Product Designer
Emeryville, CA

Job Description

The Software R&D Team is responsible for Pixar's in-house filmmaking software. Our mission is to provide tools that integrate cutting-edge computer graphics techniques and that are powerful and intuitive to use.

As a Product Designer on the team, you will be designing software for professionals who are experts in their craft. The ideal candidate is able to take the knowledge gained from user-centered research and turn it into designs for efficient and elegant workflows that will be used day in, day out. You are of two minds: one to think broadly about the entire system and the other, equally obsessed, with designing the minute interactions. Our design team is small, so your happy place should be working on a supportive, close-knit and collaborative design team where critiques are regular and the doors always open.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

* Take descriptions of idealized workflows put forth by our artists and partner with engineering to figure out how to make them concrete and do-able


* Design and prototype workflows, using whatever techniques, fidelities, and/or methods that are most appropriate for the project, in a highly iterative development cycle


* Conduct user research and facilitate group conversations to help guide and clarify the project's goals


* Communicate your designs through compelling user stories in front of large groups and/or one-on-one with artists and engineers


* Engage with engineers to figure out the feasibility of your designs, proposing smart alternatives along the way and embracing the technical underpinnings


* Create design specifications for engineering teams and produce final icons/assets for the product


* Test and evaluate your designs throughout the development cycle, continually polishing the end product


* Advocate for user-centered design processes throughout the Studio



QUALIFICATIONS:

* A portfolio that showcases both strong visual and UX design work


* Fluency in a variety of user-research methodologies


* Facile at expressing designs through wireframes, storyboards, full-fidelity mockups, and prototypes using tools such as Sketch, Figma, Keynote, After Effects, Principle, and other similar tools


* Stellar at communicating your design rationale, both visually, orally, and in writing



PREFERRED SKILLS:

* Masters in Human Computer Interaction or other design field


* Some technical background or familiarity with programming concepts


* Designing workflows in a complex problem space


* Experience on teams where designers and engineers are fully integrated


* Experience in animation, photography, 3D graphics, or other media production processes



Pixar is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We know our storytelling is at its best when we include, celebrate and embrace difference. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. We are committed to building a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. | Follow us on Twitter @PixarRecruiting.