Experience Designer, Crafter Job at Umbrage Studios in Houston

Location: Houston, New York City, Remote

Umbrage Studios, LLC (Umbrage) is a software solutions company dedicated to a creative process and disciplined in the execution and delivery of products. The foundation of our creativity is our culture of open communication. Umbrage team members share ideas freely and understand that we nurture our “crafts” from our own experiences and the shared experiences of the team. We understand that with clear eyes and full hearts, we deliver excellent results. Our clients choose Umbrage because of our commitment to a transparent development process starting with a clear and detailed understanding of our clients’ business needs, as well as our commitment to providing our clients’ technical teams with training throughout the product development process.

At Umbrage:

• We deliver cutting-edge software solutions by leveraging advanced trends and designs in technology.
• We invest time understanding our clients’ needs and delivering the right solutions. We do not sell off-the-shelf, nor one-size-fits-all solutions.
• We use a holistic approach to empower our clients’ success. We involve our clients in every step of the way and train their teams to successfully deploy new technology.
• We are dedicated to delivering excellence in our crafts: Product Management, Design, Engineering, and Quality Assurance.
• We compete by harnessing the creativity of all team members, including our clients’ team members.
• We utilize a studio concept, working collaboratively to deliver creative, unique, and technically advanced solutions.
   

Role Description:
Umbrage Product Design Crafters are responsible for:

• Contribute to establishing user needs through research, synthesizing research data into actionable insights, generating visual concepts, and designing intuitive interactions for digital solutions.
• Contributing to leading user experience and product design activities, including: planning, facilitation, synthesis of client workshops, user interviews, wireframing, visual design, prototyping, and usability testing.
• Explaining and discussing design decisions clearly and effectively.
• Framing and telling the story of design solutions, contributing to the communication of research findings, conceptual ideas, detailed designs, and design rationale both verbally and visually.
• Executing research deliverables, mid-fidelity wireframes, high-fidelity designs, and clickable prototypes following industry best practices.
• Supporting craft growth and studio community through contributions to internal initiatives, knowledge sharing, and team events.
• Professional client interactions, active participation in brainstorming, and proactive communication of work progress and risks.
• Collaborating closely across crafts—including development, product management, and other design team members—to ensure successful product delivery.
   

Core Responsibilities:

• Uncover user needs through research, synthesize findings into insights, and generate visual concepts and interactions for digital solutions.
• Contribute to user experience and product design activities, including: planning, workshop facilitation, wireframing, prototyping, visual design, and usability testing.
• Execute design deliverables such as mid-fidelity wireframes, high-fidelity designs, and clickable prototypes following craft and industry best practices.
• Explain and discuss design decisions clearly, contributing to the storytelling and communication of research findings, conceptual ideas, and design rationale.
• Actively participate in brainstorming, design processes, and problem-solving discussions.
• Collaborate closely with developers, product managers, and other designers to ensure successful product delivery.
• Contribute to internal initiatives, knowledge sharing, and community growth by participating in studio events and efforts.

Technical Competencies:

• UI/UX Design Principles: Apply foundational user interface and user experience design principles.
• Prototyping and Wireframing: Use tools like Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, and InVision to produce high-quality prototypes and wireframes.
• Graphic Design: Apply knowledge of graphic design principles and tools (Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator).
• Responsive Design: Design experiences that adapt seamlessly to various screen sizes and devices.
• Interaction Design: Create intuitive and engaging user interactions.
• Usability Testing: Conduct usability tests, analyze feedback, and make iterative improvements.
• Design Systems: Support the implementation and use of design systems and style guides to maintain consistency.
• Front-End Development Awareness: Demonstrate basic understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for design feasibility.

Behavioral Competencies:

• Creativity and Innovation: Generate effective, user-centered solutions with attention to creativity.
• Attention to Detail: Deliver polished, precise, and pixel-perfect designs.
• User-Centered Design Thinking: Prioritize user needs and experiences throughout the design process.
• Collaboration and Teamwork: Work effectively with cross-functional teams to drive results.
• Problem-Solving: Address design challenges with thoughtful and creative solutions.
• Communication Skills: Clearly articulate design decisions and rationale to stakeholders and peers.
• Adaptability: Stay updated with design tools, trends, and evolving best practices.
• Time Management: Manage multiple projects, meet deadlines, and adapt to shifting priorities.
   

Basic Qualifications:

• 3+ years’ experience in digital product or UX/UI design.
• 2+ years’ experience in creating personas, user journey maps, wireframes, and high-fidelity designs.
• 2+ years’ experience in user research, requirements gathering, and collaboration with users, clients, and cross-functional teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a related field.
• Ability to learn new software quickly; experience with design tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator), Confluence, and JIRA is a plus.
• Understanding and application of user-centered design processes and usability testing practices.
• Familiarity with responsive design, interaction design, and foundational front-end development concepts (HTML, CSS, JavaScript).
• Awareness of areas of specialization within the design landscape, including Design Research, Visual Design, and Design Systems.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

Position require the ability to routinely sit; stand; walk; talk and hear; use a keyboard; stoop; twist; reach; lift; bend; and travel to clients’ offices.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
Umbrage provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants in all company facilities without regard to race (including hair texture and hairstyles), color, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, pregnancy, childbirth, physical disability, mental and/or intellectual disability, age, military status, veteran status (including protected veterans), marital status, registered domestic partner or civil union status, familial status, gender (including sex stereotyping and gender identity or expression), medical condition (including, but not limited to, cancer related or HIV/AIDS related), genetic information, or sexual orientation in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Powered by JazzHR

p2igFxY5Vk