Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Novig

Location: United States (Hybrid, 4 days in office)

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-05-14

Experience Level: 3-4+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and evolve the core user experience for Novig's sports prediction market, making complex trading mechanics intuitive and engaging for users.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including founders and product leadership, to define product direction and impact.

• Own the end-to-end design process, from user research and concepting to high-fidelity prototyping, interaction design, and polished UI execution.

• Build, maintain, and grow Novig's design system to ensure product cohesion and scalability.

• Integrate AI tools and methodologies into design workflows to enhance efficiency and innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is titled "Product Designer," the responsibilities and required skills (system-level thinking, tangible business impact, product thinking) indicate a strong focus on UX/UI with a strategic product component, aligning with modern product design roles that bridge design and product strategy. The specific mention of "financialize and democratize sports trading" and "sports-focused, federally regulated market" suggests a need for designers who can translate complex financial and regulatory concepts into accessible user experiences. The emphasis on AI integration points towards a forward-thinking design approach.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop user-centered design solutions that translate complex sports trading concepts, live data, and market mechanics into intuitive, rewarding, and differentiated user experiences.

• Conduct user research, concept development, rapid prototyping, and iterative testing to validate ideas and drive product improvements, ensuring high-impact solutions.

• Craft precise, polished interfaces with thoughtful interaction design, focusing on visual appeal, usability, and user engagement across all product surfaces.

• Define, expand, and maintain the company's design system, ensuring consistency, scalability, and efficient design implementation across the product.

• Collaborate with engineering and product management teams to ensure seamless implementation of designs and to provide design guidance throughout the development lifecycle.

• Actively explore and integrate AI tools and technologies into the design process to optimize workflows, enhance creativity, and drive product innovation.

• Contribute to framing product direction by leveraging user insights and market understanding to identify new opportunities and feature enhancements.

• Maintain a strong point of view on design system components, tokens, and variants to foster a cohesive and efficient design environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a proactive, end-to-end ownership model, typical of early-stage startups where designers are expected to contribute beyond just UI execution. The need to "make complexity feel simple" is a critical aspect for any fintech or trading platform, especially one involving sports predictions and regulatory compliance.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio and demonstrated experience in product design are paramount. A background in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field would be beneficial.

Experience: 3-4+ years of dedicated product design experience, with a proven track record of delivering impactful user experiences in consumer-facing products, preferably within data-rich or complex domains.

Required Skills:

• Product Design: End-to-end design ownership from concept to execution.

• Interaction Design: Crafting intuitive and engaging user flows and micro-interactions.

• Visual Design: Creating aesthetically pleasing and functional user interfaces.

• Figma Fluency: Advanced proficiency in Figma for design, prototyping, and collaboration.

• Design Systems: Experience defining, building, or maintaining design systems with a strong understanding of components, tokens, and variants.

• Prototyping & User Testing: Rapidly creating prototypes for validation and conducting user testing to gather feedback.

• User Research: Ability to understand user behavior, needs, and pain points to inform design decisions.

• Product Thinking: Demonstrating strong product judgment, strategic thinking, and the ability to connect design solutions to business objectives.

• AI Integration: Keen interest and ability to integrate AI tools into design workflows.

• System-Level Thinking: Designing with a holistic view of the product and its interconnected components.

• Communication: Clear, thoughtful, and effective communication skills for collaborating with stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in fintech, sports betting, trading platforms, or other data-rich consumer products.

• Familiarity with regulatory environments (e.g., understanding implications of CFTC approval).

• Experience working in fast-paced, startup environments with a bias for action and ownership.

• Understanding of market dynamics and financial concepts.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement is specific (3-4+ years), and the emphasis on "tangible business impact" and "system-level thinking" in the portfolio is crucial. The "AI-forward" requirement is a differentiator, suggesting Novig is looking for designers who are proactive in adopting new technologies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase 2-3 comprehensive case studies demonstrating end-to-end product design projects.

• Highlight system-level thinking, illustrating how designs integrate into a larger product ecosystem or design system.

• Present strong attention to detail in visual design, interaction design, and overall user experience.

• Quantify tangible business impact where possible (e.g., improvements in user engagement, conversion rates, task completion times).

Process Documentation:

• Clearly articulate your design process for each case study, from problem definition and user research to ideation, prototyping, testing, and final execution.

• Illustrate how you approach iterative design, showing examples of feedback incorporation and design refinements.

• Detail your experience with design systems, including how you contribute to or leverage them for cohesive product development.

• Explain your methodology for translating complex user needs and business requirements into elegant design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is critical. It needs to go beyond just showcasing aesthetics; it must demonstrate a deep understanding of the design process, problem-solving capabilities, system thinking, and a proven ability to drive business outcomes. Specific examples of how AI was integrated into past projects would be a significant plus.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $150,000 - $180,000 USD annually, benchmarked against top-tier tech companies.

Benefits:

• Equity: Meaningful equity options for every employee, regardless of role, signifying shared ownership and potential upside.

• Health Insurance: 100% coverage for health premiums, 99% coverage for dental and vision premiums.

• Retirement Savings: 401(k) plan with a 4% company match.

• Health Savings Account (HSA): Annual company contribution of $1,080.

• Commuting Benefits:

  • $50 monthly company contribution towards employee transit costs.

  • $27 daily lunch stipend when working from the NYC office.

  • $35 daily dinner stipend for working past 6:30 PM from the NYC office. Working Hours: Full-time, with an expectation of 40 hours per week. However, the role involves working with live sports data, which may require flexibility for nights, weekends, and potential pressure during peak events.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is clearly stated and competitive. The benefits package is comprehensive, with a strong emphasis on health coverage and financial well-being (equity, 401k, HSA). The stipends for meals in the NYC office are a notable perk for hybrid employees. The "Not for everyone" section highlights that while the standard workweek is 40 hours, flexibility is essential due to the nature of the sports industry.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Fintech / Sports Technology / Trading Platforms. Novig is operating in the rapidly evolving space of sports prediction markets, aiming to disrupt traditional betting and financial trading by creating a regulated, two-sided market. The company is on the cusp of significant growth with pending CFTC approval.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, the mention of "core product team," "VP of Design," and "backing by top investors" suggests a growing startup environment, likely in the range of 50-200 employees, with potential for rapid scaling. This implies a dynamic, fast-paced, and collaborative atmosphere.

Founded: Novig was founded with a vision to financialize and democratize sports trading. Its founding principles are centered around trust, transparency, and user protection, aiming to build America's premier sports prediction market.

Team Structure:

• The Product Designer will report to the VP of Design and work closely with the founder and the core product team.

• This structure implies direct access to leadership and significant influence over product strategy and execution.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on understanding users and market dynamics through data to inform design decisions and drive business impact.

• Agile & Iterative Development: Rapid concepting, prototyping, testing, and iteration are core to the design and product development process.

• Ownership & Action: A culture that encourages initiative, quick decision-making, and proactive problem-solving with minimal bureaucracy.

• AI Integration: Actively seeking to leverage AI in design workflows to enhance efficiency and innovation.

Company Website: https://www.novig.us/

📝 Enhancement Note: Novig is positioned as a disruptive force in the sports and fintech industries, backed by prominent investors. The culture is characterized by speed, ownership, and a focus on building a regulated, user-centric market. The team structure at this stage offers high visibility and direct impact for its members.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a mid-level to senior Product Designer role, characterized by significant ownership, autonomy, and influence. The designer is expected to "shape the product end-to-end," "own real systems," and "make decisions happen fast." This level typically requires a strong foundation of experience and the ability to operate independently while contributing strategically.

Reporting Structure: The role reports directly to the VP of Design and involves close collaboration with the founder and core product team. This direct line to leadership provides opportunities for mentorship and direct influence on product strategy and company direction.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer will have a direct and substantial impact on Novig's success by shaping the user experience of its core product. Their work will directly influence user acquisition, engagement, retention, and the overall perception of Novig as a trustworthy and efficient sports prediction market. The ability to make complex financial and trading concepts accessible and appealing is critical to the company's mission.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a lead design role as the company scales, taking on more strategic responsibilities and potentially managing junior designers.

• Product Strategy: Deep involvement in product strategy can foster growth into product management or a more senior product design role with broader responsibilities.

• Domain Expertise: Developing deep expertise in fintech, sports trading, and regulated markets can open doors to specialized roles within these growing industries.

• Skill Specialization: Opportunities to deepen expertise in areas like design systems, AI-driven design, or advanced interaction design.

• Entrepreneurial Experience: Gain invaluable experience in a high-growth startup environment, contributing to building a company from its early stages.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant potential for career advancement within a high-growth startup, particularly for individuals who thrive in environments with high autonomy and direct impact. The emphasis on building a novel market offers unique learning opportunities.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Novig maintains a physical office presence in Union Square, NYC, emphasizing an in-person work environment for 4 days a week. This suggests a collaborative office culture where team members value face-to-face interaction and spontaneous collaboration.

Office Location(s): Union Square, NYC. This prime Manhattan location offers excellent accessibility via public transportation and is surrounded by numerous amenities, making it an attractive place to work.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The 4-day in-office requirement highlights a culture that values in-person collaboration, team bonding, and spontaneous idea generation.

• Tools & Technology: Designers will have access to modern design tools, likely including Figma as their primary platform, and will be encouraged to integrate AI tools into their workflow.

• Team Interaction: Expect frequent interaction with the VP of Design, founders, product managers, and engineers, fostering a highly integrated and communicative team dynamic. The company culture emphasizes genuinely liking being around each other.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is full-time (expected 40 hours/week). However, the nature of working with live sports and potential regulatory events may necessitate flexibility, including occasional work during nights and weekends. This requires a candidate comfortable with dynamic and sometimes demanding schedules.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model with a strong emphasis on in-office days suggests a team that believes in the power of co-location for innovation and team cohesion. The Union Square location is a significant perk for city-based employees.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application, focusing on your resume and portfolio, to assess foundational skills and experience.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: Expect to walk through 1-2 key case studies from your portfolio, detailing your process, rationale, design decisions, and the impact of your work. Be prepared to discuss your approach to user research, problem-solving, and design systems.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: A practical exercise may be given to assess your problem-solving skills, design thinking, and ability to apply your process to a relevant challenge, potentially involving a prompt related to sports trading or a complex user flow.

• Team & Culture Fit Interviews: Interviews with the VP of Design, founders, and potentially other team members to assess your communication style, collaboration approach, cultural alignment, and passion for Novig's mission and the sports prediction market.

• Final Round: May involve a deeper dive into strategic thinking, leadership potential, or specific technical skills.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your end-to-end product design capabilities, system-level thinking, and tangible business impact.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed, your design decisions and rationale, and the measurable outcomes. Use visuals effectively.

• Highlight Process: Show your iterative design process, research methodologies, and how you incorporated feedback.

• Demonstrate System Thinking: Clearly explain your contribution to or understanding of design systems, components, tokens, and variants.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the business value and user impact of your designs.

• Figma Proficiency: Be ready to discuss your Figma workflow and any advanced techniques or plugins you utilize.

• AI Integration: If applicable, showcase any projects where you've leveraged AI in your design workflow and the benefits derived.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with sports betting, financial trading, and prediction markets. Understand the core mechanics and user motivations.

• Focus on Process: Even if you don't have all the answers, demonstrating a structured and thoughtful design process is key.

• Think Holistically: Consider user needs, business goals, technical constraints, and regulatory requirements.

• Practice Articulation: Be prepared to clearly articulate your thought process and defend your design decisions under pressure.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not just design skills but also strategic thinking, problem-solving under pressure, and cultural fit within a fast-paced startup. A strong, well-documented portfolio is the gateway.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design and prototyping tool, expected to be used extensively for UI design, interaction design, and collaboration.

• Design System Tools: Likely includes tools or methodologies within Figma for managing components, variants, and tokens.

• Prototyping Tools: Figma's built-in prototyping capabilities, potentially supplemented by others for advanced interactions.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Platforms: Tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or similar, for understanding user behavior, tracking key metrics, and informing design decisions.

• User Feedback Tools: Platforms for collecting and analyzing user feedback (e.g., surveys, in-app feedback widgets).

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a designer's primary tool, familiarity with how CRM data (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) or marketing automation platforms might influence user journeys is beneficial.

• AI Tools: Openness to and active integration of AI tools for design assistance, ideation, content generation, or workflow optimization.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is non-negotiable. The role implies a need to work within or contribute to a design system. Familiarity with analytics tools is important for data-informed design. The explicit mention of AI integration suggests Novig is keen on leveraging cutting-edge design technologies.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to building experiences that users love, making them intuitive, rewarding, and differentiated.

• Simplicity in Complexity: The ability to distill complex financial and trading concepts into clear, engaging, and easy-to-understand product features.

• Speed & Iteration: A bias towards rapid concepting, prototyping, testing, and iteration to achieve the highest impact solutions quickly.

• Ownership & Action: A culture that empowers individuals to take responsibility, make decisions, and drive initiatives forward with minimal red tape.

• Quality & Polish: A dedication to high-quality execution, thoughtful interaction design, and strong product thinking across all aspects of the product.

• Curiosity: Genuine interest in markets, user behavior, and continuously learning to improve the product and design process.

Collaboration Style:

• Direct & Transparent: The "no politics, no waiting for needless red tape" sentiment suggests a direct, open, and efficient communication style.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Close working relationships with product, engineering, and leadership are essential for seamless product development.

• Mutual Respect: Working with "stellar people" who are "smart, thoughtful, fun to work with and passionate about their craft" indicates a culture of mutual respect and intellectual collaboration.

• Feedback-Driven: The iterative nature of the design process implies a willingness to both give and receive constructive feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is built around speed, ownership, and a passion for building a disruptive product in the sports prediction market. Collaboration is expected to be highly integrated and efficient, with a strong emphasis on quality and user experience.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Translating Complexity: The primary challenge will be to design intuitive interfaces for complex financial trading and sports prediction mechanics, making them accessible to a broad user base while satisfying regulatory requirements.

• Fast-Paced Environment: Adapting to the rapid iteration cycles and high-velocity decision-making characteristic of a startup on the verge of launch.

• Balancing Innovation & Regulation: Designing innovative features while adhering to strict regulatory frameworks (e.g., CFTC).

• Growth & Scalability: Evolving the design system and product architecture to support rapid user growth and new feature development.

• Working with Live Data: Designing for real-time data feeds and dynamic market conditions can present unique UX challenges.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Domain Expertise: Deep dive into the fintech and sports trading industries, understanding market dynamics, regulatory landscapes, and user behavior in these sectors.

• AI-Driven Design: Opportunities to become proficient in leveraging AI tools to enhance the design process and product functionality.

• Product Strategy Influence: Direct involvement in shaping product direction, offering a chance to develop strategic product thinking skills.

• Design System Leadership: Potential to lead the growth and evolution of a critical design system for a scaling product.

• Startup Experience: Gaining invaluable experience in building a company from the ground up, understanding business operations, and contributing to a disruptive market.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical of high-growth startups in regulated industries, offering significant learning opportunities for ambitious designers. The company is actively encouraging the adoption of new technologies like AI.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing a seamless onboarding experience for new users unfamiliar with sports prediction markets?" (Focus on clarity, education, and guiding users through initial trades.)

• "Describe your process for designing a feature that allows users to manage their active trades and monitor market fluctuations in real-time." (Highlight interaction design for live data, clarity of information, and user control.)

• "How would you leverage AI to enhance our design workflow or the user experience of our sports prediction market?" (Be specific about potential AI applications - e.g., generative design, personalized insights, predictive analytics for user behavior.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Novig's mission to financialize sports trading?" (Show genuine interest in the market and company vision.)

• "How do you approach working in a fast-paced, high-ownership startup environment with evolving priorities?" (Emphasize adaptability, proactivity, and comfort with ambiguity.)

• "Describe your experience with design systems. How do you ensure consistency and scalability?" (Discuss your philosophy on design systems and practical experience.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: For each case study, follow a clear narrative: Problem -> Your Role -> Process -> Solution -> Impact.

• Visuals: Use high-quality mockups, prototypes (if interactive), and flow diagrams. Annotate key design decisions.

• Process Emphasis: Clearly explain why you made certain decisions, what research informed them, and how you iterated.

• Quantify Results: Present metrics and outcomes that demonstrate the business value of your design work.

• Figma Demo: Be ready to quickly show key aspects of your Figma files, demonstrating your proficiency and organization.

• AI Integration: If you have projects that used AI, highlight them with specific examples of how it was integrated and its benefits.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating a blend of strong design craft, strategic product thinking, an understanding of complex domains (fintech/trading), and a proactive approach to new technologies like AI.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features 2-3 case studies that best showcase your end-to-end product design process, system-level thinking, and demonstrable business impact. Tailor your project selection to highlight relevant experience in complex or data-rich applications.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly articulate your 3-4+ years of product design experience, emphasizing achievements related to user experience, interaction design, visual design, and design systems. Integrate keywords like "Figma," "design systems," "prototyping," "user research," and "AI integration."

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, rationale, and outcomes for your portfolio projects. Prepare to discuss your approach to complex problems, your experience with design systems, and your perspective on AI in design.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Novig, its mission, its investors, and the sports prediction market. Understand the implications of CFTC approval and how your design skills can contribute to Novig's success in building a regulated, user-friendly platform.

⚠️ 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.