Lead Experience Designer

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Careers Category: UI / UX Design

Careers location: Austin, TX, Bay Area, CA, Carlsbad, CA, Chicago, IL, Eugene, OR

Connected Worker Type: Connected

Requisition Id: R_110288

We are seeking a Lead Experience Designer to join a new game concept in our Casino & Cards group. This small team iterates fast and works strategically to explore new and innovative game ideas to take to worldwide launch.

We're looking for a driven self-starter with a mobile games and product design focus who enjoys being a generalist. The responsibilities include collaborating through all phases of the design process, including conceptual design/development, graphic and interface design, interaction models, prototypes, user/task flows, implementation in the game engine, and growing a UX/UI team.

The Lead User Experience Designer contributes to the team by developing the Experience Design vision of a product and carries out that vision. This role leads the effort in innovative and pioneering design to create user-centered solutions that promote ease of use, employ best-in-class game/interaction design, and optimize the user experience universally in response to user testing.

You will work closely with team stakeholders to establish and maintain the visual integrity, interaction methods, brand standards, and consistency for the game and collaborate with Product Management, Game Design, Production, and Engineering for the execution of the design.

THIS IS A HYBRID POSITION AND EMPLOYEES WILL BE EXPECTED TO WORK OUT OF OUR DESIGNATED OFFICE LOCATIONS ( AUSTIN, TX, BAY AREA, CA, CARLSBAD, CA, CHICAGO, IL, EUGENE, OR, OR TORONTO, CANADA ). IT IS EXPECTED THAT ALL APPLICANTS ARE EITHER CURRENTLY LOCATED AT THE MENTIONED LOCATIONS OR OPEN TO RELOCATION.

Job Responsibilities:

UX Design

• Collaborate with the product and design teams to conceptualize, define, and develop features that yield outstanding experiences for our players
• Synthesize the needs of players and all game departments to find solutions that work for all.
• Create user flows, interface wireframes, layouts, prototypes, and design documentation.
• Employ the classic design process of defining problems, researching, analyzing, designing, and validating results.

Art

• Create UI art and visual design for user interfaces as well as high-fidelity mock-ups for pre-visualization during pre-production
• Develop mood boards and help guide the visual design of features
• Collaborate with the art team to define/adhere to a thematic art style
• Design (and create) functional animation for user interactions

Research & Testing

• Participate in the planning and moderating of user testing
• Conduct market competitor research and deconstructs
• Participate in researching consumer insight, developing personas, and analyzing data
• Conduct heuristic evaluations of internal & external products

Technical UI Development

• Prepare assets for implementation in the Unity game engine
• Create and set up new prefabs in Unity
• No scripting is required but is a bonus
• Partner with technical artists and engineers to implement user interface game assets in the game engine

Leadership

• Be responsible for the task management and career development of other UI/UX staff
• Set examples, guides, and standard methodologies in UI/UX for others in your game team and be able to present them to stakeholders and leadership
• Lead and participate in company-wide UI/UX community events, critiques, product reviews, and feature retrospectives
• Be responsible for the UI/UX of all features on a specific game team
• Collaborate with UI/UX staff from other game teams to share findings and develop standard methodologies across the organization
• Mentor other UI/UX individual contributors

Applicant's Proficiencies

General

• Ability to adapt and work in a fast-paced setting. Rapidly develop new skills and behaviors in response to changing circumstances.
• Ability to prioritize tasks, work efficiently, handle time effectively, and complete your work with minimal oversight.
• Demonstrates proactive self-development with an interest in leveling up personal, interpersonal, and craft skills
• Be organized, demonstrate good digital hygiene, and adhere to established naming conventions and organizational methodologies.
• Find opportunities to mentor, and share your knowledge, insight, and experiences with others.

Communications

• Able to present complex ideas to diverse audiences and articulate a convincing point of view
• Highly proficient in written and verbal communication skills, including technical writing.
• Ability to co-work and connect with multiple studio locations, teams, and partners
• Able to collaborate with proactive communication and a willingness to build consensus with potentially opposing perspectives.

UX Design

• Expert in the application of fundamental UX Design Principles
• Seasoned authority on the UX Design process: Defining usability challenges, researching the problem space, analyzing qualitative and quantitative data, designing appropriate solutions, and validating ideas through testing.
• Experienced expert in designing for games vs. task completion, specifically supporting fun and engagement
• A high degree of competence in assessing and addressing product usability and applying user psychology
• An accomplished expert with prototyping design software (Figma, Sketch, or similar tools) and the prototype development process

Interface Design

• Mastery of classic graphic design principles
• An accomplished expert in user interface layout design, hierarchy, color theory, and information architecture

UI Art

• An experienced expert in establishing, implementing, and refining existing visual styles as well as developing new ones.
• Can consistently produce high-quality visual assets for user interfaces
• Highly skilled with standard creative software such as the Adobe Creative Suite
• An accomplished expert with UI layout & design tools (Figma, Sketch, or similar tools)
• Familiarity with collaborative virtual environments (Miro, FigJam)
• Highly competent in designing and authoring functional UI animation

Technical UI Development

• A highly experienced veteran in traditional game development methods, principles, and processes
• An accomplished expert in creating user interfaces for game engines (like Unity or Unreal)
• Highly engaged and experienced in collaborating and partnering with technical team members such as Tech Art and Engineering
• An experienced veteran that fully understands the limitations and best practices of developing games for mobile devices

Level of Experience

• Education: Bachelor's degree in HCI, Design, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, or related area required. A combination of education and experience may substitute for a Bachelor's degree.
• 5+ years of experience in the game development industry specializing in UX, ideally having worked on 3+ different game titles, ideally on mobile
• At least 1 year of experience in a leadership role

Software Expertise

• The ability to Implement UI in Unity Engine is a must
• Figma, Sketch, or other UI design tools
• Unreal Engine or similar game engines are a bonus
• Axure, Framer, ProtoPie or other interactive prototyping packages are a bonus

What we offer you:

• Competitive salary, bonus plan and ESPP (Employee Stock Purchase Plan)
• 401K Company Match Contribution (US)
• RRSP/DPSP company match contribution (Canada)
• Health coverage, dental, disability, critical illness, EAP, and life insurance (Canada)
• Medical, dental, vision, EAP, life insurance, and disability benefits (US)
• Virtual mental health and neurodiversity support programs
• Global Fitness reimbursement program
• Global Wellbeing Program
• Financial wellness program with unlimited access to certified financial planners
• Discretionary Time Off policy for many employees
• Family planning support program
• Generous paid parental, pregnancy-related disability, caregiver, and compassionate leaves
• Subsidized Back-up child care
• Zynga happy hours and frequent employee events
• Flexible working hours on many teams
• Culture of diversity and inclusion including employee resource groups
• Work with cool people and impact millions of daily player

We are an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to building a diverse and talented workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, disability, or any other class or characteristic protected by applicable law. We welcome job-seekers, players, employees, and partners from all backgrounds to join us!

We will consider all qualified job-seekers with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with physical or mental disabilities in order to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at View email address on us.fitly.work to request an accommodation associated with your application for an open position.

The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $100,000 and $145,000 per Year. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations. Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an 'at-will position' and the company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation or benefit program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.

Zynga does not engage in financial exchanges during the recruitment or onboarding process. We do not conduct job interviews over third-party messaging apps such as Telegram, WhatsApp or others. We will never ask you for your personal or financial information over unofficial chat channels. Our in-house recruitment team only contacts individuals via official company email addresses (i.e., via a zynga.com or naturalmotion.com email domain).

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