Freelance UI Designer

At AKQA, we believe in the imaginative application of art and science to create beautiful ideas, products, and services. With an entrepreneurial and collaborative approach, we design adaptive digital services and applications that capture the imagination, delivering impressive returns for our clients.

We are seeking a highly skilled and detail-obsessed Freelance UI Designer to join our team for a major engagement with a globally recognized brand. This is an opportunity to contribute to a flagship digital product that will shape the experience of millions of people worldwide. You’ll work within an existing design system—creating and iterating components, and ensuring visual and interaction excellence across the product.

This role will work collaboratively alongside a highly collaborative product team, starting February 2 through February 27. While remote work is fully supported, the ability to collaborate effectively within Pacific Time (PT) hours is essential. Occasional travel—approximately once a month—for key workshops or working sessions is likely.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

• Strong UI design experience for digital products (web and/or native apps), with 3–5+ years of relevant professional experience
• Proven ability to work within and extend established design systems, including creating and updating components, variants, and patterns
• Advanced Figma expertise:
  • Deep understanding of components, variants, auto layout, libraries, and interactive prototyping
  • Hands-on experience creating and managing design tokens in Figma (color, type, spacing, radius, etc.)
  • Comfort using the latest Figma features and workflows to drive efficiency and consistency
• Meticulous attention to detail in layout, spacing, typography, hierarchy, and interaction states
• Ability to translate requirements and wireframes into high-fidelity UI designs that are both on-brand and highly usable
• Experience iterating quickly—exploring options, refining details, and aligning designs to an existing system while pushing it forward where appropriate
• Capability to prepare developer-ready files and documentation that clearly express component behavior, states, and usage
• Comfort collaborating with product designers, UX designers, product managers, and engineers in an agile/iterative environment
• Understanding of accessibility considerations and how they apply to interface design
• Ability to work effectively within Pacific Time (PT) hours; West Coast–based candidates preferred
• Willingness and ability to travel up to once per month for key onsite sessions, as needed

QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS

• Pixel-precise craft: You notice the details others miss—alignment, spacing, states, motion, and how components behave in real use
• Systems thinker: You naturally think in patterns, tokens, and components, and understand how small decisions scale across a large product
• Figma “power user”: Comfortable pushing Figma to its limits, leveraging its newest features, and maintaining clean, organized files and libraries
• Not “just production”: While you can execute production-level detail, you also bring thoughtful UI decision-making 
• Structured and organized: You keep files, components, and documentation tidy and consistent, making it easy for others to work with your output
• Collaborative communicator: Able to clearly articulate design rationale, respond to feedback constructively, and partner closely with cross-functional teammates
• Adaptable and fast-moving: Comfortable working in a high-velocity environment, handling iteration and change while maintaining a high quality bar
• Ownership mindset: Proactive about spotting inconsistencies, closing gaps in the system, and raising opportunities to improve the experience

CONTRACT DETAILS

• Title: Freelance UI Designer
• Timeframe: February 2026, with possibility of extension
• Location: Remote (West Coast working hours)
• Travel: Likely up to once per month - covered by AKQA - for onsite sessions (to client's Headquarters), as needed
• Weekly Rate: $2,000 – $2,800, depending on experience