UX Designer, AI App
📍 Job Overview
Job Title: UX Designer, AI App
Company: Bjak
Location: New York, New York, United States
Job Type: Full-time
Category: Product Design / User Experience (UX)
Date Posted: August 22, 2026
Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)
Remote Status: Hybrid
🚀 Role Summary
-
Own the end-to-end UX for a core AI application, focusing on intuitive user flows for AI-assisted tasks across mobile and web platforms.
-
Design and refine user interactions within complex AI systems, ensuring clarity, reliability, and user control throughout task completion.
-
Conduct user research to identify pain points and areas of uncertainty in AI-driven product experiences, translating insights into actionable design improvements.
-
Collaborate closely with product, engineering, and machine learning teams to define user requirements and implement concrete design solutions.
-
Contribute to the development and maintenance of a cohesive design system for AI application surfaces.
📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a mid-level UX Designer with significant ownership over the core application experience. The emphasis on "AI-native" applications and "minimal prompting" suggests a focus on highly intuitive interfaces that abstract complex AI functionalities, requiring a deep understanding of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) principles applied to artificial intelligence.
📈 Primary Responsibilities
-
Lead the UX design for Bjak's core AI application surfaces across iOS, Android, and web platforms, ensuring a consistent and high-quality user experience.
-
Design comprehensive user flows that guide users from initial task intent capture through to successful AI-driven task completion, including seamless handoffs, progress tracking, and effective error recovery mechanisms.
-
Develop clear and informative ways for the app to communicate the AI's current actions, past decisions, and any user input or confirmation required.
-
Map and design user interactions for the full spectrum of AI states, such as loading, processing, waiting, stalled, failed, and recovery states, ensuring users remain informed and in control.
-
Partner with product managers, engineers, and machine learning specialists to translate complex user needs and AI system behaviors into practical, user-centered design solutions.
-
Execute qualitative user research, including usability testing and user interviews, to uncover insights into user trust, uncertainty, and engagement with AI features.
-
Produce detailed wireframes, user flows, and high-fidelity prototypes using Figma that provide clear specifications for engineering teams.
-
Actively contribute to the evolution of the company's design system and establish reusable UX patterns for AI-driven application interfaces.
-
Design for a dual requirement: balancing straightforward everyday interactions with intricate, multi-step AI workflows within a unified product experience.
📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a need for a designer who can manage both high-level strategy and detailed execution for AI interactions. Specific focus on "AI states," "error recovery," and "user control" indicates a critical need for a designer experienced in complex, potentially unpredictable system interactions.
🎓 Skills & Qualifications
Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Interaction Design, Graphic Design, Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for roles of this nature. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.
Experience: 2-5 years of professional experience as a UX Designer, with a significant portion focused on consumer-facing mobile or web applications.
Required Skills:
-
Proven experience as a UX Designer on consumer mobile or web applications, supported by a strong portfolio.
-
Advanced proficiency in user flow design, wireframing, and creating high-fidelity prototypes using Figma.
-
Demonstrated ability to design for complex systems characterized by asynchronous operations, non-deterministic outcomes, and context-dependent behavior.
-
Clear understanding and articulation of user trust, control, feedback mechanisms, and transparency principles within AI-driven product experiences.
-
Experience in conducting user research (e.g., usability testing, interviews) and effectively translating findings into concrete design decisions.
-
Adaptability and comfort working within fast-paced, agile teams with evolving product scopes and requirements.
-
Ability to effectively balance simple, intuitive consumer UX with the complexities inherent in AI system behavior.
-
Strong judgment regarding usability, edge cases, failure handling strategies, and robust recovery flows. Preferred Skills:
-
Experience with Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) principles applied to AI or machine learning products.
-
Familiarity with designing for large language models (LLMs) or similar AI technologies.
-
Contributions to or experience with maintaining design systems.
-
Experience with iterative design processes and A/B testing for UX optimization.
-
Basic understanding of AI/ML concepts to better collaborate with technical teams.
📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on designing for "asynchronous, non-deterministic, and context-dependent" systems is a key differentiator for this role, pointing towards a need for experience with systems that don't follow predictable, linear paths. The "2-5 years" experience level suggests a candidate ready to take ownership but still developing strategic depth.
📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements
Portfolio Essentials:
-
A curated portfolio showcasing end-to-end UX design projects for consumer mobile or web applications.
-
Specific case studies demonstrating the design of complex user flows, particularly those involving AI or intelligent systems.
-
Examples of wireframes, user flows, and high-fidelity prototypes created in Figma.
-
Documentation of the design process, including user research methodologies, problem identification, ideation, and iteration.
-
Evidence of how user feedback and research findings influenced design decisions and improved product outcomes. Process Documentation:
-
Case studies should clearly outline the problem statement, the user needs addressed, and the specific AI system behaviors considered.
-
Demonstrate how you mapped various AI states (loading, thinking, acting, failing, recovering) and designed corresponding user interfaces and feedback mechanisms.
-
Include examples of how you ensured user trust, control, and transparency in AI-driven interactions.
-
Showcase wireframes, user flows, and prototypes that illustrate the design solutions for AI-assisted tasks from intent capture to completion.
-
Highlight contributions to design systems or the creation of reusable UX patterns for AI interfaces.
📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio must go beyond standard UI/UX work. It needs to explicitly demonstrate the candidate's ability to tackle the unique challenges of designing for AI, such as managing uncertainty, providing clear feedback on AI processes, and ensuring user control over non-deterministic systems.
💵 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: For a mid-level UX Designer with 2-5 years of experience in New York City, the estimated annual salary range is between $110,000 and $150,000 USD. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for UX design roles in major tech hubs, considering the specific requirements for AI application design and the company's focus on a high-talent-density team.
Benefits:
-
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
-
Generous paid time off (PTO) and holidays.
-
Stock options or equity in a growing AI startup.
-
Professional development budget for conferences, courses, and learning resources.
-
Opportunities for rapid career advancement within a fast-growing company.
-
Flexible work arrangements (Hybrid model) to promote work-life balance.
-
Potential for team events and offsites to foster collaboration and company culture.
Working Hours: The standard working hours are approximately 40 hours per week. However, given the nature of a fast-moving startup environment and the emphasis on high-talent-density, flexibility and a results-oriented approach are expected, with occasional needs to go above and beyond to meet project deadlines.
📝 Enhancement Note: Salary range is estimated for New York City, a high cost of living area. Benefits are inferred based on typical offerings for tech startups in the US, particularly those aiming to attract high-caliber talent in specialized fields like AI UX design. The "high talent density" and "rapid speed" imply a demanding but potentially rewarding work environment.
🎯 Team & Company Context
🏢 Company Culture
Industry: Technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Software Development, Consumer Applications. Bjak is at the forefront of developing AI-native applications designed to simplify everyday tasks for a global user base, moving beyond traditional prompt-heavy interfaces.
Company Size: The description "small, world-class teams" and "high talent density" suggests a startup environment, likely ranging from 10-50 employees, with plans to grow strategically. This implies a lean, agile, and hands-on operational structure.
Founded: While the founding date is not specified, the mission-driven approach and focus on building "proactive applications" indicate a company that is likely in its growth or scaling phase, aiming to disrupt the market for AI-integrated productivity tools.
Team Structure:
-
The operations team is characterized by its small size, high concentration of talent, and collaborative spirit, emphasizing collective decision-making and rapid execution.
-
Reporting structures are likely flat, with direct access to leadership and cross-functional collaboration being paramount.
-
Expect close partnerships between UX designers, product managers, engineers, and ML specialists, forming integrated project teams. Methodology:
-
The company emphasizes collective decision-making, rapid iteration, and a balance between shipping high-quality work and continuous learning.
-
A hands-on approach is expected, where team members are empowered to bring structure, exercise judgment, and execute independently.
-
The core methodology revolves around creating "truly magical products" that offer practical AI benefits with minimal user friction.
Company Website: https://bjak.my/en/about-us
📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is explicitly described as "high talent density" and "hands-on," suggesting a demanding but intellectually stimulating environment. This implies that candidates should be prepared for a fast-paced, collaborative setting where individual contributions have a significant impact.
📈 Career & Growth Analysis
Operations Career Level: This UX Designer role is positioned at a mid-level (2-5 years of experience), offering significant ownership over the core AI application's user experience. It's an opportunity to shape a product from its foundational stages, moving beyond task execution to strategic design input.
Reporting Structure: The designer will likely report to a Head of Product, Design Lead, or a senior Product Manager. Given the "small, world-class teams" and "high talent density" ethos, direct interaction with founders and engineering/ML leads is highly probable.
Operations Impact: The UX Designer's work will directly influence user adoption, engagement, and satisfaction with AI-native applications. By creating intuitive and reliable interfaces, the role directly contributes to the company's mission of bringing practical AI benefits to billions, thereby impacting revenue, market share, and brand perception.
Growth Opportunities:
-
Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing for AI, HCI, and complex interactive systems, becoming a go-to expert in this niche.
-
Leadership: Progress to a Senior UX Designer role, potentially leading specific product features or design initiatives, and mentoring junior designers.
-
Product Strategy: Contribute more significantly to product strategy discussions, leveraging user insights and design expertise to influence roadmap development.
-
Cross-functional Advancement: Develop a strong understanding of ML and engineering, potentially moving into product management or a more specialized technical design role within AI applications.
📝 Enhancement Note: The growth trajectory for this role is strong, emphasizing specialization in the rapidly evolving field of AI UX and potential leadership within a fast-growing startup. Candidates should highlight their ambition and willingness to learn and adapt.
🌐 Work Environment
Office Type: The company operates on a hybrid work model, suggesting a combination of remote work and in-office collaboration. This allows for flexibility while maintaining the benefits of in-person teamwork and idea exchange.
Office Location(s): The role is based in New York, New York. Specific office details are not provided, but it's implied there will be a physical space for hybrid work, likely in a tech-centric area of the city.
Workspace Context:
-
The workspace is designed to foster collaboration and innovation, accommodating both focused individual work and dynamic team sessions.
-
Access to modern design tools and technologies, including Figma, is standard.
-
Opportunities for frequent interaction with cross-functional teams (product, engineering, ML) will be integral to the daily workflow.
Work Schedule: While the standard is 40 hours per week, the startup environment necessitates a results-oriented approach. Flexibility is key, with an expectation of dedication to meeting project milestones and delivering high-quality outcomes, which may occasionally require extended hours.
📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role in a major tech hub like New York offers a blend of flexibility and collaborative opportunities. Candidates should be prepared for a dynamic startup environment where commitment and adaptability are valued.
📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process
Interview Process:
-
Application Submission: Submit your application, including a strong portfolio, via the provided link.
-
Initial Screening: Applications are evaluated by team members for fit with role requirements and company culture.
-
Round 1 Interview: A virtual or onsite interview focusing on UX fundamentals, design process, and initial assessment of relevant experience.
-
Design Assessment: A practical design exercise or take-home challenge to evaluate problem-solving skills, design thinking, and ability to apply principles to AI-specific challenges. This will likely involve designing a user flow or interface for a given AI scenario.
-
Round 2 Interview: A deeper dive into your experience, portfolio case studies, and how you approach complex problems. This may include discussions with engineering, ML, and product leads.
-
Final Decision: Prompt decision-making process, with an offer extended to exceptional candidates.
Portfolio Review Tips:
-
Showcase AI/Complex Systems: Prioritize case studies that demonstrate your ability to design for complex, non-deterministic, or AI-driven systems. Highlight how you managed uncertainty, provided feedback, and ensured user control.
-
Figma Proficiency: Ensure your prototypes and designs are presented clearly, showcasing your skills in Figma.
-
Process & Rationale: Clearly articulate your design process, the problems you solved, your rationale for design decisions, and the impact of your work. Use research and user feedback as justification.
-
Focus on AI States: Include examples of how you designed for various AI states (e.g., loading, thinking, failing, recovering) and communicated these to users effectively.
-
Conciseness: Be prepared to walk through your portfolio efficiently, focusing on the most relevant projects and key learnings.
Challenge Preparation:
-
Understand AI Challenges: Familiarize yourself with common UX challenges in AI applications, such as hallucination mitigation, explainability, user trust, and managing user expectations.
-
Practice Flow Design: Be ready to quickly sketch out user flows for hypothetical AI-driven tasks, focusing on clarity, error handling, and user control.
-
Communicate Rationale: Practice articulating your design decisions and strategic thinking clearly and concisely, especially under time constraints.
📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes a practical assessment of design skills, particularly in the context of AI. A strong portfolio that clearly demonstrates relevant experience and a thoughtful approach to the design challenges of AI applications will be critical for success.
🛠 Tools & Technology Stack
Primary Tools:
-
Figma: Essential for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity design. Proficiency is a core requirement.
-
User Research Tools: Experience with platforms like UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback, or similar for conducting usability studies and gathering feedback.
-
Collaboration Tools: Familiarity with tools such as Slack, Notion, or Jira for team communication, documentation, and project management.
Analytics & Reporting:
-
While not a primary focus for UX, an understanding of how to interpret user analytics (e.g., from Amplitude, Mixpanel) to inform design decisions would be beneficial.
-
Familiarity with A/B testing frameworks or tools for UX optimization. CRM & Automation:
-
Not directly relevant for this UX role, but awareness of how user data flows from CRM and automation platforms into user-facing applications can be helpful for context.
-
Experience with design system management tools or libraries.
📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly mentioned as a requirement, underscoring its importance. The broader tech stack implies a modern, agile development environment where designers must be proficient with industry-standard tools and comfortable with data-informed design processes.
👥 Team Culture & Values
Operations Values:
-
Innovation & Vision: A drive to create "magical products" that push the boundaries of what AI can do for everyday users.
-
Excellence & High Standards: Commitment to building "world-class" products with a "high talent density" team.
-
Collaboration & Collective Decision-Making: Valuing input from all team members and making decisions collectively for the best product outcome.
-
Speed & Agility: Moving at "rapid speed" while balancing quality and learning, embracing an iterative approach to development.
-
User-Centricity: A deep focus on organizing anyone's life and spending time on meaningful things, driven by understanding user needs and reducing friction.
Collaboration Style:
-
Cross-functional Integration: Seamless collaboration between UX, Product, Engineering, and ML teams is fundamental, with shared ownership of product success.
-
Open Feedback: A culture that encourages constructive feedback to drive continuous improvement and learning.
-
Hands-on & Execution-Oriented: Team members are expected to be proactive, take ownership, and execute independently, contributing directly to product development.
📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values are strongly geared towards innovation, excellence, and rapid execution within a collaborative, hands-on environment. Candidates should demonstrate alignment with these values, particularly their proactive and collaborative nature.
⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities
Challenges:
-
Designing for Uncertainty: The primary challenge is designing intuitive and reliable user experiences for AI systems that are inherently non-deterministic and prone to "hallucinations." This requires creative solutions for feedback, error handling, and user control.
-
Balancing Simplicity and Complexity: Creating interfaces that are simple enough for everyday users ("minimal prompting") while managing the underlying complexity of advanced AI workflows.
-
Rapidly Evolving AI Landscape: Keeping pace with the fast-changing advancements in AI technology and their implications for user experience design.
-
Building Trust: Establishing and maintaining user trust in AI applications, especially when dealing with critical tasks or sensitive information.
Learning & Development Opportunities:
-
AI UX Specialization: Become a leader in the specialized field of Human-AI Interaction design, gaining expertise in cutting-edge AI applications.
-
Product Strategy Input: Contribute directly to the strategic direction of AI products, influencing the roadmap and feature development.
-
Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Gain deep insights into machine learning, engineering, and product management through close collaboration.
-
Startup Growth Experience: Experience the rapid growth and scaling of an AI startup, offering invaluable career development and exposure to diverse business challenges.
📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are directly related to the innovative nature of AI applications. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a chance to become a specialist in a high-demand field within a dynamic startup environment.
💡 Interview Preparation
Strategy Questions:
-
"Describe a time you designed a user experience for a complex, non-deterministic system. What were the key challenges, and how did you address them?" (Focus on your process, decision-making, and outcomes.)
-
"How would you approach designing the UX for an AI that assists users with scheduling meetings, considering potential AI errors or misunderstandings?" (Demonstrate your ability to think through AI states, feedback, and error recovery.)
-
"Imagine you need to design an interface that clearly communicates what an AI is doing, why it made a certain decision, and what the user needs to do next. How would you approach this?" (Showcase your understanding of transparency, feedback, and user control.) Company & Culture Questions:
-
"What interests you most about Bjak's mission to build AI-native applications with minimal prompting?" (Connect your passion for UX with the company's vision.)
-
"How do you handle working in a fast-paced startup environment with evolving product scopes? Describe a situation where you had to adapt quickly." (Highlight your agility and problem-solving skills.)
-
"How do you ensure your design decisions are data-driven and aligned with user needs, especially when dealing with novel AI functionalities?" (Emphasize your research and analytical approach.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
-
Storytelling: Structure your case studies as narratives, clearly defining the problem, your role, the process, the solution, and the impact.
-
Visual Clarity: Ensure your Figma designs and prototypes are presented cleanly and are easy to navigate. Highlight key interactions and user flows.
-
Focus on AI Challenges: For each relevant project, explicitly call out how you addressed challenges related to AI, uncertainty, feedback, or user control.
-
Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced error rates, increased user satisfaction).
-
Concise Explanation: Be prepared to walk through your portfolio efficiently, focusing on the most impactful and relevant projects for this specific role.
📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on articulating your experience with complex systems, demonstrating a deep understanding of AI UX principles, and showcasing your ability to thrive in a fast-paced, innovative startup.
📌 Application Steps
To apply for this UX Designer, AI App position:
-
Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby HQ.
-
Tailor your Resume: Highlight experience in consumer mobile/web app UX design, Figma proficiency, user research, and any specific experience with AI or complex systems. Quantify achievements where possible.
-
Curate Your Portfolio: Prioritize case studies that best demonstrate your ability to design for AI, complex systems, and user trust. Ensure clear articulation of your process, rationale, and outcomes.
-
Prepare for the Design Assessment: Practice sketching user flows and articulating design decisions quickly, focusing on AI-specific challenges like error handling and user control.
-
Research Bjak: Understand their mission, product vision, and the specific challenges of building AI-native applications with minimal prompting. This will help tailor your answers and showcase your genuine interest.
⚠️ 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.
Application Requirements
The role requires experience as a UX designer for consumer mobile or web applications with a strong portfolio and proficiency in Figma. Candidates must demonstrate the ability to design for non-deterministic AI systems and possess a deep understanding of user trust, control, and feedback loops.