Senior Design Researcher

A rare chance to uncover human insights that spark entirely new products and shape the future of everyday life.

RUN Studios, and its client partner, a large online retailer headquartered in Seattle, are seeking a Senior Design Researcher to join for an approximate 12-month project

You must be based in San Franscisco, CA, or Seattle, WA, and able to work onsite 5 days a week.

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Design Researcher to lead ethnographic research, concept development, and user-centered design initiatives for early-stage and emerging products. This role blends deep qualitative research with strategic design thinking to shape intuitive, innovative digital and physical experiences. The ideal candidate is passionate about understanding human behavior, uncovering insights from in-home research, and translating those findings into impactful product experiences. You will collaborate closely with designers, product managers, and cross-functional partners to influence product direction, prototype new concepts, and refine user experiences across complex systems.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives in ambiguity, enjoys inventing what does not yet exist, and wants to work on next-generation technologies.

 

As a Senior Design Researcher, You Will

• Lead ethnographic and in-context research, including in-home studies, focus groups, exploratory interviews, and concept validation.
• Plan, execute, and synthesize qualitative and quantitative research to uncover user needs, motivations, behaviors, and pain points.
• Translate research insights into recommendations, concepts, storylines, and early prototypes that shape product direction.
• Create process flows, wireframes, journey maps, and visual concepts to communicate interaction behaviors and design opportunities.
• Facilitate concept development workshops and cross-functional working sessions to drive alignment and innovation.
• Partner closely with design, product, and engineering teams to define experience requirements and validate solutions.
• Participate in usability testing and interpret analytics to optimize existing features and inform new solutions.
• Present research findings, design rationale, and conceptual frameworks to stakeholders and senior leadership.
• Contribute to best practices in design research, storytelling, and human-centered design methodologies.
• Stay current on emerging trends in design, ethnography, and consumer behavior.

As an Applicant, You Bring

• 7+ years of experience in design research, UX research, design strategy, or a related discipline.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, HCI, Anthropology, Psychology, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Deep expertise in ethnographic and in-home research methods and synthesizing complex user insights.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating user-centered research, concept development, and impactful storytelling.
• Proficiency in design and prototyping tools such as Figma, Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), Keynote, and PowerPoint.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present insights and design rationale clearly and persuasively.
• Ability to move fluidly between research, strategy, and hands-on design.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and influencing product direction.
• Familiarity with usability principles, analytics, and both qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Curiosity, empathy, and a passion for inventing new experiences and shaping future-forward products.

Additional Position Details

• Supervisory Responsibilities
  • None.
• Physical Demands
  • Physical demands of the job, including bending, sitting, lifting and driving.
  • Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Work Environment
  • Typical for an office setting or home environment.
  • Requires 5 days onsite in Sunnyvale or Seattle.
• Travel
  • None.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

At RUN Studios we recognize our ultimate success depends on our talented and dedicated workforce. We understand, value, and are grateful for the invaluable contributions made by each employee. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive program of evolving competitive benefits specifically designed to support the needs of our employees and their dependents.     

Compensation

Pay Range: $75-$83.00 (Hourly)    

The successful candidate's pay will be based on various factors such as individual qualifications and work location.  

Benefits:

Benefits and perks may vary depending on location and nature of the work, but eligible employees have access to medical, dental, vision, life, and AD&D benefits, health savings and flexible spending accounts, other telehealth and wellness benefits, a minimum of seven paid holidays per year, accrual of at least 6.5 days (Temporary Employment) to at least 15 days (Regular Employment) of paid time off per year, a 401k plan with company match, discretionary bonuses dependent on company, team or individual performance, and referral bonuses for eligible hired referrals.  

As an equal opportunity employer, RUN Studios is committed to pay equity and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.