Staff Product Designer, Design Systems

Discord is used by over 200 million people every month for many different reasons, but there’s one thing that nearly everyone does on our platform: play video games. Over 90% of our users play games, spending a combined 1.5 billion hours playing thousands of unique titles on Discord each month. Discord plays a uniquely important role in the future of gaming. We are focused on making it easier and more fun for people to talk and hang out before, during, and after playing games.

As a Staff Designer and leader within the organization, you’ll actively define what design quality means within Discord Design, and collaborate across teams to define and execute future evolutions of the product.

The Design Systems team is a cross-functional team that ensures design quality across all facets of UI, content, and graphics. As a part of the team, you will be responsible for the creation and maintenance of the design system that all product designers, engineers, and product managers use to design & develop at Discord. Using your full range of interaction, visual, and prototyping skills, you will own creating a coherent and ownable look & feel for our desktop and mobile experiences.

If you're interested in joining a passionate team of designers that are creating fun experiences for millions of people across the world, Discord is the place to be.

What You'll Be Doing

• Vision & Strategy

• Define the north star for the design system, solving foundational challenges and ensuring scalability across the organization.

• Partner with the Design Systems Design Manager to drive the long-term vision and align the system with company goals.

• Lead cross-functional efforts, advocating for systems thinking and fostering alignment across teams and disciplines.

• Stay informed on design trends, best practices, and emerging technologies to ensure the system remains innovative and forward-looking.

Design System Leadership

• Design reusable components, patterns, and tools, including design tokens, UI kits, and component libraries, to ensure consistency and efficiency.
• Write clear, comprehensive documentation to help designers and developers apply system components and guidelines effectively.
• Continuously improve and evolve the design system based on user feedback, technology advancements, and product landscape changes.

Migration & Integration

• Lead the migration of existing products to the design system, ensuring a seamless transition while prioritizing the “Designer Experience.”
• Update or replace legacy components to align with system guidelines and modern standards.

Support & Advocacy

• Act as a champion for the design system, educating teams on its benefits and best practices through presentations, workshops, and ongoing communication.
• Provide support and manage feedback channels to address user concerns, ensuring the system meets the needs of both internal teams and end users.
• Mentor senior designers and foster systems thinking across the organization.

What You Should Have

• 7+ years designing consumer-facing products.
• 3+ years leading design systems teams.
• A track record of driving cross-functional initiatives and delivering organizational impact.
• Proficiency in developing scalable design and code libraries, crafting comprehensive documentation, and evolving systems to meet changing needs.
• Experience defining the visual style of products; bonus if this includes brand integration.
• Passion for creating accessible, user-centric design systems that align business goals with user needs.
• Exceptional storytelling skills across multiple mediums, with consistent experience influencing design decisions at all levels, including executives.
• Strong, proactive communication skills to articulate ideas, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and contribute to product strategy and roadmaps.
• A desire to deeply understand the "why" behind decisions to inform the "how," developing a strategic product perspective and vision.
• High level of design craft with a commitment to quality, ensuring excellent execution from design iterations to documentation and QA.
• Demonstrated leadership on large-scale, high-impact projects across desktop and mobile, with a portfolio showcasing work where you were the primary designer.

Bonus Points

• Experience with version control and Github
• Technical writing experience, familiarity with markdown
• Experience creating Figma Tooling
• Casual or committed gamer

_The US base salary range for this full-time position is $205,000 to $225,000 + equity + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role and level. Within the range, individual pay is determined by additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include equity, or benefits.

_Why Discord?

Discord plays a uniquely important role in the future of gaming. We're a multiplatform, multigenerational and multiplayer platform that helps people deepen their friendships around games and shared interests. We believe games give us a way to have fun with our favorite people, whether listening to music together or grinding in competitive matches for diamond rank. Join us in our mission! Your future is just a click away!

_Please see our Applicant and Candidate Privacy Policy for details regarding Discord’s collection and usage of personal information relating to the application and recruitment process by clicking HERE.

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