Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Lapel

Location: San Francisco, California, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / Engineering

Date Posted: May 28, 2026

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

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Owns the end-to-end product design lifecycle, from initial concept generation to the delivery of polished, production-ready interfaces.

• Responsible for building a comprehensive design system from the ground up, including tokens, components, patterns, and documentation.

• Collaborates daily with founders and engineers, facilitating rapid iteration from sketches to Figma to code commits.

• Directly contributes to shipping production code by pairing with engineers.

• Sets and upholds the company's standard for design craft and quality as the team scales.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the provided job title is "Product Designer," the detailed responsibilities strongly indicate a hybrid role that blends traditional Product Design with a significant emphasis on front-end development and system design. The expectation to "ship production-ready designs, often pairing directly with engineers in the codebase" and to "bring both taste and technical fluency to everything you ship" points to a designer who is also a capable coder, likely working with technologies like React or similar frameworks. This is a crucial distinction for candidates to understand, as it requires a rare combination of skills typically found in roles labeled as "Frontend Engineer with Design Skills" or "Design Technologist." The emphasis on "systems thinking" and "building components that scale" further reinforces this hybrid nature.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conceptualize and design new product features from ideation through implementation, ensuring a seamless user experience.

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

• Translate complex user needs and business requirements into intuitive and effective user interfaces.

• Collaborate closely with engineering teams to ensure the accurate implementation of designs, providing technical guidance and support.

• Drive design quality and consistency across all product touchpoints, acting as a guardian of the brand's aesthetic and user experience.

• Participate actively in code reviews for design-related implementations to ensure fidelity and performance.

• Conduct user research and usability testing to gather feedback and inform design decisions.

• Contribute to the strategic direction of the product by providing design perspectives on user needs and market opportunities.

• Iterate on existing designs based on user feedback, performance data, and evolving business requirements.

• Champion best practices in UI/UX design and front-end development within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities have been expanded to reflect the dual nature of the role, integrating typical product design tasks with the implied front-end development and systems thinking. The emphasis on "owning end-to-end design" and "pairing directly with engineers in the codebase" suggests a hands-on approach that extends beyond traditional wireframing and mockups. Key operations-adjacent responsibilities include defining and maintaining design systems, which are critical for scalable product development and ensuring consistency across user touchpoints – a core concern for any growing tech company aiming for efficient GTM.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience: 3+ years of professional experience in product design, with a proven track record of shipping software products.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in end-to-end product design, from concept to delivery.

• Strong proficiency in design systems, including the creation and management of tokens, components, and patterns.

• Expertise in design tools such as Figma for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity UI design.

• Demonstrated ability to think in systems and build scalable, reusable design components.

• Comfortable writing production code (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and a modern frontend framework like React) and integrating designs directly into the codebase.

• Experience actively using AI tools to enhance the design and development process.

• Excellent understanding of layout, interaction design, and visual design principles.

• Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams.

• Ability to move quickly while maintaining high standards of quality and attention to detail.

• Opinionated about design quality and user experience, with a collaborative approach to execution. Preferred Skills:

• Experience in building a design system from scratch for a software company.

• Familiarity with data infrastructure, AI, and systems design concepts relevant to Lapel's product.

• Experience working in a fast-paced startup environment.

• Understanding of customer-facing team workflows and the importance of customer context.

• Experience with user research methodologies and usability testing.

• Portfolio showcasing a blend of strong design craft and technical implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills have been elaborated to explicitly include coding proficiency, reflecting the job description's emphasis on "building with code" and "pairing directly with engineers in the codebase." This is a critical differentiator for this role. The "systems thinking" and "design system" requirements are highlighted as they are key elements for scalable GTM operations and product development efficiency.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A portfolio that clearly demonstrates ownership of the end-to-end product design process for at least one significant project.

• Examples of building and scaling design systems, showcasing component libraries, tokens, and pattern documentation.

• Case studies that highlight your ability to think in systems and create reusable, maintainable design solutions.

• Demonstrations of your technical fluency, including examples of how you've translated designs into code or collaborated closely with engineers on implementation.

• Evidence of using AI tools to accelerate design workflows or create innovative solutions.

• Projects that showcase strong layout design, interaction design, and overall aesthetic quality. Process Documentation:

• While not explicitly stated as a requirement for submission, candidates should be prepared to discuss their personal processes for:

  • Design system development and maintenance.

  • Rapid prototyping and iteration cycles with engineering.

  • Collaborating with founders and engineers in a fast-paced environment.

  • Ensuring design quality and consistency in production code.

  • Leveraging AI tools for design and development efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are tailored to emphasize the unique blend of design and coding. The focus is on demonstrating a holistic approach, from system design to technical implementation, which is crucial for a role that bridges design and engineering. The emphasis on "systems thinking" and "building components that scale" aligns with operational efficiency goals.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $150,000 - $200,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.

• Meaningful early-stage equity in a well-funded startup.

• Comprehensive health benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• 401(k) retirement savings plan.

• Commuter benefits to support your daily commute.

• Generous paid time off, including company holidays and coordinated team-wide breaks.

• Daily provided lunches and dinners, along with in-office snacks.

• Health and wellness benefits to support employee well-being.

• Regular off-sites and team-building activities fostering a strong feedback loop and bias for action.

Working Hours: The role is full-time, with an anticipated standard work week of approximately 40 hours. The company emphasizes a collaborative in-office environment, suggesting a structured but productive work schedule.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is directly from the input. The benefits have been detailed, and the "working hours" are inferred from the full-time employment type and the emphasis on an in-office, collaborative environment. The San Francisco location suggests a high cost of living, making the provided salary range competitive for a mid-level role with hybrid design/engineering responsibilities in that market.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software / Technology (specifically focused on customer data infrastructure, AI, and systems design for enhanced customer experience).

Company Size: Early-stage startup (implies a dynamic, fast-paced environment with high impact potential for early employees).

Founded: Not explicitly stated, but the mention of "well-funded, backed by top-tier investors" and "early-stage equity" indicates a company in its growth phase, likely founded within the last 5-7 years.

Team Structure:

• The core team includes founders, engineers, and this Product Designer role.

• Close daily interaction with founders and engineers is expected, suggesting a flat hierarchy and direct collaboration.

• The design function is being built from scratch, meaning this role will have significant influence and autonomy. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Hospitality: The company's mission is to "treat customers well" through data and technology, aiming for "hospitality at scale." This implies a focus on understanding customer behavior and using insights to drive personalized experiences.

• Systems Thinking: A core tenet of the company's approach, emphasizing the interconnectedness of data, infrastructure, and user experience.

• Rapid Iteration: The culture encourages moving from concept to code rapidly, with "sketch to Figma to PR in hours, not weeks."

• Craftsmanship & Quality: A strong emphasis on maintaining a high bar for design and technical execution.

Company Website: https://lapel.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is inferred from the mission statement, the description of the role, and the emphasis on rapid iteration and high craft. The "data infrastructure, AI, and systems design" focus suggests a company building foundational tools for other businesses, likely targeting a B2B SaaS market. This context is crucial for understanding the operational needs and the type of problems this role will solve.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a critical early-stage hire within the product development function. It is positioned as a 'Product Designer' but carries significant responsibilities typically associated with a 'Design Technologist' or a 'Senior Product Designer' with strong front-end capabilities. The individual will be instrumental in shaping the product's user experience and technical foundation.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will likely report directly to a founder or the Head of Engineering/Product, given the early stage of the company. Daily interaction with founders and engineers is a key aspect of the role.

Operations Impact: This role has a direct and significant impact on Lapel's operational efficiency and go-to-market strategy by:

• Establishing Design Standards: Building the design system from scratch will create a scalable foundation for future product development, reducing redundancy and accelerating feature releases.

• Improving Development Velocity: By pairing directly with engineers and shipping production-ready designs, this role will directly contribute to faster development cycles.

• Enhancing User Experience: Crafting intuitive and personal user interfaces is crucial for customer adoption and retention, directly influencing Lapel's value proposition.

• Bridging Design and Engineering: Reducing friction between design and development through technical fluency ensures that the product vision is executed accurately and efficiently.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership in Design: As the company grows, this individual can evolve into a Design Lead or Head of Design role, building and mentoring a team.

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in front-end development, system architecture, and potentially AI-driven design tools.

• Product Strategy Influence: Contribute more broadly to product strategy as the company matures and the design function solidifies.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Gain deep understanding of data infrastructure, AI, and customer lifecycle management through close collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The analysis emphasizes the hybrid nature of the role and its strategic importance for a growing startup. The "operations impact" section connects the design and development responsibilities to business efficiency and GTM acceleration, which is a key differentiator for operations-focused candidates.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully in-person at their San Francisco HQ. The company emphasizes working together in the office most days.

Office Location(s): San Francisco, California, United States. This implies access to a vibrant tech hub with networking opportunities and a competitive talent pool.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Daily interaction with founders and engineers is a core aspect, fostering a close-knit, collaborative atmosphere.

• Tooling: Access to modern design and development tools will be essential, with Figma and AI tools explicitly mentioned. The expectation of working directly in the codebase suggests a robust development environment.

• Team Interaction: Frequent feedback loops and a "bias toward action" suggest an environment where ideas are shared and implemented quickly.

Work Schedule: While specific hours aren't detailed beyond "full-time," the emphasis on in-person collaboration and rapid iteration suggests a dynamic work environment where flexibility might exist, but consistent presence and engagement are key. The company provides daily meals, indicating an environment where employees are encouraged to spend significant time at the office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The work environment is characterized by its in-person, collaborative nature, which is crucial for rapid iteration and direct pairing with engineering. This contrasts with fully remote roles and requires candidates to be comfortable with a high-touch, on-site work dynamic.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Initial Conversation (20 minutes): Focus on motivations, company mission, and mutual fit. Be prepared to articulate why Lapel's mission of "hospitality at scale" resonates with you.

2. In-depth Interview (45 minutes): Deep dive into design craft, systems thinking, and technical experience. No live coding at this stage. Focus on elaborating on past projects and your design process.

3. Take-home Project (2–4 hours): A practical exercise mirroring real work, likely involving design system elements or a small feature implementation. This assesses your ability to apply your skills to a defined problem.

4. On-site Visit (1–2 days): This is the most intensive stage. It will involve reviewing your take-home project, potentially working on a real task with the team, and assessing cultural fit. Expect to interact with founders, engineers, and potentially other team members.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Hybrid Skills: Showcase projects that clearly demonstrate both strong design sensibility (layout, interaction, UI) and technical implementation (coding, design system components).

• System Design Focus: Emphasize projects where you've built or significantly contributed to a design system, detailing your approach to tokens, components, and scalability.

• "Zero-to-One" Concepts: Since Lapel is building foundational tools, highlight your experience in taking ideas from inception to a shippable product.

• Technical Fluency Evidence: Include code snippets, GitHub links, or detailed descriptions of your coding contributions to design projects.

• AI Tool Integration: If you've used AI tools to enhance your design or development workflow, be prepared to showcase those examples and explain the benefits.

• Problem-Solving Narrative: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your proposed solution, the process you followed, and the impact of your work using metrics where possible.

Challenge Preparation:

• Take-Home Project: Treat this as a genuine work sample. Allocate your time wisely, focusing on quality and demonstrating your core competencies. Ensure it's well-documented.

• On-site "Real Work" Task: Be ready to jump into a problem with the team. Think about how you'd approach a new challenge: asking clarifying questions, sketching ideas, and collaborating with engineers.

• Articulate Your Process: Be prepared to explain how you design and build, not just what you've designed. This includes your approach to systems, collaboration, and quality assurance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process breakdown is directly from the job description. The portfolio and challenge preparation tips are tailored to the unique hybrid nature of this role, emphasizing the need to showcase both design craft and coding ability, as well as experience with design systems and AI tools.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity UI design. Proficiency is essential.

• AI Tools: Actively used to bring designs to life and enhance the workflow. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with specific AI tools relevant to design and development.

Design System Components:

• Tokens: Experience defining and implementing design tokens (color, typography, spacing, etc.) is critical for a scalable design system.

• Components: Building reusable UI components (buttons, forms, navigation elements, etc.) that are robust and adaptable.

• Patterns: Developing higher-level patterns that combine components to solve common user interface problems.

• Documentation: Creating clear, comprehensive documentation for the design system to ensure adoption and consistency.

Development Environment:

• Codebase Integration: The role requires pairing with engineers and shipping production-ready designs, implying direct work within the company's codebase.

• Frontend Frameworks: While not specified, familiarity with modern JavaScript frameworks (e.g., React, Vue, Angular) is highly probable given the context of shipping production code for a SaaS product.

• Version Control: Likely Git, used in conjunction with the engineering team.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly mentioned for this role, a data-driven approach is implied by Lapel's mission. Experience with analytics tools to understand user behavior and product performance would be beneficial for informing design decisions. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly relevant to the Product Designer role, but understanding how design impacts customer-facing teams (sales, support) is part of Lapel's broader mission.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tools and technology stack are inferred from the job description's emphasis on Figma, AI tools, and direct involvement in the codebase. The inclusion of design system elements like tokens and components is crucial for understanding the technical depth expected.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Hospitality at Scale: A core value reflected in the company's mission to make every customer interaction feel personal through data and tools. This translates to a focus on user-centricity and empathy in design.

• Systems Thinking: Valuing the interconnectedness of components, processes, and user journeys. This encourages a holistic approach to problem-solving.

• Craftsmanship & Quality: A commitment to high standards in both design and code, ensuring that the product is not only functional but also well-executed and aesthetically pleasing.

• Bias Toward Action: An environment that encourages rapid implementation and iteration, moving quickly from ideas to tangible results.

• Collaboration: Daily interaction and close partnership between founders, engineers, and designers are fundamental to the team's workflow.

Collaboration Style:

• Direct & Frequent: Expect daily collaboration with founders and engineers, moving from sketch to code in a matter of hours.

• Pairing: Direct pairing with engineers on implementation tasks is a key aspect of the collaborative process.

• Feedback Loops: Tight feedback loops are encouraged, driven by a bias toward action and a shared goal of rapid product development.

• Cross-functional Integration: The role inherently bridges design and engineering, requiring seamless collaboration to ensure design fidelity and technical feasibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values are derived from its mission statement and the description of the role's collaborative nature. The emphasis on "hospitality at scale" and "systems thinking" provides insight into the problem space and strategic direction, which is valuable for understanding the operational context of the product.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Building from Scratch: Establishing a comprehensive design system and design function for an early-stage company presents a unique challenge but also a significant opportunity for impact.

• Hybrid Role Demands: Balancing strong design sensibilities with the technical fluency required for coding and direct engineering collaboration can be demanding.

• Rapid Iteration Pace: The expectation of moving from concept to code in hours requires adaptability, efficiency, and comfort with ambiguity.

• Defining Scalable Solutions: Ensuring that initial design and system choices are scalable for future growth is a critical challenge for an early-stage company.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Design System Leadership: Opportunity to define and own the entire design system, becoming an expert in scalable design practices.

• Technical Skill Advancement: Deepen front-end development skills by working directly in the codebase and collaborating closely with experienced engineers.

• Product Strategy Contribution: As an early member of the product team, influence the direction and strategy of a foundational B2B SaaS product.

• AI Tool Integration Mastery: Gain hands-on experience and expertise in leveraging cutting-edge AI tools within the design and development lifecycle.

• Startup Operations Acumen: Develop a deep understanding of how design and engineering drive operational efficiency and GTM success in a fast-growing startup.

📝 Enhancement Note: The identified challenges and growth opportunities are directly linked to the early-stage nature of the company and the hybrid responsibilities of the role. This provides candidates with a realistic view of the role's demands and potential career trajectory.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design Systems & Scalability: "Describe your approach to building a design system from scratch. How do you ensure it scales with the product and team?" (Prepare examples of tokens, components, and documentation)

• Hybrid Role & Collaboration: "How do you balance your design responsibilities with your coding duties? Provide an example of a time you paired with an engineer to implement a complex design." (Focus on communication, problem-solving, and technical contributions)

• Zero-to-One Product Development: "Walk us through a project where you took an idea from concept to a shipped product. What were the key design and technical challenges?" (Use your portfolio to guide this)

• AI Tool Application: "How have you used AI tools in your design or development process? What were the benefits and limitations?" (Be specific with tool examples and outcomes)

Company & Culture Questions:

• Mission Alignment: "Why are you interested in Lapel's mission of 'hospitality at scale'? How does your design philosophy align with this?" (Research Lapel's product and philosophy)

• Startup Environment: "How do you thrive in a fast-paced, early-stage startup environment? What are your expectations regarding collaboration and iteration speed?" (Highlight your adaptability and bias for action)

• Quality vs. Speed: "Lapel emphasizes moving fast but maintaining craft. How do you navigate this balance in your work?" (Discuss your strategies for quality assurance within rapid development cycles)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Flow: Structure your portfolio presentation around clear stories for each project, emphasizing the problem, your solution (design and code), and the impact.

• Technical Demonstrations: Be ready to briefly demo components or code snippets if relevant, or clearly explain your technical contributions.

• Design System Deep Dive: Dedicate time to showcase your design system work, explaining the architecture, benefits, and how you'd implement it at Lapel.

• AI Tool Showcase: If applicable, demonstrate how AI tools aided your process and the results achieved.

• Engage and Ask Questions: Prepare thoughtful questions about Lapel's product roadmap, design challenges, and engineering practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice is tailored to the specific requirements of this hybrid role, emphasizing the need to showcase both design systems expertise and coding capabilities, as well as an understanding of AI tools and a fast-paced startup culture.

📌 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 that demonstrate end-to-end product design ownership, design system development, and direct coding contributions. Specifically, showcase instances where you've built scalable components or worked closely with engineers on implementation.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your 3+ years of experience, highlighting skills in Figma, design systems, coding proficiency (mentioning specific languages/frameworks if applicable), and experience with AI tools. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice discussing your design process, your approach to building design systems, and how you collaborate with engineering teams. Be ready to articulate your understanding of Lapel's mission and how your skills align with the company's goals.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Lapel's product (https://lapel.com/), its mission ("hospitality at scale"), and its focus on data, AI, and systems design for customer-facing teams. Understand the challenges of building foundational software infrastructure.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions based on the provided information. Candidates should verify all details, especially regarding the hybrid nature of the role and specific technical expectations, directly with Lapel during the interview process.