Senior Product Designer (contract to perm)

This contract Senior Product (UX) Designer role at ustwo's Tokyo studio involves early stage design, prototyping, user testing, and supporting the transition from discovery work to delivery. The ideal candidate should be somewhat bilingual in Japanese and English, and will work with an experienced and collaborative cross-disciplinary team. The role requires generating concepts, breaking down service concepts, adapting approaches based on research findings, engaging clients and stakeholders, and championing user needs. The candidate should have a portfolio demonstrating their breadth of cross-platform work and design process, and possess skills in user-centered design, testing, research usability principles, and critical thinking. They should also be adaptable, highly collaborative, and passionate about innovating through design.

• Digest user needs, wants, and behaviors and design requirements from previous research
• Use research and user/behavioral insights to identify opportunity spaces for service definition
• Generate concepts from insights and communicate their benefits and value through sketches, user flows, wireframes, and prototypes
• Break down service concepts into service blueprints in collaboration with stakeholders
• Adapt and propose alternative approaches based on research findings
• Engage clients, stakeholders, and the team to ensure proposed design aligns with business goals, long-term strategy, and technical constraints
• Understand and challenge business requirements or assumptions to champion user needs
• Foster a collaborative "One Team" approach between ustwo and clients/partners
• Take clients/partners on the discovery journey, teaching and skill sharing throughout the project
• Ideate new product and service ideas based on business goals and user needs
• Stay current in user-centered design, testing, research usability principles, techniques, and methodologies
• Analyze user problems and design solutions that meet measurable business goals and requirements
• Analyze contexts and insights objectively, consider ideas from multiple perspectives, and make logical decisions
• Thrive in ambiguity and switch contexts, applying design practice across industries and deliverables
• Work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams using Agile and Lean principles
• Passionate about innovating through design

• Bilingual in Japanese and English is preferred
• Strong conceptualization skills and ability to ideate new product and service ideas
• Expertise in user-centered design, testing, research usability principles, techniques, and methodologies
• Up-to-date with the latest trends in design and technology
• Ability to analyze user problems and design solutions that meet measurable business goals and requirements
• Understanding of how to position products and services in line with brand and market
• Critical thinking skills and ability to analyze contexts and insights objectively
• Adaptability and comfort in switching contexts and applying design practice across different industries and deliverables
• Highly collaborative and able to work in multidisciplinary teams using Agile and Lean principles
• Passion for innovating through design

• Working with an experienced and caring cross-disciplinary team
• Opportunity to collaborate with international ustwo team and client stakeholders
• Early stage design, prototyping, and user testing
• Support in transitioning from discovery work to delivery
• Bilingual skills in Japanese and English are flexible
• Integration of the client within the team composition
• Digesting user needs, wants, and behaviors from previous research
• Generating concepts and communicating their benefits and value
• Collaborating with stakeholders to create service blueprints
• Adapting and proposing alternative approaches based on research findings
• Ensuring proposed design fits business goals, long-term strategy, and technical constraints
• Challenging business requirements or assumptions to champion user needs
• Fostering a collaborative "One Team" approach between ustwo and clients/partners
• Teaching and skill sharing throughout the project
• Conceptualizing new product and service ideas based on business goals and user needs
• Staying current in user-centered design, testing, research usability principles, and latest design and technology trends
• Analyzing user problems and designing solutions that meet business goals and requirements
• Thinking critically and encouraging the team to challenge the norm
• Adapting to different contexts and industries
• Collaborating in multidisciplinary teams using Agile and Lean principles
• Passionate about innovating through design and advocating for the user
• Thinking holistically about the big picture while being detail-oriented and delivery-focused
• Experience working within an international business environment
• Clear communication skills, both verbally and written
• Openness to sharing thoughts, ideas, and work in progress
• Desire to learn and seek out opportunities for growth
• Resilience and ability to remain calm and focused under pressure
• Inclusive environment committed to diversity and learning together