Associate Designer, Product
About the Role
We are looking for an Associate-level Product Designer for our Cloud-based design team in our Professional Software group. Backed by Morningstar's independent research, methodologies, high-quality data, behavioral science and innovative product design, our team builds a modern suite of software that helps both wealth and asset managers as well as advisors hone their investment strategies, build competitive portfolios, and research industry trends. This multi-talented individual will be involved in all parts of the design process: concept development, creative visualization, user research and testing, UX writing, system design, and prototyping. This person will work within a cross-functional, global team developing software for financial professionals. We seek a curious, entrepreneurial designer who loves the challenges of elegantly simplifying complex data, translating user needs into intuitive, rewarding interactions, and beautifully expressing our brand.
Job Responsibilities
• Owning all parts of the design process from discovery, definition, development, and delivery
• Bringing concepts to life through clear wireframes to illustrate a single point in a flow while also exploring how this could impact or align with the experience
• Creating high-fidelity prototypes and other artifacts that communicate design direction and execution considerations
• Understanding how to connect the information we’re trying to communicate with a user’s anticipated or perceived needs and actions
• Helping implement best practices around creating a great user experience
• Creating personas, experience maps, and user journeys to identify pain points and opportunities within an experience
• Solving a variety of navigation and information organization challenges.
• Using deliverables, such as site maps, to visually communicate relationships between pages and content
• Recognizing and supporting user-focused solutions and design thinking methods by preparing materials for workshops, contributing to research sessions, and helping the team create prototypes
• Creating wireframes, low-fidelity prototypes, task flows, and other artifacts to visualize and communicate design direction
• Applying creativity, logic, and critical thinking in new situations to find the best solution while continuously striving to find better ways of doing things
• Actively seeking out new challenges and tasks and overcoming obstacles to achieve results.
• Demonstrating core design skills—especially concerning typography, composition, information hierarchy, and data visualization—to create delightful, engaging experiences that reinforce the Morningstar brand
• Solving challenging information and communication design problems and being able to present multiple concepts for consideration, with sound rationale
• Supporting the Morningstar Design System by defining and specifying consistent interactions, patterns, and conventions
You’ll also do things like:
• Collaborate with the product owner, designer, and engineers on your squad to make product decisions
• Clearly articulate design decisions and share your process with stakeholders and other designers when appropriate
• Collect, interpret, and prioritize the feedback you receive
• Participate in critiques, workshops, design studios, and other design activities
• Participate in user research and prototyping activities, such as helping with planning, taking notes during sessions, and helping analyze the data
• Demonstrate design skills, especially concerning typography, information hierarchy, and data visualization
• Be curious, resourceful, and have a desire to solve challenging information, communication, and systems design problems
• Prioritize your work and know when to ask for help or clarity
Basic Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree
• 1-2 years of relevant professional experience designing for software, web and/or digital products
Preferred Qualifications:
• Experience working with Design Systems
• Strong knowledge of Sketch, Invision, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office Suite, and Mac OS X
• Knowledge of HTML and CSS
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral