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Product Design Director

Akqa

London 8/11/2026 Full-time
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&lt;p&gt;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.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;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.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;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.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;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.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ROLE REQUIREMENTS&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Lead concept, design, and delivery of world-class digital products and connected experiences that define new standards for creativity and usability.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Partner with UX, Creative Technology, and AI Engineering teams to shape AI-native interfaces, generative UI systems, and adaptive design components.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Establish and evolve brand-led design systems that perform across screen, voice, gesture, and spatial interfaces.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Embed accessibility and inclusivity from first principles, ensuring WCAG compliance and usability for all audiences.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Drive experimentation across new modalities: voice and audio UX, wearable ecosystems, computer vision, and mixed reality.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Mentor, grow, and inspire a diverse team of product designers, cultivating craftsmanship, critical thinking, and innovation.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Collaborate closely with strategists and client partners to translate brand purpose into tangible, useful digital products.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Represent AKQA in new business opportunities, articulating the value of design in solving complex business and human challenges.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Contribute to AKQA’s global culture of learning, sharing insights on design ethics, AI co-creation, and emerging interaction paradigms.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;10+ years’ experience (as a guide, not a restriction) in product design or interaction design at leading studios or in-house teams.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Proven leadership in delivering large-scale, multi-platform digital products from concept to launch.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;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.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Strong understanding of human-centred design, accessibility, motion, and micro-interaction principles.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Familiarity with AI design tools, prototyping in Framer, Principle, ProtoPie, or After Effects, and collaboration with machine-learning or data-science teams.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Demonstrable success in uniting brand and product through interface design, e.g. motion language, sound design, or spatial storytelling.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Experience mentoring mid- and senior-level designers; a track record of growing creative excellence and cultural impact.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Comfortable presenting to senior clients and executives, and confident operating within fast-paced, high-stakes environments.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Systems thinker with a deep sensitivity to brand and narrative.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Calm, credible communicator who brings clarity and optimism to complex challenges.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Obsessed with emerging technologies and their human potential.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Advocate for inclusive design and accessible innovation.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Balances bold vision with precision in craft.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Explore our extensive range of benefits&amp;nbsp;&lt;a class=&quot;c-link c-link--focus-visible c-link--underline&quot; href=&quot;https://www.akqa.com/studios/london/benefits/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; data-stringify-link=&quot;https://www.akqa.com/studios/london/benefits/&quot; data-sk=&quot;tooltip_parent&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;here&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;content-conclusion&quot;&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 300;&quot;&gt;We believe great work happens when we&#39;re together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That&#39;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.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 300;&quot;&gt;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.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;hr&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 300;&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class=&quot;x_MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span data-olk-copy-source=&quot;MessageBody&quot;&gt;About WPP&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class=&quot;x_MsoNormal&quot;&gt;WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite&amp;nbsp;cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel&amp;nbsp;in a single company –&amp;nbsp;powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open,&amp;nbsp;to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://wpp.com/&quot; data-auth=&quot;NotApplicable&quot; data-linkindex=&quot;0&quot;&gt;WPP.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 300;&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;<p>Find <a href="https://www.arbeitnow.co.uk">Jobs in United Kingdom</a> on Arbeitnow</a>

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