Freelance User Experience Specialist, Product Design

Critical Mass anticipates needing freelance user experience design support. We are open to talent at all levels. Please note, you are not applying to an active job opening. You will be added to our network of talent, and we will share relevant opportunities with you as they arise.

You will help determine the experience architecture of our clients’ digital products. Combining stellar UX and analytical skills, you take ideas from conception to execution—collaborating with your team, navigating ambiguity, and balancing priorities as you push toward the goal and deliver on time.

Focusing on one client helps you deliver quality work, but you could be working across multiple accounts, too. You’ve got the grit to lead the execution of UX deliverables—wireframes, interactive prototypes, user flows, site maps, and usability test plans. Owning multiple, small-to-medium features or one major feature from design through completion can be challenging, but your skills, know-how, and attention to detail are equal to the task.

You will:

• Design holistic systems, flows, and interfaces that are simple, elegant, and beautiful through detailed wireframes, visual compositions, and prototypes that communicate design intent, and client and user feedback.
• Provide guidance, leadership, and support to other UX designers and the project team.
• Lead discussions with stakeholders regarding feature design, using an organized and methodical approach.Balance creative requirements with client business requirements.
• Manage time effectively and execute according to commitments.
• Apply a critical lens to your work and the work of others in service of the solution.
• Demonstrate team orientation and build rapport with creative teammates, strategists, content strategists, marketing science, and producers.
• Clearly articulate complex ideas to both the internal team and client.
• Anticipate upcoming client and team needs, identify risks, and mitigate appropriately.
• Lead the design of a large feature or group of small-to-medium features with limited input from the Director of UX.
• Continuously seek to be well-informed regarding new software and design concepts.
• Understand the process of business development, and lead aspects of pitch creation in alignment with the overall sales story.
• Contribute to team culture by acting as a coach and mentor to junior team members, modelling the behaviours and characteristics of a CM leader.
• Be actively engaged with colleagues both within and outside of teams, promoting collaboration and inclusion.

You have:

• Experience in UX, product design, new media, information technology, communications, or library / information science. 
• Effective communication skills, both orally and in a variety of written and diagrammatic forms.
• Proven interpersonal skills, client relation skills, and ability to work in a team environment.
• Experienced, innovative and forward-thinking mind set with demonstrated leadership of projects from concept to completion.
• Thorough, detail-oriented, and highly organized working style with the ability to multi-task and meet tight deadlines.
• Flexibility and adaptability to fast-paced and changing environments.
• A deep appreciation and understanding of user experience including research, information architecture, usability testing, and applying it to create compelling digital experiences.
• Portfolio of work demonstrating creative thinking, problem solving, process, and quality spanning various digital platforms.
• Demonstrated expertise and experience with process and business analysis, software development and project processes large scale projects, documentation for development teams, application of content management, personalization, targeting and search systems, and modular design systems.