Mixpanel is designed to be an extension of how you see the world โ not in columns and rows like a spreadsheet โ but in how people behave. "You go to lunch at a deli. Watch a movie at night. Order breakfast on your phone. Buy an airline ticket to another country. Swipe left (or right). This makes data easier to analyze and creates a fuller portrait of the experience."
At the core of Mixpanel is an event-based data model, now used by over 9,000 paid customers, including Netflix, Pinterest, and Uber.
If you're a product designer looking for a challenging and rewarding career, Mixpanel is a pretty cool product to work on. I learned a ton about their design team, hiring process, how they give feedback to product design and so on - and well, they value product, they value design - and I'm sure this is a place where you can learn a lot.
We will cover:
- What the design team looks like (in 2024)
- Their daily tool stack as a team
- Their weekly collaboration routine (or how your week as a product designer at Mixpanel looks like)
- Mixpanel's Design Philosophy
- Office Locations, and Remote Hiring
- Mixpanel's Interview Process for Product Designers
- How to find other companies like Mixpanel's to apply for
Meet the Mixpanel Design Team (2024)
Mixpanelโs design team is a dynamic and talented group of professionals, including Design Director Alex Coleman, Principal Designer Mark Johnson, and several senior product, brand designers and content designers. The team is divided into two main areas: product design and brand design, each playing a crucial role in shaping Mixpanel's offerings and identity.
At the moment (as of July 2024), there are 9 people in the product design team and 7 people in the brand design team.
Learn more about the team and their view on coaching product designers at Mixpanel.
Favorite Tools used by the Design Team
The primary tools used by Mixpanel designers include:
- Figma for design work.
- Notion for documentation.
- Slack for communication.
Additional tools include Loom for quick updates, Adobe Suite for complex projects, Rive for animations, User Interviews for feedback, Sprig for surveys, and Campsite for sharing work.
Team Meetings and Collaboration
The design team follows a structured yet flexible meeting schedule:
- Weekly Warm-up: A casual meeting to kick off the week, where anyone can add agenda items for discussion.
- Design Critique: Typically held on Thursdays, focusing on work-in-progress and providing actionable feedback.
- BudTime: Pre-scheduled times on Tuesdays and Fridays for collaborative problem-solving.
- Creative Conversations: Monthly sessions where team members share passion projects, personal stories, or new learnings.
Design Philosophy
Mixpanel's design philosophy emphasizes clear communication, supporting decisions with evidence, continuous improvement, and making designs delightful. Key principles include:
- Define design requirements.
- Support work with clear reasoning.
- Document as you go.
- Evaluate results.
- Explore and experiment.
Working with Cross-Functional Teams
Collaboration at Mixpanel is highly constructive and data-driven. Designers work closely with knowledgeable PMs and engineers focused on solving real customer problems.
Company Culture and Values
Design holds a respected position within Mixpanel, contributing significantly to product vision. The company values include openness, leading change, customer focus, results orientation, and teamwork.
Benefits and Flexibility
Mixpanel offers a range of benefits, including community resource groups, hybrid work flexibility, company-wide retreats, learning stipends, and paid volunteer time. Designers can work remotely, ideally within the continental U.S., and have access to WeWork passes.
Office Locations, and Remote Hiring
Mixpanel has offices in San Francisco (HQ), New York City, London, Barcelona, and Singapore. The entire design team is within United States continental time zones. You will find several in the Bay Area, but also Austin, Seattle, Boulder, Brookly or even Detroit.
Mixpanel's Interview Process for Product Designers
Landing a job at Mixpanel's happens in 6 steps.
- You apply via their Greenhouse ATS, where all applications are reviewed.
- You get an initial call with Connor (product design recruiter). He will mainly ask what you are looking for in your next position, and ask a few questions on your work history and design process.
If you go through the initial call, you have a call with Kaitlin (hiring manager) who will focus on your product design process. Also a great time to ask your questions about design at Mixpanel.
Designers will join the portfolio review and app critique to challenge your hard skills (interaction design, visual design, user research, prototyping) as much as your soft skills (mindset, and organizational challenges).
1:1s time with Engineers, PMs and Design Directors. A great time to see the bigger picture, and ask your questions.
Reference check and OFFER TIME!
How to find other companies like Mixpanel's to apply for
If you dream of working at Mixpanel but are not based in their hiring locations, you can create a job alert with Woody to find similar companies hiring profiles just like you. Create your job alert here, and you will receive similar job opportunities straight to your inbox!
Sidenote: I found most of the information on Mixpanel's design team and hiring process in this amazing Figma document they created just for product design job seekers like you. Take a look!
