First full-time designer responsible for building FORTs design platform from 01 across hardware interaction, operator-facing software, and AI-assisted workflows. Define interaction models, hardware signaling, HRI patterns, AI-forward interfaces, run field research and usability testing, map end-to-end journeys, and partner with product, firmware, software, hardware, and ops to translate constraints into usable designs.
In today's dynamic worksites, seamless collaboration between people and machines is essential. FORT's platform ensures safe, secure, and dynamic control that surpasses legacy systems and next-generation AI capabilities.
While autonomous machines offer significant advantages, they also introduce new safety challenges. FORT addresses these concerns by providing solutions such as the Wireless E-Stop, which allows operators to instantly stop any machine from a safe distance, enhancing safety during emergencies.
Additionally, FORT's Safe Remote Control enables operators to manage heavy machinery remotely, reducing the risk of accidents and improving visibility.
By ensuring communications integrity across any network, FORT empowers customers to protect their most valuable assets—people, data, and machines—ensuring they remain safe and secure.
You will be FORT’s first full-time designer, responsible for building the design platform from 0→1 across hardware interaction, operator-facing software, and AI-assisted workflows. This role spans all three product pillars: Control, Intelligence, and Ecosystem. You will not be decorating screens; you will define how people interact with our hardware, software, and the autonomous systems that run on both.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Build FORT’s design foundation from scratch: design system, interaction model, and component library across FORT Manager and future platform surfaces.
- Design the physical interaction layer of FORT hardware, how operators read device state, safety status, and control affordances through button layout, LED signaling, and tactile feedback.
- Define human-robot interaction (HRI) patterns: how operators monitor, trust, intervene in, and recover autonomous systems, across both hardware and software surfaces.
- Design AI-forward workflows: AI Assistant interface, fleet observability dashboards, anomaly surfacing, and operator guidance experiences. Use AI tools actively to prototype and iterate faster.
- Conduct field research with industrial operators and OEM engineers in real deployment environments; run usability testing and translate findings directly into design decisions.
- Map end-to-end platform journeys across all user types: floor operators, OEM integration engineers, fleet administrators, and safety stakeholders.
- Partner daily with Product, Firmware, Software, Hardware, and Operations; translate technical constraints into design decisions without sacrificing usability.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 5+ years of product or interaction design experience, including at least 2 years in hardware-software combined environments, robotics, IoT, industrial automation, automotive, or similar.
- Built a design system or component library from scratch, not inherited one.
- Physical interaction design experience: designed how a hardware product communicates state, intent, or safety status to a human.
- Field research experience: contextual inquiry, operator shadowing, or usability testing in real-world environments.
- Proficient in Figma or equivalent, Claude; prototypes complex, multi-step workflows at high fidelity.
- AI-first approach: uses AI tools to accelerate design, prototyping, and research synthesis as a standard workflow, not a novelty.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience in safety-critical or regulated product environments (human factors, IEC 62366, or equivalent).
- Background in human-robot interaction, autonomous systems, or physical AI platforms.
- Familiarity with front-end basics (HTML/CSS) for tighter design-engineering handoff.
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