Product Designer – Design Systems

### **About the Role** A well\-funded seed\-stage AI infrastructure startup is looking for experienced **Design Systems specialists** to help build the data layer that teaches AI models what great design looks like. You'll work on production\-grade design systems used to evaluate and train AI design tools — building them, implementing them in code, and assessing how well AI systems ingest and reproduce them. This is a **contract, fully remote** role with async flexibility and quick turnarounds. You can join on one of three tracks: * **Design Track:** Build complete design systems in Figma — tokens (color, type, spacing, radius), component libraries with variants and states, and golden screens composed exclusively from library components. * **Product Design Track:** Envision product designs from scratch using and implementing existing design systems, maintaining strict adherence throughout. * **Engineering Track:** Implement design systems as coded component libraries using React, Storybook (v8\), token pipelines (e.g., Style Dictionary), and variant patterns (e.g., CVA). ### **What You'll Do** * Prompt AI models to generate and refine design work from a brief across multiple conversation turns * Evolve the underlying design system: refine color ramps, type scales, spacing and radius tokens, and component treatments * Evaluate AI outputs on design\-system coherence, visual quality, and fit to the brief — flagging where adherence breaks down * Compare outputs, select the stronger one, and write clear rationale and reproduction prompts grounded in expert judgement * Vote and rank preferences to help train models on what a cohesive, high\-quality design system looks like ### **What We're Looking For** **Dealbreakers (must\-haves):** * 3\+ years of professional experience building and owning token\-based design systems (color ramps, type scales, spacing and radius tokens, components with variants and states) * You have personally built and owned a token\-based system end\-to\-end — not just consumed one * Portfolio with at least 3 examples of end\-to\-end design work **Required:** * Experience reasoning about design systems expressed in code (HTML/CSS/tokens) and identifying interface breaks from system specifications * Professional experience building, maintaining, or applying design systems in an in\-house team, agency, or design\-engineering role * Experience with React or Figma variables for design system implementation * Sharp eye for adherence — you notice when a corner radius, casing rule, or spacing value drifts from spec * Ability to write structured, specific creative direction grounded in design\-systems principles **Nice to Have:** * Proficiency with AI design tools (Claude, Figma AI, or similar) * Experience with Storybook v8, Style Dictionary, or CVA * Eagerness to work at the frontier of AI\-assisted design tooling ### **Compensation \& Benefits** * **Rate:** $60–$100 per hour (USD) * Contract / freelance engagement * Fu