Senior UX Designer

Project Overview:

Camshaft is the project code name for an AI enablement platform designed by Kurt Theobald, CEO of Classy Llama, a digital consultancy founded in 2007 with a mission to love others through business and a vision to deliver inspiration, insights, and digital transformation services that provide rock-solid solutions for industrial B2B companies. These include industries like automotive, manufacturing, and customizable products. 

The purpose of the AI platform is to enable AI engagement for business and operational users as well as to streamline AI tuning and organizational distribution for more technical users.

Much like computing in the late 70s, LLMs are like unrefined power currently being tinkered with by technologists.  And just as Steve Jobs did with computing, molding the technology into the shape of a human through simple, elegant design backed by robust technology, so we seek to do the same with AI.

Position Overview:

The Senior UX Designer will lead user experience strategy and execution for our AI platform. This includes conducting user research (with pilot customers), building wireframes and prototypes, and ensuring a consistent design language that can be scaled quickly. You will work closely with developers and stakeholders to make critical design decisions that balance user needs, feasibility, and rapid delivery timelines.

Contract Terms:

Short-term contract (3–6 months) with possibility of extension, contingent on MVP success and new funding.

Compensation includes hourly or project-based pay plus potential stock or equivalent incentives upon successful funding.

Responsibilities:

User Research & Discovery

• Engage with target users and pilot customers to identify pain points and behaviors.
• Translate findings into user journeys, personas, and user stories that inform design decisions.

Interaction Design & Prototyping

• Create wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes (using tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD).
• Collaborate with Front-End Developers to iterate on design concepts and user flows at high velocity.

Design Systems & Documentation

• Develop and maintain a cohesive design system or style guide for consistent brand and user experience.
• Document user paths, navigation structures, and micro-interactions in a clear, organized manner.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with product leadership to align designs with overall vision.
• Communicate with developers, Data Engineers, and other stakeholders to ensure feasibility and timely implementation.

MVP Delivery & Iteration

• Rapidly refine wireframes and prototypes based on internal reviews and real-world user feedback.
• Emphasize speed without sacrificing core usability principles.

Required Skills, Abilities, and Characteristics:

Proven UX Experience

• 5+ years in UX design roles, preferably with some startup or fast-paced environment experience.
• Solid track record of shipping intuitive, user-centered digital products (web and/or mobile).

Strong Design Toolkit

• Proficiency with design/prototyping tools (Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or similar).
• Knowledge of UX best practices, design principles, and accessibility standards.

Collaboration & Communication

• Exceptional communication skills for presenting design rationale and negotiating trade-offs.
• Ability to give and receive direct feedback in a constructive manner.

Analytical & Problem-Solving Mindset

• Skilled at turning abstract concepts into concrete, user-friendly solutions.
• Comfortable making design decisions quickly, then iterating based on user feedback.

Nice to Haves

• AI/Tech Familiarity: Experience designing AI-powered applications or data-driven platforms.

• Coding Basics: Ability to understand or tweak front-end code (HTML/CSS/JS).

• Agile/Lean UX: Experience with rapid prototyping and user testing for MVPs.

• Information Architecture: Background in structuring complex data into clear, navigable systems.

Organizational Alignment:

• The Senior UX Designer reports to the VP of Technology (Jonathan Hodges) and collaborates closely with: 
• Full Stack Developers on front-end implementation.
• Data/AI teams to align the UX with the platform’s technical capabilities.
• Product leadership (e.g., CEO/CTO) to shape high-level vision and roadmap.

During the initial build phase, this will be an elite, small team to maximize velocity and quality at a foundational level while we build through to a strong beta MVP that is actively being used in the market.  

We are targeting a delivery date for the MVP of June 18th, 2025.