As a Founding Designer, you'll lead the design process for AI and data experiences, crafting user interfaces, defining interaction patterns, and shaping the brand identity. Your role involves building design systems and initial frontend implementation using Next.js and Tailwind. You'll collaborate closely with the founding team to innovate and ensure an exceptional user experience.
This is an opportunity with a new AI-forward portfolio company of Menlo Ventures, currently in stealth.
About the company
We're on a mission to make data intelligent, beautiful, and accessible to everyone. Our founding team and design advisor—all ex-Apple—obsess about user experience and have built products that millions love. We're pre-seed funded with deep Silicon Valley roots, backed by tier-1 investors.
The opportunity
As our first designer, you’ll work closely with the founders and our design advisor to define how humans collaborate with AI. You’ll own the entire design process for our core AI + data experiences, craft our design language, shape our brand identity, and influence every user touchpoint—from product to marketing. We are also open to expanding this into a Design Engineer role if skillset and interests align.
What you’ll do
- Lead end-to-end product design, taking concepts from ideas to pixel-perfect interfaces
- Define human–AI interaction patterns to make data exploration feel natural and empowering
- Build scalable design systems that streamline workflows and maintain a high-quality user experience as we grow
- Shape our brand identity, ensuring a cohesive visual language across product UI, website, and marketing
- Initially own frontend implementation in Next.js and Tailwind, drafting our component system until we expand the engineering team
- *We're open to flexing this into a Founding Design Engineer for the right person.
What you bring
- 7+ years in design roles at design-centric companies, crafting exceptional products
- Experience designing 0->1, both in terms of product and design environment (pure startup vs. new work within existing company) strongly preferred
- Proficiency with modern design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma) and the flexibility to adapt to new tools as needed
- A strong grasp of interaction design, information architecture, and visual design principles, along with the ability to conduct user research and testing
- Enthusiasm for AI and data visualization, and a desire to push boundaries at the intersection of intelligent systems and visual storytelling
- Opinions about human–AI interaction, informed by experience and a desire to balance automation with human judgment
- A user-obsessed mindset, dedicated to delivering delight through every detail
- A proven ability to excel in fast-paced, evolving environments with a bias toward action and self direction
- Frontend development skills in Next.js and Tailwind CSS, with ability to build and ship production-quality code
Why join us
- Have a foundational impact, shaping our product DNA and innovating industry standards for how people should engage with data in the AI era
- Collaborate with a small, talented team backed by top-tier investors
- Enjoy a culture that values creativity, experimentation, and personal growth
Compensation and Benefits
- Base salary: $125K – $200K, depending on experience and equity preference
- Early-stage equity based on cash compensation
- Medical, Dental, Vision
If you’re ready to define a new category of data intelligence where AI and humans collaborate seamlessly—let’s talk.
Top Skills
Next.Js
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