Senior Designer, Visual Interaction Design

Location: Cambridge, MA Senior Designer, Visual Interaction Design In a nutshell: We’re looking for a Senior Visual Interaction Designer to join our Cambridge Studio who is passionate about crafting elegant, thoughtful user experiences, and who brings strong visual design craft to the interactions people have with complex design systems, software, services, and each other. Senior Visual Interaction Designers at IDEO shape how experiences look, feel, and behave. In this role, you’ll translate human-centered insights into clear, compelling interactions and interfaces that are functional, expressive, and meaningful. You’ll balance visual excellence with usability, and bring a distinct visual voice to each design challenge while learning and growing alongside a multidisciplinary team. This is a phenomenal opportunity for designers who are highly self-guided, eager to take on complexity, and motivated to continually sharpen their craft. Once here you will: Contribute to a diverse portfolio of projects spanning data, experience, interaction, digital product, and service design across a range of industries Work across all phases of a project, from research synthesis and concepting through prototyping, refinement, and production-ready execution Translate human-centered insights into interaction models, visual systems, and polished digital interfaces Create “looks-like / works-like” prototypes to explore ideas, test assumptions, and communicate concepts to teammates and client stakeholders Collaborate closely with designers from different backgrounds—including design research, business design, industrial design, and communication design—to develop cohesive, holistic experiences Design across a wide variety of mediums and contexts, such as mobile apps, AI experiences, websites, digital/physical systems, room-scale displays, AR/VR, or voice interfaces, always guided by user needs and context Advocate for high-quality visual and interaction design, contributing to a culture of strong craft, curiosity, and experimentation Design Craft + Relevant Experience Relevant experience and/or educational background required in visual, interaction, or graphic design across digital products or experiences A strong portfolio demonstrating visual excellence, thoughtful interaction design, and a clear point of view on typography, color, layout, and motion Comfort working at multiple levels of fidelity, from rough explorations to refined, production-ready designs Experience in delivering low and high fidelity prototypes. Proficiency with contemporary design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, Framer, Principle), with curiosity about emerging tools and technologies Familiarity with motion, code, or physical computing (e.g., HTML/CSS, After Effects, Processing/P5, Arduino) is a plus, but not required Mindset Systems-oriented thinker who can engage with complex, interconnected challenges and design for clarity within them Highly self-guided: able to take initiative, manage your own work, and move ideas forward with limited direction Curious and experimental, with a willingness to try things, learn from failure, and iterate quickly Strong collaborator who contributes thoughtfully to team discussions and is open to feedback and critique Clear communicator with the ability to articulate design decisions visually and verbally, and an understanding of how design creates value in a broader business and organizational context What does IDEO offer you? IDEO is a place where you can solve diverse, complex challenges for our clients or the organization, alongside thoughtful, intelligent individuals who lead with curiosity, empathy, and optimism. We work hard, but we also intentionally craft moments that allow our community to pause, create, and connect. We encourage our community to bring their whole selves to work, respect the need for work-life balance, and allow for autonomy in the design process and your career. Application Instructions: To apply, please submit your resume, cover letter, and your portfolio. Your portfolio should include at least 4 examples of work-related projects. In particular, we want to hear about the processes involved in developing the designs or projects. Payscale & Benefits IDEO is committed to paying its employees, contractors & vendors equitably, regardless of gender identity or race/ethnicity/cultural identity. The salary range for this role is $80,000–$100,000 USD. Final offers may vary based on candidate experience, location, and other factors. As a full-time position, this role is eligible for employee benefits. In addition to base compensation, IDEO offers a rich benefits package including the following: Health Benefits: Vision, Dental, Healthcare Financial Benefits: 401K matching Family & Caregiving: Parental Leave, Adoption Assistance, Fertility Assistance, Transgender Medical Assistance, Breastmilk shipment, Back-up/Dependent Care, Pet Insurance Other Benefits: Flexible Work, Flexible Time Off, Paid Holidays, Annual Education Stipend, Home Office Stipend “ It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.”