Product Designer (AI)

Ubundi; Stellenbosch; Hybrid; ZAR 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A forward-thinking design studio in Stellenbosch is seeking a Product Designer to innovate UI/UX for AI tools. You will lead design processes, work closely with a talented team, and help shape a new frontier in technology. Ideal candidates possess strong UI/UX skills, relevant experience, and a curiosity for AI. Flexibility in work arrangements is available, fostering creativity and autonomy.

Benefits

Direct exposure to frontier AI work

Flexible work arrangements

Team culture valuing autonomy and creativity

Qualifications

• Experience shipping products or features with measurable impact.
• Ability to work end-to-end from research to design QA.
• Curiosity about AI and experience using AI tools in design.

Responsibilities

• Lead design user experiences for new AI-powered tools.
• Prototype rapidly with AI-assisted tools.
• Collaborate with engineers and product managers to design interfaces.

Skills

UI/UX design

Prototyping

Visual communication

User research

AI interaction design

Education

Relevant experience as a product designer

Tools

AI-assisted design tools

Job description

Ubundi is building the context layer for AI—tools that help humans stay present and influential in the age of artificial intelligence. Our work centers around creating AI-native products that amplify human identity, values, and intent inside automated systems.

Why Work For Us

As part of our founding team you’ll stand at the 0→1 frontier—shipping green-field products with real autonomy, backed by a founder who’s taken companies from garage to global (WooCommerce, Conversio & Cogsy). Expect a bias for shipping over slide-decks, and a front-row seat in writing South Africa’s AI chapter. We’re well-connected enough to open doors worldwide, small enough that your decisions shape the entire studio.

Our Culture

We live the Ubuntu idea: “I am because we are.” That means high trust, radical candor, and respect for life outside the terminal—build great things without becoming the product. We prize craft, curiosity, and constructive provocation; we’d rather experiment and learn in daylight than polish in secrecy. Bring your whole self, pull up a chair, and let’s make technology that makes AI more human.

About the role

We’re looking for a product designer who wants to help reimagine what it means to design in the age of AI (with and for AI). You’ll be working across our portfolio of AI tools and studio products, shaping everything from the earliest concepts to polished experiences. This role combines sharp product UI/UX skills with an appreciation for brand and identity—because our products must feel like Ubundi as much as they work.

You’ll work closely with the founding team (and our world-class advisors) to design interfaces, flows, and systems that make cutting-edge AI usable, trustworthy, and delightful. We’re less interested in your past titles than in your taste, creativity, and ability to move quickly with AI-assisted tools.

What you\'ll do:

• Lead the design of user experiences for new AI-powered tools, from sketches to production-ready specs
• Prototype rapidly with AI-assisted design and prototyping tools
• Collaborate closely with engineers, product managers, and AI researchers to translate technical complexity into intuitive interfaces
• Develop and maintain design systems and visual standards that unify Ubundi’s product and brand
• Conduct user research, testing, and iteration to ground design decisions in real-world needs
• Explore new paradigms for AI interaction (chat, agents, workflows, transparency cues) and design them for trust and usability
• Advocate for users while experimenting boldly with what’s possible

You might be a fit:

• You some relevant experience as a product designer (startup or tech environment preferred) and a design portfolio that showcases your UI/UX work
• You’ve (helped) shipped products or features with measurable impact
• You bring strong skills in UI/UX design, prototyping, and visual communication
• You’re curious about AI, have used AI tools in your workflow, or have designed for AI-driven features
• You can work end-to-end: from research to interaction flows, high-fidelity mockups, and design QA
• You have taste—your portfolio shows creativity, clarity, and craft
• Bonus: experience in brand/identity design or comfort with frontend implementation

What we offer:

• Direct exposure to frontier AI work in a small, ambitious team
• Flexibility to work in a way that suits your rhythm (hybrid, with time at our Stellenbosch office encouraged)
• A team culture that values autonomy, creativity, and kindness
• The opportunity to shape not just products, but also how design itself evolves in an AI-native studio

Apply even if your path looks non-linear—we care about potential and imagination as much as credentials.