On a day-to-day basis, a UX/UI Designer at Lee Enterprises is embedded in product teams focused on delivering high-quality news experiences. You will own the design process from initial concept wireframes to high-fidelity visual mockups and interactive prototypes.

• Designing Responsive Interfaces: You will create intuitive layouts for web and mobile platforms, ensuring that the reading experience is fast, accessible, and visually engaging across all screen sizes.
• Collaborating with Product and Engineering: You will work hand-in-hand with product managers to define requirements and with developers to ensure design specifications are implemented with pixel-perfect accuracy.
• Maintaining Design Systems: You will contribute to and help scale the internal design system, ensuring consistency in typography, UI components, and brand identity across dozens of local news sites.
• Conducting User Research: You will gather user feedback, analyze behavior metrics, and conduct usability testing to iterate on existing features and validate new design concepts.
• Optimizing Business Funnels: You will design and test user flows aimed at increasing digital subscriptions, newsletter sign-ups, and ad viewability.

A successful candidate for the UX/UI Designer position must demonstrate a strong balance of visual design talent, user-centric thinking, and collaborative skills.

• Must-have skills:

  • A strong digital portfolio showcasing responsive web design, mobile app interfaces, and clean information hierarchy.
  • Proficiency in industry-standard design tools such as Figma, Sketch, or Adobe Creative Suite.
  • Solid understanding of user-centered design principles, information architecture, and usability best practices.
  • Deep knowledge of web accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1) and semantic design structures.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions clearly.

• Nice-to-have skills:

  • Experience working in digital media, publishing, or content-heavy SaaS environments.
  • Basic understanding of front-end technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to facilitate smoother developer handoffs.
  • Experience setting up and analyzing A/B tests or using analytics tools to inform design decisions.

Q: What is the typical format of the initial design assessment? A: Candidates frequently report receiving a comprehensive, written email interview or questionnaire that can contain up to 75 questions. This is designed to evaluate your deep domain knowledge, cognitive approach, and written communication style before moving to live video rounds.

Q: How important is media or publishing experience for this role? A: While prior experience in media or digital publishing is a strong differentiator, it is not strictly required. The hiring team highly values candidates who can demonstrate an ability to design for high-density content layouts and complex user journeys.

Q: Is this role fully remote, hybrid, or on-site? A: Lee Enterprises offers a variety of work arrangements depending on the specific team and location. Many of their digital product and design roles are handled remotely, though some positions may be tied to regional hubs or local newspaper offices.

Q: How does the team evaluate design portfolios? A: The design team looks for portfolios that show the end-to-end design journey. They want to see your initial sketches, wireframes, user flows, and the final high-fidelity designs, along with a clear explanation of the business metrics or user goals you were trying to solve.

Verify official communication channels: Because some candidates have reported receiving remote offers via email and experiencing communication gaps, always ensure you are communicating with verified @lee.net email addresses. Do not hesitate to proactively request a live phone or video call with your recruiter or hiring manager to clarify any steps in the process.

Showcase your metric-driven design approach: When presenting your portfolio, don't just talk about aesthetics. Highlight how your designs impacted key performance indicators, such as increasing page views, reducing bounce rates, or boosting subscription conversions.

Be ready for written articulation: Since the process can involve extensive written questionnaires, take your time to draft well-structured, professional answers. Use clear headings, bullet points, and concise paragraphs to make your written design philosophies easy to read and digest.

Emphasize accessibility: Digital news must be accessible to everyone, including users with visual or motor impairments. Demonstrating a proactive, deep understanding of accessibility guidelines in your portfolio and interviews will immediately set you apart as a mature designer.

Securing a UX/UI Designer role at Lee Enterprises is an exceptional opportunity to influence the digital landscape of local journalism. By designing intuitive, high-performance interfaces for millions of daily readers, your work will directly support informed communities and sustainable media models. The role offers a fast-paced, collaborative environment where your design decisions have immediate, real-world impact.

To succeed in this process, focus on refining your portfolio to highlight content-heavy layouts, responsive design, and clear user journeys. Prepare thoroughly for the potential of structured written assessments by practicing how you articulate your design choices and user-centered philosophies in writing. Approach every stage of the remote interview process with high professionalism, proactive communication, and a clear focus on how design drives business and user value.

You can explore additional community-reported interview experiences, salary benchmarks, and preparation resources on Dataford to help you feel fully prepared and confident heading into your conversations with the hiring team.

The salary insights module above displays the typical compensation ranges for design professionals within similar industries and geographic regions. Use this data to calibrate your compensation expectations based on your experience level and the specific geographic market of the role. Understanding these industry standards will empower you to navigate final offer discussions with confidence and clarity.