Senior Designer

Morningstar is seeking a Senior Designer to lead user experience design within a cross-functional team responsible for developing software for financial advisors. This role will focus on turning complex data into intuitive communication design, crafting user flows, and improving existing applications. The ideal candidate will collaborate with a diverse team, including UX designers, developers, product managers, and business owners, to create exceptional user experiences and drive the next generation of software.

Key Responsibilities:

• Complex Navigation & Information Hierarchy: Solve challenging system-level navigation and information hierarchy problems while ensuring a strong user-facing experience.
• User Task Flows: Visualize and communicate how users navigate the product, ensuring a seamless flow across various product and system components.
• User-Centered Design: Use research, prototyping, and other design thinking methods to inform design decisions and optimize user experience.
• Collaborative Product Development: Work closely with product owners, engineers, and UX designers to create a unified vision for the product.
• Mentorship: Provide guidance to junior designers and teammates on how to make decisions around information structure and strategy.

Stakeholder & Team Engagement:

• Facilitate Design Activities: Lead critiques, workshops, and design studios to foster collaborative decision-making and creative thinking.
• Stakeholder Management: Effectively manage expectations with stakeholders, ensuring alignment on objectives and design decisions.
• Problem Solving: Demonstrate creativity, critical thinking, and logical approaches to overcome challenges and continuously improve the product.
• Team Culture: Foster a transparent, results-oriented team environment built on mutual respect, resilience, and communication.

Basic Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design or equivalent experience/training in the graphic arts.
• Experience: At least 5 years of experience designing for software, web, and/or digital products.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Design Tools Expertise: Proficient in Sketch, InVision, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office Suite, and Mac OS X.
• Technical Knowledge: Familiarity with HTML and CSS for design implementation.
• UX Design Knowledge: Experience with user-centered design methodologies and a strong understanding of interaction design.