---
layout: job_family_page
title: "Product Designer"
---

At GitLab, Product Designers collaborate closely with Product Managers, Engineers, UX Research, and other Product Designers to create a [productive, minimal, and human][pajamas] experience. Product Designers report to a UX Manager.

## Responsibilities

* Help to define and improve the interface and experience of GitLab.
* Design features that fit within the larger experience and flows.
* Create deliverables (wireframes, mockups, prototypes, flows, and so on) to communicate ideas.
* Work with Product Managers and Engineers to iterate on and refine the existing experience.
* Involve UX Researchers when needed, and help them define research initiatives (usability tests, surveys, interviews, and so on).
* Stay informed and share the latest on UI/UX techniques, tools, and patterns.
* Understand responsive design and best practices.
* Have working knowledge of HTML, CSS. Familiarity with Javascript.
* Have knowledge and understanding of design systems theory and practice.
* Have a general knowledge of Git flow (for example, feature branching, merge/pull requests, pipelines, and code testing).

### Product Designer

* Deeply understand the technology and features of the product area to which you are assigned.
* Conduct [solution validation](/handbook/product-development-flow/#validation-phase-4-solution-validation) with guidance from your Product Design Manager, and incorporate insights into design decisions to fulfill user and business needs.
* Create tactical and strategic deliverables for your area (for example, wireframes, competitive analyses, prototypes, journey maps, storyboards, personas, and so on).
* Communicate the results of UX activities within your product area to the UX department, cross-functional partners within your product area, and other interested GitLab team members using clear language that simplifies complexity.
* Proactively identify both small and large usability issues within your product area.
* Take part in the [monthly release process](/handbook/engineering/workflow/#product-development-timeline) by breaking down designs to fit release cadence, and review and approve merge requests submitted by developers.
* Actively contribute to the [Pajamas Design System][pajamas] to keep design components available and up to date in prototyping tools, ensuring that reusable components fit visually and functionally together.
* Participate in [Design Reviews](/handbook/engineering/ux/ux-designer/#design-reviews), giving and receiving feedback in an appropriate way.
* Understand UX debt and make recommendations for its resolution.

### Senior Product Designer

Everything in the Product Designer role, plus:

* Have working knowledge of the product area to which you are assigned, and proactively learn other product areas.
* Independently conduct [solution validation](/handbook/product-development-flow/#validation-phase-4-solution-validation) with minimal guidance from your Product Design Manager, and incorporate insights into design decisions to fulfill user and business needss.
* Proactively identify both small and large usability issues within your product area, and help influence your Product Design Manager and Product Manager to prioritize them.
* Participate in [Design Reviews](/handbook/engineering/ux/ux-designer/#design-reviews), and model best practices for giving and receiving feedback.
* Actively contribute to the [Pajamas Design System][pajamas], help determine whether components are single-use or multi-use, and provide recommendations to designers regarding new component requests.
* Mentor other members of the UX department, both inside and outside of your product area.
* Support your Product Design Manager and Product Manager in identifying dependencies between stages and advocating for cross-stage collaboration when needed.
* Engage in social media efforts, including writing blog articles, giving talks, and responding on Twitter, as appropriate.
* Interview potential UX candidates.

### Staff Product Designer

Everything in the Senior Product Designer role, plus:

* Drive cross-stage collaboration by helping designers to identify dependencies and areas for cross-department work.
* Actively contribute handbook changes that help the UX Department evolve the culture and best practices.
* Understand the nuances and considerations between problem and solution validation, and mentor other designers on how they plan research.
* Drive innovation across the organization by increasing the adoption of new processes and tools.
* Mentor other designers in deciding which deliverables and approach are most valuable at each stage of validation, and create those artifacts with them (for example, personas at the problem stage, storyboards at the solution stage).
* Push forward the craft of product design in regards to our standards and approaches in an all-remote context, fostering a design studio atmosphere within GitLab.
* Exert influence on the overall objectives and long-range goals of your section by collaborating with Product and Engineering on the Vision pages.
* Set an example for how to effectively communicate across stages by frequently participating in asynchronous collaboration in issues and merge requests.
* Teach and socialize decision-making frameworks to the GitLab community, so that designers can solve problems more efficiently on their own.

## Tools

Tools used by the UX department are flexible depending on the needs of the work. Please see the [Product Designer Onboarding](/handbook/engineering/ux/uxdesigner-onboarding/) page for more details.

## Performance indicators
* [Perception of System Usability](/handbook/engineering/ux/performance-indicators/#perception-of-system-usability)
* [Ratio of Proactive vs Reactive UX Work](/handbook/engineering/ux/performance-indicators/#ratio-of-proactive-vs-reactive-ux-work)
* [Beautifying our UI](/handbook/engineering/ux/performance-indicators/#ui-beautification)
* [Ratio of Breadth vs Depth Work](/handbook/engineering/ux/performance-indicators/#ratio-of-breadth-vs-depth-work)
* [UX Debt](/handbook/engineering/ux/performance-indicators/#ux-debt)


## Relevant links

- [Engineering Handbook](/handbook/engineering)
- [Engineering Workflow](/handbook/engineering/workflow)
- [UX Team](/handbook/engineering/ux/)
- [GitLab Design Kit](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-design)
- [GitLab Design System][pajamas]

## Hiring Process
Candidates for this position can expect the hiring process to follow the order below. Please keep in mind that candidates can be declined from the position at any stage of the process. To learn more about someone who may be conducting the interview, find her/his/their job title on our [team page](/company/team).

* Selected candidates will be invited to schedule a 30 minute [screening call](/handbook/hiring/interviewing/#screening-call) with one our Global Recruiters. In this call we will discuss your experience, understand what you are looking for in a Product Design role, talk about your work and approach to product design, discuss your compensation expectations, reasons why you want to join GitLab and answer any questions you have.
* Next, if a candidate successfully passes the screening call, candidates will be invited to schedule a 45 minute first interview with a Product Designer. In this interview, we will want you to talk through a case study in your portfolio so that we can find out about your process and understand your approach to design, your philosophy on design, and understand what you're looking for generally in a Product Designer position. This interview will also cover the more technical elements of design, so be prepared to talk about the tools and skills you use as a Designer.
* If you successfully pass the previous stage, candidates will then be invited to schedule a 1-hour interview with a UX Manager. In this interview, we will be looking for you to give some real insight into a problem you were solving as part of a project you've worked on. Ideally this case study will be from a project with similar challenges, goals, or context to the type of work you'll find in the [stage group](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/categories/#devops-stages) you're interviewing for. We'll look to understand the size and structure of the team you were a part of, the goals of the project, your low-fidelity design work, your high-fidelity design skills, how you approached research, how you synthesised research data to inform design decisions, what design standards and guidelines you worked within, and how you collaborated with a wider team.  
* Candidates will be invited to schedule a third 50-minute interview with our UX Director if they successfully pass the previous interview. This interview will focus on assessing your research, strategy, and design skills. The interviewer will want to understand how you have incorporated research into your work and get a feel for your understanding of the fundamentals of research and UX methodology. Be prepared to answer questions around the soft skills Product Designers need, and be prepared to talk the interviewer through how you apply these skills in the real world.
* Finally, you will interview with a Product Manager who will focus on your ability to collaborate with Product teams and how your skills align with the needs of a specific stage group.
* Successful candidates will subsequently be made an offer via a video call or phone call.

Additional details about our process can be found on our [hiring page](/handbook/hiring).

[groups]: /company/team/structure/#groups
[pajamas]: https://design.gitlab.com