Software Designer & Consultant

We’re looking for thoughtful and practical problem solvers who are passionate about finding success for our clients, teams, and end-users through the human-centered design process.

Since 2001, Atomic Object has designed and developed software products for web, mobile, desktop, and embedded devices. We were founded on the belief that not all software is created equal. Many people can write code, but it takes a close-knit team of passionate people to create exceptional, innovative products that change the way people do business.

We’re an employee-owned company with 100+ Atoms based in our Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Chicago, and Raleigh offices. Unlike many other technology companies, we have a flat organization. There is no corporate ladder to climb. As a company that values transparency, we practice open-books management. At Atomic, you can stay close to the craft of making software for your entire career without missing out on owning a part of the company and its profits.

Atomic makers collaborate in self-managed, cross-functional teams of 2–10, bringing together designers, developers, delivery leads, and testers. They collaborate to create products for our clients, from the idea phase through launch and beyond. Projects typically include new product development, product enhancement or product modernization. Projects typically span 3 to 18 months, so you will have many opportunities to work with different people and tackle new challenges.

As a software designer at Atomic, you will guide the product design vision by balancing the needs of end-users, the client’s business goals, and technical constraints. You will operate as both a leader and generalist to pinpoint the needs of a project and execute across the gamut of design demands. On one project, you may plan and conduct user testing, develop wireframe solutions, create a visual design language, and support the development team with detailed design specs.

On another project, you may help a client define the problem they're trying to solve through facilitating workshops, discovery sessions, and user research. No matter the project, you need to have a strong design toolkit, and know when to use the right tool.

Alongside delivery and technical leads, you will guide the team towards a solution at the intersection of desirable, feasible, and viable. You will work across all project phases, in both strategic and tactical capacities, executing on work from early concepts through implementation. You will work alongside other Atomic designers to constantly push the design practice forward through the use of new AI-driven tools and processes.

Additionally, you’ll help broaden the impact of our services by serving as a software design marketer through opportunities like attending and hosting local design meetups and contributing to our shared company blog.

• Facilitate workshops and activities with clients, developers, and end-users to inform product design.
• Drive product design via the use of qualitative research and the development of user personas.
• Synthesize research into key findings and artifacts that bring clarity to the product’s vision, such as user journey maps, workflow diagrams, and product guidebooks.
• Create user testing frameworks and facilitate testing on an as‑needed basis.
• Design through a lens of usability, accessibility, and inclusion while balancing business goals and technical feasibility.
• Stay current with evolving design practices, tools, and technologies — to continually refine and improve product design approaches.

• Establish the information architecture of digital products and services.
• Produce low–high fidelity wireframes and design prototypes.
• Establish visual language patterns, transforming wireframes into high-fidelity UI specs.
• Deliver visual design assets needed for technical implementation, such as icons, illustrations, and animation specs.

• Pair with other team members to transfer knowledge and experience gained.
• Possess a kind, curious, and low-ego approach to collaboration with Atomic and client teams.
• Understand that mentorship is…