Designer (Updated)

Organizational Overview

The Scratch Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, supports the design, development, and management of Scratch, the world’s largest and most diverse free coding community for kids. With Scratch, millions of young people around the world can create their own interactive games, stories, and animations – and share their creations with one another in an active online community. In the process, they learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively, essential skills for everyone in today’s society.

The Scratch Foundation develops both the Scratch programming environment and online community (for ages 8 and up) and the ScratchJr programming environment (for ages 5-7). We also develop a wide range of resources, activities, and initiatives to support creative learning with Scratch. We are guided by the Four P’s of Creative Learning -- providing opportunities for young people to work on projects, based on their passions, in collaboration with peers, in a playful spirit. We are committed to equity in all aspects of our work, focusing especially on youth and educators in communities facing systemic inequities and injustices.

Last year, more than 20 million young people around the world created projects with Scratch, and activity in the Scratch online community more than doubled. As Scratch continues to grow and evolve, we are seeking curious and motivated people to join our team of almost 50 people including, educators, designers, and engineers, who work together in an inclusive, collaborative, creative work environment.

Position Description

As a Designer, you will contribute to the design and deployment of new features and work closely with other designers, engineers, and learning-resource developers on the team to further develop your skills. Our generalist designers collaborate on designing and maintaining a holistic user experience and brand that empowers creativity and expression, especially for children from underserved and marginalized communities around the world. We believe that amazing people often come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. While you should have some experience designing user interfaces and interactions, we also support candidates who have come to design through non-traditional paths and are eager to learn new design skills to support our work at Scratch.

Design Generalist

Execute design process at every stage to deliver experiences within the Scratch brand and product
Maintain and develop consistency in brand and user experience design across Scratch products and platforms
Proactively seek and incorporate feedback on design direction and execution
Help shape Design Team processes to improve internal workflow and normalize team-wide design process and culture

Brand and User Experience Advocate

Advocate for user and brand experiences which are inclusive, accessible, and welcoming for users who are traditionally excluded from creative computing experiences
Gather user research to inform design decisions and iterate on user research practices and are inclusive of users from diverse global communities, including non-English speaking audiences
Contribute strategic advice to the organization on inclusive design standards, guidelines, and future thinking.
Participate in workshops to share design prototypes for feedback
Keep up-to-date with the Scratch online community and broader ecosystem to advocate for user needs and identify opportunities for inclusivity

Collaborator

Collaborate across teams and disciplines to refine current experiences, as well as to explore new experiences
Collaborate on developing Scratch brand guidelines and ensure brand consistency across platforms and mediums
Support design and production of learning resources, outreach collateral, and event/promotional materials
Provide design support, feedback, and consulting across the broader team

Requirements:

Degree in visual design or four years’ experience working in visual design, or a design-related field. Experience using and/or knowledge of equity-centered design practices to promote inclusivity and diversity in visual design. Experience working with design software including Sketch, InVision, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop. Experience designing interfaces for the web, responsive environments, and across platforms. Experience designing for print and managing production. Experience wireframing and prototyping user experiences. U.S work authorization required.

Preferred Skills:

Passionate commitment to Scratch’s educational mission and vision.
Passion for designing creative/expressive experiences and solving unique problems
Strong interest in using inclusive research processes to inform design decisions and increase access for marginalized children and communities
Taking an iterative approach to design and development, incorporating feedback from teammates, from user feedback, and from online data.
Familiarity with current and emerging creative learning and education trends and their implications, or experience working in a research environment.
Understanding of, and/or experience with process-based methods such as accessibility design and inclusive design.
Experience creating iconographic systems, illustrations, and/or motion graphics
Experience prototyping with HTML, CSS, and/or Javascript
Strong sense of systems-oriented design
Experience working with a project/product manager
Ability to collaborate with teammates and proactively solicit feedback
Passion for learning new skills and ability to respond well to constructive feedback
Strong oral and written communication skills

How to Apply

Join the Scratch Team! We’re seeking curious and motivated people to join our growing team of educators, designers, and engineers who work together in a playful, creative environment. We strongly value diversity, collaboration, and respect in the workplace.

To apply, please email your portfolio of design work, cover letter, and resume to: jobs@scratchfoundation.org (include “Designer” in the subject line).

The Scratch Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. Scratch welcomes people of all ages, races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender entities. We especially encourage historically marginalized identities to apply.