Type: Contract-to-hire (3–6 months → potential full-time)

About the Role

This role is roughly 60% product UX/UI, 40% motion/visual & marketing, with some flexibility based on your strengths.
We are working on an AI companion app and are early-stage, moving fast toward a Kickstarter / D2C launch.

We’re looking for a Senior Designer who can contribute and drive the visual and interaction layer across the companion app, landing page, motion/character work, and marketing assets.

What you’ll own (first 3–6 months)

Companion App (Core)

• Review the current end-to-end UX/UI for the app (first version completed), including onboarding, multi-profiles, dashboards, device setup flows etc
• Design and prototype micro-interactions and animations using Rive or equivalent (After Effects + Lottie, or other real-time UI animation tools) to make the app feel alive.
• Build and maintain a design system (Figma + tokens) shared with frontend devs for iOS/Android/Web.

Character & Motion

• Own the motion language for character(s): idle states, reactions, and simple narrative moments that work both in-app and in marketing.
• Create animations and assets that translate well into real-time experiences and lightweight web exports.
• Work closely with hardware / industrial design partners to align the app with the physical toy form factor.

Marketing, Brand & Landing Page

• Design and ship a high-converting landing page for the product and characters (hero visuals, storytelling, pricing/tiers, email capture, Kickstarter pre-launch).
• Create the visual language for campaigns and content packs: story pack covers, badges, seasonal/holiday themes, email/social assets, and packaging.
• Collaborate with marketing on ads, pitch decks, and Kickstarter assets (storyboards, stills for a hero video, simple motion loops).

Must-have skills

• 5–8+ years in Product / UI/UX Design with a shipped portfolio across consumer apps (mobile/web).
• Strong interaction and motion design skills; experience with Rive, Lottie, Principle, or similar tools for UI animation, and willingness to lean in on whichever stack we choose.
• Deep fluency in Figma (components, variants, auto-layout, design systems) and rapid prototyping.
• Experience designing conversion-focused landing pages and marketing funnels (waitlist / Kickstarter / e-commerce).
• Comfortable working closely with engineers, PM, and founders in a fast-moving, pre-scale startup; can scope and prioritize ruthlessly.
• Excellent communication: can explain tradeoffs, write short specs, and collaborate async with devs.

Nice-to-haves

• Prior work in family products.
• Familiarity with analytics & experimentation (GA, Amplitude, A/B tests) to iterate on UX and conversion.
• Comfort with brand systems (logo, typography, color, mascot guidelines) and adapting them for product & marketing.

Engagement & compensation

• Contract to start (3–6 months, part- or full-time negotiable) with a clear path to full-time hire if it’s a mutual fit.
• Hybrid NYC strongly preferred, but we’re open to remote for the right senior candidate in US-adjacent time zones.