Senior Product Designer, Digital - 12-month Contract

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer, Digital - 12-month Contract

Company: Indigo Books & Music

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Job Type: Full-time Contract

Category: Digital Product Design / UX/UI Design

Date Posted: 2026-08-07

Experience Level: 5+ Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end digital product design initiatives for Indigo's website, mobile app, and in-store kiosks.

• Translate customer and business challenges into production-ready, data-informed user experiences.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management, eCommerce, Retail, and Engineering teams to drive design strategy and execution.

• Utilize a strong understanding of UX/UI principles, visual craft, and data analysis to improve customer journeys and business outcomes.

• Focus on creating seamless and engaging customer experiences within the retail and e-commerce landscape.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is focused on digital product design within a retail context, requiring a blend of strategic thinking, hands-on execution, and a data-driven approach. The contract nature suggests a project-based need, likely involving specific digital transformation or enhancement initiatives.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• End-to-End Design Ownership: Lead the entire design lifecycle for digital products, from initial problem framing and exploration to detailed specifications and post-launch iteration.

• Customer Experience Improvement: Proactively identify and surface gaps, friction points, and unmet customer needs within the digital ecosystem, proposing actionable design solutions.

• Data-Informed Design Decisions: Partner with Product and eCommerce teams to define hypotheses, shape experiments, and leverage customer feedback, usability testing, and performance data to refine designs.

• Hands-On Design Execution: Create pixel-perfect designs and production-ready specifications using expert-level Figma skills, covering everything from minor UI adjustments to complex feature development.

• Stakeholder Alignment and Communication: Effectively present design concepts, articulate rationale, defend decisions under scrutiny, and guide cross-functional stakeholders toward clear decisions and next steps.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Product Managers and Engineering teams, understanding technical constraints and trade-offs to ensure feasible and high-quality implementation.

• Design System Contribution: Utilize, build, and extend design system components in Figma to ensure consistency and efficiency across all digital touchpoints.

• Quality and Standards: Uphold and elevate the team's design quality, provide constructive feedback, and help establish best practices that are adopted and maintained.

• Culture Contribution: Actively participate in design critiques, foster an open and constructive design culture, and contribute to a collaborative environment that encourages diverse perspectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "production-ready experiences" and "shipping alongside Engineering" indicates a need for a designer who can not only conceptualize but also execute designs that are readily implementable. The role requires a balance between strategic problem-solving and detailed execution.

ുകൾ Skills & Qualifications

Education: Post-secondary education in Product Design, UX Design, Visual Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field; equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: 5+ years of experience in product, UX, or digital design, with a strong portfolio showcasing visual craft, interaction detail, clear problem-solving, and successfully launched projects.

Required Skills:

• Expert Figma Proficiency: Mastery of Figma features including auto layout, components, variants, variables, and shared libraries.

• Visual & Interaction Craft: Exceptional eye for detail in typography, spacing, hierarchy, and creating intuitive user interactions.

• Design Systems Experience: Demonstrated ability to use, build, and extend design system components.

• Responsive Design Fluency: Deep understanding of responsive web and mobile design principles, including breakpoints, component states, error handling, and edge cases.

• Product Judgment: Sound ability to balance customer needs, business objectives, technical constraints, and project timelines.

• Research & Testing Acumen: Practical experience in conducting and utilizing usability testing and customer research to inform design decisions.

• Presentation & Facilitation: Strong skills in presenting design rationale, managing feedback, and driving consensus among stakeholders.

• Collaborative Mindset: Ability to partner effectively with Product and Engineering, understanding and navigating technical limitations.

• Self-Direction & Organization: Proven ability to manage multiple work streams, prioritize tasks, and drive projects forward with minimal supervision.

• HTML/CSS Fundamentals: Working knowledge of HTML and CSS to facilitate communication with developers and understand front-end constraints.

• Accessibility Standards: Proficiency in WCAG guidelines, keyboard navigation, focus states, semantic structure, color contrast, and screen reader compatibility.

• AI-Assisted Design Tools: Comfort using AI tools like Figma AI or Cursor for design exploration, prototyping, documentation, and production tasks.

Preferred Skills:

• Motion Design: Experience designing and prototyping purposeful motion, transitions, and micro-interactions.

• Front-End Development: Practical skills in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or Liquid, including experience with version-controlled workflows.

• Analytics Fluency: Experience with analytics tools such as Google Analytics 4 and Microsoft Clarity for user behavior analysis and performance measurement.

• Shopify Expertise: Working knowledge of Shopify theme structure (templates, sections, blocks, metafields, metaobjects) and platform design constraints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "pixel-perfect designs" and "expert-level Figma craft" highlights the expectation for high-fidelity execution. The emphasis on AI tools suggests an organization embracing modern design workflows.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrated Impact: Showcase a minimum of 5 years of product, UX, or digital design experience with a portfolio that clearly articulates the problem, your role, the design process, and the measurable impact of shipped work.

• Visual Craft & Interaction Detail: Include examples that highlight exceptional visual design skills and intricate interaction design.

• Problem-Solving: Present case studies that demonstrate a clear understanding of how you identified and solved customer and business challenges.

• Data-Informed Iteration: Provide examples of how you used data, research, or testing to refine designs and improve outcomes.

• E-commerce/Retail Focus: Prioritize projects within consumer-facing digital products, ideally from e-commerce, transactional environments, or retail sectors.

Process Documentation:

• End-to-End Project Walkthroughs: Detail the entire design process from problem definition, user research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, high-fidelity design, to implementation support and post-launch iteration.

• Design System Integration: Illustrate how you have utilized or contributed to design systems, showcasing component usage, creation, and extension.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Describe your process for collaborating with Product Management and Engineering, including how you navigate technical constraints and ensure successful implementation.

• Data & Analytics Integration: Explain how you incorporate data, analytics, and user feedback into your design process for continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is explicitly stated as a requirement for application. Candidates should prepare to showcase a range of projects that demonstrate both strategic thinking and tactical execution, with a clear emphasis on tangible results and a data-driven approach.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: CAD $110,000 - $130,000 annually.

Benefits: As a 12-month contract position, standard benefits packages may differ from permanent roles. It is typical for contract roles to offer competitive hourly rates or a salary within the stated range, and potentially access to certain company perks. Specific benefits will be detailed upon offer.

Working Hours: Full-time, likely aligning with standard business hours in Toronto (e.g., 9 AM - 5 PM EST), with an expectation of 40 hours per week. Flexibility may be offered, but the role is primarily on-site.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is specific to the Toronto market for a Senior Product Designer role with 5+ years of experience in a specialized digital/e-commerce context. This range is benchmarked against similar roles in the region, considering the contract nature and the required skill set.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Retail (Books, Lifestyle Products) with a significant digital presence. Indigo operates as a hybrid physical and digital retailer, focusing on books, home décor, and lifestyle products. This dual nature means the digital design team must bridge the gap between online and in-store customer experiences.

Company Size: Indigo Books & Music is a large, established Canadian retailer. While the exact size of the digital design team isn't specified, it operates within a significant organization, implying access to resources and a structured environment.

Founded: Indigo Books & Music was founded in 1996. The company has evolved from a bookstore chain to a lifestyle brand, indicating a culture that embraces growth and adaptation.

Team Structure:

• Digital Product Design Team: Reports to the Director, Digital Product Design. This team is responsible for the user experience and interface design across all of Indigo's digital platforms.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The Senior Product Designer will work closely with Product Management, eCommerce, Retail Operations, Marketing, and IT Development teams. This collaborative structure is essential for creating a cohesive customer journey.

• Reporting Hierarchy: The role reports to the Director, Digital Product Design, with the Chief Customer Officer as a senior stakeholder (Manager once Removed - MOR).

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: A core principle is to be "Data Driven" and utilize "System Thinking." Designs are expected to be informed by customer feedback, usability testing, and performance metrics.

• Human-Centered & AI Enabled: The company emphasizes a human-centered approach, augmented by AI tools to enhance efficiency and innovation in design and development processes.

• Agile/Iterative Development: The focus on "launch and iteration" and "improving them through testing, research, and performance data" suggests an agile or iterative development methodology.

Company Website: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/

📝 Enhancement Note: Indigo's guiding principles emphasize hiring top talent, customer centricity, data-driven approaches, and a commitment to caring for people and the environment. This suggests a company culture that values both performance and a positive impact.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Senior Product Designer, indicating a high level of expertise and autonomy. It requires not just execution skills but also the ability to lead design initiatives, influence stakeholders, and mentor junior designers (implicitly through setting standards).

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer reports directly to the Director, Digital Product Design. This provides a clear line of reporting and mentorship within the design function. Collaboration with Product Management and Engineering is also a key aspect of the daily work structure.

Operations Impact: The Senior Product Designer's work directly impacts customer acquisition, engagement, conversion rates, and overall customer satisfaction across Indigo's digital platforms. By improving user experiences, they contribute significantly to revenue generation and brand loyalty in both the e-commerce and integrated retail environments.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Deepening: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specialized areas like e-commerce UX, mobile app design, design systems, and AI-assisted design workflows.

• Leadership Exposure: Gain experience leading design projects and influencing product strategy, which can pave the way for future Lead or Managerial roles in design.

• Cross-Functional Acumen: Develop a strong understanding of business operations, retail strategy, and engineering processes through close collaboration with various departments.

• Contract to Permanent Potential: While a 12-month contract, successful performance could lead to opportunities for permanent roles within Indigo's digital team, depending on business needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this is a contract role, the "Senior" title and the scope of responsibilities suggest significant growth potential and the chance to make a substantial impact, which can be leveraged for future career advancement.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as On-site in Toronto, Ontario. This indicates a traditional office setting where collaboration and in-person interaction are prioritized.

Office Location(s): 620 King Street West, Toronto, ON M6K 0C6, Canada. This is a central urban location, suggesting a dynamic work environment with potential access to amenities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The on-site nature implies access to shared workspaces, meeting rooms, and informal areas conducive to brainstorming and team collaboration.

• Tools and Technology: Expect access to standard office equipment and potentially dedicated design software licenses (e.g., Figma). The company's commitment to AI tools suggests modern technology integration.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for direct interaction with design team members, Product Managers, Engineers, and other stakeholders, fostering a dynamic and communicative atmosphere.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, typically 40 hours per week, with primary work expected during standard business hours in the Toronto time zone (America/Toronto). While on-site, there might be some flexibility, but the core expectation is presence in the office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement suggests a preference for in-person collaboration and team synergy, which can be beneficial for complex design projects requiring frequent communication and quick feedback loops.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Application Submission: A portfolio is mandatory for application. Ensure your portfolio is up-to-date, showcases relevant experience, and is easily accessible.

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio to assess experience, skill alignment, and cultural fit.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: Candidates may be asked to complete a design exercise or present a case study from their portfolio, focusing on problem-solving, design process, and rationale.

• Hiring Manager/Team Interviews: Interviews with the Director, Digital Product Design, and potentially other design team members or key stakeholders (Product, Engineering) to assess technical skills, collaboration style, and strategic thinking.

• Final Round: Potentially a final interview with senior leadership to discuss overall fit and impact.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight End-to-End Ownership: Clearly demonstrate your role and contributions from problem definition through to launch and iteration.

• Showcase Problem-Solving: Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or similar frameworks to articulate the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, include metrics and data to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., conversion rate increases, reduction in support tickets, improved user satisfaction scores).

• Figma Mastery: Include examples that showcase your advanced Figma skills, such as complex component systems, auto layout usage, and responsive design implementations.

• Data & Research Integration: Explain how you incorporated user research, usability testing, and performance data into your design decisions.

• Accessibility & Inclusivity: Showcase projects where accessibility was a key consideration.

• Tailor to Indigo: If possible, include a project that demonstrates understanding of the retail or e-commerce space, or how your design principles align with Indigo's brand.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Indigo's Business: Research Indigo's current digital presence, target audience, and competitive landscape.

• Focus on Retail UX: Be prepared to discuss common challenges and best practices in e-commerce and retail UX.

• Articulate Your Process: Be ready to walk through your design process for a specific project, explaining your decisions at each stage.

• Data & Metrics: Prepare to discuss how you measure the success of your designs and how you use data to iterate.

• Technical Constraints: Consider how you would work with developers to balance design vision with technical feasibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The mandatory portfolio requirement underscores its critical importance. Candidates should curate their portfolio to directly address the skills and responsibilities outlined in the job description, with a strong emphasis on demonstrable results and a data-driven approach.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for design, prototyping, and design system management. Expect expert-level proficiency required, including advanced features like auto layout, components, variants, variables, and shared libraries.

• AI-Assisted Design Tools: Comfort with tools like Figma AI and Cursor for accelerating exploration, prototyping, documentation, and production workflows.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Google Analytics 4 (GA4): Preferred for understanding customer behavior, identifying friction points, and measuring the impact of design changes on website performance.

• Microsoft Clarity: A complementary tool for user behavior analysis, potentially offering session recordings and heatmaps.

CRM & Automation: While not explicitly mentioned for the designer, understanding how designs integrate with CRM and automation platforms might be beneficial for context.

Web Technologies:

• HTML & CSS: Working knowledge is required for effective communication with developers and understanding front-end constraints.

• Shopify (Preferred): Familiarity with Shopify's theme structure (templates, sections, blocks, metafields, metaobjects) is a plus, indicating a potential use of this platform for their e-commerce site.

• Liquid (Preferred): Knowledge of Shopify's templating language.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is paramount. Familiarity with analytics tools and e-commerce platforms like Shopify will be a significant advantage, demonstrating an understanding of the broader digital ecosystem Indigo operates within.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Data-Driven: Decisions are expected to be informed by evidence, analytics, and user research, rather than solely by intuition.

• Customer-Centric: A strong focus on understanding and meeting customer needs to create exceptional experiences.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Encouraging strong working relationships with Product, Engineering, and other departments to deliver cohesive solutions.

• Continuous Improvement: A commitment to iterating and refining designs based on feedback and performance data.

• Human-Centered & AI Enabled: Balancing human empathy and creativity with the efficiency and innovation offered by AI technologies.

• Kindness & Caring: Reflecting Indigo's broader company values of caring for each other and the community.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The role requires seamless collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, eCommerce, and Marketing teams to ensure alignment and integrated solutions.

• Feedback Culture: An environment where constructive feedback is regularly exchanged, and designers are expected to give and receive it openly to elevate the quality of work.

• Shared Ownership: Encouraging a sense of shared responsibility for product success across different functional teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's guiding principles, such as "Customer Centric," "Data Driven," and "Human-Centered and AI Enabled," directly inform the expected team culture and values for operations professionals.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Navigating competing priorities and perspectives from Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Retail teams to achieve optimal design outcomes.

• Data Interpretation: Effectively translating complex data sets and analytics into actionable design insights and improvements.

• Technical Constraints: Working within the limitations of existing platforms (potentially Shopify) and development capabilities while striving for innovative solutions.

• Pace of a Contract Role: Delivering high-quality work within a defined 12-month timeframe, requiring efficient project management and rapid iteration.

• Bridging Digital and Physical: Designing experiences that seamlessly connect the online and in-store customer journeys for a hybrid retailer.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• E-commerce & Retail Specialization: Deepen expertise in the unique challenges and opportunities within the retail and e-commerce digital space.

• Advanced Figma & Design Systems: Further hone skills in leveraging advanced Figma features and contributing to robust design systems.

• AI in Design: Gain practical experience and insights into how AI tools can augment the design process.

• Cross-Functional Acumen: Broaden understanding of business operations, product strategy, and technical development through close collaboration.

• Portfolio Enhancement: Successfully completing impactful projects within a contracted period can significantly enhance a designer's professional portfolio and future career prospects.

📝 Enhancement Note: This contract role presents an excellent opportunity to tackle specific, high-impact projects within a well-known retail brand, offering a chance to gain specialized experience and build a strong portfolio.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led a product design initiative from initial concept to successful launch. What was your process, and what were the key outcomes?" (Focus on end-to-end ownership, problem-solving, and impact.)

• "How do you incorporate data and user research into your design process? Can you provide an example where data significantly changed your design direction?" (Demonstrate data-driven approach and analytical skills.)

• "Imagine you need to design a new feature for Indigo's mobile app that aims to increase customer loyalty. How would you approach this problem, considering business goals, technical constraints, and user needs?" (Assess product thinking, strategic approach, and problem-solving methodology.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Indigo Books & Music, and how do you see your design philosophy aligning with our guiding principles?" (Show research into the company and understanding of its values.)

• "How do you handle constructive criticism or disagreement on design decisions from stakeholders or team members?" (Assess collaboration style and ability to handle feedback.)

• "How do you ensure your designs are accessible and inclusive for all users?" (Evaluate understanding of accessibility standards and commitment to inclusive design.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your role, the process, the solutions, and the measurable results. Use visuals effectively.

• Highlight Figma Expertise: Be ready to demonstrate specific Figma techniques you used, such as complex component systems, auto layout, or responsive design setups.

• Quantify Impact: Present metrics and data points that showcase the success and ROI of your design work.

• Articulate Trade-offs: Discuss any technical constraints or difficult decisions you had to make and how you navigated them.

• Showcase Collaboration: Explain how you worked with Product and Engineering teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to discuss your experience with Figma in detail, as it's a primary tool. Be ready to articulate your design process and how you leverage data and research to drive decisions, aligning with Indigo's stated values.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit a Comprehensive Portfolio: This is a mandatory requirement. Ensure your portfolio clearly showcases your visual craft, interaction design, problem-solving abilities, and demonstrable impact from shipped work. Prioritize e-commerce or consumer-facing digital product examples.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 5+ years of relevant experience, proficiency in Figma, design systems, responsive design, and any experience with analytics tools or e-commerce platforms like Shopify.

• Prepare Case Study Presentations: Be ready to walk through 1-2 key projects from your portfolio, focusing on your process, decision-making, collaboration, and quantifiable results.

• Research Indigo: Understand Indigo's brand, mission, guiding principles, and current digital offerings to articulate your alignment and interest effectively.

• Anticipate Design Challenges: Consider how you would approach common design problems in retail/e-commerce and be prepared to discuss your methodology.

⚠️ 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.

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