UX/UI Design Contractor

About InquirED

inquirED was created by educators with the goal of delivering rigorous, engaging learning experiences to every student. As a rapidly growing startup, the company serves an expanding community of teachers and learners. Its offerings include Inkwell, an integrated ELA and social studies curriculum that combines two core subjects into one connected learning experience to strengthen knowledge, literacy, and efficiency for educators, and Inquiry Journeys, an elementary social studies curriculum used nationwide to deepen content knowledge and build inquiry skills that support a healthy democracy. The team includes designers, advocates, guides, thought leaders, and builders working together to make a stronger impact on education.

Role Overview

This contract opportunity is for a part-time UX/UI design professional who will support product initiatives and feature development across digital platforms. The work will be done in close partnership with Product Managers, Design Leads, and Engineering teams to create intuitive, user-centered experiences for teachers and students.

The ideal contractor enjoys designing within established product ecosystems, working collaboratively, and using feedback as part of the creative process. The role calls for a balance of thoughtful problem-solving and practical delivery.

Key Work Areas

• Create user flows and produce wireframes ranging from low fidelity to high fidelity for web-based product experiences, with prototyping as needed.
• Explain design choices clearly, including interaction behavior, responsive layouts, state changes, usability needs, accessibility considerations, and implementation details.
• Prepare organized design documentation and developer handoff files in Figma so implementation can move forward smoothly.
• Work within existing design systems and product patterns while contributing to their ongoing use.
• Expand current experiences without losing consistency across the platform.
• Take part in design reviews, feedback loops, and iterative product development.
• Coordinate with stakeholders and use project tools such as Jira when needed to complete assigned work within existing workflows.

Ideal Contractor Profile

The right candidate is a communicative and collaborative designer who shares work early, welcomes iteration, and is comfortable testing ideas and refining them based on feedback. This person should be able to introduce creative solutions while preserving product coherence and respecting existing design systems. Strong attention to detail, a focus on usability, and an interest in building scalable, maintainable experiences are important. A genuine motivation to improve learning experiences for students and teachers is especially valued.

Requirements

• Strong working knowledge of Figma.
• Experience designing responsive web applications with a solid grasp of usability, WCAG, and inclusive design principles.
• Ability to produce detailed handoff documentation covering interactions, responsive behavior, reflow across standard MUI breakpoints, accessibility needs such as ARIA, and implementation notes.
• Experience working with established design systems and component libraries.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, along with strong collaboration skills.
• Capability to juggle priorities and keep multiple projects moving forward.
• Ability to deliver work according to agreed milestones and deadlines.

Additional Information

This is a contract engagement. The number of hours and the overall duration will be determined based on experience, availability, and project needs.