Senior Designer, Branded UI Visual Design

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Designer, Branded UI Visual Design

Company: General Motors

Location: Warren, Michigan, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: UI/UX Design & Visual Operations

Date Posted: 2026-06-11

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the visual design and delivery of complex in-vehicle digital experiences across multiple platforms including digital instrument clusters, touchscreens, and head-up displays.

• Translate user needs, brand identity, and technical specifications into intuitive, visually compelling, and customer-centered user interfaces.

• Lead design reviews, establish visual quality benchmarks, and effectively communicate design rationale to a diverse range of cross-functional stakeholders.

• Act as a visual craft leader, mentoring junior designers and elevating the overall design quality and consistency across product surfaces.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title specifies "Branded UI Visual Design," the responsibilities clearly indicate a strong emphasis on user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design within the automotive context. The role requires not just aesthetic appeal but also functional design rooted in user-centered principles and technical feasibility. The "operations" aspect comes from the systematic delivery, documentation, and cross-functional collaboration required to bring these complex digital interfaces to life within a large organization like GM.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the end-to-end design development and delivery process for assigned in-vehicle digital product areas.

• Develop compelling visual design concepts, mood boards, UI assets, interactive prototypes, and production-ready graphics for sophisticated digital interfaces.

• Synthesize complex user requirements, brand guidelines, business objectives, and technical limitations into elegant, intuitive, and visually refined design solutions.

• Facilitate and lead design critique sessions, set rigorous visual quality standards, and articulate design decisions clearly to engineering, product management, and other cross-functional partners.

• Ensure visual consistency and premium user experience quality across various digital surfaces and screen sizes by fostering alignment among design, engineering, and related teams.

• Leverage user research, usability findings, performance data, and stakeholder feedback to continuously enhance visual clarity, UI usability, and overall customer outcomes.

• Serve as a subject matter expert and mentor in visual design craft, providing constructive feedback and guidance to junior designers to elevate team capabilities.

• Produce precise, well-documented, and development-ready design files, specifications, and supporting materials to facilitate efficient handoff and collaboration with development teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a "senior" level expectation, emphasizing ownership, leadership in design reviews, and mentoring. The focus on "delivery" and "production-ready design files" points to a need for operational rigor in the design process, ensuring designs are not only creative but also implementable.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Visual Design, Graphic Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Interaction Design, or a closely related discipline.

Experience: Minimum of 5 years of dedicated experience in designing digital user interfaces for complex product ecosystems, with a strong preference for automotive, embedded systems, or mobile applications.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in UI visualization, visual communication, digital design, and user experience (UX) design principles, with a proven ability to create intuitive and customer-centric interfaces.

• Proven experience leading design initiatives from ideation through to production for complex digital products or integrated systems.

• Proficiency in creating comprehensive design artifacts including sketches, wireframes, mockups, interactive prototypes, and detailed presentations.

• Mastery of industry-standard design and prototyping tools such as Sketch, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator.

• Ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy, exercise sound judgment, and effectively tackle ambiguous or non-standard design challenges.

• Exceptional collaboration and communication skills, with a history of successful cross-functional teamwork.

• Experience in presenting design rationales and influencing decision-making processes with diverse stakeholder groups and project partners. Preferred Skills:

• Over 7 years of experience specifically designing automotive digital interfaces or complex digital products across multiple screen types and form factors.

• Experience contributing to the development of brand-forward digital experiences, including the creation of visual languages, comprehensive brand systems, or robust interface design systems.

• A strong portfolio showcasing advanced visual craft, sophisticated taste level, polished interaction design, and a deep understanding of systems thinking.

• Demonstrated ability to balance high-caliber visual design with strong UX principles to craft clear, intuitive, and user-friendly customer experiences.

• Familiarity with prototyping tools, motion design principles, animation techniques, or interaction storytelling for enhanced user engagement.

• Experience applying insights from usability testing, heuristic evaluations, or customer feedback to iteratively refine design solutions.

• Understanding of the product development lifecycle for digital products, embedded systems, or automotive-specific development processes.

• Proven experience in mentoring junior designers and actively contributing to raising the overall design quality and expertise within a team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Required Skills" emphasize foundational design competencies and tool proficiency. The "Preferred Skills" highlight advanced capabilities like systems thinking, brand system development, and mentorship, which are critical for a senior role and indicate a need for candidates who can operate at a strategic level within GM's design operations.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 2-3 distinct projects demonstrating end-to-end UI/UX design ownership, from initial concept to final production-ready assets.

• Include examples of visual design explorations, wireframes, interactive prototypes, and final polished UI assets for complex digital interfaces.

• Highlight your role and contributions within each project, emphasizing problem-solving, design rationale, and the impact of your design decisions.

• Present clear documentation of design specifications and handoff materials prepared for engineering teams. Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate experience in documenting design processes, including workflow diagrams, user journey maps, and design system components.

• Provide examples of how you've translated user research and usability findings into actionable design improvements.

• Showcase instances where you've collaborated with engineering to define and refine design implementation processes for digital products.

• Include evidence of how you've managed design assets and specifications for efficient integration into development pipelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Designer role, a portfolio is critical for demonstrating not just visual output but also the process and operational rigor behind it. This section emphasizes the need for candidates to show how they manage design projects, collaborate with engineering, and ensure successful implementation, which are key aspects of design operations.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior UI/UX Designers in the automotive sector in Michigan, a competitive salary range is estimated to be between $110,000 - $150,000 annually. This estimate accounts for the required 5+ years of experience, the senior level, and the specific industry demands.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• Retirement savings plan with company match (e.g., 401(k)).

• Paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.

• Employee vehicle discount programs and lease options.

• Opportunities for professional development, training, and continuing education.

• Access to GM's Total Rewards program, offering a wide array of benefits and perks.

Working Hours: Standard full-time position, typically 40 hours per week. The hybrid work arrangement allows for flexibility, with 3 days per week expected in the Warren, MI office and the remaining 2 days remote.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on publicly available data for similar roles in the automotive industry and geographic location. The benefits listed are standard for large corporations like General Motors and are tailored to what operations professionals typically value for work-life balance and career support.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Automotive Manufacturing and Technology. GM is a global leader focused on a future of "Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions, and Zero Congestion," driving innovation in electric vehicles, autonomous driving, and connected car technologies. This industry context means a fast-paced, technologically driven environment with a strong emphasis on safety, quality, and customer experience.

Company Size: Large Enterprise (10,000+ employees). This scale implies structured processes, extensive resources, and opportunities for specialization, but also requires strong organizational skills and the ability to navigate complex corporate environments.

Founded: 1908. With over a century of history, GM has a deep-rooted legacy in automotive innovation, now actively transforming into a technology company. This long history provides a foundation of stability and expertise, while the current transformation signals a forward-thinking, agile mindset.

Team Structure:

• The Human Interface Design - Vehicle Studio is likely a specialized team within GM's broader design organization, focused specifically on in-vehicle digital experiences.

• The Senior Designer will report to a Design Manager or Director, with direct collaboration across multiple product teams, software engineering, UX research, and product management.

• Cross-functional collaboration is paramount, requiring close partnerships with teams responsible for software development, hardware integration, brand marketing, and user research to ensure cohesive product delivery. Methodology:

• Data-driven design decisions, incorporating user research, usability testing, and performance analytics to inform visual and UX strategies.

• Agile and iterative design processes, adapting to evolving requirements and feedback throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Emphasis on systematic documentation and clear handoff procedures to ensure efficient collaboration between design and engineering teams.

• A strong focus on brand consistency and visual quality, ensuring all digital interfaces align with GM's premium brand identity.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding GM's scale and its current strategic shift towards electrification and autonomy is crucial. This context informs the operational challenges and opportunities within the design team, highlighting the need for designers who can adapt to rapid technological changes and contribute to a future-oriented vision.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: L7 - Senior Designer. This level signifies a seasoned professional expected to operate with significant autonomy, lead design initiatives, and mentor others. The role demands not only strong individual contribution but also the ability to influence design direction and processes within the team and across projects.

Reporting Structure: The role typically reports to a Design Manager or Director within the Human Interface Design team. This structure provides leadership oversight and strategic direction while allowing for independent execution on design projects.

Operations Impact: This role directly impacts customer perception and satisfaction by shaping critical in-vehicle digital touchpoints. High-quality, intuitive visual design operations contribute to brand loyalty, user safety, and the overall success of GM's vehicle offerings in a competitive market. The efficiency and clarity of design handoffs also directly influence development timelines and product quality.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas like automotive HMI design systems, motion graphics for interfaces, or accessibility standards for digital products.

• Leadership: Progress to a Lead Designer or Design Manager role, taking on greater responsibility for team management, project strategy, and cross-functional leadership.

• Cross-Functional Expansion: Move into roles focusing on product management, UX strategy, or design operations management within GM's technology or design divisions.

• Skill Development: Access GM's extensive learning and development programs, including workshops, conferences, and online courses, to continually enhance design and technical skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "L7" designation clearly places this role in a senior individual contributor or early leadership track. The growth opportunities provided are typical for large organizations, emphasizing both vertical progression and lateral movement into related operational or strategic roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work environment, with a requirement to be present in the Warren, MI office 3 days per week. This setup aims to balance the benefits of in-person collaboration, spontaneous ideation, and team cohesion with the flexibility and focus of remote work.

Office Location(s): GM Global Technical Center - Design Center, Warren, Michigan. This location is a hub for GM's design and engineering innovation, offering a collaborative environment with access to cutting-edge facilities and fellow designers, engineers, and researchers.

Workspace Context:

• The Design Center likely fosters a collaborative atmosphere with dedicated design studios, presentation rooms, and communal spaces for brainstorming and team interaction.

• Access to advanced design tools, hardware for testing interfaces, and potentially VR/AR labs for immersive design experiences.

• Opportunities for frequent interaction with a diverse team of designers, researchers, software engineers, and product managers, promoting cross-pollination of ideas and problem-solving.

Work Schedule: Standard 40-hour work week. While the core hours are expected, the hybrid model offers some flexibility in managing workdays between the office and remote settings, allowing for focused deep work or collaborative sessions as needed.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key aspect of the work environment. For operations professionals, understanding how this impacts collaboration, communication flow, and access to resources is important. The Warren Design Center implies a dedicated and well-equipped workspace for design innovation.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your resume and portfolio to assess basic qualifications and alignment with the role.

• Portfolio Presentation & Interview: Expect a session where you present your portfolio, discussing key projects, your design process, problem-solving approaches, and the impact of your work. This will likely be followed by behavioral and situational questions.

• Skills Assessment/Design Challenge: A practical design exercise or case study may be assigned to evaluate your visual design skills, problem-solving abilities, and approach to specific design challenges relevant to automotive UI.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: You may meet with other designers, engineers, or product managers to assess your collaboration style, communication skills, and cultural fit within the team.

• Final Interview: A discussion with senior leadership to confirm alignment with company values and strategic objectives.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest, most relevant projects that showcase your visual design craft, UX problem-solving, and experience with complex digital interfaces. Prioritize automotive or embedded system projects if possible.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role and process, design decisions made, challenges overcome, and the measurable outcomes or impact. Use visuals effectively to guide the narrative.

• Highlight Operations: Emphasize how you managed design deliverables, collaborated with engineering, documented specifications, and ensured successful implementation. Showcase your understanding of the production pipeline.

• Visual Craft is Key: Ensure your portfolio is visually polished, demonstrating high taste level, attention to detail, and a strong command of visual hierarchy, typography, color, and iconography.

• Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design process, how you handle feedback, your experience with specific tools, and how you approach ambiguity.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a design challenge, ensure you fully grasp the user needs, business goals, and technical constraints provided.

• Focus on Process: Demonstrate a clear, logical design process, even in a time-constrained scenario. Outline your steps and reasoning.

• Visualize Solutions: Create clear wireframes or mockups to communicate your proposed solutions effectively, even if they are low-fidelity.

• Articulate Rationale: Be prepared to explain the "why" behind your design choices, linking them back to user needs and project objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview and portfolio review process for a senior design role at a major corporation like GM will be rigorous. Emphasis is placed on not just the final output but the strategic thinking, problem-solving process, and operational execution behind it.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Sketch: For vector-based UI design, creating layouts, symbols, and reusable components.

• Adobe Photoshop: For raster image editing, asset creation, and complex visual manipulations.

• Adobe Illustrator: For vector graphics, icon creation, and detailed illustration work.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly mentioned for designers, familiarity with how design impacts user engagement metrics (e.g., conversion rates, task completion times) is beneficial. Understanding data feedback loops is part of the operations. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the designer's daily toolset, but understanding how design integrates into product development workflows and release cycles is essential.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specified tools (Sketch, Adobe Suite) are industry standards for UI/UX visual design. The emphasis on "production-ready design files, specifications, and documentation" implies a need for designers to be meticulous in their file organization and output, which is a key operational aspect of design delivery.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of the customer through intuitive and engaging digital experiences.

• Excellence in Craft: A dedication to high visual quality, attention to detail, and polished execution in all design deliverables.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Valuing open communication, constructive feedback, and shared ownership across cross-functional teams.

• Innovation & Transformation: Embracing new technologies and design approaches to drive the future of automotive mobility.

• Data-Informed Decisions: Utilizing research, analytics, and feedback to guide design choices and measure impact.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Proactive engagement with engineering, product management, and research teams to ensure design solutions are feasible, user-centered, and aligned with business goals.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: Openness to constructive criticism and a willingness to iterate on designs based on feedback from peers, stakeholders, and user testing.

• Knowledge Sharing: A culture of sharing best practices, design trends, and lessons learned to collectively elevate the team's capabilities and efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: GM's stated values ("Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions, Zero Congestion") and the emphasis on inclusion suggest a culture that is mission-driven, forward-thinking, and people-focused. For a design operations role, this translates to a need for designers who can contribute to a collaborative environment and align their work with these overarching company goals.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Brand and Usability: Harmonizing GM's established brand identity with the functional requirements of complex, safety-critical in-vehicle interfaces. This requires careful visual design and UX strategy.

• Technical Constraints: Designing within the limitations of embedded systems, varying screen resolutions, and real-time performance demands of automotive electronics.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Navigating diverse priorities and perspectives among engineering, software, product, and marketing teams to achieve cohesive design outcomes.

• Evolving Technology Landscape: Keeping pace with rapid advancements in automotive technology, including electrification, autonomous driving, and new in-car digital services, and translating these into user experiences.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Tool Training: Opportunities to master new features or advanced techniques in industry-standard design software.

• Industry Conferences & Workshops: Access to events focused on automotive design, UX, HMI, and emerging technologies.

• Internal Mentorship Programs: Guidance from senior designers and leaders within GM's extensive design organization.

• System Design Training: Development in creating and maintaining comprehensive design systems for scalable and consistent digital products.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to designing within a large, innovative, and technically complex industry like automotive. The growth opportunities are structured to support continuous learning and career advancement within GM's vast organization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for designing a complex digital interface from concept to production. How do you ensure visual consistency and user-friendliness across multiple screens?" (Focus on process, user-centered design, and operational handoff.)

• "How do you approach balancing brand identity with functional requirements and technical constraints in your visual design work?" (Highlight your problem-solving approach and understanding of trade-offs.)

• "Walk us through a project where you had to influence stakeholders or cross-functional teams to adopt your design vision. What was your strategy, and what was the outcome?" (Demonstrate communication, negotiation, and leadership skills.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about designing for the automotive industry, and specifically for General Motors' vision of 'Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions, Zero Congestion'?" (Show genuine interest and alignment with GM's mission.)

• "How do you approach collaboration within a hybrid work environment, and what are your strategies for effective communication with remote and in-office team members?" (Address adaptability and effective teamwork.)

• "How do you measure the success of your visual design work, and how do you incorporate data and user feedback into your design process?" (Emphasize data-driven design and continuous improvement.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: Organize your presentation logically, typically starting with an overview, followed by detailed project case studies, and concluding with your core design philosophy and skills.

• Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem statement, your specific contributions, the design process undertaken, the rationale behind key decisions, and the tangible outcomes or lessons learned. Quantify impact where possible.

• Showcase Visual Craft: Ensure your visual examples are high-quality and clearly demonstrate your aesthetic sensibility, attention to detail, and mastery of visual design principles.

• Explain Your Process: Be prepared to discuss your design methodology, how you use tools, and how you collaborate with others. Highlight your operational approach to design delivery.

• Engage Your Audience: Be enthusiastic, confident, and ready to answer questions thoughtfully. Treat it as a collaborative discussion rather than a one-way presentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation focuses on demonstrating not only design talent but also the strategic thinking, operational rigor, and collaborative skills expected of a senior designer in a large enterprise. The portfolio presentation is a critical component, requiring a narrative that highlights process, impact, and operational execution.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Designer position at General Motors:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday link, ensuring all sections are completed accurately.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects demonstrating complex digital interface design, strong visual craft, and experience with automotive or embedded systems. Emphasize your role in the end-to-end design process and documentation.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly articulate your 5+ years of relevant experience, proficiency in Sketch, Adobe Photoshop, and Illustrator, and any experience with design systems or automotive UI. Quantify achievements and responsibilities where possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on explaining your design process, rationale, and the operational aspects of your work. Prepare to discuss your approach to collaboration, problem-solving, and adapting to new technologies.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with General Motors' current initiatives, particularly in electric vehicles, autonomous technology, and their overall brand vision. Understand their commitment to innovation and customer experience.

⚠️ 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.