Senior Product Designer, Design Systems, Windows

Microsoft; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 261,000; Full time

Job summary

Microsoft is seeking a Senior Product Designer for the Windows Design Systems and Brand team in Mountain View, CA. You will define the visual foundation of Windows, leading design system workstreams and crafting visual and interaction foundations across products.

You will partner with UX engineering to specify, review, and ensure high-quality shipped experiences while mentoring the team and applying AI-assisted workflows and emerging interaction paradigms.

Qualifications

• Master’s or equivalent degree with 4+ years in product/service design.
• Portfolio showing exceptional visual and UI craft across typography, color, composition, hierarchy, iconography, interaction states.

Responsibilities

• Define and advance visual language territories for Windows visuals.
• Own design system workstreams from problem definition to adoption.
• Create and evolve visual foundations including color, typography, iconography, motion, components, and tokens.
• Translate product needs into scalable visual solutions across Windows contexts.
• Partner with engineering to define specs, feasibility, and quality for shipped experiences.
• Develop reusable solutions and present compelling narratives to close gaps in quality.
• Mentor and elevate the team’s visual design practice including AI-assisted workflows.

Skills

Visual design

Product design

Design systems

Figma

Cross-functional collaboration

Mentorship

Accessibility

Education

Master’s Degree in Design or related field

Bachelor’s Degree in Design/HCI or related field

Equivalent experience in product design

Tools

Figma

Job description

Microsoft is seeking a Senior Product Designer to join the Windows Design Systems and Brand team in Mountain View, CA. In this role, you will help define the visual foundation of Windows by leading key visual design and systems work that shapes how experiences look, feel, move, and communicate across products and surfaces.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and advance visual language territories for the future of Windows, converting exploration into clear principles and scalable system decisions.
• Own major design system workstreams from problem definition and visual exploration through implementation, documentation, and adoption.
• Create and evolve visual and interaction foundations, including color, typography, iconography, motion, materials, layout, design tokens, components, and patterns, with strong craft across states, themes, densities, input methods, accessibility modes, and edge cases.
• Translate product and user needs into scalable solutions that remain flexible across distinct Windows contexts.
• Partner with UX engineering and engineering to define specifications, evaluate feasibility, review implementation, and uphold a high quality bar for shipped experiences.
• Spot systemic product-quality gaps and develop reusable solutions supported by compelling presentations, prototypes, and narratives.
• Strengthen the team’s visual design practice through mentorship, critique, documentation, shared standards, and thoughtful application of AI-assisted workflows and emerging interaction paradigms.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Human Computer Interaction, User Experience, Interaction Design, or a related field, plus 4+ years of experience working in product or service design.
• OR Bachelor’s Degree in the same or related fields, plus 5+ years of experience working in product or service design.
• OR equivalent experience (for example, demonstrated product or service design experience or design-thinking problem solving).
• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Interaction Design, Product Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field, plus 6+ years of professional design experience, or equivalent experience.
• Portfolio showing exceptional visual and UI craft across typography, color, composition, hierarchy, iconography, interaction states, and adaptive interface design.
• Demonstrated ability to create or evolve visual design systems, translating visual direction or brand identity into scalable components, patterns, tokens, templates, and guidance across products or platforms.
• Advanced proficiency in Figma, including components, variables, shared libraries, and prototyping.
• Proven partnership with engineering through specification, implementation, design QA, and resolution of visual or interaction-quality issues.
• Ability to communicate design rationale, facilitate critique, reconcile competing requirements, and influence partners without direct authority.
• Working knowledge of accessibility and inclusive design, including contrast, scaling, input modalities, localization, high-contrast modes, and assistive technologies.
• 8+ years of professional experience in visual design, UI design, product design, or design systems.
• Track record of establishing visual language for a platform, operating system, or multi-product ecosystem.
• Experience leading a significant design system workstream from exploration through implementation and adoption.
• Deep expertise in one or more visual disciplines such as typography, color, iconography, motion, illustration, spatial design, or data visualization.
• Background designing complex desktop or productivity environments across windows, input methods, display densities, themes, and accessibility modes.
• Familiarity with design token architecture and the relationship between design libraries and production code.
• Demonstrated impact through mentorship, critique, standards, documentation, or design education.
• Knowledge of AI-assisted design workflows and emerging interaction paradigms.
• Experience contributing to global products, including localization, internationalization, and culturally inclusive design.

Location and Compensation

• Location: Mountain View, CA (onsite)
• Salary Range: USD 119,800 - 261,000 per year

Tools

• Figma