Shopify Brand & Web Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Shopify Brand & Web Designer

Company: KittySpout

Location: Brasília, Brazil (Remote)

Job Type: CONTRACTOR

Category: Web Design / E-commerce Operations

Date Posted: November 3, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is pivotal in elevating the visual presence and conversion capabilities of two direct-to-consumer (DTC) pet brands operating on the Shopify platform.

• The primary focus will be on designing and implementing a comprehensive Figma design system to enhance brand uniqueness, premium feel, and conversion rates across all web pages.

• The position demands extensive experience in AI-driven design workflows, enabling rapid exploration of creative directions and efficient asset production.

• Collaboration with the Head of Brand & Community and the CRO Lead is crucial for aligning design with brand strategy and conversion optimization principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Web Designer," the responsibilities heavily lean into e-commerce operations and conversion rate optimization (CRO) from a design perspective. The emphasis on building a design system for AI extension and collaborating with a CRO Lead indicates a role deeply embedded within the operational side of e-commerce growth, requiring a blend of creative talent and performance-driven design thinking. The "CONTRACTOR" employment type suggests project-based work, with the initial revamp being a significant 40-80 hour engagement over 4-8 weeks, with potential for ongoing work.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the complete revamp and upgrade of two existing DTC pet brand websites on Shopify, focusing on elevating their look and feel to be more unique, premium, and distinctive within the pet industry.

• Develop a comprehensive, mobile-first Figma design system for both brands, encompassing typography, color palettes, spacing, components, and signature section templates.

• Design 8-10 signature conversion-focused sections per brand (e.g., hero, product benefits, social proof, comparison, bundles, brand story) for both mobile and desktop views.

• Integrate AI-first design methodologies daily to rapidly explore design directions, produce assets, and streamline the design process, exceeding traditional designer output.

• Collaborate closely with the CRO Lead to ensure every designed section is optimized for conversion, incorporating clear visual hierarchy, strong calls-to-action, compelling benefits, and proof points.

• Conduct split tests on major new sections with the CRO Lead to measure and validate conversion rate improvements against existing pages.

• Prepare clean Figma files, simple usage rules (do's, don'ts, and examples), and assets for handover, ensuring the design system is easily extendable by the internal web team using AI tools.

• Review and approve the first new sections built by the internal team using the design system and AI to ensure they maintain brand consistency and quality.

• Provide clear documentation and conduct a short walkthrough to empower the team to extend the design system independently.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on "conversion-led design" and "AI-First Design," which are critical operational components for e-commerce growth. The expectation to build a design system that AI can extend is a forward-thinking operational requirement, streamlining future web development and content creation processes.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: No specific degree is required, but a strong understanding of design principles, e-commerce best practices, and digital marketing is essential.

Experience: 5+ years of professional experience in website design, with a significant focus on e-commerce platforms, is a mandatory requirement.

Required Skills:

• Shopify Expertise: Proven experience designing and optimizing websites specifically for the Shopify platform.

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

• AI-First Design: Extensive daily experience using AI tools for image generation, layout exploration, and accelerated design production.

• Conversion-Led Design Principles: Deep understanding of conversion rate optimization (CRO) tactics, including visual hierarchy, clear calls-to-action, benefit-driven messaging, and effective social proof integration.

• Design Systems Development: Ability to create comprehensive, well-documented, and easily extensible design systems in Figma.

• E-commerce Website Design: A strong portfolio showcasing live e-commerce sites that demonstrate exceptional taste, creativity, and a premium aesthetic.

• Brand Elevation: Demonstrated success in taking established e-commerce brands and enhancing their online presence to appear more premium and distinctive without compromising core brand elements.

• Mobile-First Design: Expertise in designing user-friendly and high-converting experiences for mobile devices.

• English Fluency: Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in English.

Preferred Skills:

• DTC Experience: Prior experience designing for Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brands.

• Pet Industry Experience: Familiarity with the nuances and aesthetic trends within the pet industry.

• UI/UX Design: Comprehensive understanding of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) principles to enhance overall site usability and engagement.

• Digital Marketing Acumen: Understanding of how design impacts broader digital marketing efforts, such as SEO and paid advertising.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "AI-First Design" and building a design system for AI extension is a significant differentiator, suggesting the company is prioritizing efficiency and future scalability through technology. This implies candidates should be prepared to showcase their proficiency and innovative use of AI tools in their design process.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Live E-commerce Sites: A portfolio that prominently features live e-commerce websites, ideally built on Shopify, demonstrating exceptional aesthetic quality and conversion-focused design.

• Brand Elevation Case Studies: Specific examples or case studies detailing how you have successfully elevated existing e-commerce brands, transforming their online look and feel to be more premium and distinctive.

• Design System Examples: Showcase examples of design systems you have built in Figma, highlighting their structure, component libraries, and usability for developers or other team members.

• AI Design Integration: Evidence of how AI tools were integrated into your design workflow to achieve faster turnaround times, explore diverse creative directions, or generate assets efficiently.

• Conversion-Focused Design: Projects that clearly illustrate your understanding and application of conversion principles, demonstrating how design choices directly contributed to improved performance metrics.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Ability to document your design workflow, particularly how AI is integrated for efficiency and speed.

• Design System Documentation: Creation of clear and concise usage rules, do's, don'ts, and examples for the Figma design system.

• Handover Protocols: Experience in preparing clean, organized design files and assets for seamless handover to development or implementation teams.

• Performance Measurement: Understanding of how to design sections that are measurable for conversion rates and how to collaborate with CRO specialists for split testing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are highly specific and emphasize practical application of design skills within an e-commerce and operational context. Candidates must demonstrate not just aesthetic talent but also a strategic approach to design that drives business outcomes and facilitates future development through robust design systems and AI integration.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: USD $35 – $70 per hour.

Benefits:

• Freelance/Contract Opportunity: Engage in ongoing freelance work with potential for sustained projects beyond the initial website revamp.

• Remote Work Flexibility: Fully remote position, allowing for work from any location.

• Direct Impact: Opportunity to work directly with the founder and have a significant impact on a fast-growing company.

• Creative Autonomy: Freedom to shape brand aesthetics and drive results through innovative design solutions.

• Fast-Paced Environment: Work in a dynamic, lean, and senior team environment that values speed and creativity.

• Professional Development: Exposure to cutting-edge AI design tools and methodologies, enhancing skills in a rapidly evolving field.

Working Hours: The initial project is estimated at 40–80 hours over 4–8 weeks. The role is described as "ongoing," suggesting flexibility in hours based on project needs and performance, but with an expectation of rapid feedback turnaround and a "will-to-win" attitude that implies dedication beyond a standard 9-5.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is provided as an hourly rate for a contractor. The benefits are primarily tied to the nature of freelance work, remote flexibility, and the opportunity for significant impact and growth within a dynamic startup environment. The "working hours" are project-dependent but emphasize responsiveness and a strong work ethic.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: E-commerce (Direct-to-Consumer - DTC), Pet Products.

Company Size: The company is scaling from $50M+ to $100M+ in annual revenue, indicating a mid-stage growth company. It operates as a "lean, senior team."

Founded: While not explicitly stated, the company's rapid growth and launch of a second brand suggest it is an established entity with a proven business model.

Team Structure:

• The role reports to the Head of Brand & Community and collaborates closely with the CRO Lead.

• The team is described as "lean, senior," implying a high-performing group where each member has substantial autonomy and impact.

• There is direct interaction with the founder, indicating a flat hierarchy and a culture of transparency. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: The company explicitly states it uses data to make decisions and relies on split-test results.

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

• Agile & Fast-Paced: The culture values speed ("Speed Is King") and quick turnaround on feedback.

• Continuous Improvement: The "Better Everyday" value highlights a commitment to refining systems and processes based on performance data.

Company Website: [KittySpout Website - Not directly provided, but implied to be operational for DTC pet brands]

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is geared towards high achievers who thrive in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment. The emphasis on "will-to-win," "no work is beneath us," and "creativity to do more with less" suggests a startup mentality focused on rapid scaling and operational efficiency. Candidates should be comfortable with ambiguity, quick iteration, and direct feedback.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Senior Designer/Creative Lead on a contract basis, focusing on a critical operational area: website conversion and brand elevation. While not a permanent hire, the scope of work—leading a full website revamp and creating a foundational design system—offers significant project-level responsibility and impact.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report to the Head of Brand & Community and work in close partnership with the CRO Lead. This structure emphasizes cross-functional collaboration between brand identity and performance marketing.

Operations Impact: The designer's work directly impacts revenue through improved conversion rates on the website. The creation of a scalable design system also impacts operational efficiency by enabling faster content creation and website updates by the internal team using AI. The quality of the design system will influence the long-term brand perception and customer experience.

Growth Opportunities:

• Project Expansion: Successful completion of the initial website revamp and design system project can lead to ongoing design work for KittySpout's brands.

• Skill Development: Deepen expertise in AI-driven design workflows, conversion optimization strategies, and building scalable design systems for e-commerce.

• Portfolio Enhancement: Deliver high-impact projects that significantly enhance a candidate's portfolio, showcasing experience with DTC brands, Shopify, and advanced design methodologies.

• Industry Exposure: Gain experience within the fast-growing pet industry and a company scaling rapidly to $100M+.

• Strategic Collaboration: Develop stronger working relationships with brand and CRO leadership, enhancing skills in cross-functional communication and strategic alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth opportunities are framed within the context of a contract role. Success here can lead to continued engagement and the chance to build a strong track record with a rapidly growing company. The focus on AI and CRO represents a significant opportunity to develop cutting-edge skills highly relevant to the future of e-commerce operations.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote position, offering complete flexibility in work location.

Office Location(s): While the company has operations and employees potentially spread across various regions (indicated by the remote nature and the mention of the founder), the specific role is open to candidates globally as long as they are fluent in English. The mention of "Brasília, Brazil" in the job listing likely indicates a potential timezone alignment or a specific region where the company has some presence or is targeting candidates.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration: The work environment necessitates strong digital collaboration skills, utilizing tools like Figma, and clear communication via text and video conferencing.

• AI Integration: The workspace is expected to be technologically advanced, with AI design tools being a core part of the daily workflow.

• Lean Team Dynamics: As part of a lean, senior team, expect a highly collaborative yet autonomous environment where individuals are expected to be self-starters and proactive.

• Fast-Paced Iteration: The environment encourages rapid design iterations, feedback loops, and quick decision-making.

Work Schedule: The role is described as "ongoing" with an initial project of 40-80 hours over 4-8 weeks. While not a strict 9-5, candidates must be available to turn feedback around quickly and meet project deadlines, aligning with the company's "Speed Is King" value. The remote nature allows for flexibility in structuring the workday, provided project commitments are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature and emphasis on AI integration define the work environment. Candidates should be comfortable with asynchronous communication, self-management, and leveraging technology to drive efficiency and creativity. The mention of Brasília likely points to a preferred timezone or regional talent pool, but the role is explicitly remote.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Application + Screening & Portfolio Review: Initial submission of application, followed by a review of your resume and portfolio. The company will assess your experience, taste, and alignment with their brand and AI-first design philosophy.

2. Paid Test: A practical, paid test project where you will design one real section for one of their brands at your agreed hourly rate. This allows the company to assess your design skills, speed, and ability to work with their existing brand guidelines and conversion principles.

3. Final Interview: This stage will likely involve a deeper discussion about your approach to design, your understanding of e-commerce conversion, your experience with AI tools, and your cultural fit with KittySpout's values.

4. Project Kickoff: If successful, you'll begin the initial website revamp project.

Portfolio Review Tips:

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

• Showcase "Taste" & Uniqueness: Select projects that demonstrate a sophisticated aesthetic and the ability to make brands stand out, especially those where you've elevated existing brands.

• Demonstrate AI Integration: Clearly articulate and showcase how you've used AI tools in your design process to achieve specific outcomes (speed, creativity, efficiency). Use case studies or specific project descriptions.

• Illustrate Conversion Focus: For each relevant project, explain the conversion principles you applied and, if possible, any measurable results or objectives you met.

• Detail Design Systems: Include examples of design systems you've built in Figma, explaining their structure and how they facilitate scalability and consistency.

• Address Brand Elevation: Prepare to discuss specific examples of how you've taken existing brands and made them more premium and distinctive.

• Concise Presentation: Be prepared to walk through your portfolio efficiently, focusing on the most relevant projects that align with KittySpout's needs.

Challenge Preparation:

• Paid Test Strategy: Treat the paid test as a real project. Understand the brand, the target audience, and the conversion goal for the section. Aim to deliver a design that is both aesthetically strong and clearly conversion-optimized, using AI tools effectively.

• AI Tool Familiarity: Be ready to discuss your preferred AI design tools and how you leverage them strategically in your workflow.

• Conversion Principles: Refresh your knowledge on key CRO principles relevant to web design (e.g., CTA placement, benefit communication, trust signals, user flow).

• Design System Logic: Be prepared to explain the rationale behind your design system choices and how it's built for extensibility, especially with AI in mind.

• Cultural Fit: Understand KittySpout's four core values (Better Everyday, Speed Is King, Work Smart, Overdeliver) and be ready to provide examples of how you embody them.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to be practical and efficient, starting with a paid test. This approach allows the company to quickly assess a candidate's ability to deliver high-quality work under real-world conditions. Candidates should focus on showcasing their AI proficiency and conversion-driven design skills prominently in their portfolio and during interviews.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design tool for creating mockups, prototypes, and the design system. Advanced proficiency is required.

• AI Design Tools: A wide array of AI-powered tools for image generation, layout assistance, content creation, and potentially site-building components. Candidates are expected to be highly experienced and innovative in their use of these tools.

• Shopify Platform: Understanding of the Shopify environment for designing effective e-commerce experiences.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) Tools: While not directly using the tools, the designer must understand how their designs will be measured by CRO leads. This implies familiarity with A/B testing concepts and performance metrics.

CRM & Automation:

• E-commerce Platform Integrations: Awareness of how design elements interact with the broader e-commerce ecosystem (e.g., product pages, checkout flow).

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is heavily skewed towards modern, AI-integrated design tools and the Shopify platform. Proficiency in Figma and a proactive, experimental approach to AI design tools are paramount. The role requires an understanding of how design translates into measurable performance within an e-commerce context.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Better Everyday: A commitment to continuous improvement, using split-test results and feedback to refine the design system and individual sections before handover. This means designs are not static but evolving based on performance data.

• Speed Is King: Prioritizing rapid execution, quick feedback turnaround (same-day), and efficient delivery of design directions and assets. The use of AI is central to achieving this value.

• Work Smart: Leveraging AI tools strategically to explore directions and produce assets faster, and designing the system in a way that empowers AI to extend it, maximizing efficiency and output.

• Overdeliver: Aiming to provide a comprehensive and robust design system that the team can build upon for years, rather than just a set of attractive pages. This implies a focus on creating sustainable, scalable design assets.

Collaboration Style:

• Proactive and Collaborative: While independent, the designer must take direction from the Head of Brand & Community and the CRO Lead, but also be empowered to push back with better ideas when justified.

• Data-Informed Design: Collaboration involves working with data and CRO insights to inform design decisions.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Close partnership with CRO lead for split testing and with the web team for the implementation and extension of the design system.

• Feedback Integration: A culture that embraces quick feedback loops and rapid iteration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's core values are deeply integrated into its operational approach, emphasizing efficiency, continuous improvement, and intelligent use of technology. Candidates must demonstrate an alignment with these values, particularly regarding speed, smart work through AI, and a commitment to delivering lasting value.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Aesthetics and Conversion: The primary challenge is to elevate brand aesthetics to a premium, unique level while simultaneously ensuring every page is designed to convert effectively. This requires a delicate balance between creative expression and performance-driven design.

• AI Integration Mastery: Effectively leveraging a wide range of AI design tools to accelerate workflows and produce high-quality, on-brand assets requires continuous learning and experimentation.

• Elevating Existing Brands: Redesigning within existing brand guidelines to make them more unique and premium, without losing core brand recognition, can be complex.

• Scalable Design System for AI: Creating a Figma design system that is not only comprehensive but also structured in a way that AI tools can effectively extend it requires foresight and robust system design.

• Fast-Paced Environment: Adapting to the company's "Speed Is King" mentality and rapid iteration cycles can be demanding for designers accustomed to more traditional workflows.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Cutting-Edge AI Design: Become a leader in leveraging AI for high-impact e-commerce design, a rapidly evolving field.

• Advanced CRO Design: Deepen expertise in designing for conversion optimization by working directly with a CRO Lead and through split-testing outcomes.

• Scalable E-commerce Systems: Gain experience in building foundational design systems that enable efficient, AI-driven content creation for a high-growth e-commerce business.

• DTC Brand Growth: Contribute to the scaling of a successful DTC brand from $50M to $100M+, offering valuable experience in high-growth environments.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Develop strong collaborative skills by working closely with brand and CRO leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are directly tied to the innovative and performance-driven nature of the role. Overcoming them offers significant opportunities for professional growth in specialized areas of e-commerce design and operations.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Brand Elevation & Conversion: "Describe a time you took an existing e-commerce brand and significantly elevated its visual appeal and conversion performance without losing its core identity. What was your process, and what were the key design decisions that drove success?"

• AI-First Design Workflow: "Walk us through your typical workflow when using AI tools for web design. How do you integrate them to explore directions, produce assets, and maintain quality and brand consistency? Provide specific examples."

• Design System for AI: "How would you structure a Figma design system to be most effectively extended by AI tools for future content creation? What are the key considerations for ensuring scalability and consistency?"

• Conversion-Driven Design: "How do you approach designing a specific e-commerce section (e.g., a hero banner, a product benefits block) to maximize conversion? What elements do you prioritize, and how do you test their effectiveness?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• Value Alignment: "KittySpout operates by four core values: Better Everyday, Speed Is King, Work Smart, and Overdeliver. Can you provide examples from your past experience that demonstrate how you embody these values in your work?"

• Remote Collaboration: "How do you ensure effective collaboration and communication in a fully remote environment, especially when working with cross-functional teams like Brand and CRO?"

• Feedback & Iteration: "Describe your process for receiving and incorporating feedback on your designs, particularly in a fast-paced environment where same-day turnarounds are expected."

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Curate for Relevance: Select 3-5 projects that best showcase your Shopify e-commerce experience, brand elevation capabilities, AI design integration, and conversion-focused design work.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your solution (highlighting AI use and conversion principles), and the outcome. Quantify results where possible.

• Showcase Design System: Dedicate a portion of your presentation to demonstrating your design system capabilities in Figma, explaining its structure and how it facilitates efficiency and scalability.

• Demonstrate AI Impact: Be prepared to specifically point out where and how AI tools were used in the showcased projects and the benefits they brought (e.g., faster ideation, unique asset generation).

• Concise and Clear: Practice your presentation to be concise, impactful, and within any time limits provided. Focus on demonstrating your "taste" and strategic thinking.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice focuses on demonstrating practical skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit. Candidates should be ready to articulate their process, especially concerning AI integration and conversion optimization, and to showcase their ability to work within KittySpout's unique operational framework.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-focused design position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workable link, ensuring your resume and portfolio are up-to-date and highlight relevant e-commerce and design system experience.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to prominently feature your best Shopify e-commerce projects, clearly demonstrating your "taste," brand elevation capabilities, and AI-driven design process. Include specific examples of design systems you've built.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume highlights your 5+ years of experience in web design, specifically mentioning Shopify, Figma, AI design tools, conversion-focused design, and experience with DTC brands. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, especially how you integrate AI tools for efficiency and how you apply conversion principles. Be ready to discuss your understanding of KittySpout's values and culture.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with KittySpout's existing brands (if possible) and the competitive landscape in the pet DTC market. Understand their focus on premium positioning and rapid growth.

⚠️ 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.