Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Storytel

Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX/UI Design

Date Posted: 2026-06-03

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (3+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is pivotal in shaping and delivering user-centric digital experiences for Storytel's audiobook and e-book streaming platform, aligning with the company's 2026 Product & Tech ambitions.

• The Product Designer will manage the entire design lifecycle for initiatives, from initial concept and discovery through to development and implementation, ensuring high-quality, intuitive, and accessible user interfaces.

• A key aspect involves leveraging modern design tools, particularly Figma, and exploring emerging technologies like AI to enhance both product experiences and internal workflows.

• The position emphasizes strong collaboration with Product Managers and Engineers, translating strategic goals into tangible, elegant design solutions with a focus on execution and continuous improvement based on data and user feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job description indicates a focus on "craft" and "execution," suggesting that while strategic thinking is valued, the primary emphasis is on the hands-on creation and delivery of well-designed product features. The explicit mention of exploring AI tools implies a forward-thinking approach to design processes.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end user experience design process for assigned initiatives, encompassing discovery, concept development, detailed UI design, interaction design, and final implementation oversight.

• Translate user insights, business objectives, and technical constraints into clear, evidence-based design decisions, effectively communicating and advocating for these choices across Product, Engineering, and stakeholder teams.

• Craft high-fidelity, accessible User Interfaces (UI) that adhere to Storytel's Digital Identity and Design System, supported by robust prototyping and thoughtful interaction design.

• Foster close collaboration with Product Managers and Engineers to shape product roadmaps, define feature requirements, and ensure seamless integration of design into the development lifecycle.

• Drive the creation of innovative yet feasible design solutions by balancing user needs, business goals, and technical feasibility, ensuring a high standard of quality in shipped products.

• Provide strong design execution support during the implementation phase, working hands-on with developers to ensure designs are accurately translated into the final product.

• Measure and evaluate the impact of shipped solutions by analyzing user data and feedback, using these insights to iterate and continuously improve the user experience.

• Facilitate workshops, design sprints, and brainstorming sessions to align stakeholders, generate ideas, and drive initiatives forward effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic thinking (translating insights, balancing goals) and tactical execution (crafting UI, working hands-on with developers, measuring impact). The emphasis on "driving innovative yet feasible design solutions" suggests a need for pragmatic creativity.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience, is generally expected for this level of role in the industry.

Experience: 3+ years of proven experience in product design for digital products, with a strong track record of conceptualizing, designing, and shipping successful features.

Required Skills:

• Product Design: Demonstrated ability to manage the full design lifecycle from discovery through implementation.

• Figma Proficiency: High proficiency in Figma for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration.

• Prototyping Tools: Experience with modern prototyping tools to bring product ideas to life and test concepts.

• User Experience (UX) Design: Deep understanding of user-centered design principles and methodologies.

• User Interface (UI) Design: Strong aesthetic sense and ability to create intuitive, visually appealing interfaces.

• Interaction Design: Skill in designing clear and effective user flows and interactions.

• Design Systems: Experience working with and contributing to design systems and digital brand guidelines.

• Accessibility Standards: Knowledge of WCAG guidelines and best practices for designing accessible digital products.

• Collaboration: Excellent ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including Product Managers and Engineers.

• Communication: Clear and confident communication of design rationale, decisions, and outcomes to diverse audiences.

• Problem-Solving: Ability to translate ambiguity into clear, well-crafted, and elegant design solutions.

• Data-Driven Design: Familiarity with using data and user feedback to inform design decisions and iterate on experiences.

Preferred Skills:

• Workshop Facilitation: Experience leading design workshops and brainstorming sessions.

• AI Tools Exploration: Proactive interest and experience in exploring and utilizing emerging AI tools in design workflows.

• Agile Methodologies: Familiarity with Agile development processes and how design integrates within them.

• User Research: Experience conducting or contributing to user research activities.

• Technical Understanding: Basic understanding of front-end development principles to facilitate better collaboration with engineers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Figma and prototyping tools, combined with "3+ years of experience," places this role in the mid-to-senior level. The "About you" section implies that practical experience and a strong portfolio are more critical than formal education.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing end-to-end product design projects, demonstrating ownership from discovery to launch.

• Case studies that clearly articulate the problem, your role, the design process, key decisions made, and the measurable impact of your solutions.

• Examples of UI design craft, interaction design patterns, and how you've aligned with or contributed to design systems.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase your ability to document and communicate design processes, including user research findings, ideation techniques, and testing methodologies.

• Demonstrate how you use data and user feedback to iterate on designs and document the outcomes of these refinements.

• Highlight experience in facilitating workshops and design discussions, showing how you drive alignment and move projects forward.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job description explicitly states, "Please include your portfolio with your application." This is a critical requirement for this role, and candidates should prepare detailed case studies that showcase their problem-solving, collaboration, and execution skills.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The anticipated monthly salary for this role is competitive and falls within the range of 45,000 to 55,000 SEK (Swedish Krona), depending on experience and qualifications.

Benefits:

• Wellbeing Support: Programs and resources to support employee mental and physical health.

• Work-Life Balance: Initiatives and policies designed to promote a healthy balance between professional and personal life.

• Retirement Savings Options: Comprehensive retirement savings plans and options.

• Career Development: Opportunities and resources for professional growth, skill enhancement, and career advancement.

Working Hours: While not explicitly stated, the standard full-time work week in Sweden is typically 40 hours. The role is described as on-site, suggesting a traditional office-based schedule, though flexibility might be available.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided (45,000-55,000 SEK/month) is a mid-to-senior level offering in Stockholm for a Product Designer with 3+ years of experience. This translates to approximately 540,000-660,000 SEK annually. This range is considered competitive within the Swedish tech market for this specialization.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Digital Media / Entertainment (Audiobook & E-book Streaming)

Company Size: Storytel is a significant player in its market, operating across 25 markets. While the exact number of employees isn't specified, its global reach suggests a medium to large-sized organization.

Founded: Storytel was founded in 2005, indicating a company with established operations and a solid foundation in the digital publishing space.

Team Structure:

• The Product Designer will join a "tight-knit team of four designers" within a "strong Product & Tech organization."

• This implies a collaborative design team environment where individual contributors work closely together.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Improvement: The team emphasizes measuring and evaluating shipped solutions using data and insights for continuous refinement.

• Agile Collaboration: Close collaboration with Product and Engineering suggests an Agile or iterative development approach.

• Experimental Mindset: Intentional time is built into projects for experimentation with new AI tools and workflows, encouraging exploration and adoption of emerging technologies.

• Focus on Craft & Execution: The culture values high-quality design execution and tangible results.

Company Website: https://jobs.storytel.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Storytel's purpose, "Leading the future of storytelling, we move the world through stories," suggests a mission-driven culture that values creativity, connection, and innovation. The company's history and global presence indicate stability and ambition.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as an "individual contributor" focused on "depth of craft, ownership, and the ability to consistently raise the bar." It's a mid-to-senior level product design position, suitable for designers who excel at hands-on creation and execution rather than management.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report to a Design Manager and work in close collaboration with Product Managers and Engineers, indicating a cross-functional team dynamic.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's impact is directly tied to the user experience of Storytel's platform, influencing user engagement, satisfaction, and retention. By delivering high-quality, intuitive, and innovative features, they contribute significantly to the company's business goals and its mission of "Leading the future of storytelling."

Growth Opportunities:

• Depth of Craft: Opportunities to hone and deepen expertise in UI/UX design, interaction design, and system design through complex projects.

• Skill Development: Exposure to and experimentation with emerging technologies like AI tools, expanding the designer's toolkit and methodologies.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Gaining experience in influencing product strategy and execution through strong collaboration and communication with Product and Engineering.

• Impactful Projects: Working on features that directly affect millions of users globally, providing a platform for significant professional achievement and portfolio building.

• Continuous Improvement: A culture that encourages learning from data and user feedback to refine designs, fostering growth through iteration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "impact and influence rather than titles or management tracks" suggests that career progression within this role is about increasing the scope and quality of design contributions, rather than moving into formal leadership positions.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is advertised as "On-site," indicating a traditional office-based work environment within Storytel's Stockholm location.

Office Location(s): Tryckerigatan 4, Stockholm, 111 28, Sweden. This central Stockholm location likely offers good accessibility and a vibrant working atmosphere.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The design team structure and close work with Product and Engineering foster a collaborative workspace.

• Modern Tools & Technology: Expect access to industry-standard design tools like Figma, along with resources for prototyping and potentially AI experimentation.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with fellow designers, product managers, and engineers, facilitating knowledge sharing and problem-solving.

Work Schedule: As an on-site, full-time role, expect a standard work schedule. While specific flexibility isn't detailed, the company culture emphasizes work-life balance and trust, which may translate into some degree of schedule flexibility within reasonable limits.

📝 Enhancement Note: Being an on-site role in Stockholm suggests an environment where in-person collaboration, spontaneous discussions, and team cohesion are prioritized, which can be highly beneficial for design-centric roles.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: The interview process is not detailed, but typical stages for a Product Designer role at a tech company like Storytel would likely include:

• Initial Screening: Review of CV and portfolio to assess qualifications and experience.

• Portfolio Presentation/Design Challenge: A session where candidates present their portfolio, discuss their process, and potentially undertake a design exercise or case study.

• Interviews with Design Manager & Team: Discussions focused on design philosophy, problem-solving, collaboration skills, and cultural fit.

• Interviews with Product & Engineering: Assessment of collaboration capabilities and understanding of technical constraints.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss overall fit and strategic alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best showcase your end-to-end design process, problem-solving skills, and impact. Tailor your selection to highlight experience relevant to digital platforms, streaming services, or consumer-facing applications.

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each project, clearly outline: the problem statement, your specific role and contributions, the design process (research, ideation, prototyping, testing, iteration), key design decisions and rationale, and the outcomes/impact (quantified with data if possible).

• Highlight Collaboration: Explicitly describe how you collaborated with Product Managers, Engineers, and other stakeholders, and how you navigated feedback and constraints.

• Showcase Craftsmanship: Ensure your UI and interaction design examples are polished and demonstrate attention to detail. If you contributed to or used a design system, showcase that.

• Be Prepared to Discuss: Be ready to walk through your portfolio in detail and answer in-depth questions about your design choices, challenges faced, and lessons learned.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Thinking: Be prepared for exercises that test your ability to break down a problem, ideate solutions, and articulate a design strategy.

• Figma & Prototyping: Practice rapid prototyping and UI design in Figma, as you may be asked to demonstrate these skills.

• Communication: Focus on clearly articulating your thought process, design rationale, and how your solutions align with user needs and business goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on "hands-on" work and "execution," expect the portfolio review to be a critical component, likely involving a deep dive into specific project methodologies and problem-solving approaches.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: This is explicitly mentioned as a required skill and is the primary tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Candidates must be highly proficient.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma's native capabilities, experience with other modern prototyping tools is expected for building and testing product ideas.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed, a Product Designer in this role would likely utilize analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) to understand user behavior and measure the impact of their designs.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the Product Designer role, but understanding how design integrates with product management and engineering workflows is key.

📝 Enhancement Note: The clear emphasis on Figma suggests that proficiency in this tool is non-negotiable. While other tools are not specified, a designer working in a modern tech company should be adaptable and willing to learn any relevant software.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Storytelling: A core value, reflecting the company's mission and the nature of its product. Designers are expected to contribute to compelling user narratives.

• Innovation & Experimentation: Encouragement to explore new tools, technologies (like AI), and workflows to improve both product and process.

• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on working together across teams (Design, Product, Engineering) to achieve shared goals.

• Ownership & Initiative: Taking responsibility for designs from concept to completion and proactively identifying areas for improvement.

• Craftsmanship & Quality: A commitment to delivering high-quality, elegant, and user-friendly design solutions.

• User-Centricity: A fundamental focus on understanding and serving user needs.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers work closely with Product Managers to define strategy and requirements, and with Engineers to ensure successful implementation.

• Open Feedback Culture: Actively seeking and giving constructive feedback is encouraged, with a focus on improving the outcome rather than personal critique.

• Workshop Facilitation: Designers are expected to lead and participate in workshops to drive alignment and generate ideas collaboratively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture appears to be one that values both creative exploration and disciplined execution, with a strong emphasis on teamwork and continuous improvement.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Ambiguity and Clarity: Taking ambiguous product requirements or strategic goals and translating them into clear, actionable design solutions.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Effectively communicating and advocating for design decisions to diverse stakeholders with potentially differing priorities.

• Technical Constraints: Designing solutions that are innovative yet feasible within existing technical limitations, requiring close collaboration with engineering.

• Rapid Iteration and Learning: Adapting to a fast-paced environment, incorporating data and feedback quickly to iterate on designs.

• Exploring New Technologies: Staying current with and actively integrating emerging technologies like AI into design workflows, which may require learning new tools and methods.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepening Design Craft: Opportunity to refine skills in UI, UX, and interaction design on challenging projects for a large user base.

• AI Exploration: Direct involvement in exploring and piloting AI tools for design, offering unique learning experiences.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Gaining insights into product management, engineering, and business strategy through close collaboration.

• Impactful Contribution: Developing a strong portfolio by working on features that have a significant impact on millions of users and contribute to the company's mission.

• Mentorship: Potential for guidance from Design Managers and senior team members within the design team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated commitment to exploring AI tools presents a significant growth opportunity for designers looking to stay at the forefront of technological advancements in their field.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Tell me about a time you took an ambiguous problem and turned it into a clear design solution. What was your process?" (Focus on your structured approach, research, and decision-making.)

• "How do you balance user needs, business goals, and technical constraints in your design process?" (Prepare examples that demonstrate your pragmatic approach.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why are you interested in Storytel and our mission to lead the future of storytelling?" (Research Storytel's recent news, product updates, and values.)

• "How do you approach collaboration with Product Managers and Engineers?" (Share examples of successful cross-functional partnerships and how you ensure smooth handoffs.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: Frame your portfolio presentations as narratives. Guide the interviewer through the journey of each project, emphasizing your problem-solving methodology and impact.

• Focus on "Why": For each design decision, be prepared to explain the "why" – what problem it solved, what data supported it, and what outcome it achieved.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively. Walk through prototypes, wireframes, and high-fidelity mockups. Be ready to demonstrate your Figma skills if asked.

• Highlight Collaboration: Explicitly mention how you worked with others, what challenges arose, and how you overcame them collaboratively.

• Be Honest About Challenges: Discussing challenges and how you learned from them demonstrates maturity and resilience.

📝 Enhancement Note: Expect the interview to heavily scrutinize your portfolio. Be prepared for in-depth questions about your process, decision-making, and how you handle feedback and collaboration in a real-world product development setting.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position at Storytel:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Storytel jobs portal.

• Curate and customize your portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your end-to-end design process, problem-solving skills, and impact relevant to digital streaming platforms. Ensure case studies are clear, concise, and highlight your specific contributions and outcomes.

• Optimize your resume: Tailor your resume to highlight the required skills and experience, such as Figma proficiency, UX/UI design, collaboration, and experience with digital product development. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare your portfolio presentation: Practice walking through your selected projects, articulating your design rationale, process, and the impact of your work. Be ready to answer detailed questions about your design choices and collaborative experiences.

• Research Storytel: Familiarize yourself with Storytel's mission, products, recent news, and company culture to demonstrate genuine interest and alignment during interviews.

⚠️ 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.