Design Studios
What are Design Studios for product designers, and how to join or start one.
Product Design
At GitLab, our Product Design team drives the business forward by becoming experts in their specific stage groups staying informed about the entire product, and aligning with user and business goals. We partner closely with our stable counterparts in Product Management and Development to deliver exceptional user experiences.
Role of Product Designers
Product Designers are assigned to a specific area of the product, known as Stage Groups, where they immerse themselves in user workflows to solve real customer problems.
They are also responsible for broader UX department efforts, such as:
- Supporting community contributions
- Contributing to the Pajamas Design System
- Reviewing other designers’ work
Each designer works as a manager of one to solve customers problems and align with the direction of the product. They collaborate with stage peers and managers to manage their capacity and deliver results on time. For a detailed view into how Product Designers work, review the Product Designer workflow page.
For more information on Stage Groups, team member assignments, and product direction, visit the product category page.
Process and Design Responsibility
Owner of design judgment
As Product Designers, we are entrusted with the authority of design judgment. Our process begins with understanding the problem and prioritizing for the best user experience. When additional constraints or insights (e.g. technical considerations or marketing strategies) arise, we collaboratively evaluate and adjust our designs accordingly. We proactively communicate how these constraints impact our designs and what changes will affect the user.
In cases where our counterparts have differing opinions, we consider their perspectives but hold the final say on design decisions as we are the ultimate guardians of design judgment.
Design Principles and Tools
Our design principles are outlined in the Pajamas Design System.
Product Designer Tools
- UX Scorecard
- Category Maturity Scorecard
- UX Issue Triage
- Heuristics
- Competitor Evaluation (GitLab Team Member access only)
- UX Cloud Sandbox
Figma and Figjam are our primary design tool of choice. Refer to the usage and access details.
Product Design Workflow
Product Designers adhere to the Product Development flow in collaboration with stable counterparts. Key aspects include:
- Planning and managing capacity
- Prioritization
- Working on Issues
- Design Process
- Partnering with UX Research
- Partnering with Technical Writers
- Contributing to Pajamas
- Designing with AI
New GitLab Product Designers should refer to the Product Designer Workflow handbook page for a comprehensive guide to getting started.
Product Design Management Workflow
Learning and Development
Our continuous learning initiatives are documented in the UX Department Learning and Development section.
Hiring Product Designers
Product Designers, Product Design Managers, the Director of Product Design, and Product Managers participate in our hiring process by interviewing Product Designer candidates. We have created guidelines to help support a consistent end-to-end hiring process.
Product Design Manager Workflows
We support the business of GitLab by becoming experts in our stage group, educating ourselves about the entire product, and staying engaged with user and business goals. This page contains workflows specifix to Product Design Managers
UX Themes
Introduction and usage guidelines for UX Themes
Last modified July 2, 2025: Add product dev folder and move relevant pages (
83bfc789)
