How to apply for Staff Product Designer

About Gray Swan

Gray Swan is an AI security company that builds tools to automatically assess the risks of AI models. They evaluate AI models for leading frontier labs and build real-time threat detection and adaptive adversarial red teaming agents. The company is about 50 people, well-funded, and growing quickly.

About the role

This is a Staff Product Designer role focused on the Gray Swan AI Arena. You will work closely with the Arena Product team to design and improve the Arena UI across web and mobile. The role requires high ownership, from early concept sketches to production-ready specs, translating complex technical workflows into clear and intuitive experiences.

A typical day

A typical day might involve collaborating with the Arena Product team on design concepts, creating wireframes or prototypes, and refining specs for development. You would also work with developers and marketing to ensure designs are implemented correctly and align with user needs. Since the role is remote, you would likely communicate via video calls and messaging tools.

Who Gray Swan is looking for

• Has experience designing complex technical or security-related products, ideally for developer or AI tools.
• Can own design work end-to-end, from concept to production specs, without waiting for direction.
• Is skilled at translating technical workflows into clear, intuitive user experiences.
• Applies visual design and persuasive design principles to create joyful and engaging interfaces.

Tips for this application

• Showcase a portfolio that includes complex technical workflows, especially in AI, security, or developer tools.
• Demonstrate high ownership by describing projects where you drove the design from concept to production.
• Highlight experience with both web and mobile design, as the role covers both platforms.
• Mention any work on persuasive design or creating joyful user experiences in technical contexts.
• Research Gray Swan's AI Arena and understand how it fits into their mission of AI security.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your experience designing for complex technical domains, such as AI or security.', 'A specific example of owning a design project end-to-end and the impact it had.', 'How you translate technical workflows into intuitive designs.', 'Your approach to persuasive design and creating joyful experiences in technical products.']

Research before applying

• Explore Gray Swan's AI Arena product and understand its features and target users.
• Read about Gray Swan's mission and how they evaluate AI models for frontier labs.
• Look into the backgrounds of the Arena Product team and design team if available.
• Understand the AI security landscape and common challenges in red teaming and threat detection.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would approach designing the Gray Swan AI Arena UI for both web and mobile.
• Your process for translating complex technical workflows into clear user experiences.
• A project where you took high ownership and drove design from concept to production.
• How you incorporate visual and persuasive design principles into technical products.
• Your experience collaborating with developers and marketing teams in a small design team.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Submitting a generic portfolio that doesn't show complex technical workflows.
• Failing to demonstrate end-to-end ownership in past projects.
• Not researching Gray Swan's products or mission before applying.