Front End UI/UX Designer SUPERSTAR

THE NO-NONSENSE SUMMARY: 

This position is intended for serious, hard-working professionals looking to be part of a multinational growth organization.  Our product and service model has proven successful in Europe and we’re expanding our business across the globe, having recently opened offices in the USA, Canada, and the Philippines. Ideally, you will be working out of our Philippines office, but “remote work” or working from another of our global offices can be considered for the position if we find a candidate that has the skills and mindset we’re looking for.  You will be part of our development team making pages with design components for our customers as well as for your colleagues to improve their online experience with CAPLINQ.  Be sure to read to the end of the description to be sure you don’t miss an important detail.

THE ROLE’S MISSION
Yes, you read that right – we’re looking for a SUPERSTAR. If the title sounds unconventional, it’s because CAPLINQ is too.  We’re looking for that special someone who has not one, but two complementary skills – the amazing ability to explore and imagine better user experiences as well as being able to create the design that best expresses this experience.

CAPLINQ is a small, fast-growing company and we’re looking for talented, team-playing individuals to join our team.  We’re a different kind of company looking to find special people, so we also write our job vacancies in a way to attract similar like-minded people.  We’ve been successful in Europe for 15 years, the USA for 2 years and have only recently expanded our operations to the Philippines and Malaysia.

In the description below, we try to give you an idea of exactly the kind of people we are looking for by listing the desired outcomes of the position and the desired competencies of the ideal candidate.  If you find yourself nodding along with this description and see yourself as a perfect fit for this position, then I encourage you to read on. If on the other hand, you’re already exhausted reading this, I recommend you take a nap and check out another job post.

DESIRED OUTCOMES

• Develop interfaces and user experiences to increase productivity and reduce manual work
• Be self-sufficient, able to ultimately imagine the designs and then work with the team to implement them
• Be able to quickly and effectively translate user stories to amazing user experience

CANDIDATE COMPETENCIES | Candidate is able to:

• Research and understand best practices in the field of user interface and experience (UI/UX)
• Adapt other companies’ amazing design solutions to CAPLINQ specific requirements
• Work effectively with team members to understand & implement changes with attention to detail
• Use creative tools (Adobe, Wireframe, etc) to create amazing user experiences
• Proficient in modern HTML, CSS, and any JavaScript framework (we currently use Aurelia)

So, what will you be doing?
You will be working with the development team to create new or extend existing functionalities. Part of our applications still exist out of old PHP code which your colleagues will completely rebuild using the designs and user experience that you provide to the team. 

• Thinking about design and the user experience (30% of your time)

We have talented developers that can implement your designs, but we don’t want to waste their time thinking about the designs themselves – this is your most important task.  Before you present ideas and designs to us, you need to have thought about “what is it that we’re trying to achieve?” and “what design can provide the best way to get it done?”.

Examples of activities:

• Learn how Caplinq currently does it now and what is missing to help the user
• Research what other companies do and why they have done it
• Research and understand best practices for today and the next 3 years
• Implement the user research methodology to testify design 

• Create the visual design that best accomplishes the best user experience (50% of your time)

Love Illustrator? Great. Prefer Figma? Cool.  Are you into wireframes or web-based interfaces? Awesome.  Long story short, we don’t care what you use as long as what you DO use best demonstrates what you have in mind, how it’s going to work, and perfectly describes the user experience.

Examples of activities:

• Select colors, designs, images, and all the visual elements you want to use
• Make (multiple) mockups of the designs and alternatives
• Make screenshots for desktop, tablet, and mobile devices
• Make a walkthrough of what happens when the user clicks & selects and what they will see next
• Design, redesign and redesign one more time to make sure what you will show is your best example

• HTML, CSS and Javascript (bonus points for JS) (20% of your time)

The most important part of the development is HTML and CSS.  If design and UX is your bread then HTML and CSS should be your butter.  You should be able to translate your designs into clean HTML pages and structured and maintainable CSS.  Our team CAN support you on Javascript if you are not able to do it completely independently, but if it is not your strong suit, you will be expected to learn it on the job.

Examples of activities:

• Create modern HTML pages from scratch
• “Out of the box” design using grids and flex design
• Create CSS from scratch (we use SASS but do not use Bootstrap)
• Create and maintain reusable web component for designs systems
• Use Aurelia framework to implement Javascript functionalities

DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE 

What mindset do you require?
Skills can be learned. Mindsets, though they can be learned too, are more often a part of who you are.  We value the mindset at least if not more than either experience or hard skills.

1. Curiosity – We want a person who is curious, and rarely satisfied with the first answer.  If you find something that doesn’t agree with what you already think, then we want someone who wants to know why. 
2. Attention to Detail – We want a person who is organized, manages their time well and has good observation skills. Hint! Don’t forget to read the last paragraph 😉
3. Continuous Improvement – People and processes can always get better.  We’re looking for someone who questions every process to see if there’s no room for improvement.
4. Courage – Bosses make mistakes and colleagues aren’t always fair.  That’s life.  We’re looking for someone who may be afraid to confront these issues, but does it anyway.

What skills do you NOT need?
Before we list the skills you do need, it is important that you know what skills or experience we do NOT require:

• Product knowledge: You do not need to know anything about any of the products CAPLINQ sells, nor any of the services we provide.  All will be taught on the job.

• Javascript: Though Javascript is critical to the outcome, it doesn’t ever need to be your job.  If you are an amazing designer but have no interest in ever being a JS developer, we can live with it.  If you are also skilled, great.  If you are not, but want to learn, also great.

• Lots of work experience: We are open to accepting entry-level candidates with the right mindset and can learn on the job.  On the other hand, if you have a lot of experience, you are also encouraged to apply.  Salary will be commensurate with skills and experience.

JOB REQUIREMENTS | What skills do you require?

Very few hard skills are required.  Candidates will be required to:

• Pragmatic, analytical, results-focused.  This is the basic requirement for the position.
• Be a positive team player.  A positive attitude and energy feed the team and we can always use more.
• Pay attention to detail.  The very last paragraph of this job vacancy has very important information.  Be sure you read it twice before applying.

Skills not required, but that get bonus points (any of them count):

The job does not require these skills, but they are welcomed extras, be sure to mention them.

1. Javascript: As mentioned several times already, JS is important to the creation of the design, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be your strong suit.

There is no need to send your CV unless it looks awesome and you want to impress us with how it looks. Otherwise, we will use your LinkedIn profile (better make sure it is complete!).  

Instead, candidates wishing to apply are requested to send an email to hr@caplinq.com that includes:

• A link to your LinkedIn profile (Ok, if you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, you can send your CV)

• A one-page, personal cover letter

Let me repeat that last part in a different way… We are looking for people who stand out from the crowd with a well-written, enthusiastic one-page letter telling us why this position speaks to you and what you could bring to the team. 

If all you do is send a CV (we told you not to), and no cover letter your application will be discarded without even being read.