UI/UX Designer

Photon; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 33,000 - 117,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision, and dental benefits

401k retirement plan

Variable pay/incentives

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Job summary

Photon onsite in Chicago seeks a contract UI/UX Designer to lead end-to-end design, user research, and design-system development across product teams to deliver accessible, responsive interfaces.

The role requires creating user flows, IA, wireframes, prototypes, and collaboration with developers to ensure pixel-perfect implementation. Strong portfolio and proficiency in Figma/XD/Sketch are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, Graphic Design, CS, or related field.
• 4+ years of UI/UX design for web and mobile applications.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating user-centered and visual design.
• Proficiency in Figma, XD, Sketch, Photoshop, Illustrator.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end design process from research to implementation.
• Gather and evaluate user requirements with PMs and stakeholders.
• Create flows, IA, journey maps, wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes.
• Design intuitive, accessible interfaces aligned with goals.
• Develop and maintain design systems, style guides, and UI standards.
• Conduct user research, usability testing, and interviews to identify improvements.
• Translate complex requirements into user-friendly experiences.
• Collaborate with UI developers, product owners, BA, and QA.

Skills

UX Design

UI Design

Wireframing

Prototyping

Design Systems

User Research

Usability Testing

Information Architecture

Interaction Design

Responsive Design

Accessibility

Agile

Communication

Presentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Design or related field

Tools

Figma

Sketch

Adobe XD

Photoshop

Illustrator

HTML

CSS

JavaScript

Job description

Photon offers medical, vision, and dental benefits, a 401k retirement plan, variable pay incentives, paid time off, and paid holidays. This onsite Chicago contract UI/UX Designer role centers on leading end-to-end design, user research, and the development of design systems across product teams to deliver accessible, responsive interfaces.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end design process, from user research and ideation to wireframing, prototyping, visual design, testing, and implementation.
• Gather and evaluate user requirements in collaboration with product managers, business stakeholders, and development teams.
• Create user flows, information architecture, journey maps, wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes for web and mobile applications.
• Design intuitive, accessible, and visually appealing user interfaces aligned with business goals and user expectations.
• Develop and maintain design systems, style guides, component libraries, and UI standards to ensure consistency across products.
• Conduct user research, usability testing, customer interviews, and heuristic evaluations to identify usability improvements.
• Translate complex business and technical requirements into simple, user-friendly experiences.
• Collaborate closely with UI developers, product owners, business analysts, and QA teams throughout the product lifecycle.
• Create high-fidelity designs using tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or similar design platforms.
• Ensure designs adhere to accessibility standards, responsive design principles, and platform-specific guidelines.
• Review implemented designs and work with development teams to ensure pixel-perfect execution.
• Analyze user feedback, analytics, and behavioral data to continuously improve user experience and engagement.
• Present and communicate design concepts, rationale, and recommendations to stakeholders and leadership teams.
• Stay current with emerging UX trends, design methodologies, technologies, and industry best practices.
• Support branding initiatives and ensure visual consistency across all digital touchpoints.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Graphic Design, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 4+ years of experience in UI/UX design for web and mobile applications.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in user-centered design and visual design principles.
• Proficiency in Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, Photoshop, Illustrator, or similar tools.
• Strong understanding of UX methodologies including user research, journey mapping, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing.
• Experience designing responsive and mobile-first applications.
• Knowledge of accessibility standards and usability best practices.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and presentation skills.
• Ability to work effectively in Agile/Scrum environments.

Technologies

• Figma
• Sketch
• Adobe XD
• Photoshop
• Illustrator
• HTML
• CSS
• JavaScript
• Google Analytics
• Hotjar
• Mixpanel

Benefits

• Medical, vision, and dental benefits
• 401k retirement plan
• Variable pay/incentives
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays

Key Skills

• User Experience (UX) Design
• User Interface (UI) Design
• Wireframing & Prototyping
• Design Systems
• User Research & Usability Testing
• Information Architecture
• Interaction Design
• Responsive & Mobile Design
• Figma / Adobe XD / Sketch
• Visual Design & Branding
• Accessibility & Inclusive Design
• Agile Methodologies

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing enterprise applications, eCommerce platforms, or customer-facing digital products.
• Familiarity with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and front-end development concepts.
• Experience with design systems and component-based design approaches.
• Knowledge of analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Hotjar, Mixpanel, or similar platforms.
• Experience working closely with cross-functional and distributed teams.

Compensation, benefits and duration

Minimum Compensation: USD 33,000

Maximum Compensation: USD 117,000

Compensation is based on actual experience and qualifications of the candidate. The above is a reasonable and good faith estimate for the role.

Medical, vision, and dental benefits, 401k retirement plan, variable pay/incentives, paid time off, and paid holidays are available for full-time employees.

This position is available for independent contractors.

No applications will be considered if received more than 120 days after the date of this post.