Principal Product / Systems Designer

Principal Product / Systems Designer Figma Make Credible System Prototype (AI‑Assisted) Overview We’re hiring a principal‑level Product / Systems Designer to build a high‑fidelity, stateful Figma Make prototype that functions as a credible system demonstration. This is not a UI exercise, visual concept, or marketing prototype. The work will model real workflows, system state, and cause‑and‑effect—including visible AI orchestration—so stakeholders can understand how the system actually behaves. This prototype will be used to walk early adopters and internal stakeholders through the platform. It must feel app‑like, withstand scrutiny from product and technical audiences, and make the system’s logic legible without hand‑waving or gloss. The bar is believability, not persuasion. What We’re Looking For We’re looking for a senior‑to‑principal level Product / Systems Designer who is comfortable designing and prototyping how a system actually works, not just how it looks. You should have strong hands‑on experience building app‑like, stateful prototypes in Figma Make, including complex workflows, conditional flows, and visible system state. You know how to model cause‑and‑effect so interactions feel grounded and the underlying logic is clear to product‑ and technically‑savvy reviewers. You’ve worked on AI‑assisted or automation‑driven products and can represent orchestration, metadata, and system confidence clearly in the UI—through patterns like overlays, timelines, dashboards, or system indicators—without relying on vague “AI magic.” You’re comfortable borrowing proven interaction paradigms (studios, timelines, templates, export flows) while layering AI and automation on top in a way that feels intentional and credible. You care more about clarity and coherence than novelty or visual flair. Required Skills (Contra) Product Designer You design systems, not just screens. You’re comfortable reasoning about workflows, state, and cause‑and‑effect, and have designed credible end‑to‑end product experiences that hold up under scrutiny—not just visual review. Prototyper You build app‑like, stateful prototypes (not linear click‑throughs). You have strong hands‑on experience with Figma Make and can model complex workflows, conditional logic, and system behavior so the prototype demonstrates how the product actually works. AI Automation You have experience designing AI‑assisted systems where orchestration, metadata, and system state are visible and legible. You know how to represent AI behavior, confidence, and decision‑making without hand‑waving—using concrete UI patterns rather than labels. Do Not Apply If… You primarily focus on visual polish, UI styling, or static screen design rather than modeling real system behavior. Your prototypes are mostly linear click‑throughs instead of stateful, app‑like interactions built in Figma Make. You’re not comfortable representing system logic, orchestration, or cause‑and‑effect directly in a prototype. Your AI experience is conceptual or decorative rather than showing how AI behavior and confidence are surfaced to users. You’re unable to share prior Figma Make prototypes demonstrating complex workflows or system logic. This project requires systems thinking and hands‑on prototyping depth. If that’s your strength, you’ll likely enjoy the work. Engagement Structure We begin with a paid Recommendation Phase (finalists only). Before any build work, you’ll review our design brief and technical orchestration map and deliver 3–5 substantive recommendations with clear reasoning about what should be improved and why. Weak or surface‑level recommendations may be partially paid. Proof Required Please include links or walkthroughs for two Figma Make prototypes that demonstrate complex workflows, system logic, or stateful behavior. Visual polish alone is not sufficient. No proof = no consideration. Logistics Budget: $8k–$12k USD (milestone‑based fixed price; targeting ~$10k) Start: ASAP Requirements: NDA, IP assignment, acceptance‑based milestones How to Apply Please include: Confirmation you can start soon and stay focused Links (or a walkthrough plan) for two relevant Figma Make prototypes A brief example of a project where you improved an existing spec through recommendations—not just execution