Senior Visual Designer, YouTube on TVs

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Visual Designer, YouTube on TVs

Company: Google

Location: San Bruno, California, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Visual Design / UX/UI Design

Date Posted: 2026-06-23

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the visual direction and aesthetic excellence for YouTube on television platforms, impacting a massive user base across living rooms globally.

• Lead the development and maintenance of the YouTube Living Room design system, ensuring consistency and scalability through robust documentation and component libraries.

• Pioneer the integration of AI-assisted design workflows, enabling rapid prototyping and exploration of next-generation visual styles and interaction patterns for TV.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Engineering and Product Management, to translate user insights into intuitive, beautiful, and accessible user experiences.

• Champion the YouTube brand identity and its unique value proposition, while maintaining alignment with the broader Google design language and principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior Visual Designer, indicating a need for demonstrated leadership in design execution, system thinking, and cross-functional collaboration. The focus on YouTube on TVs highlights a specialized area within Google's vast product ecosystem, requiring expertise in platform-specific design considerations and a deep understanding of user behavior on large-screen devices. The emphasis on AI-assisted design workflows suggests a forward-thinking approach to design innovation within Google.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Craft, maintain, and evolve the Living Room design system component library, ensuring robust documentation, strict variable consistency, and token adoption for seamless integration with engineering teams.

• Lead the integration of AI-assisted workflows into the design pipeline, facilitating rapid, high-fidelity prototyping of next-generation visual styles and experimental TV interaction patterns.

• Explore concept development through collaboration with principal contributors, influencing product strategy with a strong point-of-view on visual style and product commitments.

• Advocate for YouTube products, uphold the brand promise, and articulate its unique value proposition within the context of its relationship with the master YouTube brand.

• Partner with visual programs across the organization to evolve and apply new design styles and aesthetics for the suite of YouTube products.

• Apply user-centered design methods to create industry-leading user experiences from initial concept through to final execution.

• Collaborate with design partners to leverage and evolve the Google design language, building beautiful, innovative, and inspired products.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a blend of strategic system design, hands-on visual execution, and cross-functional leadership. The requirement to "Defend YouTube products" suggests a need for strong communication and advocacy skills, particularly in navigating brand relationships. The integration of AI points to a role at the forefront of design technology.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

• Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience (Preferred). Experience:

• 6 years of visual design experience in product design or UX/UI design.

• 3 years of experience working in a complex, cross-functional organization (Preferred).

• 2 years of experience leading design projects (Preferred). Required Skills:

• Extensive experience in visual design applied to product or UX/UI design.

• Proficiency in using Figma for designing, maintaining component libraries, and managing design systems.

• Ability to craft, maintain, and evolve design system component libraries with comprehensive documentation and adherence to standards.

• Strong understanding of user-centered design methodologies.

• Experience with typography and iconography.

• Ability to articulate and defend product vision and brand identity. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with motion design, interactive prototyping, and front-end web technologies (e.g., HTML and CSS).

• Experience with AI-assisted design workflows, vibe coding, or connecting design systems to development environments (e.g., Model Context Protocol).

• Proven experience designing and implementing user interfaces (UIs) for TV platforms or smart TV devices.

• Experience leading design projects within a complex, cross-functional organizational structure.

• Familiarity with the Google design language and its application.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Minimum qualifications" clearly outline the foundational requirements, emphasizing practical experience and tool proficiency (Figma). The "Preferred qualifications" indicate a desire for candidates who can bring advanced skills in emerging technologies (AI), broader design disciplines (motion, prototyping), and leadership experience, particularly within large tech environments. The specific mention of TV platforms is a key differentiator for this role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 6 years of visual design work, with a strong emphasis on product design and UX/UI projects.

• Demonstrate expertise in Figma, including examples of component libraries, design system management, and variable consistency.

• Present case studies that highlight your process for evolving design systems and component libraries, detailing documentation and token adoption strategies.

• Include examples of leading design projects, showcasing your ability to influence product direction and manage design initiatives from concept to execution.

• Provide clear examples of your work on TV platforms or smart TV devices, illustrating an understanding of the unique design challenges and opportunities presented by these environments. Process Documentation:

• Detail your approach to crafting and maintaining robust design system documentation.

• Illustrate how you approach variable consistency and token adoption within design systems and development workflows.

• Showcase your methodology for integrating AI-assisted design workflows, including rapid prototyping and experimental interaction pattern exploration.

• Explain your process for concept development and how you translate user insights and strategic goals into compelling visual designs.

• Demonstrate how you collaborate with engineering and product management to ensure design feasibility and successful implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is critical for this role. Candidates should prioritize showcasing their experience with design systems, component libraries, and Figma. Specific examples of work on TV platforms and any experience with AI-assisted design tools will be highly advantageous. The portfolio should clearly articulate the candidate's design process, problem-solving approach, and ability to drive impact through visual design.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• US: $159,000 - $231,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• 15% bonus target

• Equity

• Comprehensive benefits package (details available on Google's careers site) Working Hours:

• Standard full-time work, likely around 40 hours per week, with potential for flexibility based on project needs and team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is specific to the US and reflects a senior-level position at a major tech company. The inclusion of a bonus target and equity indicates a performance-driven compensation structure. Candidates should research cost of living and industry benchmarks for San Bruno, CA, to fully contextualize this offering. The "benefits at Google" link is a valuable resource for understanding the full scope of employee support.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology / Internet Services / Entertainment

Company Size: Large Enterprise (>10,000 employees)

Founded: 1998

Company Slogan: "Focus on the user and all else will follow."

Team Structure:

• The role is within the YouTube Living Room UX team, a specialized group focused on the TV platform experience.

• This team operates within a multi-disciplinary UX environment, collaborating closely with Engineering and Product Management.

• You will be part of a larger Google organization where cross-functional collaboration is a core operating principle. Methodology:

• User-centered design methods are paramount, driving all product development decisions.

• Emphasis on leveraging and evolving the Google design language to create innovative and consistent user experiences.

• A strong focus on data analysis and user insights to inform design strategies and validate concepts.

• Agile development methodologies are likely employed, fostering iterative design and development cycles.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Google's culture is renowned for its data-driven approach, emphasis on innovation, and focus on user experience. The "Focus on the user" motto is a guiding principle. The YouTube Living Room UX team specifically works on one of Google's most significant and rapidly growing platforms, suggesting a dynamic and impactful environment. Expect a collaborative culture that values diverse perspectives and encourages continuous learning.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Visual Designer. This level implies a significant degree of autonomy, responsibility for complex design challenges, and the ability to mentor junior designers. It requires strategic thinking beyond individual tasks, contributing to the overall design vision and system integrity.

Reporting Structure: The role reports into a design leadership position within the YouTube Living Room UX team. Collaboration will be extensive with Product Managers and Engineering Leads, forming a core project triad.

Operations Impact: This role has a direct and substantial impact on the user experience of YouTube on its largest and fastest-growing screen. Success means influencing how millions of users interact with YouTube content in their homes, directly affecting user engagement, satisfaction, and potentially retention. The visual design choices will shape brand perception and product usability on a critical platform.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Deepen expertise in TV platform design, advanced AI-assisted design workflows, and large-scale design system management.

• Leadership Development: Opportunities to lead design initiatives, mentor junior designers, and contribute to design strategy for major product features.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Enhanced collaboration skills with engineering and product management, leading to a broader understanding of product development cycles and strategic decision-making.

• Specialization: Potential to become a recognized expert in designing for living room/TV environments within Google.

📝 Enhancement Note: This Senior Visual Designer role offers significant growth potential, moving beyond individual contribution to strategic influence and leadership within a high-impact product area. The focus on emerging technologies like AI and specialized platforms like TV positions the candidate for future growth within Google's design organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site. The role is based in San Bruno, California, at Google's facilities.

Office Location(s): San Bruno, California, USA. Google's San Bruno campus is known for its modern design and amenities.

Workspace Context:

• Expect a collaborative and modern workspace designed to foster innovation and teamwork.

• Access to state-of-the-art design tools and technology, including advanced hardware and software.

• Opportunities for informal collaboration and knowledge sharing with a diverse group of designers, engineers, and product managers.

• The environment is likely fast-paced, with a focus on iterative design and rapid prototyping.

Work Schedule: While standard full-time hours (approx. 40 hours/week) are expected, Google often offers flexibility. However, for an on-site role with significant cross-functional collaboration, consistent presence during core business hours will be crucial for team alignment and project momentum.

📝 Enhancement Note: As an on-site role at a major tech company like Google, the work environment will be highly structured, professional, and equipped with resources to support high-performance design work. The emphasis on collaboration means that physical presence will be key to effective teamwork and integration with the YouTube Living Room UX team.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or recruiter will likely review applications and portfolios, focusing on minimum qualifications and alignment with the role.

• Portfolio Review: A dedicated session with design leadership to thoroughly assess your past work, design process, and system thinking. Be prepared to walk through case studies in detail.

• Design Challenges/Exercises: You may be given a design problem to solve, either on-site or as a take-home assignment, to evaluate your problem-solving skills, design approach, and ability to apply design principles.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers and Engineering Leads to assess your collaboration style, communication skills, and ability to work effectively in a team.

• Behavioral Interviews: Questions designed to understand your past experiences, how you handle challenges, your leadership potential, and cultural fit with Google.

• Final Round Interviews: Often with senior design leadership or directors to assess overall fit, strategic thinking, and long-term potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best showcase your visual design skills, design system expertise, and experience with relevant platforms (TV).

• Showcase Process, Not Just Polish: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your design process, key decisions, challenges faced, and the outcomes/impact. Use visuals to illustrate your journey.

• Highlight Design Systems & Figma: Dedicate specific sections or case studies to demonstrate your proficiency with Figma, component libraries, and design system development/maintenance.

• Emphasize TV Platform Experience: If you have it, make it prominent. Detail the specific considerations for large screens, remote navigation, and accessibility on TV.

• Demonstrate AI/Prototyping: If you have experience with AI-assisted design or advanced prototyping, showcase it with clear examples of its application and benefit.

• Be Ready to Present: Practice presenting your portfolio concisely, focusing on the most impactful aspects and being prepared for in-depth questions.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a challenge, thoroughly research YouTube's TV presence and its current design.

• Focus on Process: Demonstrate how you would approach the problem systematically: research, ideation, sketching, wireframing, prototyping, and iterating.

• Prioritize: Given time constraints, focus on key aspects of the problem and articulate your rationale for prioritization.

• Visualize Concepts: Be prepared to sketch or wireframe ideas quickly to communicate your thinking.

• Articulate Rationale: Clearly explain why you are making certain design decisions, linking them back to user needs, business goals, or design principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process at Google is rigorous and comprehensive. A strong portfolio that clearly demonstrates expertise in visual design, design systems, and TV platform UX is paramount. Candidates should prepare to articulate their design process, problem-solving skills, and ability to collaborate effectively. The emphasis on AI and design systems suggests that candidates with experience in these areas will have a distinct advantage.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for all aspects of design, from wireframing and prototyping to detailed visual design and component library management. Candidates must demonstrate deep proficiency.

• Design System Tools: Experience with tools and methodologies for creating, managing, and scaling design systems (e.g., storybooks, documentation platforms).

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, familiarity with advanced prototyping tools for creating rich, interactive experiences.

• AI-Assisted Design Tools: Experience with emerging AI tools for design generation, workflow optimization, or connecting design to development (e.g., Model Context Protocol).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with user analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, internal tools) to understand user behavior and inform design decisions.

• Experience with data visualization tools to interpret performance metrics and communicate insights. CRM & Automation:

• While not a primary focus for this role, an understanding of how design impacts user journeys within CRM and automation workflows can be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is non-negotiable. The role also signals a strong interest in cutting-edge design technologies, particularly AI-assisted tools and advanced prototyping. A candidate's ability to integrate these tools into their workflow and leverage them for efficiency and innovation will be highly valued.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the user, ensuring products are intuitive, accessible, and enjoyable.

• Innovation: A drive to explore new technologies (like AI) and creative solutions to push the boundaries of user experience.

• Collaboration: A belief in the power of teamwork, working cross-functionally to achieve shared goals and build cohesive products.

• Excellence: A pursuit of high-quality design, attention to detail, and a commitment to craftsmanship in all aspects of work.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing data and user insights to inform design choices and measure impact.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Actively partnering with Engineering and Product Management from concept to launch, fostering strong communication and mutual understanding.

• Design System Advocacy: Championing the design system as a tool for consistency, efficiency, and scalability across teams.

• Open Feedback Culture: Willingness to give and receive constructive feedback to continuously improve designs and processes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Engaging in practices that promote learning and sharing of best practices within the design team and wider organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: Google's culture emphasizes a blend of data-driven pragmatism and creative innovation. For this role, the ability to collaborate effectively with technical and product stakeholders, advocate for design principles, and embrace new technologies like AI will be key indicators of cultural fit. The "Focus on the user" mantra will permeate all aspects of the team's work.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Brand Ecosystems: Navigating the relationship between YouTube's master brand and the specific identity of YouTube on TV, ensuring visual cohesion while maintaining platform uniqueness.

• Pioneering AI Integration: Leading the adoption and effective integration of AI-assisted design tools into existing workflows and design systems, which may involve overcoming technical hurdles and establishing new best practices.

• Designing for a Shared Screen: Crafting user experiences for a large, often shared, living room screen requires different considerations than personal devices, demanding innovative approaches to interaction and information hierarchy.

• Maintaining Design System Scalability: Ensuring the Living Room design system remains robust, adaptable, and scalable as YouTube's features and the TV platform evolve.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced AI in Design: Opportunities to work at the forefront of AI-assisted design, exploring its potential for rapid prototyping, generative design, and enhanced workflows.

• Platform Specialization: Deepening expertise in the nuances of TV interface design, user behavior on large screens, and the technical constraints of smart TV platforms.

• Design System Leadership: Gaining experience in managing and evolving large-scale design systems within a global tech organization.

• Cross-Disciplinary Exposure: Working closely with top-tier engineers and product managers to gain a holistic understanding of product development and strategic planning.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents the opportunity to tackle complex design challenges at the intersection of AI, large-scale systems, and specialized platforms. The growth potential lies in becoming an expert in these emerging areas and influencing the future of YouTube's living room experience.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led the evolution of a design system or component library. What were the key challenges, and how did you ensure adoption and consistency, especially with engineering partners?"

• "How would you approach integrating AI-assisted design tools into an established design workflow for a platform like YouTube on TV? What are the potential benefits and risks?"

• "Walk me through your process for developing a new visual style or interaction pattern for a large-screen platform like a smart TV. What user research and design considerations are critical?" Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do you embody Google's 'Focus on the user' principle in your design work, especially when dealing with complex technical constraints or brand guidelines?"

• "Describe your experience working in a cross-functional team. How do you ensure effective communication and collaboration with engineers and product managers?"

• "How do you balance the need for brand consistency across different products (e.g., YouTube master brand vs. YouTube on TV) while also innovating and adapting to specific platform needs?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio presentation logically, starting with an overview of your role and the project's objective, followed by your process, key design decisions, and final outcomes.

• Highlight System Thinking: For design system projects, clearly articulate the architecture, key components, documentation strategy, and how you measure impact.

• Demonstrate AI/Prototyping Impact: If showcasing AI or advanced prototyping, explain how it solved a problem or improved efficiency, quantifying the benefit if possible.

• Focus on TV Specifics: For TV projects, emphasize the unique challenges of the platform (e.g., remote navigation, content consumption patterns, accessibility) and how your design addressed them.

• Be Concise and Engaging: Aim for clarity and impact. Practice your narrative to ensure a smooth flow and manage time effectively. Be prepared for deep dives into any aspect of your work.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on showcasing strong visual design fundamentals, deep expertise in design systems and Figma, and a forward-thinking approach to AI and platform-specific design. Candidates need to articulate their process clearly and demonstrate how they collaborate effectively within a large, cross-functional organization.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Visual Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Google Careers portal, ensuring all required fields are complete.

• Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight your 6+ years of visual design experience, proficiency in Figma, and any experience with design systems, TV platforms, or AI-assisted design. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate your strongest 3-5 projects, focusing on visual design, product design, UX/UI, and specifically any work related to design systems, component libraries, or TV interfaces. Ensure your portfolio is easily accessible via a link (website or shared document).

• Practice Your Portfolio Presentation: Rehearse walking through your selected case studies, emphasizing your design process, problem-solving, and impact. Be ready to discuss your work in detail and answer challenging questions.

• Research YouTube TV: Familiarize yourself with the current YouTube experience on TV platforms to understand the product context and potential design challenges. Research Google's design philosophy and values.

⚠️ 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.