When we began this search, the compensation range was $140,000 to $170,000 base.
The key requirements for this search included:
- An impactful portfolio. Anyone the client would meet with, needed to have a modern web portfolio which not only presented a case study showcasing research and process, but done so in an elegant, visually pleasing way.
- Experience designing for a consumer product business, mobile app products was weighted heavily.
- Strategic thinker. Someone who thinks about how a product evolves, and who could work as a counterpart to the product lead rather than operating as a service function.
We introduced our client to 7 candidates. These are the three they interviewed.
The Platform Lead
$140K base
- Lead Designer at a large enterprise, responsible for their DTC mobile app.
- They had been hired to mature the digital product.
- They had run a redesign across three surfaces at once: the apps and websites, the premium subscription sections, and the content management system the visual editors work in every day.
The Builder
$170K base
- Built a quoting engine that took a four-hour quote down to five minutes, and shipped four operational tools solo: a task capture tool, an email parser, an expense tracker.
- Before going the independent consulting route, designed a DTC marketplace product.
The Hire
Offer accepted at $170,000 base.
- Previously a Staff-level Product Designer at a DTC scale-up, running an 80/20 split between his own hands-on work and coaching two designers.
- There, he cut engineering rework by 50% and put AI into the design process itself.
WHY the client said yes to this candidate:
He had done the job for a similar product company, and the candidate’s experience and maturity were aligned with who they consider a senior-level candidate.
Kick-off to signed offer: 4 weeks.
Are you hiring a design lead? Book a call.