Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Zero Homes

Location: Denver, Colorado

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design & Development

Date Posted: May 18, 2026

Experience Level: 2-5 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end product design lifecycle, from ideation and user research to UI design and prototyping, for a mission-driven climate tech company.

• Collaborate closely with engineering and cross-functional teams in agile, six-week cycles to deliver impactful new features and product enhancements.

• Leverage a modern design toolkit, including Figma and emerging AI design tools, to accelerate workflows and enhance creative output.

• Contribute to a culture of sustainable productivity, deep work, and effective in-person collaboration within a growing, early-stage startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is specifically for a Product Designer who operates as a generalist, taking ownership of product management, UX, and UI. The emphasis on AI tools and a hybrid work model in Denver suggests a forward-thinking design team focused on efficiency and tangible product delivery.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the design process for new features and products, from initial concept generation and user needs assessment through to detailed UI design and interactive prototyping.

• Conduct comprehensive user research, including in-person field studies and user interviews, to deeply understand homeowner, contractor, and utility needs in the residential electrification space.

• Develop user flows, wireframes, mockups, and high-fidelity prototypes using Figma and other design tools to communicate design solutions effectively.

• Collaborate closely with product managers and engineers to translate product requirements into elegant, user-centered design solutions within defined project timelines.

• Build and iterate on early prototypes, potentially including front-end code (HTML/CSS/JS), to rapidly test concepts and validate design decisions.

• Champion a user-first approach, ensuring all design decisions are grounded in user needs and contribute to a seamless, intuitive, and delightful customer experience.

• Actively participate in design critiques, brainstorming sessions, and whiteboard collaborations to foster innovation and refine design strategies.

• Integrate and experiment with AI design tools to enhance design efficiency, accelerate ideation, and explore novel design possibilities.

• Contribute to the evolution of both consumer-facing mobile applications and B2B web productivity tools, addressing diverse user needs and technical requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a hands-on, generalist role where the designer is expected to be deeply involved in all phases of the design process, including aspects typically handled by product managers. The emphasis on "sustainable productivity" and "deep work" suggests a focus on efficient processes and impactful output.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent practical experience and a deep understanding of design principles is essential.

Experience: A minimum of one year of professional product design experience, with a proven track record of owning projects from conception to delivery.

Required Skills:

• Exceptional taste and a generalist approach to product design, encompassing UX and UI.

• Proficiency in user research methodologies, including user interviews and needs assessment.

• Advanced skills in Figma for wireframing, prototyping, and UI design.

• Experience or strong willingness to work with front-end code (HTML/CSS/JS).

• A well-defined point of view on the application of AI in the design process, including familiarity with tools like Claude, Lovable, or Figma Make.

• Strong systems thinking capabilities and an eye for detail in design execution.

• Demonstrated ability to anchor design work in user needs and deliver functional beauty.

• Pragmatic approach to problem-solving, with a focus on shipping products and making trade-offs when necessary.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with a proactive and self-starting attitude.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing large-scale consumer or B2B products.

• Experience with native mobile app design.

• Graphic design, illustration, and/or video production skills.

• Familiarity with industries such as residential construction, electrification, HVAC, CAD, Solar, or Energy.

• Prior experience working in an early-stage startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a unique blend of traditional design skills, a forward-thinking embrace of AI, and a pragmatic, hands-on approach. The "generalist" expectation is key, indicating a need for versatility and a willingness to wear multiple hats within the design and product development process.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end product design projects that demonstrate ownership of product management, UX, and UI.

• Include case studies detailing the process of identifying user needs, ideating solutions, and implementing designs within defined cycles.

• Highlight examples of early prototype development, including any use of front-end code (HTML/CSS/JS) or AI-assisted prototyping.

• Present evidence of effective collaboration with engineers and stakeholders, detailing how design decisions were communicated and iterated upon.

Process Documentation:

• Detail the user research methodologies employed, including how user insights directly influenced design decisions.

• Illustrate the iterative design process used, from initial wireframes and concepts to final UI and prototypes.

• Explain the approach to working within agile cycles (e.g., six-week sprints), including how scope and deadlines were managed.

• Showcase experience with design systems or the ability to create consistent and scalable design solutions.

• Provide examples of how AI tools were integrated into the design workflow to improve efficiency or explore new avenues.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio should reflect the generalist nature of the role, showcasing not just visual design but also product thinking, user research, and technical execution. Emphasis should be placed on process, iteration, and the impact of AI tools.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $70,000 - $165,000 per year.

Benefits:

• Meaningful equity in an early-stage company.

• Optional annual bonus for outstanding performance.

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• Generous paid time off: 4 weeks of PTO (encouraged for use) and unlimited sick days.

• Flexible working hours.

• Workstation stipend to ensure you have the right tools.

• Access to a vibrant industrial office space in RiNo, Denver, with unlimited snacks, premium coffee, and proximity to dining and amenities.

Working Hours: While the role is full-time, Zero Homes emphasizes flexible working hours, with a requirement for in-office presence on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is typical for a Product Designer with 2-5 years of experience in a high-cost-of-living area like Denver, especially within a tech startup offering equity. The benefits package is competitive, reflecting a focus on employee well-being and work-life balance, while the hybrid schedule balances flexibility with in-person collaboration.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Environmental & Sustainability, Energy, Technology, Software, Art & Design. Zero Homes operates at the intersection of climate tech and consumer/B2B software, aiming to decarbonize homes through residential electrification.

Company Size: Early-stage startup. This implies a fast-paced environment with opportunities for significant impact and direct influence on product direction.

Founded: The company was founded with a mission to electrify homes for healthy and sustainable living, addressing a significant portion of climate emissions from residential buildings.

Team Structure:

• The design team is led by a Lead Designer, with Product Designers reporting to them.

• Designers work in small, agile teams, typically consisting of one Designer and 1-2 Engineers.

Methodology:

• Focus on "sustainable productivity" and "deep work" with minimal standing meetings.

• Agile development cycles of six weeks for feature delivery.

• Emphasis on effective in-person collaboration for brainstorming and problem-solving.

• Iterative prototyping and user feedback loops are core to the product development process.

• Integration and experimentation with AI tools to enhance design and productivity.

Company Website: https://www.zerohomes.io/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is characterized by a strong mission, a focus on efficiency and deep work, and a commitment to both technological innovation (AI) and human connection (in-person collaboration, user interaction). The early-stage nature suggests a dynamic environment where individuals can shape processes and outcomes.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This Product Designer role is positioned as an individual contributor with significant ownership, suitable for someone with 2-5 years of experience. It offers the opportunity to develop a broad skill set as a generalist, covering product management, UX, and UI.

Reporting Structure: Product Designers report to a Lead Designer, working within small, cross-functional teams alongside engineers. This structure facilitates direct collaboration and rapid iteration.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer plays a critical role in bridging the gap between complex residential electrification processes and a frictionless user experience. Their work directly impacts customer adoption, contractor efficiency, and ultimately, the company's mission to decarbonize homes. The ability to influence product strategy from conception to launch is a key aspect of this role's impact.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas like advanced AI-driven design, native mobile UX, or specialized B2B tool design.

• Leadership Potential: Grow into a Senior Product Designer role, mentoring junior designers or taking on more strategic product leadership responsibilities.

• Industry Expertise: Develop deep knowledge in climate tech, building science, and residential electrification, becoming a subject matter expert.

• Cross-Functional Mastery: Enhance skills in product management and front-end development through hands-on experience and close collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers substantial growth potential, particularly for a designer who embraces the generalist path and is eager to contribute to a mission-critical product in a rapidly evolving industry. The emphasis on AI and user-centric problem-solving provides a strong foundation for future career development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company utilizes an industrial office space located in the RiNo (River North Art District) of Denver. This environment is designed to foster community and collaboration, offering unique amenities.

Office Location(s): Denver, Colorado, specifically in the RiNo district, known for its arts, culture, and vibrant community. Candidates are expected to live within 50 miles of Denver or be willing to relocate.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office is designed as a hub for community events and encourages in-person interaction, fostering a strong sense of team cohesion.

• Tools & Technology: Equipped with essential tools for designers, including workstations, and a culture that embraces new technologies like AI design tools.

• Team Interaction: Ample opportunities for spontaneous collaboration, whiteboard sessions, and focused team workshops due to the hybrid schedule requiring in-office days.

Work Schedule: A hybrid model is in place, requiring designers to be in the office on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. This structure balances the benefits of in-person collaboration with flexibility, supported by flexible working hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on in-person work on specific days suggests a deliberate strategy to maximize collaborative benefits while retaining some flexibility. The RiNo location and office amenities aim to create an engaging and productive environment conducive to creative problem-solving and team building.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application, focusing on your resume and portfolio to assess generalist capabilities and alignment with the role.

• Design Exercise/Challenge: Likely a take-home assignment or a live design challenge focused on a specific problem relevant to Zero Homes' mission, emphasizing your process, problem-solving skills, and use of AI tools.

• Portfolio Presentation & Case Study: A session where you present one or more of your design projects, detailing your process, user research, design decisions, and the impact of your work. Expect discussions around trade-offs made and how AI was integrated.

• Team & Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with engineers, product leads, and potentially other designers to assess cultural fit, collaboration style, and your ability to articulate design strategy in a team environment.

• Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership to discuss your overall fit, career aspirations, and strategic thinking.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Generalism: Clearly present projects that demonstrate your ownership across product management, UX, and UI.

• Emphasize Process: Detail your user research, ideation, prototyping, and iteration steps. Explain why you made certain decisions.

• Highlight AI Integration: Specifically call out how you used AI tools to accelerate your workflow, generate ideas, or enhance prototypes. Be ready to discuss your opinions on their effectiveness and limitations.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use metrics or clear qualitative outcomes to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved user engagement, increased conversion, reduced task time).

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies as compelling narratives that highlight the problem, your solution, and the results.

• Tailor to Zero Homes: If possible, show projects that have a similar mission or involve complex systems, demonstrating your ability to adapt.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Mission: Familiarize yourself with Zero Homes' mission to electrify homes and its importance in climate tech.

• Research the Industry: Gain basic knowledge of residential electrification, HVAC systems, and the challenges homeowners and contractors face.

• Practice AI Tooling: Be ready to discuss your experience and opinions on AI design tools, and potentially use them during a challenge.

• Focus on Trade-offs: Prepare to discuss how you make difficult decisions and balance competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not only design skills but also the candidate's alignment with Zero Homes' innovative and collaborative culture, particularly their approach to AI and user-centric problem-solving in the climate tech space.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for wireframing, UI design, prototyping, and design system management. Proficiency is essential.

• AI Design Tools: Strong emphasis on familiarity and opinionated use of tools such as Claude, Lovable, Figma Make, and other emerging AI agents for ideation, prototyping, and workflow acceleration.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, potentially other specialized tools for creating interactive prototypes to test user flows and concepts.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Experience with CRM systems or understanding how design impacts user journeys within CRM platforms could be beneficial, particularly for B2B tools. Automation tools may be relevant for understanding user workflows that can be simplified or automated through design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack highlights a modern approach to design, with a significant emphasis on Figma and a forward-looking integration of AI tools. The expectation is that designers are not only proficient users but also critical thinkers about how these tools can be best leveraged.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven: A strong commitment to electrifying homes for healthy and sustainable living, contributing to climate action.

• User-Centricity: Deep focus on understanding and serving the needs of homeowners, contractors, and utilities through elegant and effective design.

• Sustainable Productivity: Emphasis on efficient workflows, deep work, and delivering tangible results with minimal wasted effort.

• Collaboration & Communication: Valuing healthy debates, real-time problem-solving, and clear communication to drive projects forward.

• Innovation & Pragmatism: Embracing new technologies like AI while maintaining a practical, "shipping-focused" mindset.

• Growth Mindset: Eagerness to tackle complex problems, learn new skills, and adapt in a fast-paced startup environment.

Collaboration Style:

• In-Person Engagement: Strong preference for collaborative sessions, whiteboard discussions, and workshops when in the office.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers work closely with engineers and product managers in small, agile teams, fostering a shared sense of ownership.

• Open Debate & Convergence: Encouragement of healthy debate to explore diverse perspectives, followed by a drive to converge on effective solutions.

• Customer-Centric Feedback: Valuing direct interaction with users, including meeting them in the field, to gather insights and ensure designs resonate.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture is built around a powerful mission, a dedication to user needs, and a balanced approach to innovation and practical execution. The emphasis on collaboration, both in-person and cross-functionally, is key to their operational success.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Complexity: Residential electrification is a complex system involving multiple stakeholders (homeowners, contractors, utilities) and technical nuances. Designing intuitive experiences for this ecosystem will be a key challenge.

• Balancing Generalism: Effectively managing responsibilities across product management, UX, and UI requires strong prioritization and time management skills.

• Integrating AI Effectively: Developing a mature and impactful approach to using AI tools that genuinely enhances design rather than just automating tasks will require continuous learning and experimentation.

• Early-Stage Startup Dynamics: Adapting to the rapid pace, potential pivots, and resource constraints inherent in an early-stage company.

• Bridging Digital and Physical: Creating seamless digital experiences that effectively translate to and influence physical home improvement processes.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Tool Mastery: Becoming a leader in leveraging cutting-edge AI tools for design innovation.

• Climate Tech & Building Science Expertise: Developing deep domain knowledge in a critical and growing industry.

• Generalist Skill Expansion: Honing skills in product management, user research, and front-end development through hands-on project work.

• Strategic Product Influence: Gaining experience in shaping product strategy from the ground up within a mission-driven organization.

• Mentorship: Opportunities to learn from experienced climate tech veterans and a Lead Designer.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges present significant learning opportunities. The role is ideal for a designer who thrives on complexity, enjoys being a generalist, and is excited by the prospect of shaping impactful products in a growing industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to make significant trade-offs on a design project. How did you decide what to prioritize, and what was the outcome?" (Assesses pragmatism, decision-making)

• "How do you approach understanding the needs of diverse user groups, especially when they operate in very different environments (e.g., homeowners vs. contractors)?" (Assesses user research, empathy)

• "What is your philosophy on integrating AI tools into the product design process? Can you share an example of how you've used AI to accelerate or improve a design outcome?" (Assesses AI proficiency, critical thinking)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why are you interested in Zero Homes' mission to electrify homes, and how does it align with your career goals?" (Assesses mission alignment, passion)

• "How do you approach collaboration in a hybrid work environment, and what are your expectations for in-person team interactions?" (Assesses collaboration style, hybrid work comfort)

• "Describe your ideal work environment for deep, focused work versus collaborative brainstorming." (Assesses work style preferences)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Begin with the problem and Zero Homes' mission, then introduce your project as a solution. Clearly outline your role and responsibilities.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (wireframes, mockups, prototypes) to illustrate your design process and final output.

• Explain Your 'Why': For every design decision, explain the user need or business goal it addressed.

• Demonstrate AI Use: Explicitly point out where and how AI tools were used, and what the benefit was. Be ready to discuss alternatives you considered.

• Quantify Results: If possible, present metrics, user feedback quotes, or clear qualitative improvements that demonstrate the impact of your work.

• Be Conversational: Engage the interviewers, encourage questions, and be open to feedback or alternative perspectives.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Problem Space: Research residential electrification, common homeowner pain points, and contractor workflows.

• Focus on Process: Even if the output is a visual design, your thought process, user research, and iteration steps are paramount.

• Embrace AI: Be prepared to use AI tools for ideation or rapid prototyping if the challenge allows or implies it.

• Time Management: Practice working within time constraints, prioritizing tasks effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating a blend of strong design fundamentals, a forward-thinking approach to AI, and a pragmatic, mission-driven attitude. Highlighting generalist capabilities and comfort with collaboration is crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Lever.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your experience as a generalist product designer, emphasizing ownership of UX, UI, and product management aspects. Quantify achievements where possible and include keywords like Figma, AI design tools, user research, and front-end code if applicable.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 strong case studies that best showcase your end-to-end design process, your ability to solve complex user problems, and your experience with AI tools. Ensure your portfolio clearly articulates your role and the impact of your work.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on storytelling, explaining your design decisions, and highlighting how you've leveraged AI and user insights. Be ready to discuss trade-offs and your opinions on AI in design.

• Research Zero Homes: Understand their mission, target audience, and the competitive landscape of climate tech. Be prepared to articulate why you are passionate about their work and how your skills align with their needs.

⚠️ 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.