Junior Designer (UAE National)
Job Description
The Mission
Dubai Design Lab is an action lab under the Dubai Future Foundation, harnessing the power of design and creativity to position Dubai among the world's most livable cities. The lab (re)designs, prototypes, and tests policies, strategies, and systems aligned with Dubai's vision; creating a platform where individuals and organizations come together to imagine and shape a better future.By combining experimentation, collaboration, and human-centered design, the lab drives innovation and contributes to Dubai's growth as a leading global hub.
Overvie
wThe Junior Human-Centered Designer contributes to multidisciplinary design projects that span across service design, policy, strategy and business. The designer will contribute to help in deeply listening to people, understand behavior in order to create meaningful change
This role blends rigorous research with hands- on design.The successful candidate will help uncover human insights and translate them into tangible solutions
- from digital experiences and service
- journeys to policy prototypes and systemic intervention
Working within cross-functional teams, the Junior Human-Centered Designer supports the full design process: research, synthesis, ideation, prototyping, and testi
ng.This is not a purely academic research role. It is a practice-based position embedded within live design projec
ts.Key Responsibili
ties● Research and Insight Development (
40%)○ Support qualitative and mixed-method rese
arch○ Conduct secondary research and benchmarking across multi-disciplinary proj
ects○ Conduct interviews, contextual inquiries, field observations, and stakeholder engageme
nts.○ Map user journeys, service ecosystems, and system dynam
ics.○ Contribute to synthesis outputs including insight frameworks, personas, opportunity areas, and design princip
les.● Design Collaboration and Prototyping (
30%)○ Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across design, strategy, and pol
icy.○ Participate in iterative prototyping and user feedback loops to test and refine id
eas.○ Support the development of tools, frameworks, and narratives that bridge research and design outco
mes.○ Contribute to documentation, presentations, and storytelling that communicates insights and imp
act.● Workshop, Co-Creation and Stakeholder Engagement (
20%)○ Contribute to workshops, design sprints, and exhibitions that foster dialogue and creativ
ity.○ Engage with academic, government, and industry partners to expand design research imp
act.○ Support the lab's role as a thought leader by curating and sharing insights within the wider design commu
nity● Documentation & Storytel
ling○ Translate complex research into clear, compelling narrati
ves.○ Contribute to presentations, visual summaries, and case documentat
ion.○ Support internal knowledge systems and research repositor
ies.Who we're looking
for○ Bachelor's degree in service design, UX/UI Design, Interaction Design, Industrial Design, Architecture, Strategic Design, Anthropology, Sociology, Journalism, Communication or related fields– a masters is a
plus.○ 1–3 years of experience in design, research, or innovation pro
jects○ Familiarity with qualitative research methods (interviews, ethnography, contextual inqu
iry).○ Understanding of human-centered design and double-diamond proce
sses.○ Nice to have: The Ability to create journey maps, service blueprints, stakeholder maps, or interaction flows, or other tools to understand and map human beha
vior.○ Strong written and verbal communic
ationMindsets and Behav
iours:○ Future-Oriented and Passionate: Demonstrates curiosity and optimism about the f
uture.○ Rigorous and Accountable: Strives for excellence and precision in research and design.○ Empathetic and Collaborative: Builds trust, fosters inclusion, and mentors o
thers.○ Experimental and Curious: Embraces iteration and uncertainty as tools for innov
ation.○ Adaptable and Decisive: Balances flexibility with clarity in complex environ
ments.○ Story-Driven and Connective: Communicates insights through compelling narratives and connec
tions.