Founding Designer (UI/UX + Brand)
navi aiMillbrae (CA)
About the role
Founding Designer
Aviation is built on trust and trust is built on clarity, consistency, and design excellence. As Founding Designer, your mission is to define how Navi AI looks, feels, and communicates across the product, brand, and every public touchpoint. You’ll shape the first impression for flight schools, the Air Force, and investors alike, making sure our interface feels as professional as the pilots who rely on it. From dashboards to decks, your work will make Navi not just powerful, but believable.
Responsibilities:
Product Design (UI/UX): Create intuitive interfaces for instructors, students, and training centers. Design dashboards, flight debriefs, and analytics tools that are both functional and elegant.
User Testing & Iteration: Conduct lightweight usability testing with real pilots and instructors to refine workflows and improve clarity.
Brand Identity: Develop and own Navi’s visual language — logo, color system, typography, iconography, and overall aesthetic direction.
Website & Marketing: Design landing pages, digital campaigns, and marketing materials that reflect the sophistication of the brand.
Decks & Collateral: Elevate investor decks, Air Force briefings, and customer presentations with cohesive storytelling and visuals.
Creative Assets: Produce merch, trade show materials, and event visuals that extend Navi’s brand into the physical world.
Design Systems: Build scalable Figma libraries and design standards that keep product and marketing aligned.
About You3–6 years of experience in UI/UX and brand design, ideally in startups or SaaS environments.
Portfolio demonstrating range — product UI, brand identity, and visual storytelling.
Skilled in Figma, Adobe Suite, and modern web design tools (Framer, Webflow, etc.).Able to move fast and iterate without losing polish — a rare mix of creativity and precision.
Strong communicator who collaborates closely with engineers and founders.
Deep sense of aesthetic taste and design discipline; you obsess over details.
Bonus:
Interest in aviation, defense, or emerging tech. Why This Role Matters
In aviation, credibility is everything. A clunky UI or amateur design can kill trust instantly — no matter how good the tech is. As Founding Designer, you’ll give Navi the polish and clarity needed to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with giants like Garmin, Anduril, and Boeing. You’ll define the brand language that instructors, cadets, and commanders all recognize and trust — setting the tone for how AI belongs in the cockpit. What You’ll GetCompetitive salary and early-stage equity— shape the company and share in its success. Creative autonomy— full ownership over product and brand design decisions. Flight training stipend— experience the aviation world you’re designing for. Visibility and impact— work directly with the CEO and CTO on every major initiative. Portfolio legacy— your work will define the visual identity of a company transforming aviation. Seniority level
Mid‑Senior level Employment type
Full-time Job function
Design, Art/Creative, and Information Technology Industries
Software Development
Before you apply
Applying takes about a minute. These four things decide how fast it moves after that.
Your profile is current
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Two examples you can talk through
Not a portfolio — just two pieces of work where you can explain the decisions and what you'd change.
A number in mind
What you're on now and what would make you move. We negotiate better when we know both.
Your notice period
Employers plan around it, and it's the question that stalls offers most often.
Once you apply, someone reads it and calls you before anything reaches the employer — usually within two working days.
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