Shopify Brand & Web Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Shopify Brand & Web Designer

Company: KittySpout

Location: Warsaw, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland (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

• Spearhead the visual transformation of two direct-to-consumer (DTC) pet brands by leading a comprehensive website revamp, focusing on elevating brand aesthetics and enhancing conversion rates.

• Develop and implement a robust Figma design system for both brands, ensuring mobile-first principles and distinct visual identities, which will serve as a foundation for AI-driven content creation and future scalability.

• Collaborate closely with the Head of Brand & Community and the CRO Lead to design signature website sections that not only align with brand guidelines but are also meticulously optimized for conversion through rigorous A/B testing.

• Leverage AI-first design methodologies to accelerate the design process, explore innovative visual directions, and create assets efficiently, ensuring the final design system is intuitive for AI extension by the internal web team.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is framed as a contractor position, emphasizing a project-based engagement with a significant initial website revamp scope, followed by ongoing design work. The core focus is on elevating existing brands through design, not a complete rebrand, requiring a nuanced approach to building upon established visual identities. The integration of AI into the design and development workflow is a critical differentiator for this position.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Brand Direction & Visual Strategy: Conduct thorough reviews of existing websites, brand guidelines, and competitor landscapes to propose 2-3 distinct web design directions for each brand, ensuring they build upon current branding while achieving a more unique, premium, and distinctive look and feel.

• Figma Design System Development: Architect and build comprehensive, mobile-first design systems in Figma for both KittySpout brands, encompassing typography, color palettes, spacing, interactive components, and reusable section templates that clearly differentiate each brand's identity.

• Signature Section Design: Design 8-10 high-impact signature sections per brand (e.g., hero banners, product benefits, social proof, bundle offers, brand story elements) for both desktop and mobile views, ensuring each is visually compelling and conversion-optimized.

• Conversion-Led Design Implementation: Integrate Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) principles into all design decisions, focusing on clear visual hierarchy, single primary calls-to-action, prominent benefit and proof points, and thumb-friendly mobile layouts, with a mandate to launch major new sections as A/B tests.

• AI-Extensible Handover: Prepare and deliver clean Figma files, clear usage guidelines (do's, don'ts, and examples), all necessary assets, and conduct a concise walkthrough session to empower the internal web team to effectively extend the design system using AI tools for future section development.

• Post-Handover Quality Assurance: Review the first new sections built by the team using AI from the design system to ensure they maintain brand consistency and design integrity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on both aesthetic elevation and performance-driven design. The accountability for ensuring AI can extend the design system post-handover implies a need for exceptionally well-documented and modular component design within Figma. The requirement to "check the built pages against the design before launch" suggests a hands-on quality assurance role in the implementation phase.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in graphic design, digital design, UI/UX, or a related field is implicitly required, demonstrated through a robust portfolio.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in website design is mandatory.

• Proven track record in designing and launching live e-commerce websites, with a strong preference for Shopify platforms.

• Demonstrated experience in elevating existing e-commerce brands, making their online presence more premium and distinctive without compromising existing strengths. Required Skills:

• Shopify Expertise: In-depth knowledge of Shopify's design capabilities, theming, and best practices for e-commerce user experience.

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

• AI-First Design & Workflow: Extensive practical experience using AI tools for image generation, layout exploration, and accelerated asset creation in a design context.

• Conversion-Led Design Principles: Solid understanding of CRO, including visual hierarchy, user psychology, call-to-action optimization, and designing for speed and mobile usability.

• Design Systems Development: Ability to create clear, modular, and scalable design systems that can be easily understood and extended by developers and AI tools.

• Mobile-First Design: Expertise in designing responsive websites that prioritize the mobile user experience.

• UI/UX Design Acumen: Strong ability to create intuitive, engaging, and aesthetically pleasing user interfaces and user experiences.

• Brand Strategy Integration: Capability to interpret and build upon existing brand guidelines to create a more elevated and unique brand presentation.

• English Fluency: Excellent command of the English language for effective communication and collaboration.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience working with DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) brands.

• Background in the pet industry or a related consumer goods sector.

• Familiarity with split testing methodologies and CRO tools.

• Experience with asset creation and management for e-commerce.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "AI-First Design" is a critical qualifier, suggesting candidates must actively demonstrate how they integrate AI into their daily design workflow to achieve speed and explore directions, rather than just being aware of AI tools. The requirement for a portfolio showcasing "real taste, and creativity" indicates a need for a strong aesthetic sensibility beyond technical proficiency.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Live E-commerce Websites: A portfolio showcasing live e-commerce sites, ideally built on Shopify, that demonstrate exceptional taste, creativity, and a superior aesthetic compared to typical online stores.

• Brand Elevation Case Studies: Specific examples or case studies detailing how you have successfully elevated existing e-commerce brands, making their websites more premium and distinctive while retaining core functionality and brand identity.

• Design System Examples: Demonstrations of previously built design systems in Figma, highlighting their structure, modularity, and clarity for potential extension by other team members or AI.

• Conversion-Focused Design Examples: Projects that clearly illustrate your understanding of conversion principles, showcasing how design decisions directly contributed to improved user engagement, conversion rates, or revenue.

Process Documentation:

• AI Integration Workflow: Documentation or clear explanations within case studies of how AI tools were integrated into your design process to accelerate development, explore concepts, and produce assets faster.

• Figma System Structure: Evidence of well-organized Figma files and design system components, accompanied by simple, actionable usage rules that facilitate easy adoption and extension.

• CRO Collaboration Examples: Case studies that describe your collaboration with CRO specialists or how you've independently applied CRO principles to your designs, including any measurable outcomes from A/B tests or performance improvements.

• Mobile-First Design Documentation: Examples of how mobile-first principles were applied throughout the design process, from wireframing to final asset delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is paramount for this role, serving not just as a showcase of past work but as evidence of specific required skills like AI integration, design system architecture, and conversion-focused design. Candidates should be prepared to articulate the "why" behind their design choices, especially concerning conversion and brand elevation.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: USD $35 – $70 per hour. This range is based on the provided information and industry benchmarks for experienced freelance web designers with specialized e-commerce and AI skills in remote roles. The final rate will be determined by the candidate's experience, the strength of their portfolio, and their demonstrated proficiency in AI-first design and conversion optimization.

Benefits: As a contractor role, standard employee benefits are typically not provided. However, the engagement offers significant advantages:

• Flexibility: Fully remote work arrangement allows for global flexibility.

• Impact: Opportunity to play a substantial role in scaling a fast-growing DTC company.

• Ongoing Work: Potential for continued projects beyond the initial revamp, as the company aims to "keep raising the bar."

• Direct Collaboration: Work directly with senior leadership, including the founder and Head of Brand & Community.

• Project Scope: A significant, high-impact initial project (website revamp) with clear deliverables.

Working Hours: The role is project-based, with the initial website revamp estimated at 40–80 hours over 4–8 weeks. The company values "Speed Is King" and expects feedback turnaround on the same day, indicating a need for responsiveness and efficient work habits within the agreed project timelines. The estimated working hours of 20 per week seem to be an average for ongoing work, but the initial project could demand more intensive bursts.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hourly rate is competitive for experienced freelance designers with specialized skills in e-commerce and AI. The "ongoing" nature of the role suggests potential for a long-term relationship, which is a significant benefit for contractors. The company's culture emphasizes speed and responsiveness, which candidates should be prepared for.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Pet Products. KittySpout operates in a growing and competitive market, differentiating itself through a premium brand positioning.

Company Size: 100% remote, lean, senior team. While specific employee numbers aren't stated, the description implies a small, highly effective team focused on rapid growth and impact.

Founded: Recently launched a second brand, indicating a history of successful growth and expansion. The company is profitable and scaling from $50M+ to $100M+ in annual revenue.

Team Structure:

• Lean & Senior: Composed of experienced professionals who move fast and have significant autonomy.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Close collaboration is expected with the Head of Brand & Community and the CRO Lead.

• Direct Leadership Access: Opportunity to work directly with the founder and other senior team members.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decisions: Reliance on data to inform choices, including split-testing results for design validation.

• Agile & Iterative: Emphasis on rapid iteration, quick feedback loops, and continuous improvement ("Better Everyday").

• AI-Augmented Workflow: Strategic use of AI to enhance speed, explore creative directions, and enable scalability.

• Efficiency & Resourcefulness: A "do more with less" philosophy, using creativity to achieve goals quickly.

Company Website: [Not explicitly provided, but inferred to be related to KittySpout and their second brand]

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is described as high-performance, results-oriented, and fast-paced, explicitly stating it's not for those seeking a "stress-free corporate 9–5." The core values ("Better Everyday," "Speed Is King," "Work Smart," "Overdeliver") are central to the hiring criteria and daily operations, particularly relevant for a designer expected to integrate AI and deliver quickly.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role sits within the "Creative / Design Operations" sphere, focusing on the visual execution and optimization of the e-commerce platform. It's a specialized, hands-on role for an experienced individual contributor.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report to and collaborate closely with the Head of Brand & Community and the CRO Lead, with direct visibility and interaction with the CEO. This structure facilitates rapid decision-making and feedback.

Operations Impact: The designer's work will have a direct and measurable impact on revenue and business growth by:

• Elevating brand perception and premium appeal, potentially increasing customer willingness to pay.

• Improving website conversion rates through optimized design and user experience.

• Establishing a scalable design foundation that enables faster future growth and content creation.

• Contributing to the company's goal of scaling revenue from $50M+ to $100M+. Growth Opportunities:

• Project Expansion: Potential for ongoing design work beyond the initial website revamp as the company continues to evolve and innovate.

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-first design methodologies, Shopify e-commerce best practices, and conversion-focused design.

• Strategic Influence: Contribute to the visual strategy and brand direction of a rapidly scaling DTC company.

• Portfolio Enhancement: Significant opportunity to build a portfolio with high-impact case studies for a successful, high-growth brand.

📝 Enhancement Note: While not a traditional "operations" role in the sense of sales or revenue operations, this position is critical to the operational success of a DTC e-commerce business. The growth opportunities are centered around project scope, skill development in cutting-edge areas (AI design), and contributing to significant business scaling.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully remote. This role is not tied to a physical office location.

Office Location(s): While the company is based in Poland and has a Warsaw timezone alignment, the role is fully remote, allowing candidates from various locations to apply, provided they can align with European working hours for collaboration.

Workspace Context:

• Autonomous & Remote: Candidates must be self-motivated and comfortable working independently within a remote setting.

• Tech-Enabled: Requires reliable internet access and proficiency with digital collaboration and design tools (Figma, AI tools).

• Collaborative Spirit: Despite being remote, strong communication and collaboration are essential, with expectations for same-day feedback turnaround.

• Fast-Paced Culture: The environment is dynamic, requiring adaptability and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

Work Schedule: The initial project is scoped for 40-80 hours over 4-8 weeks, with an estimated ongoing workload of around 20 hours per week. The emphasis is on delivering results and meeting deadlines rather than adhering to strict 9-to-5 hours, though responsiveness during core collaboration times (likely aligned with European business hours) is expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature combined with a fast-paced, results-driven culture means candidates need to be highly organized, disciplined, and proactive in their communication to succeed. Alignment with the Warsaw timezone (Europe/Warsaw) is likely important for real-time collaboration with key stakeholders.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Application & Screening: Initial review of applications, focusing on experience and alignment with core requirements.

• Portfolio Review: A critical stage where candidates' portfolios will be assessed for taste, e-commerce experience (especially Shopify), brand elevation work, and AI integration evidence.

• Paid Test Project: Candidates will be asked to complete a paid test project, likely designing one real section for one of the brands, to assess their skills, speed, and fit with the company's workflow and brand aesthetic. This is a significant differentiator.

• Final Interview: A concluding interview, likely with senior leadership, to discuss the test project, cultural fit, and overall alignment with the company's values and goals.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Relevance: Showcase your strongest e-commerce, Shopify, and brand elevation projects. Explicitly highlight how you've made existing brands more premium and distinctive.

• Demonstrate AI Integration: If possible, include examples or descriptions of how you've used AI in your design process to achieve speed or explore unique directions.

• Showcase Design Systems: Provide clear examples of your Figma design systems, emphasizing their structure, modularity, and ease of use.

• Quantify Results: Where possible, include metrics or discuss how your designs contributed to conversion rate improvements or other business outcomes.

• Visual Hierarchy & CRO: Ensure your portfolio pieces clearly demonstrate your understanding of visual hierarchy and conversion-driven design principles.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brand: Thoroughly research KittySpout and their second brand, paying attention to their current visual identity, product offering, and competitor landscape.

• Prepare for AI Discussion: Be ready to discuss your specific experience with AI design tools, your workflow, and how you see AI augmenting traditional design processes.

• Figma System Strategy: Think about how you would structure a mobile-first design system for their brands, considering componentization and extensibility.

• CRO Principles: Refresh your knowledge of CRO best practices relevant to e-commerce websites.

• Cultural Alignment: Reflect on the company's core values (Better Everyday, Speed Is King, Work Smart, Overdeliver) and how your work style aligns with them.

📝 Enhancement Note: The paid test project is a significant part of the hiring process, indicating the company values practical application over theoretical discussion. Candidates should view this as an opportunity to impress and demonstrate their capabilities in a real-world scenario. The interview process is designed to thoroughly assess both technical skills and cultural fit.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design tool for creating wireframes, mockups, prototypes, and design systems. Advanced proficiency is essential.

• AI Design Tools: A broad category, likely encompassing AI image generators (e.g., Midjourney, DALL-E), AI layout assistants, and potentially AI-powered website builders or content generators. Candidates must be experienced with integrating these into their workflow.

• Web Browsers: For research, competitor analysis, and testing live websites.

Analytics & Reporting:

• CRO Tools (Implicit): While not directly used by the designer, understanding and designing for tools like Google Optimize, VWO, or Optimizely is crucial for the conversion-led design aspect. Familiarity with analytics platforms like Google Analytics is beneficial for understanding performance metrics.

• Design System Metrics: Ability to track adoption and usage of design system components by the web team post-handover.

CRM & Automation:

• Shopify Platform: Deep understanding of Shopify's capabilities and limitations for design implementation.

• AI for Content/Sections: The design system is intended to be extended by AI, implying the company uses or plans to use AI tools for generating new website sections based on the provided system.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma and a demonstrated, practical experience with AI design tools are non-negotiable requirements. The "AI-First Design" aspect suggests that candidates should be able to articulate specific tools and techniques they use to leverage AI in their daily design practice for speed and innovation.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Better Everyday: A commitment to continuous improvement, using data (split tests) to refine designs and the design system over time. This implies a willingness to iterate and learn from performance feedback.

• Speed Is King: A culture that prioritizes rapid execution, quick turnaround on feedback, and efficient delivery of design assets and concepts.

• Work Smart: Strategic use of tools, particularly AI, to maximize output and efficiency. Designing systems that enable others (including AI) to work smarter is key.

• Overdeliver: The expectation is to provide more than just good-looking pages; the goal is to deliver a robust, long-lasting design system that empowers future growth and innovation.

Collaboration Style:

• Direct & Proactive: Expected to collaborate closely with Brand and CRO leads, taking direction but also pushing back with better ideas when warranted.

• Feedback Loop: A fast-paced feedback loop is integral, with same-day turnaround expected.

• Knowledge Transfer: Emphasis on clear documentation and walkthroughs to ensure the team can effectively utilize the design system, especially with AI extensions.

• Results-Oriented: The overarching goal is to drive business results (conversions, brand perception) through design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The cultural values are deeply embedded in the job description and hiring process. Candidates must demonstrate an alignment with this high-energy, results-focused, and innovative culture, particularly the blend of speed, intelligence, and a drive to excel.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Aesthetics & Conversion: The core challenge is to elevate brand aesthetics and uniqueness while ensuring every page is optimized for conversion – a frequent tension in e-commerce design.

• Building for AI Extension: Creating a design system so clear and modular that AI tools can effectively extend it requires a high level of foresight, organization, and component design.

• Working with Existing Branding: Elevating an established brand without a full rebrand requires nuanced design skills to enhance without losing brand equity.

• Fast-Paced Environment: Meeting the demands for speed and same-day feedback in a remote, lean team requires excellent time management and communication.

• AI Integration Learning Curve: While experience is required, continuously adapting to evolving AI tools and methodologies will be an ongoing challenge.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Mastery: Become a leader in integrating cutting-edge AI tools into a professional design workflow for e-commerce.

• CRO Expertise: Gain deeper insights into conversion optimization by working directly with a CRO Lead and seeing real-time A/B test results.

• DTC Scaling Experience: Contribute to the scaling of a successful DTC brand from $50M to $100M+, providing invaluable experience in high-growth environments.

• Design System Best Practices: Develop advanced skills in creating robust, scalable, and AI-extensible design systems.

• Strategic Brand Impact: Play a pivotal role in shaping the visual identity and online presence of two distinct brands.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are framed as opportunities for growth. Success in this role means not only delivering excellent design but also mastering new workflows and contributing strategically to a rapidly scaling business.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for elevating an existing e-commerce brand's website aesthetic while maintaining conversion goals. Walk us through a specific example from your portfolio."

• "How do you integrate AI tools into your daily web design workflow to increase speed and explore creative directions? What specific tools do you use, and what have been your most impactful applications?"

• "Imagine you need to design a 'product benefits' section for a premium pet brand. How would you approach this, considering visual hierarchy, brand uniqueness, and conversion drivers? How would you ensure this section is easily extensible via AI?" Company & Culture Questions:

• "Our core values are Better Everyday, Speed Is King, Work Smart, and Overdeliver. Can you provide examples from your career where you've embodied these values, particularly in a remote or fast-paced environment?"

• "How do you handle receiving constructive feedback on your designs, especially when working with brand and CRO leads who have different priorities?"

• "What excites you about working with a profitable, scaling DTC brand in the pet industry, and what's your understanding of our premium positioning?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: For each key portfolio piece (especially brand elevation and Shopify sites), tell a story: the challenge, your approach (emphasizing AI and CRO), the solution, and the outcome.

• Figma System Walkthrough: Be prepared to briefly showcase a design system in Figma, highlighting its structure, components, and how you've documented it for clarity and extension.

• AI Workflow Demonstration: If possible, have examples or be ready to verbally describe a workflow where AI significantly aided your design process for a specific project.

• Conversion Focus: Clearly articulate how your design decisions directly supported conversion goals, referencing specific elements like CTAs, value propositions, and user flow optimization.

• Conciseness: Given the emphasis on speed, keep your presentation focused and to the point, highlighting the most impactful aspects of your work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process heavily relies on assessing practical skills and cultural fit. Be prepared to dive deep into your portfolio, articulate your design process, and demonstrate your understanding of AI integration, conversion optimization, and the company's specific values. The paid test project will likely be the most critical element.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-adjacent design position:

• Submit Your Application: Use the provided link on Workable to submit your resume and portfolio.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio prominently features live e-commerce sites (ideally Shopify), examples of brand elevation, and ideally, evidence of your AI design workflow and Figma design systems. Tailor the presentation to highlight your understanding of conversion-led design.

• Prepare for the Paid Test: Understand that a paid test project will be part of the evaluation. Be ready to dedicate time to this task, treating it as a real client project to showcase your skills, speed, and alignment with the brand aesthetic.

• Research KittySpout: Familiarize yourself with the company, its brands, its products, and its competitors. Understand their premium DTC positioning and the culture described.

• Articulate Your AI Experience: Be prepared to clearly and concisely explain your practical experience with AI design tools and how you leverage them to achieve results faster and more creatively.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions tailored for a creative role within an e-commerce operations context. All details, especially regarding the interview process and compensation, should be verified directly with KittySpout during the application and interview stages.