Product Designer – Design Systems
About the Role
A well-funded seed-stage AI infrastructure startup is looking for experienced Design Systems specialists to help build the data layer that teaches AI models what great design looks like. You'll work on production-grade design systems used to evaluate and train AI design tools — building them, implementing them in code, and assessing how well AI systems ingest and reproduce them.
This is a contract, fully remote role with async flexibility and quick turnarounds. You can join on one of three tracks:
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Design Track: Build complete design systems in Figma — tokens (color, type, spacing, radius), component libraries with variants and states, and golden screens composed exclusively from library components.
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Product Design Track: Envision product designs from scratch using and implementing existing design systems, maintaining strict adherence throughout.
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Engineering Track: Implement design systems as coded component libraries using React, Storybook (v8), token pipelines (e.g., Style Dictionary), and variant patterns (e.g., CVA).
What You'll Do
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Prompt AI models to generate and refine design work from a brief across multiple conversation turns
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Evolve the underlying design system: refine color ramps, type scales, spacing and radius tokens, and component treatments
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Evaluate AI outputs on design-system coherence, visual quality, and fit to the brief — flagging where adherence breaks down
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Compare outputs, select the stronger one, and write clear rationale and reproduction prompts grounded in expert judgement
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Vote and rank preferences to help train models on what a cohesive, high-quality design system looks like
What We're Looking For
Dealbreakers (must-haves):
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3+ years of professional experience building and owning token-based design systems (color ramps, type scales, spacing and radius tokens, components with variants and states)
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You have personally built and owned a token-based system end-to-end — not just consumed one
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Portfolio with at least 3 examples of end-to-end design work
Required:
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Experience reasoning about design systems expressed in code (HTML/CSS/tokens) and identifying interface breaks from system specifications
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Professional experience building, maintaining, or applying design systems in an in-house team, agency, or design-engineering role
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Experience with React or Figma variables for design system implementation
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Sharp eye for adherence — you notice when a corner radius, casing rule, or spacing value drifts from spec
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Ability to write structured, specific creative direction grounded in design-systems principles
Nice to Have:
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Proficiency with AI design tools (Claude, Figma AI, or similar)
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Experience with Storybook v8, Style Dictionary, or CVA
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Eagerness to work at the frontier of AI-assisted design tooling
Compensation & Benefits
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Rate: $60–$100 per hour (USD)
- Contract / freelance engagement
- Fully remote and async-friendly
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Visa sponsorship: Not available
Location
This role is fully remote and open globally . The primary hiring timezone is aligned with New York, United States .
Originally posted on Himalayas