Junior UX/UI designer
Meetup · Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- On site
- Full-time
- €66,065 / year
- Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Job highlights
- Design intuitive and delightful UI/UX for a community platform.
- Utilize AI tools for design ideation and prototyping.
- Collaborate closely with PMs and engineers on product development.
- Conduct user research and data analysis for product improvement.
- Join a high-growth company with significant career advancement.
About the role
About Meetup and Bending Spoons
Meetup is a community-building platform used by millions to discover events and connect with others. Now part of Bending Spoons, it's a key product within a portfolio of innovative digital businesses. Joining Meetup means becoming part of the wider Bending Spoons team, contributing to either Meetup or other leading products in a collaborative, high-performing environment where you can make a real impact.
Our Mission and Culture
Bending Spoons aims to be one of the all-time great companies, serving a huge customer base, fostering employee growth, operating with high effectiveness and efficiency, and creating extraordinary value for shareowners ethically. We acquire and operate digital businesses for the long term, implementing deep transformations to drive innovation and performance. Our structure is lean with small, talent-dense teams, operating with startup agility. We integrate AI to enhance human judgment and machine intelligence.
For driven individuals, Bending Spoons offers unparalleled opportunities for learning, impact, and career progression. We promise exceptional growth to talented, ambitious, and collaborative individuals.
Key Responsibilities
- Shape High-Leverage Product Experiences: Design exceptional UI and UX, from concept to delivery, using cutting-edge tools to explore more directions, increase speed, and enhance quality. Ensure all experiences are intuitive, effective, and delightful.
- Leverage AI in Design: Utilize AI tools (like LLMs, Cursor, Claude Code) to clarify intent, draft specifications, identify risks, and generate initial approaches before design work begins. Use AI to turn concepts into interactive prototypes and generate production-ready frontend code, fluidly moving between code and Figma.
- Collaborate with PMs and Engineers: Partner closely with product managers and engineers from the outset, defining UX requirements early, staying involved through QA and release, and making engineering-conscious design decisions.
- Validate and Measure Impact: Engage directly with customers, conduct quick tests, and use feedback to adjust direction. Monitor funnels, retention, and adoption metrics to evaluate design effectiveness and inform future improvements.
- Identify High-Leverage Bets: Find opportunities within the product backlog where improvements can unlock significant business value, align stakeholders, and deliver results rapidly.
What We Look For
- Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve complex problems with first-principles thinking, structured ideas, and resistance to bias. Attention to detail is crucial.
- Drive: Extreme ambition, initiative, effort, and tenacity, coupled with a deep sense of responsibility and a commitment to a high, rising standard.
- Team Spirit: Generosity, support for the best ideas (not personal ones), willingness to help, reliability, honesty, and transparency.
- English Proficiency: Proficient reading, writing, and speaking skills.
What We Offer
- Talented Teams: Work in small, autonomous, result-oriented teams with bright minds in your field.
- Exceptional Growth Opportunities: We hire high-potential individuals and place them in ideal growth positions. Spooners in their 20s lead multi-million dollar products, offering rapid career advancement.
- Competitive Compensation: Competitive pay, with the potential for equity in the company. Typical starting salaries range from £85,797 in London or €66,065 elsewhere in Europe. Experienced candidates can expect £112,189-£250,512 in London or €107,837-€188,848 elsewhere. Compensation is location-dependent and grows with experience and impact. Exceptional candidates may receive compensation beyond usual ranges. Equity participation is offered with permanent contracts at a discount. Italian employees may benefit from a 50% tax cut.
- Comprehensive Benefits: Flexible hours, remote work options, unlimited learning and training support, top-tier health insurance, relocation assistance, generous parental leave, and annual retreats. We support conditions for optimal work.
Commitment & Contract
Permanent or fixed-term. Full-time.
Location
Milan (Italy), London (UK), Madrid (Spain), Warsaw (Poland), or remote in selected countries.
Selection Process
We prioritize verifiable signals of excellence. Do not self-reject if you feel you lack experience; if you believe you can excel, we encourage you to apply. Passing the initial screening involves challenging, multi-hour tests that may cover unfamiliar problems. We maintain high standards and only extend offers when confident in the candidate. This can lead to roles remaining open or being reposted.
We provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Please use the provided form to notify us.
Before You Apply
If you've applied previously without an offer, consider waiting at least a year before reapplying. Bending Spoons is a demanding, high-standard environment requiring significant commitment, offering extraordinary learning and growth in return.
Onboarding Recommendation: To accelerate ramp-up and ensure success, we recommend starting your first few months in our Milan office, regardless of your long-term location preference. This facilitates rapid cultural immersion and team trust-building. Relocation support is provided. Post-onboarding, you can choose to work from Milan, London, or remotely from approved countries.
If this role resonates with you and you're eager to give your best, we encourage you to apply.
Key skills/competency
- UX/UI Design
- Product Design
- Prototyping
- Figma
- User Research
- AI Tools in Design
- Frontend Development (Basic)
- Cross-functional Collaboration
- Problem-Solving
- User-Centered Design
Skills & topics
- UX Designer
- UI Designer
- Product Designer
- Junior Designer
- Figma
- Prototyping
- User Research
- AI in Design
- Frontend
- Bending Spoons
- Meetup
How to get hired
- Tailor Your Resume: Highlight UX/UI design skills, AI tool proficiency, and collaboration experience. Use keywords from the job description to match your qualifications.
- Showcase Your Portfolio: Present a strong portfolio demonstrating your design process, problem-solving skills, and successful UI/UX projects, especially those involving AI or rapid prototyping.
- Prepare for Tests: Expect challenging design tests that assess your problem-solving abilities and technical skills. Practice complex design scenarios and be ready to explain your thought process.
- Demonstrate Drive and Team Spirit: Emphasize your ambition, initiative, and collaborative nature in your application and interviews. Show how you can contribute to a high-performing team.
- Research Bending Spoons Culture: Understand their mission, values, and emphasis on AI and operational excellence. Align your responses to reflect these aspects.
Technical preparation
Behavioral questions
Frequently asked questions
- What is the typical career progression for a Junior UX/UI Designer at Bending Spoons?
- Bending Spoons offers exceptional opportunities for growth. Individuals with potential can quickly advance, with some Spooners in their 20s leading significant products. Your career progression will be tied to your demonstrated capability, impact, and contributions to major projects, fostering rapid advancement.
- How does Bending Spoons integrate AI into the UX/UI design process?
- AI is deeply integrated at Bending Spoons. For this Junior UX/UI Designer role, you'll use AI tools for tasks like clarifying intent, drafting specs, identifying risks, and even turning rough concepts into interactive prototypes and production-ready frontend code with tools like Cursor and Claude Code.
- What kind of challenging tests can I expect during the Bending Spoons selection process?
- The selection process includes challenging tests that may involve unfamiliar problems and can take several hours. These tests are designed to assess your problem-solving abilities, technical skills, and how you handle complex design scenarios under pressure. Prepare to demonstrate your capabilities thoroughly.
- Is it possible to work remotely as a Junior UX/UI Designer at Meetup/Bending Spoons?
- Yes, remote work is an option for this role in selected countries. However, Bending Spoons recommends starting your first few months in the Milan office for intensive onboarding and cultural immersion, regardless of your long-term work location preference.
- What is the compensation structure for a Junior UX/UI Designer at Bending Spoons, and does it include equity?
- Bending Spoons offers competitive pay with potential access to company equity at a discounted price for permanent contract holders. Starting annual salaries are typically around £85,797 in London or €66,065 elsewhere in Europe, with potential for significant growth based on experience and impact.
- How important is prior experience for a Junior UX/UI Designer applying to Bending Spoons?
- Bending Spoons prioritizes verifiable signals of excellence over traditional seniority. While experience is valued, they encourage candidates who feel they can excel to apply, even if they perceive their CV as imperfect. Focus on demonstrating your potential and drive.
- What kind of collaboration can a Junior UX/UI Designer expect with Product Managers and Engineers?
- Collaboration is core to the process. You'll co-create with PMs and engineers from day one, defining UX requirements early, staying involved through QA and release, and making engineering-aware design decisions to ensure a smooth and effective product development cycle.