Product Designer - Hard Surfaces, Residential

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer - Hard Surfaces, Residential

Company: Shaw Industries

Location: Dalton, GA, United States

Job Type: Full time

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations

Date Posted: 2026-08-20

Experience Level: 2-5 years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is pivotal in translating market insights and trend research into tangible product designs for the residential hard surfaces market, focusing on resilient, laminate, and hardwood flooring categories.

• The Product Designer will be responsible for creating original product visuals, colorways, patterns, and surface designs, leveraging advanced Adobe Photoshop skills to develop compelling design assets.

• Collaboration is key, as the designer will work closely with cross-functional teams including product development, manufacturing, sourcing, and global suppliers to ensure designs are commercially viable and manufacturable.

• The position requires a strong understanding of design principles, trend forecasting, and the ability to develop coordinated design stories across multiple residential brands and retail channels.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the core of this role is product design, its success is deeply intertwined with GTM (Go-To-Market) operations. The ability to translate market trends and consumer insights into manufacturable products directly impacts sales strategy, product launch success, and ultimately, revenue generation. Therefore, this role can be viewed as a critical component of the broader GTM operations ecosystem, requiring strong collaboration with sales, marketing, and product management teams.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop original product visuals, colorways, patterns, surface designs, and layout concepts for residential hard-surface flooring products.

• Utilize advanced Adobe Photoshop skills for product imagery editing, repeatable layout creation, pattern scaling, and generating essential design assets for product development workflows.

• Synthesize consumer insights, trend forecasting data, competitive intelligence, and market opportunity analysis into commercially viable and innovative design solutions.

• Partner effectively with Product Development, Manufacturing, Sourcing, and global supplier teams to refine design concepts, considering material properties, product construction, manufacturing capabilities, and specific technical requirements.

• Create cohesive design narratives, palettes, and visual platforms that enhance brand differentiation across multiple residential brands, product categories, and diverse retail channels.

• Generate a high volume of design concepts to support immediate product development priorities and explore future market opportunities.

• Continuously research and explore emerging trends, new materials, innovative technologies, advanced manufacturing processes, and evolving consumer preferences to identify potential product innovations and market whitespace.

• Establish and maintain organized physical and digital libraries of product samples, material swatches, and design assets to ensure accessibility, facilitate collaboration, and preserve long-term project value.

• Present compelling product concepts, insightful trend analyses, and strategic design recommendations to cross-functional stakeholders, actively incorporating feedback to refine future design directions.

• Foster seamless collaboration across various regions and time zones, including engaging with Asia-Pacific sourcing and manufacturing partners through coordinated efforts and occasional evening calls.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on translating market intelligence into actionable design concepts. This directly supports GTM operations by ensuring products align with market demand and competitive landscapes. The need to document and organize design libraries also speaks to establishing operational efficiency within the design process.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Product Design, Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Textile Design, Surface Design, or a closely related field.

Experience: Two to five years of professional design experience, with a demonstrated track record in product visualization and development.

Required Skills:

• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, with a particular emphasis on Adobe Photoshop for photo editing, image manipulation, repeatable pattern development, and precise color adjustment.

• Strong foundational knowledge of color theory, pattern application, scale considerations, fundamental design principles, and effective trend forecasting methodologies.

• Demonstrated ability to translate abstract creative concepts into clear, actionable visual assets suitable for product development and manufacturing partners.

• Proven capability to work effectively in an office environment, with a commitment to being present at least four days per week.

• Willingness and ability to travel approximately 20% of the time for essential business activities such as trade shows, customer and partner visits, and in-depth market research.

• Adaptability to collaborate effectively across global time zones, including the flexibility for occasional evening calls with Asia-Pacific partners to ensure project continuity. Preferred Skills:

• Prior experience designing hard-surface flooring, ceramic tile, wallcoverings, decorative surfaces, packaging, retail displays, or other manufactured products where pattern, layers, materials, and construction are critical elements.

• Specific experience with resilient flooring, laminate, hardwood, tile, wood visuals, stone visuals, repeat patterns, or general surface design.

• Proven success in translating consumer insights, current design trends, and comprehensive market research into successfully manufactured product solutions.

• Familiarity with manufacturing processes, diverse material properties, product construction methodologies, sampling techniques, sourcing strategies, and the commercialization lifecycle.

• Experience in close partnership with technical teams, manufacturers, external vendors, global suppliers, or cross-functional product development teams.

• A robust portfolio showcasing strong Photoshop skills, exceptional color sense, sophisticated pattern and layout capabilities, and a clear understanding of product or industrial design principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required experience level and specific software proficiency (Adobe Photoshop) are crucial for this role. The preferred qualifications indicate a desire for candidates who can hit the ground running with specialized industry knowledge, reducing the onboarding time for GTM product launches.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 distinct projects that demonstrate your ability to conceptualize and execute product designs from ideation through to a final concept, with a focus on visual assets and design rationale.

• Include case studies that highlight your process for translating market trends and consumer insights into specific product design directions for hard-surface materials.

• Present examples of your work in Adobe Photoshop, illustrating complex image manipulation, pattern creation, and colorway development for manufactured goods.

• Demonstrate your understanding of how design choices impact manufacturing feasibility and commercial viability by including any relevant notes or considerations within project descriptions.

• Ensure your portfolio clearly articulates the problem statement, your design process, the solutions you developed, and the intended application or market for each project. Process Documentation:

• Highlight instances where you have documented design processes, established design libraries, or created repeatable templates to streamline future design work and ensure consistency.

• Provide examples of how you have collaborated with product development or manufacturing teams, detailing the communication and feedback loops involved in refining designs for production.

• Illustrate your approach to managing design projects, including how you prioritize tasks, manage timelines, and incorporate feedback from stakeholders to achieve project milestones.

• Showcase any experience you have in organizing and maintaining digital or physical asset libraries for design materials, color standards, or pattern archives.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a design role with GTM implications, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to demonstrate not just creative output but also the ability to execute designs that are commercially viable and align with operational constraints. The emphasis on process documentation points to the need for structured workflows that can be integrated into broader GTM operational processes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a Product Designer with 2-5 years of experience in the Dalton, GA area, a competitive salary range for this role is estimated to be between $65,000 and $85,000 annually. This estimate accounts for the cost of living in Dalton, GA, and the specialized skills required.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance plans to support employee and family health.

• Life Insurance and Disability Coverage to provide financial security.

• Tuition Reimbursement program to encourage continuous learning and professional development.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering confidential support for personal and work-related challenges.

• Health Savings Account (HSA) to help manage healthcare expenses.

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) policy for work-life balance.

• Parental Leave to support new parents.

• 401K and Retirement Plans to assist with long-term financial planning.

• Exclusive Product Discounts for employees, offering savings on Shaw Industries' wide range of products.

Working Hours: Standard full-time employment with an estimated 40 hours per week. The typical work schedule involves an 8-hour shift, non-rotating, starting in the morning. The schedule is observed on a calendar basis, aligning with typical business operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimates are based on current market data for similar roles in the Dalton, GA region, considering the experience level and specialized nature of product design within the flooring industry. The listed benefits are standard for a large corporation like Shaw Industries, providing a comprehensive package for employees.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Shaw Industries operates within the Manufacturing and Home Furnishings sectors, specifically specializing in flooring and surface solutions. The company is a significant player in the residential and commercial markets, known for its extensive brand portfolio and commitment to innovation and operational excellence. This industry context means the design role is deeply connected to material science, manufacturing capabilities, and consumer trends in home design and construction.

Company Size: Shaw Industries is a large enterprise, employing approximately 18,000 associates worldwide. This scale suggests a well-established organizational structure, robust internal processes, and opportunities for cross-functional collaboration across numerous departments and brands. For a designer, this size can translate to access to significant resources, specialized teams, and clear career paths.

Founded: Shaw Industries was founded in 1946. Its long history signifies stability, deep industry expertise, and a proven ability to adapt to market changes and technological advancements over decades. This heritage likely influences a culture that values both tradition and forward-thinking innovation.

Team Structure:

• The design team is likely part of a larger Product Development or Marketing function, with approximately 18,000 associates globally, suggesting a sizable design department with specialized roles.

• The Product Designer will report into a Design Manager or Director, with a clear hierarchy that facilitates decision-making and project oversight.

• Close collaboration is expected with Product Development, Marketing, Sales, Sourcing, and Manufacturing teams, indicating a highly cross-functional operational environment where design is integrated early and often into the GTM strategy. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is implied through the emphasis on consumer insights, trend research, and market analysis guiding design concepts.

• Workflow planning and optimization strategies are evident in the need to generate a high volume of concepts and maintain organized design libraries for efficiency.

• Automation and efficiency practices are indirectly supported by the requirement for advanced software skills and the potential for templated design assets.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding Shaw Industries' scale, history, and industry position is crucial for a designer. It informs the types of projects, the level of rigor expected, and the collaborative dynamics within the GTM and product development processes. The company's size suggests sophisticated operational frameworks.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as an intermediate-level Product Designer, requiring 2-5 years of professional experience. It signifies a level where an individual is expected to contribute independently to design projects, manage their workload, and begin to influence design direction based on market intelligence. It's a stepping stone towards senior design roles or specialized areas within product development.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will likely report to a Design Manager or Director within the Product Development or Marketing department. This structure provides clear guidance, mentorship, and a defined pathway for project escalation and feedback. Collaboration with Product Development, Manufacturing, and Sourcing teams will be a significant part of the daily workflow, reflecting an integrated GTM operational approach.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role on operations is substantial. By creating commercially viable and appealing product designs, the Product Designer directly influences:

• Product Launch Success: Designs that resonate with consumers and meet market demands lead to stronger sales performance.

• Manufacturing Efficiency: Designs that consider material constraints and manufacturing capabilities reduce production costs and lead times.

• Brand Differentiation: Unique and trend-aligned designs help Shaw Industries stand out in a competitive market, supporting brand positioning and marketing efforts.

• Revenue Generation: Ultimately, successful product designs translate into increased sales volume and revenue for the company's residential hard-surface categories.

Growth Opportunities:

• Senior Product Designer: Progression to a senior role with increased responsibility, ownership of larger design projects, and potentially leading design initiatives for specific product lines or brands.

• Specialization: Deepening expertise in specific areas such as resilient flooring design, advanced pattern generation, or material innovation within hard surfaces.

• Cross-functional Roles: Opportunities to move into Product Management, Trend Forecasting, or even GTM Strategy roles, leveraging design expertise to inform broader business decisions.

• Leadership Development: Potential for management roles within the design department, overseeing teams and guiding design strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a clear path for career progression within a large, established company. The focus on market-driven design and cross-functional collaboration prepares individuals for broader GTM operational responsibilities and leadership roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based at Shaw Plant 19 in Dalton, Georgia, and operates on a hybrid model, requiring approximately four days per week in the office. This suggests a corporate campus environment with dedicated design studios, collaboration spaces, and access to manufacturing facilities.

Office Location(s): The primary office location is Shaw Plant 19, 1010 VD Parrot Parkway, Dalton, GA 30720, USA. Dalton, Georgia, is known as a hub for the flooring industry, providing a rich ecosystem of suppliers, manufacturers, and industry professionals.

Workspace Context:

• The office environment is designed to foster collaboration, with opportunities for in-person brainstorming sessions, design reviews, and spontaneous interactions with colleagues from various departments.

• Access to essential design tools and technology, including advanced workstations, Adobe Creative Suite, and potentially 3D rendering software, will be available to support creative output.

• The physical proximity to manufacturing operations and other GTM functions (like product development and marketing) allows for direct observation, feedback, and a deeper understanding of the product lifecycle and operational realities.

Work Schedule: The work schedule is designed to balance in-office collaboration with personal flexibility. The hybrid model, with a requirement for four days in the office, allows for focused work on design tasks while ensuring consistent team interaction and participation in key meetings. The standard 8-hour workday is typical for a full-time position, allowing for structured work periods.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work model is a key aspect of this role, emphasizing the value Shaw Industries places on both focused individual work and collaborative team engagement. Proximity to manufacturing facilities offers a unique advantage for designers to understand production constraints and opportunities firsthand.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess qualifications, experience, and design aesthetic against the role requirements. Be prepared to highlight your most relevant projects.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion focused on your design philosophy, experience with Adobe Photoshop, understanding of trends, and how you translate insights into designs. Expect questions about your process for developing colorways and patterns.

• Design Challenge/Portfolio Presentation: You may be asked to present a curated selection of your portfolio, walking through 2-3 key projects that demonstrate your problem-solving skills, design process, and ability to meet commercial objectives. A specific design challenge related to hard-surface flooring could also be part of this stage.

• Cross-functional Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with members of Product Development, Marketing, and potentially Manufacturing teams to assess your collaboration style, communication skills, and ability to work within a GTM operational framework.

• Final Interview: Typically with senior leadership to discuss cultural fit, long-term career aspirations, and final alignment with the company's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your skills in Adobe Photoshop, color, pattern, and surface design, specifically for hard-surface applications if possible. Prioritize projects that demonstrate market awareness and commercial viability.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the brief, your design process, the challenges you overcame, the solutions you developed, and the potential impact on the business or market. Use visuals effectively to support your narrative.

• Highlight Photoshop Proficiency: Be ready to discuss specific techniques you used in Photoshop for image editing, pattern creation, or layout development.

• Demonstrate Trend Awareness: Show how you incorporate trend research and consumer insights into your designs.

• Address Manufacturing/Commercialization: If possible, include notes on how your designs consider material constraints, manufacturing processes, or retail channel requirements.

Challenge Preparation:

• Familiarize yourself with current trends in residential hard-surface flooring (e.g., wood looks, stone looks, patterns, color palettes).

• Practice creating design concepts quickly, focusing on translating a brief into visual ideas.

• Be prepared to articulate your design choices and justify them based on market research, consumer preferences, or manufacturing considerations.

• Think about how your design process integrates with broader product development and GTM operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes not only design talent but also the ability to function within a structured GTM operation. A strong portfolio that showcases commercial awareness and process thinking will be critical for success.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite (Advanced Proficiency): This is the core toolkit. Emphasis is placed on Adobe Photoshop for image editing, pattern development, layout creation, and color manipulation. Familiarity with other Adobe tools like Illustrator or InDesign may also be beneficial for asset creation.

• 3D Rendering Software (Preferred): While not explicitly required, proficiency in software like SketchUp, Rhino, or 3ds Max could be advantageous for visualizing hard-surface flooring in realistic environments, though not a primary focus of this role.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Trend Forecasting Platforms (e.g., WGSN, Trend Hunter): Experience in utilizing trend forecasting resources to gather insights and inform design directions.

• Internal Market Research Tools: Ability to interpret and utilize data from internal market research reports and competitive analysis.

CRM & Automation:

• Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Systems (Familiarity): Understanding how design assets and specifications are managed within PLM systems is beneficial for seamless handover to product development.

• Project Management Software (e.g., Asana, Trello, Jira): Experience using project management tools to track design tasks, deadlines, and collaborate with team members.

📝 Enhancement Note: The strong emphasis on Adobe Photoshop indicates that this is the primary technical requirement. While other design or project management tools are beneficial, proficiency in Photoshop is non-negotiable for this role. Understanding how design fits into broader PLM and GTM operational workflows is a plus.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation: A drive to explore new trends, materials, and design possibilities to keep Shaw's product offerings fresh and competitive in the market. This means embracing new design approaches and technologies.

• Collaboration: A strong emphasis on working effectively with cross-functional teams, including product development, manufacturing, and sourcing, to ensure designs are not only aesthetically pleasing but also practical and commercially viable. Open communication and feedback are key.

• Customer Focus: Designing with the end-user in mind, translating consumer insights and market needs into products that resonate with residential customers. This involves understanding target demographics and their preferences.

• Efficiency & Productivity: The ability to generate a high volume of design concepts and manage multiple projects simultaneously, while maintaining high quality standards, is valued. This aligns with the need for streamlined GTM processes.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Using market research, trend forecasting, and consumer insights to inform design choices, rather than relying solely on intuition.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Approach: Designers are expected to be active participants in the product development lifecycle, working closely with product managers and engineers from concept to commercialization.

• Feedback-Oriented: A culture where constructive feedback is regularly exchanged to refine designs and ensure alignment with business objectives.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of trend insights, material knowledge, and design best practices across the team and with other departments to foster continuous improvement and innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture at Shaw Industries appears to value a blend of creativity and operational rigor. Designers are expected to be both innovative and pragmatic, understanding the commercial realities and manufacturing constraints of their creative output. This collaborative, data-informed approach is critical for successful GTM operations.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Creativity with Commercial Viability: The primary challenge is to create innovative and trend-forward designs that also meet strict material, manufacturing, and cost constraints. This requires a deep understanding of the product development lifecycle.

• Rapid Trend Cycles: The home furnishings and flooring industries are influenced by fast-moving trends. Staying ahead of these trends and translating them into relevant product designs requires continuous research and adaptability.

• Global Collaboration: Effectively collaborating with international sourcing and manufacturing partners across different time zones and cultural contexts can present communication and logistical hurdles.

• High Volume of Concepts: The expectation to generate a large number of design concepts means managing time effectively and maintaining quality across numerous projects.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Software Training: Opportunities to deepen expertise in Adobe Photoshop and potentially explore new design software or 3D visualization tools.

• Industry Trend Immersion: Participation in trade shows, conferences, and workshops focused on interior design, materials, and manufacturing to stay abreast of industry advancements.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Gaining deeper insights into manufacturing processes, material science, and market analysis through close collaboration with other departments.

• Mentorship Programs: Potential to be mentored by senior designers or product development leaders, offering guidance on career growth and skill development.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents a dynamic challenge of bridging creative vision with operational realities. The growth opportunities are geared towards developing a well-rounded designer who understands the entire product lifecycle and its GTM implications.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for translating a consumer insight or trend report into a specific product design concept for hard-surface flooring." (Focus on your methodology, research, and ideation stages.)

• "How do you ensure your designs are not only aesthetically appealing but also manufacturable and commercially viable? Provide an example." (Highlight your understanding of materials, production, and market fit.)

• "Walk me through a project where you collaborated with product development or manufacturing teams. What were the key challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Emphasize your communication and problem-solving skills in a cross-functional setting.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Shaw Industries and our position in the residential flooring market?" (Research Shaw's brands, history, and recent product launches.)

• "How do you stay updated on design trends in the home furnishings or flooring industry?" (Mention specific resources like trend forecasting sites, publications, or trade shows.)

• "Describe a time you had to adapt your design based on feedback or technical constraints. How did you approach it?" (Show your flexibility and problem-solving attitude.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each selected project, clearly define the problem, your approach, the solutions, and the outcome. Use visual aids effectively.

• Highlight Photoshop Skills: Be prepared to speak about specific Photoshop techniques used in your projects, especially for pattern development, colorways, and image manipulation.

• Quantify Impact (If Possible): If you have data on how your designs performed (e.g., sales, market adoption), present it. Otherwise, articulate the potential commercial impact based on your understanding of the market.

• Showcase Process: Demonstrate your design process, including research, ideation, iteration, and collaboration. This shows your thinking beyond just the final artwork.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just design talent but also a strategic, process-oriented mindset that aligns with GTM operations. Be ready to discuss your workflow, collaboration, and understanding of market dynamics.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday link.

• Tailor your Resume: Highlight experience with Adobe Photoshop, pattern/surface design, trend forecasting, and cross-functional collaboration. Quantify achievements where possible (e.g., "Developed X concepts that led to Y new product introductions").

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 strong projects that best showcase your skills in hard-surface design, Adobe Photoshop proficiency, and understanding of commercial viability. Ensure clear project descriptions that outline your process and rationale.

• Prepare for Interview Questions: Practice answering strategy questions related to design process, collaboration, and market application. Be ready to present your portfolio and discuss your design philosophy.

• Research Shaw Industries: Understand their brands, market position, and recent product innovations to demonstrate genuine interest and cultural fit. Pay attention to their approach to product development and GTM strategy.

⚠️ 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.