Our designers craft experiences that delve into the minds and hearts of users, understanding their desires, needs, and pain points. Empathy becomes our guiding light, illuminating the path to design solutions that cater to the very essence of human behavior.
The work we do isn’t about pretty interfaces; it’s about transforming businesses and driving financial success. Our team of designers enable growth for our clients, elevating products from good to exceptional. We embrace the responsibility and the privilege to shape digital experiences that impact lives and change the course of businesses.
Our synergy between design and development allows for a seamless flow of creativity and technical expertise to elevate the product development process. Allowing our teams to embrace iterative feedback loops with ease. As designers and developers work together iteratively, they can rapidly refine and test their ideas, incorporating user feedback and making necessary adjustments early on.
Together, our designers and developers have the power to shape extraordinary products that leave a lasting impact on users and elevate our clients to new heights.
Learn more about software design, development, data and DevOps solutions at 8th Light.
What to Expect from Our Designer Interview Process
- Video Screening with the Talent Acquisition Team (30 minutes)
- Skills Assessment: Portfolio or Case Study Submission (60 minute limit)
- Face to Face Interviews:
- Portfolio or Case Study Walkthrough (90 minutes)
- Design Team Panel Interview (90 minutes)
- Consulting & Culture Interview (60 minutes)
Video Screening
Our Talent Acquisition team will be eager to learn more about your experience, perspectives, and ambitions in software development and consulting. We’ll want to understand how you approach testing, system design, and other aspects of client delivery. We are even more excited to answer your questions, so feel free to ask away.
Skills Assessment: Portfolio or Case Study Submission
Depending on the role applied for, you’ll be asked to submit either a general portfolio or case studies with particular requirements according to your design discipline. In this body of work, we’d like to understand how you’ve leveraged your design craft to elevate a client organization or product.
Portfolio or Case Study Presentation & Interview
In this stage, you’ll begin with presenting the body of work you’ve submitted in the previous stage. This is an opportunity to demonstrate how you approach project work, tools leveraged, and the impact of your designs to both end-users and business’. You’ll present your work and learnings to a senior leader of our product design team. Following your presentation, you’ll answer questions on your design process and team/client dynamics.
Consulting & Culture Interview
During the final 60-minute consulting interview, you’ll showcase how you approach managing clients and team dynamics. A team of two senior leaders from 8th Light will focus on your project management ability and interpersonal skills to observe how you manage working with clients and teammates. We will be specifically interested in how you collaborate, include, mentor, and extend empathy to the people with whom you work.
Resources to Perfect the Craft of Technical Interviewing
How Principal Designer Kevin Zolkiewicz Blends His Passions Into a Career
Finding Creative Solutions With Design Thinking by 8th Light’s: Jon Wettersten, Hugh Sato, and Agustin Sanchez
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Podcast: Centering Outcomes Over Outputs With Project Director Mike Danaher and Designer Hani Kruger
Questions? Require an Accommodation?
Reach out directly to our recruiting team with questions or accommodations with your application by emailing recruiting@8thlight.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are your core values as an organization?
Education. Humanity. Ownership. Our values are the compass that inspires the work that we do. Empowering growth, fostering compassion, and embracing accountability.
I work outside of the United States, should I still apply?
Our global software team currently works across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, we are unable to consider candidates residing outside of these regions at this current time.
8th Light is remote-first now, will that change in the future?
Although we don’t know what the future holds, we do know that remote work is the best way to support our people and their needs. We have no plans to require any employee to report to an office. We will continue listening to the feedback of our people to determine the best way for us to work together.
If I want to work from an office from time to time, is that possible?
Yes! 8th Light’s Global HQ in Chicago is available for all employees. For employees outside of Chicago, 8th Light has partnered with Desana to provide our team with access to thousands of modern, luxurious coworking spaces worldwide.
Can you sponsor my visa?
Unfortunately, we do not sponsor visas for prospective candidates. We ask that candidates have legal eligibility to work in the United States of America or the United Kingdom.
If I have applied previously, can I reapply?
Yes! Take some time, perfect your skills, then reach back out. We ask that candidates wait at least six months before reapplying.
What is the salary range for this position?
Salary details by market are included in most job postings. We also encourage you to request the salary expectations in the first interview and phone call with the Talent Acquisition team.
What is the salary range for this position?
Salary details by market are included in most job postings. We also encourage you to request the salary expectations in the first interview and phone call with the Talent Acquisition team.
How long does this interview process typically take?
For roles we are actively hiring, we are able to fully evaluate a candidate to make a decision within 1-2 weeks. We are often flexible in timing, so please feel free to communicate your preferences to your recruiter.
What perks and benefits do you offer?
We take pride in offering competitive perks and benefits that empower our team to do their best work while finding a comfortable and sustainable work-life balance. Learn more about our benefits including remote work policy, our annual development budget, annual leave/PTO policy, home office stipend, and more.
Do I need any special degrees or certifications to be considered for this position?
No. At 8th Light, we do not correlate credentials with a person’s likelihood for success in the role. We are more interested in the passion, perspective, and expertise that you bring to the role — whether it was learned in the classroom or you are self-taught.
How does project assignment work?
We have a staffing specialist who works to match skills and client needs. Prior to your start with the team, our staffing specialist will meet with you to learn more about your interests and goals to align them with the best opportunities in our roster.
Will I ever work on more than one project during a single period?
It is not common for our developers to work on more than one project at any given time.
How does the company foster connection and collaboration between design and development teams?
Our integrated product approach brings designers and developers together from project inception. Regular cross-functional meetings and feedback sessions encourage open communication and idea sharing. This connection is critical for ensuring design decisions are informed by technical feasibility and that developers understand the design vision.
What design tools and software does the company use?
We embrace a diverse range of industry-standard design tools to empower our designers to work efficiently and creatively. Our toolkit includes popular software such as Figma/FigJam, Miro, and Dovetail. We understand that everyone has tool preferences, and we encourage flexibility in using the tools that best suit individual workflows and ultimately project needs.
How is the design team organized in the company?
Our designers have expertise across various disciplines. Their talents include specializations in user experience (UX), user experience research, user interface (UI), and visual design. Despite the various specializations of our team, all of our designers are skilled in various aspects of human centered design — maximizing impact and opportunity for our client partners. Our designers work closely in integrated product teams, alongside developers and product managers.
What kind of development opportunities are available for designers?
We have internal small working groups or Guilds, to encourage knowledge sharing on topics ranging from front end, to web3, and infrastructure/architecture. We also provide our team with an annual learning & development budget and time allotment of 100+ hours to encourage designers to attend industry conferences and events. For more information on our team offerings, visit our benefits page.
