuitive user flows, clear information architecture, and visually appealing interfaces with a keen eye for detail and usability.

• Design Systems: Experience in contributing to or utilizing design systems to ensure consistency, scalability, and efficiency in product development.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively with Product Managers, Engineers, Data Analysts, and Researchers in agile environments.

• AI Tools in Design: Practical experience and understanding of how to apply AI tools within design workflows to enhance efficiency and explore creative solutions.

• Problem Definition & Solutioning: Capability to navigate ambiguity, clearly define complex problems, and develop user-centered solutions that align with business objectives.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for subscription models, content-rich platforms, or data-intensive applications.

• Exposure to designing across both B2C and B2B products, or working with platform-based products serving diverse user segments.

• Background in a SaaS (Software as a Service) or a platform-based business environment.

• Mentorship experience, guiding junior designers and contributing to team growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Essential" experience points directly correlate with the required skills, emphasizing practical application and demonstrable outcomes. The "Desirable" skills indicate areas that would make a candidate stand out, particularly in a company focused on content and subscriptions like Findmypast.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated portfolio showcasing a minimum of 3-5 end-to-end product design case studies.

• Each case study should clearly articulate the problem statement, your role and process, the insights (user research, data) that guided decisions, design explorations, final solutions (with visual examples), and measurable outcomes or impact.

• Demonstrate your ability to tackle complex, data-rich problem spaces and design for scalability across web and app interfaces.

• Include examples of how you've contributed to or utilized a design system, highlighting its impact on consistency and efficiency.

Process Documentation:

• Portfolio entries should detail your approach to user research methodologies, including how you gathered and synthesized insights.

• Illustrate your process for ideation, wireframing, prototyping, and user testing, demonstrating how you iterated based on feedback.

• Explain your process for working with engineering and product teams, including how you handed off designs and ensured implementation fidelity.

• Highlight how you measured the success of your designs post-launch, referencing key metrics like activation, engagement, or retention.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on end-to-end design, data-informed decisions, and cross-functional collaboration, a portfolio that clearly maps the design process, from discovery to delivery and impact measurement, will be crucial. Demonstrating experience with design systems and AI tools will also be a significant plus.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on location (Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, London), experience level (estimated 5-10 years), and the nature of the role within a well-established media/genealogy company, the estimated salary range for a Product Designer in the UK would be:

• Aberdeen/Dundee/Glasgow: £45,000 - £65,000 per annum

• London: £55,000 - £75,000 per annum

📝 Enhancement Note: This estimate is based on general UK market data for Product Designers with 5-10 years of experience, considering regional cost of living differences and the company's industry. London salaries are typically higher due to the cost of living. The specific salary will depend on the candidate's exact experience, skills, and the final negotiation.

Benefits:

• Competitive Salary: As outlined above, reflecting experience and location.

• Hybrid Working Model: Flexibility with a structured approach, requiring only one day per month in the London office, allowing for a good work-life balance.

• Pension Scheme: DC Thomson typically offers a company pension scheme to contribute to long-term financial security.

• Generous Holiday Allowance: Standard holiday entitlement, likely exceeding statutory minimums, with potential for longer service increases.

• Health & Wellness Programs: Access to employee assistance programs, potential for private medical insurance (especially in London), and wellness initiatives.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for training, workshops, conferences, and access to learning resources to enhance design skills and stay current with industry trends, including AI.

• Life Assurance: Cover to provide financial support for dependents in the event of death.

• Employee Discounts: Potential for discounts on DC Thomson products and services, including Findmypast subscriptions.

Working Hours: The role is advertised as Full-Time, typically implying around 37.5-40 hours per week. The hybrid model allows for flexibility in managing personal time around core working hours and scheduled office days.

📝 Enhancement Note: The benefits package likely reflects standard UK corporate offerings, with a focus on work-life balance through the hybrid model and professional growth opportunities relevant to a design role.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Media & Publishing, with a strong focus on Genealogy and Family History research. DC Thomson is a diversified media company with brands spanning consumer magazines, newspapers, and digital services like Findmypast.

Company Size: DC Thomson is a large, established organization. Findmypast, as a division, operates with a dedicated team structure within this larger entity, likely comprising hundreds of employees across various departments. This provides stability and resources while allowing for specialized team operations.

Founded: DC Thomson was founded in 1905. Findmypast has been a significant digital player in the genealogy space for many years, indicating a mature digital product offering and a long-standing commitment to its user base.

Team Structure:

• The Product Designer will join the Findmypast team, reporting to a Design Manager. This team likely includes other Product Designers, UX Researchers, UI Designers, and potentially UX writers.

• The structure is designed for cross-functional collaboration, with designers working closely with Product Managers, Engineers, Data Analysts, and Content Specialists.

Methodology:

• Findmypast likely employs an agile development methodology, with design integrated into sprints.

• Emphasis is placed on data-driven decision-making, leveraging analytics and user research to validate hypotheses and iterate on product features.

• Workflow optimization and process improvement are key, with a focus on delivering scalable and consistent user experiences through design systems and collaboration.

Company Website: https://www.dcthomson.co.uk/ and https://www.findmypast.co.uk/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's heritage in media combined with its digital focus on genealogy suggests a culture that values both established practices and innovation. The hybrid model indicates a progressive approach to work flexibility.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This Product Designer role is positioned as a mid-level to senior individual contributor. It requires autonomy in managing design problems end-to-end, contributing to product strategy, and demonstrating significant impact. The role also offers opportunities for informal leadership through mentorship.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report to a Design Manager, who oversees the design function within Findmypast. This manager will likely provide guidance, mentorship, and career development support. Collaboration is expected across Product, Engineering, and Data teams.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's work will directly influence key business metrics such as user activation, engagement, and retention. By creating intuitive and valuable experiences, they contribute to subscriber growth, customer satisfaction, and the overall success of Findmypast's B2C and B2B offerings.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas like subscription design, complex data visualization, or leveraging AI for enhanced user experiences.

• Leadership: Progress towards a Senior Product Designer role, taking on more complex projects, leading design initiatives, and formally mentoring junior designers. Potential for Lead Product Designer or Design Manager roles in the future.

• Skill Development: Continuous learning in UX research, interaction design, visual design, and emerging technologies like AI, supported by the company's professional development resources.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Gain deeper understanding of product management, engineering constraints, and data analytics, enhancing overall product thinking.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a clear path for growth within the design discipline, with opportunities to deepen expertise or move into leadership roles. The company's focus on complex data and emerging tech like AI provides fertile ground for skill development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is described as Hybrid, with a requirement to be in the London office one day per month. This suggests that the primary work location can be one of the designated hubs (Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow) or potentially remote within the UK, with specific monthly travel to London.

Office Location(s): Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow (primary hubs), and London (for monthly meetings). This offers geographical flexibility for candidates within the UK.

Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model promotes a balance between focused individual work at home and collaborative in-person interaction at the London office.

• Employees can expect access to modern office facilities in the designated hubs, supporting collaboration and team cohesion during in-office days.

• The London office visit is likely for strategic meetings, team building, and high-level design reviews, fostering stronger connections with central teams.

Work Schedule: Full-time employment, with flexibility expected around core working hours. The hybrid nature allows individuals to structure their workdays to accommodate personal needs while ensuring delivery of project milestones and participation in scheduled meetings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid arrangement with a single monthly office day in London is a significant feature, catering to a modern workforce seeking flexibility while maintaining essential in-person collaboration.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and cover letter, with a strong emphasis on your portfolio's relevance to the role's requirements.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: An interview where you will present 1-2 key case studies from your portfolio, discussing your design process, decision-making, and the impact of your work. Be prepared for in-depth questions on your approach to problem-solving, collaboration, and user-centered design.

• Cross-functional Interview: An interview with stakeholders from Product, Engineering, and/or Data teams to assess your ability to collaborate effectively and communicate design rationale.

• Design Challenge (Potential): You might be given a take-home design exercise or a live whiteboard challenge to assess your problem-solving skills and design thinking under pressure.

• Final Interview: Likely with the Design Manager or a senior leader to discuss cultural fit, career aspirations, and final alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies as narratives. Clearly define the problem, your role, the process, the solution, and the results.

• Show Your Process: Don't just show final screens. Include sketches, wireframes, user flows, and research insights to demonstrate your thinking.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to show the positive impact of your design decisions on user behaviour and business outcomes.

• Highlight Collaboration: Explain how you worked with other teams and how you incorporated their feedback.

• Tailor to Findmypast: Research Findmypast's products, target audience, and design challenges. Show how your skills and experience are a good fit. Emphasize any experience with data-rich products, subscriptions, or AI.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brief: Carefully read and understand any design challenge prompt. Ask clarifying questions if needed.

• Focus on Process: Even if time is limited, articulate your thought process, assumptions, and how you would approach the problem.

• Prioritize: Identify the most critical aspects of the problem and focus your efforts there.

• Presentation: Be prepared to present your findings and recommendations clearly and concisely.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not only design skills but also strategic thinking, collaboration, and the ability to drive business outcomes. A strong portfolio that clearly articulates process and impact is paramount.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping Software: Figma is the industry standard and highly likely to be used for UI design, wireframing, and interactive prototyping. Sketch or Adobe XD might also be relevant.

• User Research Platforms: Tools like UserTesting.com, Lookback, or Maze for remote usability testing and feedback gathering.

• Collaboration Tools: Jira/Confluence for project management and documentation, Slack for team communication.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics or similar platforms to track user behaviour, conversion rates, and engagement metrics.

• Product Analytics: Tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Pendo for in-depth analysis of user journeys and feature adoption.

• Data Visualization: Tableau or Power BI may be used by analysts, and designers may need to interpret or present data from these tools.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: Salesforce or similar CRM systems might be relevant for understanding B2B customer interactions or subscription management, though direct use by the designer is less common unless it relates to specific customer journey mapping.

• AI Tools: Various AI-powered design assistants or research tools that can aid in ideation, content generation, or pattern recognition.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is almost a given for modern product design roles. Familiarity with analytics platforms and an understanding of how to leverage data in design decisions is critical. Experience with AI tools is specifically mentioned as a requirement.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving user needs, ensuring that design decisions are always grounded in user behaviour and feedback.

• Collaboration: A strong emphasis on working effectively across disciplines (Product, Engineering, Data) to achieve shared goals and build cohesive products.

• Data-Informed: A culture that values evidence and insights from data and research to guide strategy and validate design choices, rather than relying solely on intuition.

• Innovation & Curiosity: Encouragement to explore new technologies (like AI), experiment with novel solutions, and continuously learn to improve both product experiences and internal processes.

• Ownership & Accountability: Taking responsibility for design problems from inception to delivery, driving them to successful outcomes and being accountable for their impact.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Teams: Designers are embedded within cross-functional product teams, working closely with Product Managers and Engineers throughout the development lifecycle.

• Open Feedback: A culture that encourages giving and receiving constructive feedback openly and respectfully, fostering continuous improvement.

• Shared Knowledge: Practices that promote sharing design insights, best practices, and learnings across the design team and broader organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values highlight a modern, agile, and data-driven approach to product development, with a strong emphasis on user impact and collaborative problem-solving.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing B2C & B2B Needs: Designing for diverse user groups (hobbyists vs. professional researchers, individuals vs. institutions) with potentially conflicting needs and priorities.

• Data Complexity: Translating vast and complex historical datasets into intuitive and engaging user experiences requires significant design thinking and problem-solving skills.

• Scalability & Consistency: Ensuring a consistent and scalable design language across a growing platform with multiple product lines and features.

• Evolving Technology: Keeping pace with advancements in AI and other technologies to effectively integrate them into product experiences without compromising usability or adding unnecessary complexity.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Skills: Opportunities to deepen expertise in areas like complex interaction design, information architecture for large datasets, or advanced prototyping techniques.

• AI Integration: Learning to strategically apply AI tools in design workflows, from ideation to personalization, and understanding their ethical implications.

• Product Strategy Acumen: Developing a stronger understanding of business strategy, market dynamics, and subscription models to better align design with commercial outcomes.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Potential to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives, and grow into more senior or leadership roles within the design team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to working with complex data and diverse user bases, offering significant learning opportunities. The company's commitment to innovation and professional development supports career growth.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to define a complex design problem. What was your process, and how did you ensure your solution met user needs and business goals?" (Focus on problem framing, research, and outcome alignment.)

• "How do you approach collaborating with Product Managers and Engineers? Can you share an example where your collaboration led to a significant product improvement?" (Highlight communication, negotiation, and cross-functional teamwork.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Findmypast and our mission to empower people to discover their family stories?" (Show genuine interest and understanding of the company's purpose.)

• "How do you contribute to a design culture? What are your thoughts on giving and receiving feedback?" (Assess your collaborative spirit and commitment to team growth.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: For each case study, clearly present the "Why" (problem/opportunity), "What" (your role/solution), and "How" (your process/tools), culminating in the "So What" (impact/results).

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively to illustrate your design journey. Explain the rationale behind your design decisions at each stage.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Prepare to answer detailed questions about your process, challenges encountered, trade-offs made, and how you measured success.

• Connect to Findmypast: Explicitly link your experience and skills to the requirements and context of this role, highlighting relevant projects (e.g., data-rich products, subscription models).

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on articulating your design process clearly, demonstrating strategic thinking, and showcasing how your past work directly addresses the challenges and requirements of the Product Designer role at Findmypast.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Workable. Ensure your CV and cover letter are tailored to highlight your relevant experience and interest in Findmypast.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your online portfolio to prominently feature 2-3 of your strongest end-to-end product design case studies. Prioritize those that demonstrate experience with complex data, user acquisition/engagement/retention, and ideally, any work involving AI tools or subscription models.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly outlines your years of experience, key skills (e.g., Figma, user research, design systems), and quantifiable achievements relevant to product design and business impact. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on articulating your design process, rationale, and measured outcomes. Prepare answers for common behavioral and situational questions related to collaboration, problem-solving, and design strategy.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Findmypast, its mission, target audience, and existing products. Understand their market position and consider how your design philosophy aligns with their goals.

⚠️ 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.