Experience Designer

JobsCloseBy Editorial Insights

AKQA is hiring an Experience Designer to join our Dubai team onsite, fulltime, blending empathy, systems thinking to deliver human-centered digital experiences for clients. You will lead UX work streams on large projects, facilitate workshops, mentor junior teammates, and nurture client relationships while coordinating with multidisciplinary teams. A compelling portfolio across mobile, web and service design is essential, plus UCD practice, rapid prototyping and proficiency with Sketch and Figma. Show impact with case studies, familiarity with Design Thinking or Google Design Sprints, and awareness of CX strategy. The role offers hybrid in-office work in Dubai Media City within our global network; tailor your application to highlight strategic insight, collaboration and measurable outcomes.

At AKQA we believe in the imaginative application of art and science to create beautiful ideas, products and services. With an entrepreneurial and collaborative approach, we design adaptive digital services and applications that capture the imagination, delivering impressive returns for our clients.

Experience Designers at AKQA apply empathy, systems thinking, and craftsmanship to strategic insights — designing groundbreaking solutions to human problems. Adept storytellers and fearless innovators, they create interactive experiences, products and services that move the world. 

The Experience Designer plays an essential role in the growth of the Experience Design department. They will draw together client, business and customer/end-user requirements, within an understanding of the technical delivery environment, to develop a blueprint for the solution. They are the user-centered glue that binds together business, creative, and technology into a harmonious collaboration—facilitating design workshops, working with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver award-winning, impactful work.

At AKQA Dubai, located in Media City, in Dubai, you’ll have the opportunity to produce meaningful work for world-class companies in one of the world’s most vibrant and beautiful cities, with access to our network of specialists across the global network of studios. You will work in an environment that fosters a dynamic and meritocratic culture, surrounded by some of the brightest minds in their fields.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

• Apply solid user experience and usability principles while looking for opportunities to innovate
• Demonstrate excellent knowledge of all aspects of the UCD approach and the ability to apply them flexibly across a variety of project types
• Able to contribute at a high level to the overall strategic client approach, taking into account relevant marketplace, consumer and technology factors--and a keen interest in growing within more strategic & CX-focused disciplines 
• Able to use/introduce more advanced UCD techniques (rapid prototyping, remote testing etc.) to improve efficiency in the user experience process and the quality of the solution
• Able to develop solutions for a wide variety of touchpoints, platforms and devices including mobile, web, kiosk, social, physical, etc.
• Lead User Experience work streams on large-scale and complex projects
• Promote collaborative work practices, and identify opportunities to improve quality and increase efficiency through collaborative design
• Demonstrate cross-functional understanding; clearly articulate purpose and value of other disciplines within Strategic Services, identifying when their input is needed
• Collaborate with the client and with various teams within AKQA. Ability to lead workshops and manage mid to senior stakeholders. Experience of nurturing client relationships
• Provide support, guidance and mentoring to junior members of the User Experience Team
• Take an active role in new business pitches where appropriate

QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS

• Embrace challenges and inspire new ways of thinking
• Expertise in understanding digital behaviours, cultural expectations and social networking (preferred experience with Asia or luxury industries)
• Fluent in English with a strong command of the language, both written and spoken
• A compelling portfolio of unique work that spans mediums, including: mobile applications, responsive web, product & service design. 
• Wide breadth of experience in your portfolio demonstrating skills across Research, Strategy, IA, Design and Testing. Experience with ethnographic research, ecosystem design, information architecture, and user testing and experience with innovation processes including Design Thinking workshops, Google Design Sprints, Business Model and/or Value Proposition canvas
• Expertise with prototyping tools such; along with design tools such as Sketch & Figma.
• Proven creative success working in collaborative, multi-functional teams
• Strong presentation skills, visual and written
• Breadth of cultural reference points
• You have a drive to break boundaries and craft the best ideas of their kind in the world
• You are passionate, driven and obsessed about your craft and stay on top of best practice in your field

We believe great work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach including required in-office days. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

AKQA is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.