Product Designer

About Aphex

Aphex is an execution platform designed to support substantial construction projects by providing a connected system for teams to plan upcoming tasks, coordinate day-to-day activities, and log daily records from a synchronized live plan. The platform is utilized by leading contractors such as Acciona, CPB Contractors, John Holland, and McConnell Dowell for projects ranging from £50 million to multi-billion pounds, including infrastructure like roads, rail, tunnels, and hospitals serving millions.

Role Overview

As a Product Designer, your primary focus will be on designing "Diary," the production tracking and record capture tool primarily used on mobile devices — the main interface for on-site data capture. The current reality of construction documentation involves disorganized notes, photos, and inflexible forms seldom reviewed later. Diary innovates by integrating records directly with the live project plan for seamless capture, emphasizing low-friction input on site, augmented by AI to surface insights automatically.

The broader vision is for Diary to become the foundational capture layer for major projects globally, eventually evolving into an intelligence system that provides retrospective analysis and predictive insights for project teams. Achieving this depends on effective and practical data capture on site, presenting unique design challenges due to the mobile context.

Users operate in challenging environments—site managers in PPE, foremen sharing tablets, engineers navigating areas with intermittent connectivity and wearing gloves—requiring a specialized design approach distinct from desktop software. The quality and usability of Diary on mobile devices can significantly impact whether users maintain consistent usage under harsh conditions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end mobile feature design from initial briefing to deployed UI.
• Develop interaction patterns feasible in construction site conditions, accounting for factors like gloved users, outdoor visibility, shared devices, and unreliable signals.
• Collaborate closely with developers to ensure delivered products align with the design vision.
• Bridge the quality gap between the mobile and web experiences of Diary.
• Design the web aspects of Diary that involve reviewing, reporting, and interpreting data collected from sites, ensuring a coherent product experience across platforms.
• Contribute to expanding and refining Aphex’s design system as Diary evolves.
• Partner with the Head of UX to uphold design standards and quality benchmarks.
• Engage with product managers daily for scoping, combining user context with design insights.
• Be proactive in feasibility discussions with development teams before handover stages.
• Conduct reviews of builds to identify discrepancies before release.
• Visit construction sites to observe real-world usage of Diary and gather feedback.

Candidate Profile

• Possess at least 4 years of experience in product design with a portfolio demonstrating delivered products used regularly.
• Enjoy deep exploration of complex products, focusing on user flows, states, and edge cases, rather than superficial screen designs.
• Hold informed opinions on mobile design considerations such as touch interfaces, offline usage, and workflows on small screens.
• Demonstrate attention to nuanced details like visual transitions, empty states, and subtle timings that elevate user experience.
• Manage the full design process including exploration, detailed design, and quality assurance.
• Approach constraints and implementation challenges collaboratively, viewing them as conversation starters rather than endpoints.
• Communicate clearly in writing and exchange design feedback effectively in a primarily remote setting across UK and Australian time zones.
• Bonus: Experience designing for field workers, industrial applications, or construction technology sectors, or contributing to vertical SaaS and design systems.

Work Location and Setup

Candidates must be based in the UK or Europe. The role supports fully remote work or a hybrid option working from the London office, enabling collaboration across UK and Australian time zones with WeWork access.

Benefits

• Flexible work location: fully remote within UK/Europe or hybrid from London office.
• Annual all-expenses-paid international team retreat (past locations include Vietnam and Thailand).
• Allocated social budget for team bonding activities.
• £500 yearly allowance for professional development training and access to an Emerging Leaders program.
• Paid parental leave and MindFi Employee Assistance Program access.
• Employee referral bonuses.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Aphex is committed to diversity and inclusivity, not discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or other non-merit factors. The company encourages applicants from underrepresented groups, even if not meeting every qualification. Accommodations for interviews are available upon request.