Lead Digital Product Designer

About Glucode

Glucode is a company that specializes in designing and developing apps for various businesses worldwide. We help our clients create globally competitive apps across different sectors, such as finance, insurance, health, transport, and entertainment.

We are a diverse team of dreamers, creators, and problem solvers who believe in making the world a better place through technology. We collaborate with our clients and teams to solve problems in the best possible way and uphold our core values of: curiosity, courage, integrity, quality, and passion. Our mission is to be the best mobile partner for companies and work with those whose values align with our own to create beautifully designed, meaningful, easy-to-use mobile apps that make a real impact in the world.

About the Role

The Lead Digital Product Designer role is a leadership position within the design team, responsible for guiding a group of designers in creating, developing, and refining high-quality digital product designs. This role requires strong design expertise, excellent leadership abilities, and effective communication skills to collaborate with cross-functional teams and drive design projects to successful completion.

Key Responsibilities

1. Design Work
   • Create complex product designs, refine existing ones, and contribute to user interface and user experience enhancements.
   • Create and maintain design documentation, including design concepts, prototypes, design guides, and systems.
   • Oversee the creation, development, and refinement of complex design projects.
2. Learning and Skill Development
   • Actively participate in design workshops, training sessions, and team meetings.
   • Continuously develop design skills and adapt to new tools and techniques as required.
   • Stay up-to-date with industry trends, best practices, and emerging design tools and techniques.
3. Design Reviews and Collaboration
   • Participate in design reviews, providing and receiving constructive feedback.
   • Collaborate with team members, contributing to planning, estimation, prioritization, and completion of tasks.
   • Provide guidance and support to less experienced designers, sharing knowledge and expertise.
   • Work closely with other departments to ensure alignment of design goals with overall business objectives.
   • Act as a liaison between design and other departments, providing clear explanations and recommendations to stakeholders.
4. Process and Methodology Adherence
   • Follow established design standards and guidelines to create clean, user-friendly, and efficient designs.
   • Ensure compliance with company guidelines and industry best practices.
   • Contribute to the improvement of design standards, guidelines, processes, and practices.
5. Quality Assurance
   • Assist in identifying and resolving issues in the design work.
   • Ensure design quality by conducting thorough feedback, validation, and usability testing.
   • Identify, troubleshoot, and resolve design issues, implementing long-term solutions to prevent future occurrences.
6. Project Management
   • Collaborate with project managers, product owners, and stakeholders to define project scope, goals, and deliverables.
   • Develop and maintain project schedules, identifying risks and mitigating potential roadblocks.
   • Track and report project progress, ensuring timely delivery of project milestones.
7. Technical Understanding
   • Understanding of component-based design and how it integrates into development frameworks.
   • Understanding the capabilities and limitations of front-end technologies to inform design decisions.
   • Ability to collaborate with developers to design solutions that integrate with back-end services seamlessly.
   • Understanding the underlying technologies used in mobile applications, such as push notifications.
8. Team Leadership and Management
   • Lead, mentor, and manage a team of designers, ensuring their professional growth and productivity.
   • Conduct performance evaluations, provide feedback, and identify areas for improvement.
   • Allocate resources, set priorities, and assign tasks to team members.
   • Collaborate with other design teams and stakeholders to define and implement efficient, user-centered, and aesthetically pleasing design solutions.
   • Contribute to the development of the company's ways of working, design vision, and strategy.

Key Competencies

• Design Skills
  • Excellent proficiency in UX and UI design principles and tools.
  • Excellent proficiency with design software such as Sketch, Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and prototyping tools.
  • Excellent understanding of design methodologies, best practices, and trends.
• Communication and Collaboration
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, with a focus on building rapport and fostering teamwork.
  • Willingness to seek help and support from more experienced designers when needed.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey design concepts clearly and concisely.
  • Ability to contribute constructively to team discussions.
  • Ability to receive and incorporate feedback to improve performance and skills.
• Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify and address complex design challenges.
  • Skilled in evaluating trade-offs and making informed decisions based on available data and resources.
  • Ability to approach complex design problems creatively.
• Adaptability and Flexibility
  • Ability to adapt to changing priorities and maintain focus on project objectives.
  • Willingness to learn and grow in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
  • Excellent organizational and planning skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects concurrently.
  • Ability to develop project schedules, tracking progress and identifying/mitigating risks.
• Leadership
  • Proven ability to guide and coach less experienced designers.
  • Experience in contributing to cross-functional teams and fostering collaboration among team members.
  • Experience in leading and managing design teams and fostering growth for individuals.
  • Demonstrated ability to inspire and motivate others.

About You

At Glucode, we value individuals who possess a self-starter mentality as they tend to thrive in our environment. We believe in fostering a collaborative culture, while still encouraging our team members to take initiative and be responsible for their work.

As a Designer, we are looking for someone who possesses a natural talent for design and has an exceptional eye for detail. We require an individual who has a passion for creating user experiences that leave a lasting impression. We admire those who approach complex problems as challenges and who pay close attention to every detail of their designs.

The ideal candidate will have the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders, including Project Managers, Software Engineers, and other members of the design team.

Core Education and Experience

• Tertiary qualification in Human Computer Interaction, Design, Interaction Design, or related fields.
• Practical experience in Sketch, Figma, or similar design-related tools.
• A strong track record and portfolio of projects where you have performed a similar role.
• Experience and knowledge of Apple and Google Interface guidelines.
• 8+ years of work experience creating great user interface designs.

Our Benefits:

• Group Medical Aid percentage contribution.
• Group Life Scheme benefit.
• Apple computer: to seamlessly conduct your work.
• Fitness Watch Gift.
• Home Office Allowance.
• Monthly Cell phone/Data Allowance.
• Personal Device Insurance.

Why Glucode

• We have won a design award for our beautiful office space, and we have won the 'best place to work' award.
• Frequently engage and collaborate with our leaders and leadership teams.
• Work on meaningful problems that make the world a better place.
• We value community and fun with a year-end bash and frequent team outings.

How To Apply

Simply click on the "Apply" button. We value your unique skills and qualities, and to better understand you, we've prepared a few short questions. Take a moment to provide your thoughtful responses, and we look forward to connecting with you soon.

Want to know more? Head over to our webpage www.glucode.com and follow us on our LinkedIn page.