Freelance Digital Designer (3Days/Week)

Octopus Energy; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading UK energy start-up is seeking a talented Digital Designer to join their labs team. You will be responsible for designing user-centered web experiences, conducting user research, and collaborating closely with engineers. Ideal candidates should have at least 5 years of experience and a strong portfolio showcasing their design skills, with proficiency in Figma. This freelance role will require working 3 days a week, primarily on-site in London.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years professional design experience across responsive web design.
• Varied portfolio showcasing concept-to-prototype thinking and execution.
• Proven ability to conduct customer research, interviews, and usability testing.

Responsibilities

• Conduct user research, interviews, and usability testing to validate design decisions.
• Rapidly trial, test, and iterate on design concepts.
• Design responsive, user-centred web experiences in Figma.

Skills

Design responsive web experiences

Conduct user research

Figma proficiency

Strong communication skills

Time management

Tools

Figma

HTML/CSS

Job description

We are looking for a talented freelance Digital Designer to join our labs team 3 days per week. You’ll be on the front lines of early-stage innovation projects: rapidly designing, testing, and iterating new concepts – treating every idea as a high‑velocity experiment before it moves towards full‑scale production. You’ll bring creativity, curiosity and a growth‑hacker mindset. This role will suit a designer who thrives in fast‑paced, exploratory environments and enjoys taking ideas from concepts to tangible, testable prototypes – always with a focus on customer needs and research.

What you'll do

• Conduct user research, interviews, and usability testing to validate design decisions
• Rapidly trial, test, and iterate on design concepts to assess their viability and value
• Design responsive, user‑centred web experiences in Figma – from concept through to prototype
• Collaborate closely with engineers to ensure ideas can be built efficiently
• Join workshops or co‑working sessions in our London office (ideally once a week, but we can be flexible)
• Communicate your design rationale clearly and confidently to stakeholders
• You’ll primarily be designing web experiences and digital products, but you may also be asked to create supporting printed materials to bring ideas and campaigns to life

What you'll need

• A minimum of 5 years professional design experience across responsive web design
• A varied portfolio showcasing concept‑to‑prototype thinking and execution
• Proven ability to conduct customer research, interviews, and usability testing
• A high proficiency in Figma for both design and prototyping
• Experience contributing to campaign creation and delivery
• Confidence working independently, managing your time, and meeting deadlines
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills; highly organised, with strong attention to detail

Any of the following would be a bonus

• Familiarity with HTML/CSS
• Hands‑on knowledge of AI‑assisted design and prototyping tools
• Previous experience of incubator / lab / innovation environments

Why you'll love it here

• Don't feel like you meet all of our hiring criteria? That’s OK – we'd love to hear from you and have a conversation.

About us

The electric revolution has arrived – and from 2035 you’ll no longer be able to buy a new petrol or diesel car in the UK. We’re building a whole new way for drivers to join the electric charge and not only learn about and shop for their EV online, but experience a ’lease for life’ through an industry‑changing customer experience. This is the chance to join one of the UK’s most exciting start‑ups – making it easy for individuals and businesses to go electric by getting their car, charger and energy all in one cracking deal.

Octopus Electric Vehicles was launched in 2018 to make it seamless to switch to cleaner, greener driving. Our mission is to drive sustainable change, decarbonise the planet and provide our customers with fair pricing and a fantastic experience. We are part of the Octopus Energy Group, which seeks to improve the lives of millions by transforming the industries we operate in.

As an equal‑opportunity employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute. Our commitment is to provide equal opportunities, an inclusive work environment, and fairness for everyone.