Product Designer

At Freshly Commerce, we're on a mission to build the logistics brain for commerce. Today, we help 25,000 Shopify brands simplify gnarly workflows like inventory, bundling, and order fulfillment (for even the world's largest brands like Sennheiser, Godiva, YAMAHA, and Stanley Drinkware). Tomorrow, we'll deliver intelligent automation that feels like an on-site operations team so merchants can focus on building their brand.

We're a fully-remote and bootstrapped company with teammates around the world. We love what we do and love who we build for. We're a small team of 9 who amplify each other's work by working closely together: dev with support, support with marketing, and so on. We're curious, kind, scrappy yet rigorous, and highly intentional. If this sounds like the type of team you'd like to be a part of, we'd love to hear from you.

About this role

You'll be our first dedicated designer. You'll own how our products look and feel, from the screens merchants use every day to the experiences their shoppers see on the storefront.

We're a small team, so this role covers more than product design. Some days you'll be mapping out a complex workflow with engineers, and other days you'll be making marketing graphics or print pieces. We're looking for someone who has strong UX judgment and a sharp visual eye, and who enjoys switching between the two.

You'll work closely with engineering, support and marketing, and you'll have a lot of autonomy. You'll report directly to the CEO. This is a remote contract role with the opportunity to move into a permanent position. We are open to both full-time and part-time engagement depending on fit.

What you'll do day-to-day

• Own product design end to end, from early problem framing and flows through high-fidelity designs, dev handoff and QA of what ships.
• Turn complex merchant workflows into interfaces that feel simple to use, for both technical and non-technical users.
• Design within Shopify's admin and Polaris design system, and know when to follow platform patterns and when to go beyond them.
• Design customer-facing storefront experiences that work well on mobile and fit in with a wide range of merchant brands.
• Work with engineers during the build: walk through designs, resolve edge cases early, and keep handoff files clear and well-organized.
• Use support conversations, merchant feedback and product analytics to decide what to design, then check whether it worked.
• Build and maintain our design system and brand guidelines so the product and marketing look consistent.
• Create visual assets for marketing: App Store listing graphics, website and blog visuals, social and video assets, email graphics, and the occasional print project.
• Use Claude Code or other AI tools for design exploration and check what's technically possible before proposing a design.

Who we're looking for

• We care less about years of experience and more about evidence of ownership and impact. Your portfolio should show both product design work and visual/graphic design work.
• Strong product and UX thinking. You can define the problem before solving it, and explain the reasoning behind your decisions.
• A strong eye for visual design: typography, layout, color and detail.
• Strong writing skills. You write clear, concise copy and see words as part of the design.
• High degree of independence and initiative. You proactively identify problems and act without needing constant direction.
• Strong problem-solving ability and resourcefulness. You figure things out quickly with limited information.
• Comfort operating in ambiguity and switching between different kinds of work.
• You know Figma well, including components, auto layout and files that developers can build from.
• You use AI tools effectively for research, exploring ideas and speeding up your workflow, while keeping the quality of your output high.
• Clear communicator, in writing and on video. You can present work, take feedback and push back thoughtfully.

Bonus experience

• Designing for Shopify apps or the Shopify admin (Polaris).
• Familiarity and interest in the Shopify and ecommerce ecosystem, including industry trends, platform changes, merchant pain points, and emerging opportunities.
• B2B SaaS or ecommerce operations tools.
• Basic front-end knowledge (HTML/CSS) or experience prototyping in code.

Beyond expertise, success in this role means embodying 3 core values

1. Resourcefulness: You're relentlessly resourceful and always find ways to achieve the highest standards of quality. You know where to look and whom to consult when faced with challenges.
2. Ownership: You take complete ownership and pride in your work. This means deeply understanding our existing and prospective merchants, as well as our product.
3. Communication: You're clear, thoughtful, and intentional in how you communicate with both merchants and teammates. You surface issues early, share relevant context, and keep things moving without needing constant follow-up.

We're async by default

If you've ever ended a day of back-to-back meetings wondering when you were supposed to get any actual work done, we get it. We've been there. We've built a culture that protects time, encourages focus, and trusts you to do great work without constant check-ins.

We meet once a week for 30 min on Mondays. The rest of the time, we default to async: clear Slack threads, thoughtful Looms, and shared docs.

Perks & compensation

• Competitive salary + annual pay increases.
• $1,000 annual workspace stipend for laptop, headphones, or that standing desk you've been eyeing.
• Flexible hours. Work when you're most productive. We just ask for ~4 hours of overlap with Eastern Time (9 am to 5 pm EST).
• Flexible vacation policy. Take the time you need, no arbitrary caps.

What to expect in our interview process

1. Application, portfolio & short demo video: Submit your application with your portfolio and a two-minute recorded screen-share. Both founders watch every submission, so take the chance to show how you think.
2. Conversation with the co-founders (30 min): Meet Lichen (CEO) and Basil (CTO). We'll talk about projects you've worked on, how you approach design and problem-solving, and what kind of work energizes you.
3. Paid take-home assignment: We'll send you a real-life scenario to work through and pay you $100 USD for your time.
4. Reference chats: We'll speak with two people you've worked with to understand your collaboration style and strengths.
5. Offer: If it's a match, we move quickly, answer any final questions, and welcome you to the team.