UX/UI Researcher and Designer

Berklee College of Music•Boston, MA

61d•$90,000 - $107,000

About The Position

Job Purpose Berklee's division of Pre-College, Online, and Professional Programs (POPP) is at the forefront of contemporary music education worldwide, serving more than 3.5 million students to date. As we continue to scale our digital offerings and enhance user experiences across our platforms, we are seeking a UX/UI Researcher and Designer to establish and maintain cohesive, accessible design standards that support our mission of bringing the best of Berklee to students all over the world. The UX/UI Researcher and Designer role is an exciting opportunity for a candidate with exceptional UX/UI research capabilities and systematic design thinking, as well as a strong passion for music education, to play a vital role in creating scalable design solutions that enhance the digital experience for our students, instructors, and staff, and contribute to the continued growth and success of Berklee POPP. Under the direction of the Director of Creative and User Experience, and in close collaboration with the Assistant Vice President of Creative Strategy, the UX/UI Researcher and Designer is responsible for conducting UX/UI research, translating insights into systematic design solutions, and maintaining comprehensive design systems that ensure consistency across all digital touchpoints. This role combines user research methodologies with design system development to create accessible, user-centered components and patterns that scale across the entire Berklee POPP ecosystem. This role is highly collaborative, working across multiple teams to gather user insights, establish design standards, and maintain design system governance. The UX/UI Researcher and Designer serves as the guardian of our digital design consistency, ensuring that all components, patterns, and interactions align with accessibility standards and user needs while supporting Berklee POPP's brand objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in UX/UI design, human-computer interaction, psychology, design, or equivalent professional experience
3-5 years of professional experience in UX/UI research and design systems development
Expert proficiency in Figma, including component creation, design tokens, and collaborative workflows
Strong understanding of accessibility principles and standards (WCAG 2.1 AA, ARIA, inclusive design practices)
Experience conducting user research methodologies, including usability testing, interviews, surveys, and behavioral analysis
Proven experience developing and documenting comprehensive design systems, component libraries, and design guidelines
Knowledge of design tokens, architecture, and a systematic approach to colors, typography, spacing, and interaction states
Understanding of AI-powered design tools and emerging technologies, with experience adapting design systems for AI-enhanced workflows and automated content generation
Ability to anticipate and design for evolving user needs in AI-integrated educational platforms and adaptive learning systems
Solid understanding of user-centered design principles, information architecture, and responsive design patterns
Experience with design-to-development handoff processes and basic understanding of HTML/CSS
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate research insights into actionable design solutions
Excellent communication and presentation skills for sharing research findings and design rationale with stakeholders
Strong organizational skills with the ability to maintain up-to-date documentation, mockups, and design specifications
Experience with version control and collaborative design workflows

Nice To Haves

Passion for music education and alignment with Berklee's mission is preferred

Responsibilities

Conduct comprehensive user research, including usability testing, user interviews, surveys, and behavioral analysis, to identify user needs, pain points, and opportunities for systematic design improvements across Berklee POPP platforms
Create and maintain scalable design systems, including component libraries, design patterns, interaction guidelines, and comprehensive documentation that supports consistent user experiences across all digital touchpoints
Establish and maintain design token architecture for colors, typography, spacing, sizing, and interaction states in Figma, ensuring systematic consistency and efficient design-to-development workflows
Ensure all design system components meet WCAG standards and support inclusive design practices, conducting accessibility audits and implementing improvements to enhance usability for all learners
Design and implement flexible component systems that accommodate AI-powered features, automated content generation, and adaptive user interfaces that respond to individual learning patterns and preferences
Research and prototype design solutions for emerging educational technologies, ensuring design systems can adapt to new interaction paradigms while maintaining consistency and accessibility standards
Create and regularly update high-fidelity mockups, wireframes, prototypes, and detailed design specifications that accurately reflect current design standards and user needs
Partner with developers, product managers, instructional designers, and other stakeholders to gather requirements, validate design solutions, and ensure proper implementation of design system components
Establish processes for design system adoption, provide training and support to teams using the system, and conduct regular audits to ensure consistency across all digital products and platforms
Monitor design system usage, gather feedback from users and stakeholders, and iterate on components and patterns based on evolving user needs and technological capabilities