Product Designer, Design Systems - Irving

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer, Design Systems

Company: Photon

Location: New York, New York, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Design Systems / Product Design

Date Posted: May 20, 2026

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

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Focus on designing and evolving robust design systems, including reusable UI components, patterns, and AI interaction models.

• Develop and maintain comprehensive UI libraries, templates, and design tokens within Figma to ensure brand consistency and efficient product development.

• Define and refine system-level patterns specifically for AI-assisted workflows, agentic experiences, and generative or dynamic user interfaces.

• Drive accessibility standards across all design system initiatives, ensuring inclusive and compliant AI-driven experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the raw job title is "Product Designer, Design Systems," the description heavily emphasizes AI interaction patterns, agentic workflows, and generative UI. This suggests a specialized role within Design Systems that bridges traditional UI/UX with emerging AI capabilities. The target audience for this role will likely be product designers with a strong foundation in design systems who are also keen on exploring and shaping the future of AI-driven user experiences. The salary range provided is quite broad and might reflect a significant difference between entry-level design system work and more specialized AI-focused design system expertise.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and document reusable UI components, patterns, and templates that adhere to established design principles and facilitate consistent implementation across a diverse range of Citi products.

• Create, maintain, and evolve shared UI libraries, design tokens, and master templates within Figma, ensuring version control and accessibility.

• Define and refine system-level patterns for complex AI-assisted workflows, agentic experiences, and adaptive generative or dynamic UI elements.

• Develop user experience patterns specifically for multi-step task orchestration, human-in-the-loop review processes, and other AI-supported workflows.

• Translate emerging product requirements and AI interaction models into scalable design system solutions, documenting patterns and guidelines to promote effective adoption and extension by product teams.

• Collaborate closely with product designers, engineers, and product managers to ensure system patterns are technically feasible, consistently implemented, and effectively address product needs, while also conducting regular usage reviews to identify gaps and areas for improvement.

• Advocate for and integrate accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) across all design system work, with a particular focus on new AI-driven experiences.

• Establish clear design system guardrails to minimize ad-hoc AI UX decisions, thereby enhancing consistency, quality, and development speed across product teams.

• Contribute actively to the ongoing evolution of the design system in response to new AI interaction models and the emergence of more adaptive product experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a forward-looking approach to design systems, specifically incorporating AI. This goes beyond standard component design to defining interaction paradigms for AI-driven features. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience in shaping new interaction models and setting standards in evolving technological landscapes.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s or University degree.

• Formal UX education or equivalent professional experience is required. Experience:

• Minimum of 4 years of dedicated product design experience within a product-focused technology organization.

• Minimum of 2 years of hands-on experience in designing and evolving comprehensive design systems, including the creation of reusable components, patterns, and detailed documentation. Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in visual design, interaction design, and prototyping, as evidenced by a strong portfolio showcasing both desktop and mobile work.

• Advanced proficiency in Figma, including mastery of component libraries, variables, and complex system workflows.

• Prior experience designing and successfully shipping AI-enabled product experiences, such as AI-assisted workflows, agentic interactions, or generative UI.

• Demonstrated ability to operate within established design directions while independently defining new patterns when necessary.

• Strong experience collaborating closely with cross-functional partners, particularly engineering and product management teams.

• Excellent organizational and communication skills, with a proven ability to simplify complex concepts and clearly document decisions.

• A portfolio that clearly demonstrates both design systems work and product design for AI-enabled or workflow-heavy experiences. Preferred Skills:

• Experience defining design system guidance specifically for AI-enabled product experiences.

• Experience creating design patterns for adaptive, dynamic, or context-aware interfaces.

• Familiarity with design tokens, variables, and implementation-minded system thinking.

• Solid understanding of accessibility standards, including WCAG, and their application to evolving interaction models.

• Ability to effectively connect product needs to scalable, reusable system solutions that enhance consistency and reduce development rework.

• Experience guiding teams in adopting design systems through comprehensive documentation, design reviews, and practical support.

• Comfort and capability in navigating ambiguity and shaping standards in rapidly evolving technological domains.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements clearly distinguish between general product design experience and specialized design systems experience, particularly in the context of AI. Candidates must have a portfolio that explicitly showcases their work in both areas. Proficiency in Figma is non-negotiable, with an emphasis on advanced features like variables. Experience with AI-specific design challenges is a significant differentiator.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of two distinct design system projects, detailing the evolution of components, patterns, and guidelines.

• Include case studies of AI-enabled product features or workflows designed by the candidate, highlighting problem statements, design process, and outcomes.

• Demonstrate proficiency in Figma, with examples of complex component libraries, auto-layout usage, and potentially variable implementation.

• Provide clear documentation examples, such as pattern libraries, usage guidelines, and accessibility statements for system elements.

• Quantify the impact of design system contributions where possible, e.g., reduction in design/development time, increase in consistency scores. Process Documentation:

• Detail the methodology used for designing and maintaining reusable UI components and patterns.

• Illustrate the process for defining and documenting new AI interaction patterns and accessibility standards within a system.

• Describe approaches for collaborating with engineering and product teams on system implementation and adoption.

• Explain how user feedback and product needs are incorporated into the ongoing evolution of the design system.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are tailored to a design systems role with a strong AI focus. Candidates need to demonstrate not just design skills but also the ability to build and maintain scalable, documented systems, particularly for emerging AI interfaces. The emphasis on AI-enabled experiences and documentation for adoption is crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Minimum Compensation: USD $39,000 per year

• Maximum Compensation: USD $136,000 per year

• Note: Compensation is determined by actual experience and qualifications. The provided range is a good faith estimate for the role.

Benefits:

• Medical, vision, and dental benefits for full-time employees.

• 401k retirement plan.

• Variable pay/incentives.

• Paid time off.

• Paid holidays. Working Hours:

• Standard full-time work schedule, estimated at 40 hours per week, with an on-site work arrangement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is exceptionally broad, spanning from entry-level to senior-level compensation for a role typically considered mid-to-senior. This suggests that the final compensation will be heavily dependent on the candidate's specific experience, particularly their depth of expertise in design systems and AI-driven product design. The on-site requirement in New York City also implies a competitive market for talent, which can influence salary negotiations.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services / Technology. Citi operates within the global financial services industry, leveraging technology to deliver banking and financial solutions. This role sits within the "Citi Design and UX" division, indicating a strong emphasis on user experience as a core differentiator.

Company Size: Large Enterprise (Photon is a placeholder, but the role is within Citi, a massive global financial institution). This implies a structured environment with established processes, but also opportunities to influence design standards across a vast organization.

Founded: The role is with Citi, founded in 1812, signifying a long-standing history and deep-rooted presence in the financial sector.

Team Structure:

• The role is part of the "Citi Design and UX" division, specifically within the Design System team.

• This team is responsible for UI libraries and user experience across numerous internal and external Citi products.

• Collaboration will occur with other designers, engineers, and design managers.

• The reporting structure likely involves a Design Manager or Lead within the Design System team. Methodology:

• The team focuses on creating user-friendly experiences for product builders and end-users.

• Emphasis on reusable components, patterns, and AI interaction models for consistency and efficiency.

• Data-driven decision-making is implied through the need to analyze usage patterns and identify improvement opportunities.

• Agile methodologies are likely employed for iterative design and development of system components.

Company Website: [Photon is a placeholder, but the actual company is Citi: https://www.citi.com/]

📝 Enhancement Note: The context of working within a large, established financial institution like Citi means that design system work will have a significant impact and scale. Candidates should be prepared for a more structured environment where adherence to brand guidelines, accessibility, and security are paramount. The "Photon" placeholder is unusual; assuming this refers to a consulting or contracting entity placing designers at Citi, the culture might be a blend of corporate and agency dynamics. However, given the Oracle ATS link, it's more likely "Photon" is a company name that uses Oracle's HR platform, and the role is directly with Photon, who is a vendor or partner to Citi, or this is an internal Photon role supporting a client. Given the description, it's most probable the role is for Citi, and Photon is the applicant tracking system or a vendor. To be safe, we'll frame it as Photon, but acknowledge the client context.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Mid-Level Product Designer with a specialization in Design Systems. This role requires a solid foundation in product design principles combined with specific expertise in building and scaling design systems. The focus on AI interaction patterns suggests a growth path towards more specialized and forward-thinking design roles.

Reporting Structure: Likely reports to a Design Manager or Lead within the Design System team. Close collaboration with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and other Product Designers is expected.

Operations Impact: The Design System team has a profound impact on the efficiency, consistency, and quality of user experiences across all of Citi's products. By providing reusable components and patterns, this role directly influences the speed of product development, the adherence to brand standards, and the overall user satisfaction. The integration of AI patterns will shape the future of how users interact with financial products.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI interaction design, generative UI, and adaptive interfaces within a design system context.

• Leadership: Potential to lead specific initiatives within the design system, mentor junior designers, or become a subject matter expert in AI UX patterns.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Develop strong relationships with engineering and product teams, potentially leading to opportunities in product management or specialized UX research roles.

• Industry Influence: Contribute to the evolving standards of design systems for AI, potentially presenting at conferences or contributing to industry publications.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of integrating AI into established design systems. Growth paths likely involve becoming a leading expert in AI UX design system strategy, influencing product roadmaps, and potentially moving into leadership roles within design operations or product strategy.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site position in New York City. This suggests a collaborative office environment where in-person interaction, brainstorming, and team cohesion are valued.

Office Location(s): 115 W 30th ST STE 910, New York, NY 10001-4000. This location is in Midtown Manhattan, a central business district offering good accessibility via public transportation.

Workspace Context:

• A collaborative workspace designed to foster interaction between designers, engineers, and product managers.

• Access to modern design tools and technologies, including Figma, with potential for advanced features like variables and AI plugins.

• Opportunities for regular design critiques, brainstorming sessions, and cross-functional alignment meetings.

• A professional environment within a large financial institution, emphasizing structure and established workflows.

Work Schedule: Standard 40-hour work week. While the role is on-site, there may be some flexibility in daily start/end times, common in professional office settings. The emphasis on design system work often requires focused blocks of time for deep work, balanced with collaborative sessions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in a major city like New York suggests a dynamic and potentially fast-paced work environment. Candidates should be prepared for regular face-to-face collaboration and a structured office culture typical of large financial firms.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a recruiter or hiring manager screen to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit. Be ready to discuss your high-level design systems and AI experience.

• Portfolio Review: A dedicated session where you present your portfolio. Focus on the design systems projects and AI-enabled experiences. Clearly articulate your role, process, challenges, and outcomes.

• Technical/Design Challenge: May involve a take-home assignment or an in-person/virtual whiteboard exercise focusing on component design, pattern definition, or AI UX problem-solving.

• Team Interviews: Meetings with other designers, engineers, and product managers to assess collaboration style, technical understanding, and problem-solving abilities.

• Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership to discuss strategic thinking and long-term vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio logically, starting with a brief overview of your experience. Dedicate clear sections to your design systems work and AI-related product design projects.

• Design Systems Case Studies: For each design system project, detail the problem it solved, your process (research, ideation, iteration), key components/patterns designed, documentation provided, and the impact (e.g., adoption rates, efficiency gains). Highlight your role and contributions specifically.

• AI UX Case Studies: For AI-enabled experiences, focus on the unique challenges of designing for AI (e.g., managing user expectations, handling uncertainty, designing for human-AI collaboration). Show how you translated complex AI capabilities into intuitive user interfaces.

• Figma Proficiency: Be prepared to demonstrate your Figma skills, especially advanced features like component variants, auto-layout, variables, and prototyping. If possible, showcase how you’ve built scalable systems within Figma.

• Accessibility: Weave in your commitment to accessibility throughout your case studies, explaining how you considered WCAG guidelines in your designs.

• Conciseness: Aim for clarity and brevity. Focus on the most impactful projects and clearly articulate your thought process and results.

Challenge Preparation:

• System Thinking: Practice designing scalable UI components and patterns that can be adapted across various contexts.

• AI Interaction Design: Familiarize yourself with common AI UX patterns (e.g., conversational interfaces, proactive suggestions, AI-generated content) and consider how to integrate them into a design system.

• Figma Skills: Be ready to demonstrate your Figma mastery under timed conditions.

• Problem-Solving: Prepare to articulate your approach to solving design problems, especially those involving complex workflows or AI capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes practical demonstration of skills, particularly through the portfolio and potential design challenges. Candidates need to be ready to articulate not just what they designed, but why, and how it impacted the product or system. Specific emphasis on AI UX challenges and design system adoption strategies will be key.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for design, prototyping, and system management. Expect advanced usage, including component libraries, variants, auto-layout, variables, and collaboration features.

• Design System Platforms: Familiarity with tools that support design tokens, style guides, and component documentation (e.g., Storybook, Zeroheight, or custom solutions).

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma is primary, experience with other prototyping tools might be beneficial for specific use cases.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Analytics Platforms: Understanding how design system usage is tracked and measured (e.g., through product analytics tools).

• Data Visualization Tools: Ability to interpret data related to component adoption and user behavior to inform system improvements.

CRM & Automation:

• Project Management Tools: Familiarity with agile project management tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for tracking design system tasks and sprints.

• Collaboration Tools: Proficiency with communication platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and documentation tools like Confluence or Notion.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma proficiency is paramount, especially with its advanced features. The role implies working within a structured environment where design system components are tracked, documented, and integrated into development workflows, suggesting familiarity with tools that bridge design and engineering.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Consistency & Scalability: A core value for any design system team, ensuring uniformity and efficient growth across products.

• User-Centricity: Designing experiences that are intuitive, accessible, and valuable for both end-users and internal product builders.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Strong emphasis on working effectively with engineering, product management, and other design teams to ensure successful system implementation and adoption.

• Innovation & Future-Forward Thinking: Particularly relevant given the focus on AI interaction models, encouraging exploration and definition of new design paradigms.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Using analytics and feedback to inform design system evolution and improvements.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The role requires deep collaboration with engineers to ensure feasibility and consistent implementation, and with product managers to align with business objectives and user needs.

• Iterative Feedback: A culture of continuous feedback and design reviews to refine components and patterns.

• Knowledge Sharing: Active participation in sharing best practices, documentation, and design system updates with wider product teams.

• Advocacy: Proactively championing the design system and its benefits across the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture likely values a blend of structured processes (due to the large organization and financial sector) and innovative thinking (due to the AI focus). Collaboration is key, with a strong emphasis on bridging the gap between design and development.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for AI Ambiguity: Defining clear, consistent, and user-friendly patterns for rapidly evolving AI capabilities (e.g., generative UI, agentic workflows) where best practices are still emerging.

• Balancing Systemization with Innovation: Ensuring the design system supports existing product needs while incorporating cutting-edge AI interaction models without becoming overly complex or rigid.

• Driving Adoption: Persuading and enabling diverse product teams within a large organization to effectively adopt and consistently utilize the design system.

• Accessibility in AI: Ensuring that AI-driven features and interactions are fully accessible to all users, which can be a complex challenge with novel interfaces.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI UX Specialization: Becoming a recognized expert in designing for AI, understanding its nuances, and shaping future interaction models.

• Design System Strategy: Developing advanced skills in scaling and managing design systems for large enterprises.

• Cross-Disciplinary Skills: Enhancing understanding of front-end development principles and AI/ML concepts to foster better collaboration.

• Mentorship: Opportunities to mentor junior designers and contribute to the growth of the design team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge lies in navigating the uncharted territory of AI within design systems. This presents a significant opportunity for individuals eager to shape the future of UX in this domain.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing a design system for AI-generated content, considering aspects like transparency, user control, and iterative refinement?"

• "Describe a time you had to balance the need for standardization with the introduction of novel components or patterns into a design system. What was your process and outcome?"

• "How do you ensure accessibility is integrated into AI-driven features within a design system? Can you provide an example?"

• "What metrics would you use to measure the success and adoption of a design system, particularly one that includes AI interaction patterns?" Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you specifically about designing for AI within a large financial institution like Citi (or for a client like Citi)?"

• "How do you handle constructive criticism or differing opinions during design reviews, especially when advocating for new system standards?"

• "Describe your experience working with engineering teams. How do you ensure your designs are implemented accurately and efficiently?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Arc: For each case study, tell a story: the problem, your role, the process, the solution, and the impact.

• Visuals are Key: Use high-fidelity mockups, prototypes, and clear diagrams to illustrate your designs.

• Highlight AI Specifics: When presenting AI-related work, explicitly call out the AI components, interaction flows, and the specific challenges of designing for AI.

• Figma Showcase: Be ready to quickly navigate Figma to show off your component structure, variants, and system logic.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data or metrics to demonstrate the value of your contributions (e.g., "This pattern reduced bug reports by X%," or "Adoption of these components increased development speed by Y%").

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview questions will likely probe your understanding of both design systems fundamentals and the emerging challenges of AI UX. Be prepared to discuss your process, strategic thinking, and ability to influence teams within a large organization.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer, Design Systems position:

• Submit your application through the provided Oracle Cloud portal link.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and portfolio to specifically highlight your experience with design systems, Figma proficiency, and, crucially, any work related to AI-enabled product experiences or AI interaction patterns.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your years of experience in product design and design systems, using keywords from the job description (e.g., "Design Systems," "Figma," "AI Interaction Patterns," "WCAG," "Reusable Components"). Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on a clear narrative for your design systems and AI UX case studies. Be ready to discuss your process, challenges, and solutions.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Citi's product offerings and design philosophy (if applicable, or the company's primary business if Photon is the direct employer). Understand their commitment to design and technology.

⚠️ 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.