Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Melius

Location: New York City, New York, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / Creative Technology

Date Posted: 2026-08-03

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (4+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Shape the Future of AI-Native Creative Tools: This role is pivotal in defining the user interface and interaction paradigms for a novel collaborative workspace where humans and AI agents co-create visual content.

• End-to-End Design Ownership: You will be responsible for the entire design lifecycle, from initial problem framing and conceptual exploration to pixel-perfect execution and production detailing.

• Inventing New Interaction Models: Design innovative interfaces that go beyond traditional prompt-based systems, exploring direct manipulation, node graphs, and spatial editing for complex AI-driven creative workflows.

• Real-Time Collaboration Focus: Develop intuitive designs for a multiplayer environment where multiple users and AI agents interact simultaneously on a shared creative canvas.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is explicitly for a Product Designer, not an operations role. The output will be tailored to a Product Designer profile, focusing on design strategy, user experience for creative technology, and product development, rather than revenue or sales operations.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own major product surfaces end-to-end, from problem definition and broad exploration to detailed design and implementation.

• Design the interaction language for AI agents on a collaborative canvas, focusing on how agents communicate intent, progress, and proposals to users.

• Invent novel interfaces for AI-powered creative work, moving beyond text prompts to incorporate direct manipulation, node graphs, and spatial editing techniques.

• Design for real-time, multiplayer collaboration, ensuring seamless interaction between multiple human users and AI agents on the same canvas.

• Build, maintain, and evolve the company's design system to ensure speed, consistency, and scalability of design efforts.

• Prototype extensively at various fidelities, utilizing tools like Figma and potentially code, to explore and validate design concepts.

• Conduct regular user research and feedback sessions with artists, studios, and brand teams to inform product decisions and iterate on designs.

• Collaborate closely with founders, engineering, and product management to define and execute the product vision for AI-native creative workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core responsibilities are focused on product design for a cutting-edge AI creative tool. The emphasis is on innovation in user interaction, complex interface design, and cross-functional collaboration within a startup environment, rather than typical operations responsibilities like process optimization, data analysis, or system administration.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for this level of role, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 4+ years of experience designing production software, preferably at high-growth technology companies or startups.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Expertise: Proven ability to own and deliver complex product features from concept to launch.

• Interaction Design Fluency: Deep understanding of interaction design principles, especially for complex, information-dense interfaces such as canvases, editors, timelines, or graph-based tools.

• Prototyping Proficiency: Skill in rapid prototyping using tools like Figma, and comfort with prototyping in code or other scrappy methods to test ideas.

• Design System Development: Experience in building, maintaining, and scaling design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency.

• User-Centricity: Ability to conduct user research, synthesize feedback, and translate user needs into effective design solutions.

• Ambiguity Navigation: Demonstrated ability to operate autonomously and make sound design decisions in ambiguous, fast-paced environments.

• Exceptional Craftsmanship: High standards for interaction design, typography, and motion design.

• Collaboration Skills: Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams including engineering, product, and founders.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing creative tools (e.g., design, video, 3D, audio software).

• Familiarity with real-time multiplayer systems.

• Experience with AI image/video generation products.

• Active personal creative practice outside of software design.

• Understanding of AI concepts and their application in creative workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications strongly emphasize design craft, complex interface problem-solving, and experience in startup environments. The "preferred skills" highlight domain-specific experience in creative tools and AI, which are highly relevant for this role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing shipped work that demonstrates depth of thinking and problem-solving, not just polished mockups.

• Case studies that clearly articulate the design process, from initial problem framing and user research to iterative design exploration and final implemented solution.

• Examples of designing complex, information-dense interfaces (e.g., editors, canvases, timelines, node graphs) and the rationale behind design decisions.

• Prototypes at various fidelities that illustrate interaction flows and key user journeys.

• Evidence of contributing to or building design systems, demonstrating an understanding of scalability and consistency.

• Projects that highlight collaboration with engineering and product teams, and how design decisions were influenced by technical constraints or product strategy. Process Documentation:

• Case studies should detail the user research methodologies employed.

• Document the iterative design process, including user testing, feedback incorporation, and design revisions.

• Showcase how prototypes were used to validate concepts and communicate ideas to stakeholders.

• Illustrate the integration of design with engineering workflows, including handoff processes and collaboration during development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are critical for this role, emphasizing the candidate's ability to tackle novel design challenges and demonstrate a robust, end-to-end design process, particularly for complex software.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

For a Product Designer with 4+ years of experience in New York City, a competitive salary range is estimated between $140,000 - $190,000 annually. This range accounts for the high cost of living in NYC, the specialized nature of designing AI-native creative tools, and the startup environment offering significant equity.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and meaningful equity ownership.

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Wellness benefit (e.g., gym membership, massages).

• All meals covered, reflecting a strong commitment to employee well-being and convenience.

• Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO), promoting work-life balance and autonomy. Working Hours:

This is a full-time role. While specific hours are not detailed, the expectation is for a dedicated commitment, likely aligning with standard business hours in New York City, with flexibility often afforded in startup environments for individuals who demonstrate strong ownership and deliver results. The on-site requirement implies a structured workday within the office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on industry benchmarks for mid-to-senior level Product Designers in New York City, considering the tech startup sector and the specialized domain of AI creative tools. The equity component is particularly significant for early-stage startups like Melius.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, specifically AI-powered Creative Software and Collaborative Tooling. Melius is pioneering a new category of AI-native creative tools, aiming to redefine how visual content is generated and managed.

Company Size: Melius is an early-stage startup, likely with a lean and agile team. This means opportunities for significant impact and direct collaboration with founders.

Founded: The founding date is not specified, but the context of "AI era" and "top-tier investors" suggests a relatively recent founding, focused on leveraging current AI advancements.

Team Structure:

• The design team, while potentially small, will be highly integrated with product management and engineering.

• Designers are expected to operate with significant autonomy, taking ownership of their domains.

• Collaboration is cross-functional, involving founders, engineers, and product managers, with a shared focus on innovation and user experience. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: User feedback and analytics will inform design decisions, especially in understanding how users interact with novel AI features.

• First Principles Thinking: Designs are expected to be grounded in fundamental user needs and technical possibilities, rather than relying on existing paradigms.

• Iterative Development: A fast-paced, iterative approach to design and product development is implied, common in startups.

• Prototyping as Thinking: Using prototypes not just for validation but as a tool for exploration and problem-solving.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is characteristic of a high-growth, AI-focused startup: innovative, fast-paced, collaborative, and ownership-driven. The emphasis on "AI-native" and "creative canvas" suggests a strong focus on user experience for creators interacting with advanced AI.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is for a mid-to-senior level Product Designer, indicating a need for substantial experience and the ability to lead design efforts for significant product areas. The responsibilities suggest an individual contributor role with high impact and autonomy, rather than management.

Reporting Structure: Designers at Melius likely report directly to a Head of Product, Design Lead, or a Founder, depending on the current team structure. The emphasis is on close collaboration with founders and engineering.

Operations Impact: The impact is direct and profound, as the designer will be shaping the core user experience of a product that defines a new category. Success will be measured by user