UX/UI Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX/UI Designer

Company: Discovery

Location: Sandton - 1 Discovery Place, Gauteng, South Africa

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: User Experience & Interface Design

Date Posted: 2026-08-12

Experience Level: 3-5 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and iterate on user interfaces for web and mobile applications, ensuring a seamless user experience across all digital touchpoints.

• Conduct comprehensive user research and usability testing to gather insights that inform design decisions and validate design solutions.

• Collaborate closely with product managers, developers, and other stakeholders to translate complex business requirements into intuitive and engaging user journeys.

• Utilize AI and emerging technologies to enhance the existing design system and continuously improve design processes for greater efficiency and innovation.

• Develop and present high-fidelity interactive prototypes to effectively communicate design intent and gather stakeholder feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is situated within Discovery Insure, a division focused on innovative Shared-value Insurance models, particularly the award-winning Vitality Drive program. The UX/UI Designer will contribute to enhancing digital features and channels that support this mission, requiring an understanding of how user experience design can influence customer behavior and business outcomes in the insurance sector.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Problem Decomposition: Analyze intricate business and user problems to identify core components and underlying issues, ensuring a clear understanding before solutioning.

• Solution Ideation: Generate and evaluate a range of potential design solutions to effectively address identified user and business needs.

• User Research & Insight Gathering: Conduct thorough qualitative and quantitative research, including user interviews, surveys, and competitor analysis, to inform design decisions.

• Interface Design Iteration: Design and iterate on user interfaces for both web and mobile applications, progressing from low-fidelity wireframes to high-fidelity mockups.

• Prototyping & Validation: Create interactive and visual design prototypes to simulate user flows and conduct usability testing to gather feedback and refine designs.

• Design System Contribution: Utilize and contribute to an existing design system, ensuring consistency, scalability, and efficiency in design outputs, with an emphasis on leveraging AI and emerging technologies.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work intimately with product managers, engineers, business analysts, and other stakeholders to ensure design feasibility, alignment with business objectives, and a cohesive product experience.

• Usability Testing & Analysis: Plan, conduct, and analyze usability testing sessions, synthesizing feedback to identify areas for improvement and refine user flows.

• Platform & Device Compatibility: Maintain a strong understanding of platform, browser, and device compatibility, considering form factors, screen resolutions, and aspect ratios to ensure responsive design.

• Trend Monitoring & Innovation: Stay abreast of the latest UX/UI trends, technologies, and best practices, actively participating in conferences and meetups to foster innovation and maintain usability standards.

• Design Leadership Communication: Engage in regular communication with design leadership to articulate blockers, identify training needs, and discuss tool requirements.

• Internal Knowledge Sharing: Participate in internal training sessions and community forums to share knowledge, mentor junior designers, and promote user experience best practices across the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a proactive approach to design, not just execution. The expectation to "Break Down Problems" and "Ideate Solutions" suggests a need for strategic thinking beyond simply applying design patterns. The inclusion of "Utilize AI and Emerging Technologies" points towards a forward-thinking team that values innovation and efficiency in the design process.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Matric/Grade 12 (Essential)

• Relevant Bachelor's or equivalent 3-year degree (Advantageous: User experience design, or related field). Experience:

• 3 to 5 years minimum relevant working experience in UX/UI design.

• Proven track record of solving complex UX design problems and simplifying challenging requirements into intuitive interfaces for customers.

• Experience in UX design specifically for web and mobile applications/platforms is advantageous. Required Skills:

• UX Research: Proficiency in conducting user research methodologies (interviews, surveys, persona development) to understand user needs and behaviors.

• UI Design: Strong visual design skills with a demonstrated mastery of typography, color, layout, and attention to detail.

• Figma Proficiency: Expert-level proficiency with design tools such as Figma for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity design creation.

• Prototyping Tools: Ability to use prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, InVision) to convey design intent and create interactive user flows.

• Interaction Design: Solid understanding of interaction design principles and best practices for creating intuitive and efficient user experiences.

• Usability Testing: Experience in planning, conducting, and analyzing usability testing to gather actionable insights for design refinement.

• Agile & Lean Methodologies: Experience and understanding of lean and agile development processes, including iterative design and rapid prototyping.

• Accessibility Standards: Operational understanding of WCAG guidelines and the ability to incorporate accessibility principles into designs to ensure inclusivity.

• Communication & Storytelling: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively present design decisions and rationale to business stakeholders using storytelling techniques.

• Personal Organization & Time Management: Excellent personal organization and time management skills to effectively manage multiple projects and deadlines.

Preferred Skills:

• Data Analysis & Reporting: Ability to analyze user data and report insights to inform design strategies and measure impact.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships and collaborate effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and job levels.

• Visual Design Mastery: Advanced skills in typography, color theory, and layout design for creating aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly interfaces.

• Design System Development/Contribution: Experience contributing to or developing design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "standing by your designs and providing solid rationale" combined with "storytelling techniques" suggests that candidates will need to be strong advocates for user-centered design, capable of influencing stakeholders through clear communication and data-backed reasoning. The mention of "AI and Emerging Technologies" indicates a desire for candidates who are forward-thinking and adaptable to new design tools and methodologies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrated Problem-Solving: Showcase case studies that clearly articulate complex UX design problems, the methodologies used to address them, and the resulting intuitive interface solutions.

• User-Centricity: Present projects that highlight a deep understanding of user needs, research findings, and how these insights directly informed the design process and outcomes.

• Design Iteration & Refinement: Include examples that illustrate the iterative nature of your design process, demonstrating how feedback (from testing or stakeholders) was incorporated to refine and improve designs.

• End-to-End Design Process: Showcase a range of work that covers the entire design lifecycle, from initial research and wireframing through to high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototyping.

• Platform Expertise: Provide examples of designs for both web and mobile applications, demonstrating adaptability to different form factors and user contexts.

Process Documentation:

• Methodology Explanation: Be prepared to articulate your design process clearly, explaining the steps taken, the tools used (especially Figma), and the rationale behind your choices at each stage.

• Research Integration: Detail how user research findings were translated into actionable design requirements and how these were documented and shared with the team.

• Usability Testing Reports: Include examples of how usability testing was conducted, the key findings, and how these insights led to specific design improvements.

• Collaboration Workflows: Illustrate how you have collaborated with product managers, developers, and other stakeholders, including any documentation or communication strategies used to ensure alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a portfolio demonstrating "solving difficult UX design problems and simplifying difficult requirements to intuitive interfaces" is critical. Candidates should curate their portfolio to explicitly highlight these capabilities, perhaps by selecting projects that involved significant complexity or ambiguity and showcasing the transformation achieved through their design expertise.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

The estimated annual salary range for a UX/UI Designer with 3-5 years of experience in Sandton, South Africa, is ZAR 450,000 to ZAR 700,000. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for similar roles in the South African market, considering the experience level and the company's standing.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Access to Discovery's renowned health insurance plans, offering extensive medical coverage.

• Vitality Program Integration: Potential for integration with or benefits derived from the Vitality program, promoting employee well-being and healthy lifestyles.

• Retirement Savings Plan: Contributions to a retirement fund, ensuring long-term financial security.

• Paid Time Off: Generous annual leave, sick leave, and public holiday allocations.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for training, workshops, conferences, and continuous learning to enhance UX/UI skills.

• Employee Assistance Programs: Support services for mental, financial, and legal well-being.

• Potential for Performance Bonuses: Based on individual and company performance.

Working Hours:

The standard working hours are typically 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday. While the role is on-site, there may be occasional flexibility required for critical project deadlines or cross-time zone collaborations, subject to team and management approval.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on publicly available data for UX/UI Designer roles in South Africa with 3-5 years of experience. It accounts for the cost of living in Sandton and the specialized skills required. Discovery is a major financial services and insurance provider, suggesting a competitive benefits package that may include unique offerings related to their core business, such as health and wellness incentives.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services & Insurance (specifically Short-Term Insurance with a focus on Shared-value models and behavioural economics).

Company Size: Large (Discovery employs over 1,000 people in Discovery Insure alone, and is a significant global entity). This size implies structured processes, opportunities for specialization, and the potential for impact at scale.

Founded: Discovery was founded in 1992, bringing a history of innovation and established market presence. Discovery Insure, a key division, has rapidly grown and is recognized for its forward-thinking approach.

Team Structure:

• Operations Focus: The UX/UI Designer is part of the broader Discovery Insure team, likely within a product development or digital innovation department.

• Cross-Functional Teams: The role emphasizes close collaboration with product managers, developers, business analysts, and potentially marketing and data science teams.

• Design Community: The designer will likely be part of a UX/UI community within Discovery, fostering knowledge sharing and adherence to design standards.

Methodology:

• Agile & Lean: The job description explicitly mentions experience with lean and agile processes, indicating an iterative and responsive development environment.

• User-Centered Design: A core tenet is understanding user needs through research and translating these into effective solutions.

• Data-Driven Decisions: The expectation to analyze and report insights suggests that design decisions will be informed by data and performance metrics.

• Innovation & Technology: The emphasis on AI and emerging technologies points to a culture that embraces innovation and seeks to leverage new tools for improvement.

Company Website: https://www.discovery.co.za/

📝 Enhancement Note: Discovery's mission to "make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives" is a strong cultural driver. For a UX/UI Designer, this means understanding how digital products can contribute to positive behavioral change, particularly in the context of insurance and risk management. The Vitality Drive program is a prime example of this philosophy in action, and the designer will play a role in its digital evolution.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as an experienced individual contributor, likely mid-level. It requires a solid foundation of 3-5 years of experience, demonstrating the ability to work independently on design challenges and contribute meaningfully to team objectives. It's a step up from an entry-level role, demanding a degree of autonomy and proactive problem-solving.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report to a Design Lead, UX Manager, or Head of Digital Product. They will also work closely with Product Managers and Development Leads within specific project teams. This structure allows for both strategic direction from design leadership and tactical execution within product squads.

Operations Impact: The UX/UI Designer's work directly impacts customer engagement, satisfaction, and retention for Discovery Insure's digital platforms. By creating intuitive and effective user experiences, they contribute to higher conversion rates, improved customer loyalty, and the overall success of digital product offerings, including the Vitality Drive program. Their insights can influence product strategy and feature development.

Growth Opportunities:

• Senior UX/UI Designer: Progression to a senior role, taking on more complex projects, mentoring junior designers, and contributing to design strategy.

• Specialization: Developing expertise in specific areas such as user research, interaction design, or design systems.

• Lead UX/UI Designer: Moving into a leadership position, managing a team of designers, and guiding the overall UX vision for product areas.

• Product Management: Transitioning into product management roles, leveraging design expertise to define product roadmaps and strategy.

• Cross-Functional Moves: Opportunities to move into related fields like service design, UX strategy, or even product ownership.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "contributing to training" and "communicating with design leadership" suggests that this role is not just about execution but also about growing within the design discipline and contributing to the broader design community at Discovery. Growth potential is clearly mapped out, offering pathways for both individual contribution and leadership.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based at "1 Discovery Place" in Sandton, which is Discovery's prominent headquarters. This typically implies a modern, professional, and well-equipped corporate office environment. The "On-site" designation means the designer will be working from this location.

Office Location(s): Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa. This is a major business hub, offering accessibility and a vibrant professional ecosystem.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Expect a work environment designed for collaboration, with meeting rooms, breakout areas, and potentially open-plan seating arrangements that facilitate interaction with colleagues.

• Technology & Tools: Access to industry-standard design software (like Figma), hardware, and other necessary technological resources will be provided.

• Team Interaction: Regular opportunities for face-to-face interaction with product teams, fellow designers, and stakeholders, fostering a strong sense of teamwork and shared purpose.

• Professional Atmosphere: A corporate setting that values professionalism, innovation, and a commitment to the company's purpose.

Work Schedule: The standard 40-hour work week is expected, with the understanding that occasional overtime might be necessary to meet project deadlines. The on-site nature of the role facilitates real-time collaboration and team integration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The physical location at "1 Discovery Place" suggests a well-resourced and central office. For a UX/UI Designer, this environment likely supports both focused individual work and dynamic team collaboration, crucial for iterative design processes.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Application Submission: Submit your resume and a link to your portfolio through the Discovery careers portal.

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications, focusing on relevant experience and portfolio quality.

• Portfolio Review & Technical Interview: Candidates will likely present their portfolio, discussing specific case studies, design process, and problem-solving approaches. This stage will assess technical skills in UX/UI design, Figma proficiency, and understanding of design principles.

• Behavioral & Situational Interviews: Interviews focusing on how you handle specific work scenarios, including collaboration, conflict resolution, receiving feedback, and stakeholder management. Expect questions related to agile environments and problem-solving.

• Team/Hiring Manager Interview: A final interview with the hiring manager and potentially key team members to assess cultural fit, strategic thinking, and overall suitability for the role and Discovery's purpose-driven culture.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Impact: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best showcase your problem-solving skills, user-centered approach, and ability to deliver intuitive interfaces.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process (research, ideation, design, testing), the challenges faced, the solutions you implemented, and the measurable outcomes or impact.

• Highlight Process: Emphasize your design process, including research methodologies, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing. Show iterative improvements.

• Showcase Figma Skills: Demonstrate your proficiency in Figma through polished mockups, interactive prototypes, and potentially examples of design system contributions.

• Quantify Results: Where possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the impact of your designs (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced task completion time, increased user satisfaction scores).

• Tailor to Discovery: Briefly mention how your skills and experience align with Discovery's mission and the insurance industry context.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Exercise: Be prepared for a potential design exercise, which might involve a short, timed task to solve a hypothetical UX problem or critique an existing interface.

• Scenario-Based Questions: Practice answering questions about how you would handle common UX challenges, such as dealing with conflicting stakeholder feedback, prioritizing design tasks, or incorporating accessibility.

• Articulate Your Process: Be ready to walk through your portfolio projects step-by-step, explaining your rationale and decision-making at each stage.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process at Discovery, a large and established company, is likely to be thorough. A strong portfolio that clearly demonstrates problem-solving and a well-articulated design process will be key. Be prepared to speak about your experience with agile methodologies and how you incorporate user feedback into your iterative design cycles.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design tool for wireframing, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototyping. Proficiency is essential.

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma has strong prototyping capabilities, experience with other tools like InVision, Adobe XD, or Sketch may be relevant.

• Design System Tools: Familiarity with tools or methods for managing and contributing to design systems.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Analytics Platforms: Experience with tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, or similar for analyzing user behavior and tracking key metrics.

• Data Visualization Tools: Ability to interpret data visualizations and potentially create simple reports or dashboards to communicate findings.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a UX/UI tool, understanding how CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms integrate with digital experiences can be beneficial for context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly mentioned as a required proficiency. Candidates should be ready to demonstrate their expertise in Figma, including its advanced features for prototyping, collaboration, and potentially design system management. Familiarity with user analytics tools will be crucial for understanding user behavior and measuring the impact of design decisions.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Purpose-Driven Innovation: A strong emphasis on Discovery's core purpose of making people healthier and enhancing/protecting their lives. Designs should align with this mission.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Valuing close collaboration with cross-functional teams (product, development, etc.) to achieve shared goals.

• Excellence & Quality: A commitment to high standards in design execution, user experience, and overall product quality.

• Continuous Learning: An environment that encourages staying updated with industry trends, new technologies, and best practices in UX/UI design.

• Accountability & Ownership: Taking responsibility for design decisions, outcomes, and contributing to team success.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers are expected to work seamlessly with diverse teams, bridging the gap between user needs, business objectives, and technical feasibility.

• Constructive Critique: A culture where providing and receiving constructive feedback is encouraged to improve designs and foster professional growth.

• Knowledge Sharing: Active participation in internal forums and communities to share learnings, best practices, and insights related to UX/UI design.

• Data-Informed Design: A collaborative approach that integrates data analysis and user feedback into the design process to ensure informed decision-making.

📝 Enhancement Note: Discovery's "Shared-value Insurance model" and its mission are central to its culture. UX/UI designers here are expected to contribute to this mission, meaning their work should not only be aesthetically pleasing and functional but also contribute to positive user outcomes that align with the company's broader societal and health-oriented goals.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing User Needs with Business Goals: Effectively navigating the inherent tension between creating ideal user experiences and meeting stringent business requirements, technical constraints, and product roadmaps.

• Scaling Design Systems: Contributing to and maintaining a robust design system that scales across multiple products and platforms while remaining adaptable.

• Integrating AI & Emerging Tech: Staying ahead of the curve and effectively integrating AI and new technologies into design workflows and user experiences without compromising usability or accessibility.

• Cross-Departmental Alignment: Ensuring consistent design vision and execution across different product teams and departments, which can have varying priorities and perspectives.

• Measuring Design Impact: Quantifying the ROI of UX/UI design initiatives and clearly demonstrating their contribution to business objectives.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced UX/UI Techniques: Access to training, workshops, and conferences focused on cutting-edge UX research, interaction design patterns, and visual design trends.

• Design System Expertise: Opportunities to deepen knowledge in design system architecture, component libraries, and governance.

• AI in Design: Learning about and experimenting with AI tools and methodologies to enhance design processes and user experiences.

• Industry Best Practices: Staying current with evolving accessibility standards, ethical design principles, and the latest platform-specific design guidelines.

• Mentorship & Leadership Development: Opportunities to receive mentorship from senior designers and potentially develop leadership skills through team collaboration and knowledge sharing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenge of "Integrating AI & Emerging Tech" is a significant growth opportunity. Candidates who are curious and proactive about exploring these areas will find ample scope for development and innovation within Discovery.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to simplify a complex requirement into an intuitive user interface. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on problem decomposition, ideation, and user-centric design).

• "How do you balance user needs with business goals and technical constraints? Walk us through a situation where these were in conflict." (Assess negotiation, prioritization, and pragmatic design skills).

• "How would you approach designing a new feature for the Vitality Drive program to encourage even better driving habits?" (Tests creative problem-solving within the company's specific context and mission). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Discovery's purpose and how do you see UX/UI design contributing to it?" (Demonstrate research and alignment with company values).

• "How do you handle constructive criticism on your designs?" (Assess openness to feedback and collaborative spirit).

• "Describe your experience working in an agile environment. How do you collaborate with developers and product managers?" (Evaluate adaptability to team workflows). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline: Problem (the user/business challenge), Your Role, Process (research, ideation, design, testing), Solution (key design elements), and Outcome (impact and results).

• Highlight Figma Proficiency: Be ready to demonstrate specific Figma features you used for prototyping, component creation, or collaboration.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics (e.g., "improved conversion by X%", "reduced task time by Y seconds") to showcase the tangible results of your work.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your design decisions, research methods, and problem-solving approaches.

📝 Enhancement Note: Be prepared to discuss how your UX/UI skills can directly contribute to Discovery's mission of enhancing and protecting lives, particularly within the insurance context and the Vitality Drive program. Strong storytelling and a clear articulation of your design process, supported by portfolio examples, will be crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX/UI Designer position:

• Submit your resume and a link to your online portfolio via the Discovery careers portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features projects that demonstrate your ability to solve complex UX problems and simplify requirements into intuitive interfaces, ideally with examples of web and mobile applications.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords from the job description, such as "UX Research," "UI Design," "Figma," "Prototyping," "Agile," and "Accessibility," and quantify your achievements where possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, rationale for design decisions, and how you collaborate with cross-functional teams. Prepare to present your portfolio effectively, focusing on storytelling and measurable outcomes.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Discovery's mission, values, and the Vitality Drive program. Understand how the company uses technology and design to achieve its purpose, and consider how your skills align with this vision.

⚠️ 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.

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