Critical Mass
Freelance UX Lead
Critical Mass, Chicago, IL
As a Freelance Lead User Experience (UX) Designer, you'll architect seamless, human-centered digital experiences for our clients. Leveraging your UX expertise and analytical mindset, you'll drive concepts from ideation to execution, collaborating with cross-functional teams to navigate ambiguity and prioritize effectively. Your leadership will ensure timely delivery of innovative and user-friendly solutions.
You'll have the opportunity to focus deeply on one client or work across multiple accounts, always delivering exceptional, scalable UX solutions. Whether leading the design of multiple features or taking ownership of a single, critical feature, your precision and experience will shine through in every detail.
You will:
You have:
The Talent Team at Critical Mass is focused on ensuring we provide the best training, onboarding, and employee experience possible! Our new hires & employees are the future of our organization, and we want to set you up for long-term success. In an effort to do so, we expect our team to work from an office a minimum of 3 days a week.
Critical Mass is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We do not tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status. If you are an individual with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation, please reach out to [redacted].
We are committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within our pool of candidates, with a target of achieving at least 50% representation from underrepresented communities.
The Critical Mass Talent Acquisition team will only communicate from email addresses that use the URLs criticalmass.com and us.greenhouse-mail.io. We will not use apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or Google Hangouts for communicating with you. We will never ask you to send us money, technology, or anything else to work for our company. If you believe you are the victim of a scam, please review your local government consumer protections guidance and reach out to them directly.
If U.S. based: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams#avoid
If Canada based: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/finance/consumer-affairs.html
If U.K. based: https://www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rights
If Costa Rica based: https://www.consumo.go.cr/educacion_consumidor/consejos_practicos.aspx
You'll have the opportunity to focus deeply on one client or work across multiple accounts, always delivering exceptional, scalable UX solutions. Whether leading the design of multiple features or taking ownership of a single, critical feature, your precision and experience will shine through in every detail.
You will:
- Design and deliver holistic, user-centric systems, flows, and interfaces using wireframes, prototypes, and visual compositions that align with both user needs and business objectives.
- Lead and mentor UX teams, providing strategic guidance and fostering collaboration across design, content, and development teams.
- Facilitate stakeholder discussions and communicate design decisions clearly, using data and insights to advocate for the user while balancing business goals.
- Manage multiple priorities, ensuring effective time management, while maintaining high standards of quality and design consistency.
- Continuously refine your work and that of your team, applying a critical, solution-oriented mindset.
- Lead the design process for large-scale features or multiple smaller initiatives, working with minimal oversight and bringing your vision to life.
- Stay ahead of industry trends and emerging technologies, integrating the latest UX methodologies into your process.
- Contribute to business development efforts, helping shape pitches and presentations that resonate with potential clients.
- Act as a coach and mentor to junior designers, embodying the values of collaboration, inclusivity, and leadership.
You have:
- Bachelor's degree in UX, HCI, Psychology, Computer Science, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
- 3-5 years of experience in UX design, product design, or related fields, with 2-4 years in a leadership or senior design role.
- Expertise in user-centered design processes, including research, information architecture, interaction design, and usability testing.
- Strong portfolio showcasing your design process, creative problem-solving, and results across a range of digital platforms.
- Proficiency with modern design tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision, Axure, and Adobe Creative Suite.
- Familiarity with front-end development processes, content management systems, and modular design systems.
- Experience working with WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards and a commitment to inclusive design practices.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to present complex ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Adaptability in fast-paced environments, with a passion for continuous learning and a forward-thinking approach to design challenges.
The Talent Team at Critical Mass is focused on ensuring we provide the best training, onboarding, and employee experience possible! Our new hires & employees are the future of our organization, and we want to set you up for long-term success. In an effort to do so, we expect our team to work from an office a minimum of 3 days a week.
Critical Mass is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We do not tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status. If you are an individual with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation, please reach out to [redacted].
We are committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within our pool of candidates, with a target of achieving at least 50% representation from underrepresented communities.
The Critical Mass Talent Acquisition team will only communicate from email addresses that use the URLs criticalmass.com and us.greenhouse-mail.io. We will not use apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or Google Hangouts for communicating with you. We will never ask you to send us money, technology, or anything else to work for our company. If you believe you are the victim of a scam, please review your local government consumer protections guidance and reach out to them directly.
If U.S. based: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams#avoid
If Canada based: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/finance/consumer-affairs.html
If U.K. based: https://www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rights
If Costa Rica based: https://www.consumo.go.cr/educacion_consumidor/consejos_practicos.aspx