Senior Shopify Web Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Shopify Web Designer

Company: KittySpout

Location: Brasília, Brazil (Remote)

Job Type: CONTRACTOR

Category: Web Design & E-commerce Operations

Date Posted: 2026-11-03

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead a comprehensive website revamp for two premium DTC pet brands, focusing on elevating brand perception and conversion rates.

• Develop and implement a scalable Figma design system, ensuring mobile-first responsiveness and distinct brand identities.

• Collaborate closely with the Head of Brand & Community and CRO Lead to integrate conversion-led design principles and AI-driven workflows.

• Design signature sections and templates that can be extended by AI tools, ensuring brand consistency and long-term scalability.

• Drive significant impact on revenue growth from $50M+ to $100M+ by enhancing the online customer experience and optimizing conversion funnels.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is highly focused on the intersection of e-commerce operations, brand elevation, and conversion rate optimization (CRO). The emphasis on AI-first design and creating an extendable Figma design system points to a need for a designer who can not only create beautiful interfaces but also build foundational assets for rapid, scalable growth within a lean, fast-paced DTC environment. The role requires a strong understanding of Shopify's ecosystem and conversion principles specific to e-commerce.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Brand Direction & Visual Elevation: Review existing brand guidelines, competitor landscapes, and website performance to present 2-3 distinct web design directions for each of the two DTC pet brands within the first two weeks, with final selection by the CEO and Head of Brand & Community.

• Figma Design System Development: Architect and build a comprehensive, mobile-first web design system in Figma, encompassing typography, color palettes, spacing, reusable components, and signature section templates for both brands, ensuring clear distinction and brand integrity.

• Signature Section Design: Design 8-10 unique, high-converting signature sections per brand (e.g., hero banners, product benefits, social proof, bundle offers, brand story modules) for both mobile and desktop views.

• Conversion-Led Design Implementation: Ensure every designed section adheres to conversion best practices, including clear visual hierarchy, singular primary calls-to-action, prominent benefit articulation, social proof integration, and thumb-friendly mobile layouts. Collaborate with the CRO Lead to launch major new sections as A/B split tests.

• AI-Extendable Asset Creation: Develop clean Figma files, establish simple usage rules (do's, don'ts, and examples), and prepare necessary digital assets for seamless handover to the internal web team, enabling them to extend the design system using AI tools.

• Post-Launch Quality Assurance: Review and approve built pages against the approved designs before launch, and provide feedback on the first new sections built by the team using the AI-extended system to ensure brand consistency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strategic approach to web design, moving beyond static page creation to building a scalable design framework. The emphasis on conversion, AI integration, and collaboration with CRO indicates a performance-driven role critical to the company's growth objectives. The requirement to "build on current branding" and "make the look and feel more unique, more elevated" suggests a nuanced understanding of brand evolution rather than a complete rebrand.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong educational foundation in graphic design, web design, UX/UI design, or a related field is expected, demonstrated through a compelling portfolio.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in web design, with a significant portion focused on e-commerce platforms.

• Proven track record of elevating existing e-commerce brands, making their websites more premium and distinctive without compromising core functionality or brand identity.

• Experience working with direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands is highly advantageous. Required Skills:

• Shopify Expertise: Deep understanding of the Shopify platform, its theming capabilities, and best practices for e-commerce design within the ecosystem.

• Figma Proficiency: Advanced skills in Figma for wireframing, prototyping, UI design, and building comprehensive design systems.

• AI-First Design: Demonstrated, daily experience using AI tools for image generation, layout exploration, and rapid asset production to accelerate the design process.

• Conversion-Led Design: Strong grasp of conversion rate optimization (CRO) principles, including visual hierarchy, call-to-action design, persuasive copywriting elements, and user journey mapping.

• Mobile-First Design: Expertise in designing responsive websites that prioritize the mobile user experience, ensuring seamless functionality and aesthetics across all devices.

• Design Systems: Proven ability to create clear, well-documented, and extendable design systems that empower developers and AI tools to maintain consistency.

• E-commerce Design: Extensive experience designing live e-commerce websites that are visually appealing, user-friendly, and performant.

• Brand Strategy Acumen: Ability to interpret and build upon existing brand guidelines to create a more unique, premium, and distinctive brand presentation.

• English Fluency: Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience within the pet industry or with pet brands.

• Familiarity with A/B testing methodologies and data analysis for design iteration.

• Experience collaborating with remote, cross-functional teams.

• Understanding of web development principles to facilitate smoother handoffs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "AI-First Design" and building an "AI-extendable" Figma system is a critical differentiator. Candidates should be prepared to showcase how they leverage AI in their daily workflow and how their design systems are structured to facilitate AI-driven content generation and page building post-handover. This goes beyond traditional UI/UX skills into a more modern, efficient design operations paradigm.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Live E-commerce Sites: A robust portfolio featuring live e-commerce websites, with a strong preference for Shopify implementations, showcasing exceptional taste, creativity, and a modern aesthetic that surpasses typical Shopify designs.

• Brand Elevation Case Studies: Specific examples demonstrating the ability to take established e-commerce brands and elevate their online presence to a more premium and distinctive look and feel, detailing the process and outcomes.

• Design System Examples: Showcase instances where a design system was created, highlighting its structure, components, and scalability, particularly how it facilitates consistency and rapid development.

• AI-Powered Design Process: Include examples or explanations of how AI tools were integrated into the design workflow, demonstrating accelerated ideation, asset creation, or layout exploration.

• Conversion-Focused Designs: Highlight specific pages or sections designed with conversion principles in mind, explaining the rationale behind design choices (e.g., CTA placement, benefit articulation, user flow optimization).

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Evidence of designing efficient workflows, particularly in the context of web design projects, including how feedback is incorporated and iterations are managed.

• System Implementation & Documentation: Examples of documented design systems with clear usage rules, component libraries, and guidelines that enable other team members or tools (like AI) to extend and maintain them.

• Measurement & Performance Analysis: Demonstrations of how design decisions are informed by or impact key performance indicators (KPIs) such as conversion rates, revenue per visitor, and user engagement, ideally through case studies that include split-test results or performance data.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is paramount for this role. Candidates must clearly articulate their process, especially how they leverage AI and design systems to achieve brand elevation and conversion goals. Specific examples of elevating existing brands are crucial, as is demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of conversion principles beyond aesthetics. The "handover so AI can extend it" requirement means the design system documentation needs to be exceptionally clear and practical.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: USD $35 – $70 per hour. This range is based on the provided information and industry benchmarks for senior-level freelance web designers with specialized e-commerce, Shopify, and AI design experience, particularly in remote roles servicing fast-growing DTC companies. The final rate will be determined by the candidate's specific experience, portfolio quality, and demonstrated proficiency in AI-first design and conversion optimization.

Benefits:

• Flexible Remote Work: Fully remote position, allowing for work from anywhere within Brazil.

• Ongoing Project Opportunities: The initial website revamp (40-80 hours over 4-8 weeks) is a stepping stone to ongoing design work as the company continues to scale and iterate.

• Direct Impact: Opportunity to work directly with the founder and a lean, senior team, making a significant impact on a rapidly growing company ($50M+ to $100M+ revenue).

• Fast-Paced, Results-Oriented Environment: Work in a dynamic setting with a strong emphasis on speed, creativity, and data-driven decision-making.

• Competitive Freelance Rate: Invoiced monthly based on logged hours.

Working Hours: The role is freelance with an expected 20 hours per week average, though the initial project is 40-80 hours over 4-8 weeks. The emphasis is on speed and responsiveness ("turn feedback around the same day"), suggesting a need for flexibility and availability during core business hours, though specific daily schedules can likely be negotiated.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is explicitly provided. The benefits are typical for a high-impact freelance role in a startup environment, emphasizing flexibility, direct influence, and ongoing work potential. The "20 hours per week" is an average, with the initial project being more intensive. Candidates should be prepared for a demanding, results-driven work culture.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Pet Products. KittySpout operates in the rapidly growing pet industry, focusing on premium products sold through multiple channels including Shopify, Amazon, and Chewy.

Company Size: Small to Medium-sized (implied by "lean, senior team" and scaling from $50M+ to $100M+ revenue, likely fewer than 100 employees). This size indicates a flat hierarchy and high individual impact.

Founded: Not specified, but the company is described as "profitable" and "fast-growing," suggesting established operations and a proven business model.

Team Structure:

• Lean & Senior: Comprised of experienced professionals who move quickly and take ownership.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: The designer will work closely with the Head of Brand & Community and the CRO Lead, indicating a collaborative approach to strategy and execution.

• Direct Founder Access: Opportunity to work directly with the founder, suggesting a culture where ideas can be quickly escalated and implemented.

Methodology:

• Will-to-Win & Hands-On: A culture that values proactive problem-solving, taking on any task that drives goals, and a "no task is beneath us" attitude.

• Creativity with Constraints: Emphasis on using creativity to achieve more with fewer resources ("do more with less – and quickly").

• Data-Driven Decisions: Reliance on data, including split-test results, to inform choices and refine strategies.

• Agile & Responsive: "Speed Is King" is a core value, requiring same-day feedback turnaround and rapid presentation of initial concepts.

• AI Integration: Strategic use of AI to accelerate workflows, explore design directions, and enable future content generation.

Company Website: https://www.kittyspout.com/ (based on inferred domain from job description)

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is clearly defined as high-performance, results-driven, and lean. It's not a "stress-free corporate 9-5" but rather an environment for ambitious individuals who want to make a significant impact. The emphasis on speed, AI, and data aligns with modern operational efficiency.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Senior Freelance Web Designer, focusing on a critical operational function: e-commerce website design and optimization. While freelance, the "Senior" title and the scope of the project (full website revamp, design system creation) indicate a high level of responsibility and strategic input. The role is about building foundational assets that will be used for years.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report to and collaborate closely with the Head of Brand & Community and the CRO Lead. This direct line of communication allows for swift decision-making and alignment on strategic objectives.

Operations Impact: The role's impact is directly tied to revenue growth. By elevating the website's look and feel to be more unique, premium, and visually appealing, while simultaneously ensuring every page is designed to convert, the designer directly influences:

• Brand Perception: Enhancing the premium image of the brands.

• Customer Experience: Improving user engagement and trust.

• Conversion Rates: Directly driving higher sales and revenue per visitor.

• Scalability: Creating a design system that allows for rapid expansion and new product/section launches.

The success metrics (conversion rate, revenue per visitor, brand look sign-off) underscore the operational and business-critical nature of this design role.

Growth Opportunities:

• Ongoing Project Pipeline: Success in the initial revamp project opens doors to continuous design work as the company scales to $100M+.

• Skill Expansion: Deepen expertise in AI-first design, conversion-led e-commerce strategies, and scalable design systems within a high-growth DTC context.

• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape the visual identity and user experience of rapidly growing brands, working closely with senior leadership and the founder.

• Portfolio Enhancement: A significant project like a full website revamp and design system build provides a powerful case study for future career opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: This is not just a design execution role; it's a strategic partnership focused on driving business outcomes. The growth opportunities are substantial for a freelance contractor who delivers exceptional results, offering a pathway to becoming a key, long-term contributor to the company's visual and operational infrastructure.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. The company operates as a 100% remote organization, eliminating the need for physical office attendance.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, the listed location is Brasília, Brazil, and the working hours are likely aligned with Brazilian time zones (e.g., America/Sao_Paulo). The company operates globally, serving customers through Shopify, Amazon, and Chewy.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Digital Space: Expect a highly digital and collaborative environment, relying on tools like Figma, Slack, and potentially project management software for communication and workflow.

• AI-Integrated Tools: The workspace will likely be equipped with or expect the use of AI tools for design, content generation, and efficiency.

• Direct Team Interaction: While remote, the emphasis on "turn feedback around the same day" and close collaboration with the Head of Brand & Community and CRO Lead suggests frequent, direct digital interaction.

Work Schedule: Flexible, but with an emphasis on responsiveness and meeting deadlines. The role requires an average of 20 hours per week, with the initial project being more intensive (40-80 hours over 4-8 weeks). Availability for same-day feedback and participation in project discussions is crucial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote work environment demands strong self-discipline, excellent asynchronous communication skills, and a proactive approach to collaboration. The company's culture prioritizes speed and results, so candidates should be comfortable in a fast-paced, digitally connected setting.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Application + Screening & Portfolio Review: Initial submission of application, focusing heavily on the portfolio's relevance to e-commerce, Shopify, brand elevation, and AI-driven design.

2. Paid Test: A practical exercise involving designing one real section for one of the brands, paid at the candidate's hourly rate. This assesses practical skills, speed, and cultural fit.

3. Final Interview: Likely a deeper dive into experience, approach, cultural alignment, and a discussion about the proposed design direction and system strategy. This may involve the founder and senior leadership.

4. Project Kickoff: If successful, the project begins with detailed scoping and planning.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight E-commerce & Shopify: Ensure your portfolio prominently features live Shopify sites and e-commerce projects.

• Showcase Brand Elevation: Include case studies that specifically detail how you've elevated an existing brand's visual identity and premium feel without a full rebrand. Articulate your process and the impact.

• Demonstrate AI Integration: Clearly explain your use of AI tools in your design process. This could be through specific examples, process descriptions, or case studies showing how AI accelerated your work or enabled new creative directions.

• Detail Design System Creation: If you have experience building design systems, showcase them. Explain their structure, components, and how they facilitate scalability and consistency, especially for AI extension.

• Emphasize Conversion Principles: For each project, briefly explain how design choices were made with conversion in mind (e.g., CTA clarity, visual hierarchy, user flow).

• Be Concise and Impactful: Given the fast-paced culture, make your portfolio easy to navigate and quickly understand the value you bring.

Challenge Preparation:

• Prepare for the Paid Test: Understand the brand guidelines and competitors for the assigned brand. Focus on delivering a high-converting, visually aligned section quickly.

• Articulate AI Strategy: Be ready to discuss how you use AI daily and how you envision it being used to extend the design system you create.

• Demonstrate Cultural Fit: Prepare to speak about how you embody the company's values: Better Everyday, Speed Is King, Work Smart, Overdeliver. Provide examples of how you've applied these in past roles.

• Discuss Conversion & ROI: Be ready to discuss how your design decisions directly impact conversion rates and revenue.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hiring process is designed to be efficient and practical, with a paid test serving as a crucial evaluation step. Candidates should focus on demonstrating not just design skill but also a strategic understanding of e-commerce operations, conversion optimization, and modern AI-driven workflows.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for all design work, including wireframing, UI design, prototyping, and building the comprehensive design system. Mastery is essential.

• AI Design Tools: Proficiency in various AI platforms for image generation, layout assistance, content ideation, and potentially site-building functionalities is a key requirement. Examples might include Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, Adobe Firefly, or AI-powered website builders.

• Shopify Platform: Deep familiarity with the Shopify admin, theme editor, and best practices for designing within its constraints and capabilities.

Analytics & Reporting:

• CRO Tools (for collaboration): While the designer may not directly manage these, understanding tools like Google Optimize, VWO, Optimizely, or similar A/B testing platforms is beneficial for collaborating with the CRO Lead and understanding test results.

• Analytics Platforms (for context): Familiarity with Google Analytics or similar platforms to understand how website performance is measured and how design impacts KPIs.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable: This role is focused on front-end design and system creation, not back-end CRM or marketing automation management. However, understanding how user data and marketing campaigns influence website design is valuable.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is heavily weighted towards design and AI tools. Figma is the primary design platform, but AI tool proficiency is equally critical. Understanding the Shopify ecosystem is non-negotiable.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Better Everyday: Embrace continuous improvement by using split-test results from new sections to refine the design system and ensure ongoing optimization.

• Speed Is King: Demonstrate rapid execution, presenting initial design directions within two weeks and providing prompt feedback turnaround (same day).

• Work Smart: Leverage AI tools extensively to explore design directions and produce assets efficiently. Design the system with future AI extension in mind.

• Overdeliver: Aim to provide a design system and foundational assets that the team can build upon for years, going beyond just attractive pages to create lasting value.

Collaboration Style:

• Direct & Feedback-Driven: Take direction from the Head of Brand & Community and CRO Lead, but also be prepared to push back with data-backed or creatively superior ideas.

• Hands-On & Active: The culture values individuals who are deeply involved in the work and actively contribute to problem-solving.

• Remote & Asynchronous: While responsive, expect a significant portion of collaboration to occur asynchronously, requiring clear communication and documentation.

• Goal-Oriented: All interactions and work should be focused on achieving the company's ambitious growth and performance targets.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates must resonate with a culture that prioritizes speed, intelligence, and impact over bureaucracy. The values are actionable and directly influence daily work and decision-making.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Elevating Existing Brands: Balancing the need to make brands "more unique, more elevated, and better at standing out" with the constraint of not performing a full rebrand, while ensuring designs still convert.

• AI Integration Mastery: Effectively leveraging AI to accelerate design work and ensuring the design system is genuinely AI-extendable requires staying at the forefront of AI design capabilities.

• Remote Collaboration Dynamics: Maintaining strong communication and alignment with remote team members and stakeholders, especially under tight deadlines.

• Balancing Aesthetics and Conversion: The constant need to ensure visually stunning designs also perform exceptionally well in conversion metrics.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into DTC & E-commerce CRO: Gain extensive hands-on experience in optimizing conversion funnels for high-growth DTC brands within the competitive pet industry.

• Advanced AI Design Techniques: Continuously refine skills in using cutting-edge AI tools for design, becoming a leader in AI-assisted web design.

• Scalable Design System Architecture: Develop expertise in building robust, future-proof design systems that support rapid scaling and AI-driven content creation.

• Strategic Brand Development: Contribute to the visual evolution of two distinct brands, working closely with founders and senior leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are significant but offer immense learning opportunities. Success in this role will equip the designer with highly sought-after skills in AI-driven design, conversion optimization, and scalable design systems within the booming DTC e-commerce sector.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for elevating an existing e-commerce brand's website without a full rebrand. How do you balance new aesthetics with established brand equity and conversion goals?" (Focus on your approach to interpreting brand guidelines, competitor analysis, and iterative design).

• "Walk me through how you currently use AI tools in your daily design workflow. How do you envision our web team using the Figma design system you create with AI to build new sections?" (Prepare specific examples of AI tools and your workflow, and articulate how your design system's structure supports AI extension).

• "Our values are Better Everyday, Speed Is King, Work Smart, and Overdeliver. Can you provide an example of how you've embodied each of these in a past project, particularly in a fast-paced or remote environment?" (Use the STAR method to prepare concrete examples). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about KittySpout and the pet industry? What are your initial thoughts on our current website's strengths and areas for improvement from a design and conversion perspective?" (Show you've researched the company and its offerings).

• "How do you handle receiving feedback on your designs, especially when it comes from different stakeholders like brand and CRO leads?" (Demonstrate your ability to collaborate, integrate feedback, and push back constructively).

• "Given our goal to scale to $100M+, how do you see your role as a Senior Web Designer directly contributing to that revenue growth?" (Connect your design output to business outcomes like conversion rates and brand perception). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio presentation to highlight your most relevant projects first. Aim for a narrative flow that showcases your process, problem-solving, and results.

• Focus on Case Studies: For key projects (especially brand elevation and design system work), prepare concise case studies that detail: the challenge, your approach (including AI usage), the solution, and the outcome (quantifiable if possible, e.g., conversion lift, user feedback).

• Demonstrate AI & System Thinking: Clearly explain your AI workflow and how your design systems are built for scalability and ease of use, especially for AI extension.

• Highlight Conversion Rationale: For each presented section or page, briefly explain the conversion-driving elements and your strategic thinking behind them.

• Be Ready for Live Mockups: Prepare to potentially walk through a live section design or a Figma prototype, explaining your choices in real-time.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviews will likely be direct, fast-paced, and focused on practical application and cultural fit. Be prepared to demonstrate your skills, your understanding of the company's goals, and your alignment with their core values. The paid test is a significant part of the evaluation.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Shopify Web Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Workable.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio prominently features live e-commerce sites (ideally Shopify), with specific sections dedicated to brand elevation case studies and examples of your AI-first design process. Clearly articulate your role and the impact of your work.

• Tailor Your Resume/CV: Highlight your 5+ years of web design experience, focusing on e-commerce, DTC, Shopify, AI tool proficiency, design system creation, and conversion-led design principles. Use keywords relevant to the job description.

• Prepare for the Paid Test: Familiarize yourself with the KittySpout brand and its competitors. Be ready to execute a high-converting, aesthetically aligned web section design quickly and efficiently.

• Research KittySpout: Understand their brands, products, and mission. Be prepared to discuss how your design philosophy aligns with their values and growth objectives.

⚠️ 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.