Lead Product Designer

£40k- £60k based on experience

Equity at the end of the project 

Please apply via application form: https://airtable.com/shrVWlKPC0mzdXPVi

www.bendi.wtf 

About us

Bendi shows you clear and comparable sustainability information as part of clothing product descriptions while you shop. We do this with cutting edge data science and AI techniques alongside best in class design. 

We are an early stage company bringing sustainability in the fashion industry into the 2020s by removing confusion around sustainability. We know that sustainability is not a yes or no question, it can be nuanced. There is no one catch-all definition of whether an item of clothing is sustainable or not. Every fabric choice, each production method: everything has an impact, and that impact differs. 

The role

This is a four month full time project (with high likelihood of becoming a permanent role) to develop and iterate on testable prototypes of a Bendi chrome extension that customers can use when shopping. You will be the first product designer to join the team and work alongside data scientists, a developer and the cofounders. We will work in sprints of two to three weeks to shorten the feedback loop from customer insight to the next iteration of the product. An understanding of agile practices is useful, as well as experience of working in a startup environment.

We're looking for someone who wants to make an impact. Sustainability in fashion remains relatively untouched by technology. 

You will work alongside and help us unpick the conundrum of Bendi’s design problems - these are multiple and they are complex. We are developing an MVP and your input, expertise and direction will be central to the success of the final product. Your thinking will be crucial in these early days of product development. A non-exhaustive list of questions you will work on include:

• What information do users need to be given to understand Bendi’s sustainability metrics?
• How do we visualise complex sustainability information for the user simply but accurately?
• How does a user experience Bendi?
• How do we reveal functionality and features (e.g. sustainability impact filters)?
• What external factors influence interaction with the product and user behaviour?
• What is the responsiveness of the product and how can we improve this?

 

About you

You understand how design informs the functionality of products as well as how the functionality drives the design. You’ll lead design from day one and be expected to ensure quality, innovation and creativity in how we approach all aspects of design.

As an experienced practitioner, you’ll identify and bring inspiration and best practices from outside the company to shape and improve how we work. 

• You have demonstrable experience with end-to-end (hybrid UX and UI) product design. You can work on everything across the full design stack
• You can conceptualise and execute visual design ideas from storyboards and mockups through to prototypes and hi-fi designs
• You are confident deciphering information architecture, translating Bendi’s objectives whilst capturing users’ needs. You can iterate intuitive functionality, interaction and navigation 
• You are curious about service design, customer journey mapping and design research such as persona definition. User-centred design is core to what you do
• You communicate with humour and willingness. You can explain your decisions to team members who might have different skill sets and priorities to yours 
• You are at home using Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite and Figma or similar prototyping tools
• You have a portfolio or case studies with examples of your interaction design work, preferable from a startup environment or early stage technology product

We are looking for someone who thrives in a fast paced environment where rapid prototyping is the norm, and who can make critical and reflective assessments of what is valuable and what to iterate on to improve the product for the next design sprint.

 

What does success look like

You will be measured on the success of the product, not the design work.

Together as an organisation, we need to develop prototypes that translate into a highly desirable MVP that customers love and find useful. If we are able to do this within the short time frame set, we have the highest possibility of success to further funding, which for you, means a share in future equity and a pretty cool opportunity to join us as we grow this company.

About working with us

You’ll be working with an enthusiastic team of makers and doers. Working times are flexible, but productivity isn’t… This is an all-hands-on-deck fast paced environment where commitment and a good sense of humour are appreciated. You must have high accountability and be able to plan your time efficiently as this is a tight project. 

You’re one of the team. It doesn’t matter if you have to head off early to pick up your kid or take care of other stuff – the team will have your back. If you see something that isn’t right, you speak up, step up, and sort things out - in other words, if you see something that needs fixing or could be made better, do you move on thinking ‘that’s not my job’ or do you take the initiative? (Even if nobody is looking). If any of the team see that you need help, they will step up and lend a hand. In return, you do the same for them. You don’t just follow instructions, you think about them. But you’re pragmatic enough to sometimes just ‘do what’s necessary’ to get things done. You’re logical and ‘get’ how things are put together. 

Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do and reducing waste is integral to that. If you can think of a good/better way to do something then share it. We will always look to do things better and help others to achieve that.

Diversity and inclusion is extremely important to us and we will work hard to be a place where diverse thought and people can work and create together. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds – all genders, people of all ages, sexual orientation, nationalities, religions and beliefs. However, we particularly encourage applications from anyone who identifies as a woman, those with disabilities and Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) candidates, as these groups are underrepresented throughout the technology industry.

If you’re interested in learning something new and joining the team at the start of an exciting adventure that we hope will make a tangible difference in the world, then we would love to hear from you.