Product Design Director at AKQA

<p>At AKQA (part of WPP), we believe in the imaginative application of art and science to design a better future. Our Product Design Directors craft the interfaces, systems, and experiences that define how brands behave in the modern world, across mobile, spatial, voice, wearables, and AI-powered environments.<br><br>As a Product Design Director, you’ll lead the design of products and brand experiences for some of the world’s most influential organisations, from luxury ecosystems and cultural platforms to next-generation mobility and wellness systems. You’ll guide multi-disciplinary teams to create elegant, human-centred design solutions that are as intelligent as they are inspiring.<br><br>You’ll define design direction across a portfolio of complex, high-impact digital products, establishing benchmarks in accessibility, interaction, and multi-modal experience. You’ll champion the new frontier of brand user interfaces: adaptive design languages that translate brand identity into behaviour, sound, motion, and intelligence.<br><br>AKQA Product Design Directors operate at the intersection of brand, craft, and computation, working side-by-side with strategy, data, and engineering teams to shape products that learn, evolve, and earn love over time.<br><br>This is a leadership role within AKQA’s London studio, part of a globally connected studio network shaping the future of digital experiences for brands including Nike, Rolls-Royce, Samsung, Airbnb, and Google. You’ll be at the forefront of AI-powered product design, helping redefine how creativity, intelligence, and empathy coexist in every interaction.</p> <h3><strong>ROLE REQUIREMENTS</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Lead concept, design, and delivery of world-class digital products and connected experiences that define new standards for creativity and usability.</li> <li>Partner with UX, Creative Technology, and AI Engineering teams to shape AI-native interfaces, generative UI systems, and adaptive design components.</li> <li>Establish and evolve brand-led design systems that perform across screen, voice, gesture, and spatial interfaces.</li> <li>Embed accessibility and inclusivity from first principles, ensuring WCAG compliance and usability for all audiences.</li> <li>Drive experimentation across new modalities: voice and audio UX, wearable ecosystems, computer vision, and mixed reality.</li> <li>Mentor, grow, and inspire a diverse team of product designers, cultivating craftsmanship, critical thinking, and innovation.</li> <li>Collaborate closely with strategists and client partners to translate brand purpose into tangible, useful digital products.</li> <li>Represent AKQA in new business opportunities, articulating the value of design in solving complex business and human challenges.</li> <li>Contribute to AKQA’s global culture of learning, sharing insights on design ethics, AI co-creation, and emerging interaction paradigms.</li> </ul> <h3><strong>QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS</strong></h3> <ul> <li>10+ years’ experience (as a guide, not a restriction) in product design or interaction design at leading studios or in-house teams.</li> <li>Proven leadership in delivering large-scale, multi-platform digital products from concept to launch.</li> <li>Mastery of Figma and contemporary design-system workflows (tokens, auto-layout, component libraries), along with complementary tools such as code-based interaction design software and no-code web/app solutions.</li> <li>Strong understanding of human-centred design, accessibility, motion, and micro-interaction principles.</li> <li>Familiarity with AI design tools, prototyping in Framer, Principle, ProtoPie, or After Effects, and collaboration with machine-learning or data-science teams.</li> <li>Demonstrable success in uniting brand and product through interface design, e.g. motion language, sound design, or spatial storytelling.</li> <li>Experience mentoring mid- and senior-level designers; a track record of growing creative excellence and cultural impact.</li> <li>Comfortable presenting to senior clients and executives, and confident operating within fast-paced, high-stakes environments.</li> <li>Systems thinker with a deep sensitivity to brand and narrative.</li> <li>Calm, credible communicator who brings clarity and optimism to complex challenges.</li> <li>Obsessed with emerging technologies and their human potential.</li> <li>Advocate for inclusive design and accessible innovation.</li> <li>Balances bold vision with precision in craft.</li> </ul> <p>Please include your portfolio link and examples of your work in your application. We are not able to accept applications that do not include a link to your work.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Explore our extensive range of benefits&nbsp;<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible c-link--underline" href="https://www.akqa.com/studios/london/benefits/" target="_blank" data-stringify-link="https://www.akqa.com/studios/london/benefits/" data-sk="tooltip_parent"><strong>here</strong>.</a></p><div class="content-conclusion"><p><span style="font-weight: 300;">We believe great work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach including required in-office days. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 300;">AKQA is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.</span></p> <hr> <p><span style="font-weight: 300;"></span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><strong><span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">About WPP</span></strong></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal">WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite&nbsp;cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel&nbsp;in a single company –&nbsp;powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open,&nbsp;to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://wpp.com/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">WPP.com</a>.</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 300;"></span></p></div>