UI/UX Designer

IT: Support / Web Interface / Design | Unpaid Volunteer Position

UI/UX Designer

Samawada Organization

Position Overview

Samawada is seeking a creative and user-focused UI/UX Designer to design intuitive, accessible, and engaging digital experiences that support humanitarian programs, organizational operations, donor engagement, and transparency.

This role is ideal for someone passionate about user experience, interface design, digital products, web design, data visualization, and humanitarian technology. The successful candidate will work closely with technology, communications, programs, fundraising, and other teams to translate organizational needs into clear, accessible, and visually compelling digital experiences.

The role will contribute to technology and digital initiatives connected to:

• UI/UX design
• Web interfaces
• Digital products
• Global Transparency Dashboard
• Donor experiences
• Humanitarian technology
• Data visualization
• Mobile and responsive design
• Design systems
• Digital accessibility
• Website and platform development
• User research and usability
• AI-enabled digital experiences

This is an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience designing real-world digital products for a technology-driven humanitarian organization while building a professional portfolio in UI/UX, product design, web design, and digital innovation.

What You Will Do

UI & Interface Design

• Design clean, modern, intuitive, and responsive user interfaces for Samawada's digital platforms.
• Create wireframes, mockups, prototypes, and high-fidelity interface designs.
• Develop interfaces for websites, dashboards, internal systems, and digital products.
• Design responsive experiences across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
• Translate organizational requirements into practical and visually compelling interface solutions.
• Maintain consistency across digital products and organizational platforms.
• Develop reusable UI components and design patterns.

UX & User-Centered Design

• Conduct user-focused research to understand the needs of donors, volunteers, staff, partners, and program users.
• Develop user journeys, user flows, personas, and information architectures where appropriate.
• Identify usability issues and recommend improvements.
• Design simple and intuitive workflows for complex organizational processes.
• Create prototypes to test concepts before development.
• Collaborate with users and internal teams to gather feedback and improve designs.
• Apply user-centered design principles throughout the product development process.

Website & Digital Product Design

• Design and improve Samawada's website interfaces and digital experiences.
• Collaborate with web developers to translate designs into functional interfaces.
• Work with developers to ensure visual and interaction designs are implemented accurately.
• Support the design of forms, landing pages, portals, dashboards, and other digital experiences.
• Review implemented interfaces and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Help establish consistent design standards across Samawada's digital ecosystem.

Global Transparency Dashboard

Support the design and evolution of Samawada's Global Transparency Dashboard by:

• Designing intuitive dashboard layouts and user experiences.
• Creating data visualization concepts that make complex information easy to understand.
• Designing charts, graphs, indicators, maps, and reporting interfaces.
• Improving information hierarchy and data presentation.
• Designing donor-facing and public-facing transparency experiences.
• Ensuring users can quickly understand project progress, funding information, outcomes, and impact.
• Collaborating with technology and data teams to ensure designs are technically practical.

Design Systems & Brand Consistency

• Help develop and maintain a scalable UI design system.
• Establish reusable components, typography, spacing, layouts, icons, and interaction patterns.
• Create design guidelines that can be used consistently across Samawada's digital platforms.
• Ensure digital products align with Samawada's visual identity and organizational standards.
• Help document design decisions and reusable components.

Accessibility & Inclusive Design

• Apply accessibility and inclusive design principles to digital experiences.
• Design interfaces that are clear and usable for people with different abilities and levels of digital literacy.
• Consider readability, navigation, contrast, interaction patterns, and responsive design.
• Help identify accessibility barriers and recommend improvements.
• Support the development of digital products that can serve diverse global communities.

Collaboration & Product Development

• Work closely with developers, technology specialists, program teams, communications, fundraising, and leadership.
• Participate in product and project planning discussions.
• Translate user and organizational requirements into design solutions.
• Provide design specifications and assets to developers.
• Review development work and provide design feedback.
• Participate in testing, iteration, and continuous improvement.
• Clearly communicate design decisions and recommendations to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Design Research & Innovation

• Explore emerging UI/UX trends, technologies, and design methodologies.
• Research how leading nonprofit, humanitarian, technology, and SaaS organizations design digital experiences.
• Explore opportunities to use AI and emerging technologies to improve user experiences.
• Recommend innovative design approaches that can improve donor engagement, transparency, and program delivery.
• Help Samawada develop digital experiences that are both technologically advanced and easy to use.

What We Are Looking For

Experience or strong interest in:

• UI/UX design
• Product design
• Web design
• Responsive design
• User research
• Wireframing and prototyping
• Information architecture
• Design systems
• Data visualization
• Interaction design
• Accessibility and inclusive design

Experience with design tools such as Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, Illustrator, Photoshop, Canva, or similar platforms is an asset.

Knowledge or experience with:

• Figma
• Design systems
• Prototyping
• User flows
• Wireframes
• Responsive web design
• HTML/CSS
• Basic understanding of JavaScript or frontend development
• Design handoff and developer collaboration
• Data visualization
• Web accessibility is considered an asset.

Strong visual communication and attention to detail.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Ability to simplify complex information into clear and intuitive user experiences.

Excellent communication and collaboration abilities.

Ability to work independently in a fully remote environment.

Ability to receive feedback, iterate, and continuously improve designs.

Passion for humanitarian technology, social impact, innovation, and digital transformation.

Preferred Areas of Interest

Candidates with interest or experience in any of the following are encouraged to apply:

• UI/UX design
• Product design
• Web design
• Design systems
• User research
• Human-computer interaction
• Data visualization
• Dashboard design
• SaaS product design
• Mobile application design
• Accessibility
• Digital transformation
• Humanitarian technology
• Nonprofit technology
• AI-powered user experiences
• Information design
• Design thinking
• Frontend development
• Open-source technology

What You Will Gain

• Real-world experience designing digital products and user interfaces for a technology-driven humanitarian organization.
• Opportunity to contribute to the development of digital platforms supporting transparency, accountability, and humanitarian programs.
• Experience working with developers, technology specialists, program teams, communications, and organizational leadership.
• Exposure to nonprofit technology, humanitarian innovation, digital transformation, and impact-focused product development.
• Experience designing dashboards and data visualization for transparency and reporting.
• Opportunity to contribute to Samawada's Global Transparency Dashboard.
• Portfolio-building experience through real-world UI/UX and product design projects.
• Experience developing design systems and reusable digital components.
• Networking opportunities with technology, design, humanitarian, and nonprofit professionals.
• Opportunity to work on projects that can have meaningful social and humanitarian impact.

Strategic Projects You May Support

Global Transparency Dashboard

Design user experiences, dashboards, data visualizations, and transparency interfaces that help donors, partners, communities, and the public understand how resources are being used and what results are being achieved.

Donor Experience & Engagement Platform

Design intuitive digital experiences that help donors understand projects, follow progress, access updates, and engage with Samawada.

Humanitarian Program Interfaces

Design digital interfaces supporting program monitoring, field activities, community engagement, reporting, and impact measurement.

Samawada Website & Digital Ecosystem

Improve the organization's website and connected digital experiences to create a consistent, modern, accessible, and professional user experience.

Volunteer Recruitment & Onboarding Experience

Design digital experiences that make it easier for volunteers to discover opportunities, apply, complete onboarding, and engage with Samawada.

Data Visualization & Impact Reporting

Design visual systems that transform complex program, financial, and impact data into understandable and engaging experiences for different audiences.

AI-Powered Digital Experiences

Explore how AI can be incorporated into user interfaces to improve search, information discovery, reporting, personalization, and organizational productivity.

Internal Digital Tools

Design interfaces for internal systems supporting project management, fundraising, finance, HR, communications, and organizational operations.

Design System Development

Help establish a scalable Samawada digital design system that can support future websites, dashboards, applications, and technology products.