Application Guide
How to Apply for Senior Product Designer
at Forerunner
🏢 About Forerunner
Forerunner is a mission-driven climate tech startup that empowers communities with actionable flood risk data, making climate adaptation accessible to all. Their focus on user-friendly design and real-world impact offers a unique opportunity to contribute to meaningful, urgent work.
About This Role
As a Senior Product Designer, you'll shape the design direction of tools that help municipalities plan for climate resilience. Your work will directly impact how communities understand and respond to flood risks, making complex data intuitive and actionable.
💡 A Day in the Life
Your day would start with checking Slack and Figma for feedback from engineers and product managers. You might spend the morning sketching solutions for a new flood map feature, then jump into user research interviews or a design review with stakeholders, collaborating remotely to iterate on designs.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Forerunner Is Looking For
- Experienced in designing complex data-heavy applications, ideally for climate, GIS, or civic tech.
- Proficient in system design, interaction modeling, and design systems, with a strong portfolio demonstrating user-centered solutions.
- Comfortable working remotely with autonomy and accountability, and skilled in clear, asynchronous communication.
- Passionate about climate change and social impact, with a desire to apply design to pressing environmental challenges.
📝 Tips for Applying to Forerunner
Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects involving data visualization, complex workflows, or B2B/SaaS products, explaining your design process and impact.
In your cover letter, explicitly connect your design philosophy to Forerunner's mission of empowering communities with climate data.
Showcase your ability to work independently and manage your time, as the role is remote and requires self-direction.
Mention any experience with GIS, mapping, or climate-related tools, even if it's a personal project or academic work.
Research Forerunner's product and recent news, and reference specific aspects in your application to show genuine interest.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your passion for climate adaptation and how your design skills can contribute to Forerunner's mission.", 'Specific examples of designing for complex data or technical domains, emphasizing user empathy and clarity.', "Your experience with design systems and how you've scaled design impact across a product or team.", 'Your ability to thrive in a remote, fast-paced startup environment, with examples of autonomy and collaboration.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Read Forerunner's website and any public case studies or blog posts about their product and impact.
- → Look into flood risk terminology and how municipalities use data to plan, to speak their language.
- → Check out their team on LinkedIn to understand the work culture and backgrounds.
- → Review their open-source projects or design-related content if available, to get a sense of their design culture.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting a generic portfolio that doesn't showcase relevant projects or design thinking.
- Ignoring the remote work aspect—emphasize your ability to work independently and communicate asynchronously.
- Focusing only on visual design without demonstrating strategic thinking and problem-solving for complex systems.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!