Senior Experience Designer - New Games Group

Zynga’s Casual Games Division is looking for a Senior Experience Designer to join our team! We’re crafting an exciting new project and are seeking a stellar Experience Designer to come build something amazing with us.

The Senior Experience Designer assists Project Leads in developing the XD vision of a product(s) and carrying out that vision. This role participates in the effort to create innovative and groundbreaking user-centered design solutions that promote ease of use, employ outstanding mobile game/interaction design, and optimize the user experience universally in response to user testing.

Participate in all phases of the design process including conceptual design/development, prototypes, user/task flows, art production and game integration.

Work closely with Project Stakeholders to establish and maintain the visual integrity, interaction methods, brand standards, and consistency for the game and collaborate with Experience Design Director, Art Director, Product Management, Game Design and Engineering for execution of design.

Job Responsibilities:

Design

• Collaborate with the product and design teams to conceptualize, define, and develop features that yield outstanding experiences for our players
• Synthesize the needs of players and all game departments to find solutions that work for all.
• Create user flows, interface wireframes, prototypes, and design documentation.
• Employ the classic design process of defining problems, researching, analyzing, designing, and validating results.

Art

• Create UI design/layouts
• Create high-fidelity mock-ups for pre-visualization during pre-production
• Create UI art and visual design for user interfaces
• Develop mood boards and help guide the visual design of features
• Collaborate with the art team to define and stick to a thematic art style
• Design (and create) functional animation for user interactions

Research & Testing

• Participate in the planning and moderating of user testing
• Conduct market competitor research and deconstructs
• Participate in researching consumer insight, developing personas, and analyzing data
• Conduct heuristic evaluations of internal & external products

Technical UI Development

• Prepare assets for implementation in the game engine
• Partner with technical artists and engineers to implement user interface game assets and prefabs in Unity

Leadership

• Actively participate in company-wide UI/UX community events, critiques, product reviews, and feature retrospectives
• Be the owner of UI/UX for game feature pods
• Mentor junior UI/UX staff

Applicant’s Proficiencies

General

• Ability to adapt and work in a fast-paced setting. Be able to rapidly develop new skills and behaviors in response to changing circumstances.
• Ability to prioritize tasks, work efficiency, handle time effectively, and complete your work with minimal oversight.
• Demonstrates proactive self-development and interest in leveling up personal, interpersonal, and craft skills
• Be organized and demonstrate good digital hygiene and adhere to established naming conventions and organizational standard methodologies.
• Find opportunities to mentor, share your knowledge, insight, and experiences with others.

Communications

• Able to present complex ideas to diverse audiences and articulate a convincing point of view
• Proficient written and verbal communication skills, including technical writing.
• Ability to co-work and communicate with multiple studio locations, teams, and partners
• Able to collaborate with proactive communication and a willingness to build consensus with potentially opposing perspectives.

UX Design

• Knowledgeable in fundamental UX Design Principles
• Well-practiced with the UX Design process: Defining usability challenges, researching the problem space, analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, crafting appropriate solutions, and validating ideas through testing.
• Some experience designing for games vs. task completion, specifically supporting fun and engagement
• Experience with assessing and addressing product usability and applying user psychology
• Very experienced with prototyping design software (Figma, Sketch, or similar tools) and the prototype development process

Interface Design

• A strong foundation in classic graphic design principles
• Skilled and experienced in user interface layout design, hierarchy, color theory, and information architecture

UI Art

• Demonstrated ability to adapt and adhere to an established visual style and build upon it
• Able to consistently produce high-quality visual assets for user interfaces
• Very proficient with standard creative software such as the Adobe Creative Suite
• Very proficient with UI layout & design tools (Figma, Sketch, or similar tools)
• Familiarity with collaborative virtual environments (Miro, FigJam)
• Competent at designing and authoring functional UI animation

Technical UI Development

• Experienced in traditional game development methods and processes
• Well-practiced and proficient with creating user interfaces in game engines (like Unity or Unreal)
• Skills with collaborating and partnering with technical team members such as Tech Art and Engineering
• Experienced in working with the limitations and standard methodologies of developing games for mobile devices

Experience Required

• A bachelor’s degree in HCI, Design, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, or equivalent education & work experience.
• Minimum 3+ years of experience in the game development industry specializing in UX

Software Expertise

• Figma, Sketch, Photoshop, or other UI design tools
• Unity Engine (UGUI, NGUI)

What we offer you:

• Competitive salary, bonus plan and ESPP (Employee Stock Purchase Plan)
• 401K Company Match Contribution (US)
• RRSP/DPSP company match contribution (Canada)
• Health coverage, dental, disability, critical illness, EAP, and life insurance (Canada)
• Medical, dental, vision, EAP, life insurance, and disability benefits (US)
• Virtual mental health and neurodiversity support programs
• Global Fitness reimbursement program
• Global Wellbeing Program
• Financial wellness program with unlimited access to certified financial planners
• Discretionary Time Off policy for many employees
• Family planning support program
• Generous paid parental, pregnancy-related disability, caregiver, and compassionate leaves
• Subsidized Back-up child care
• Zynga happy hours and frequent employee events
• Flexible working hours on many teams
• Culture of diversity and inclusion including employee resource groups
• Work with cool people and impact millions of daily player

We are an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to building a diverse and talented workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, colour, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, disability, or any other class or characteristic protected by applicable law. We welcome job-seekers, players, employees, and partners from all backgrounds to join us!

We will consider all qualified job-seekers with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with physical or mental disabilities in order to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at AccommodationRequest@zynga.com to request an accommodation associated with your application for an open position.