Dropbox Design
As a department of the cloud storage and online collaboration service Dropbox, Dropbox Design is building the world’s first smart workspace. Its aim is to ensure that customers have the best experiences in an ethical and sustainable way, which means that design is at the core of what they do.
The team spans product design, branding, design research and UX writing – shaping both how the company works and the products delivered to customers.
Based
The team currently works remotely
Founded
2007
Company Size
170
Office Hours
9am–1pm, then flexible working
Specialism
Technology and Design
Key Departments
Branding, Product Design, UX Writing, Design Research, Design Operations
Jobs and Opportunities
Design work at the SF Art Book Fair
Dropbox events branding: Workshop with Meg Lewis
Dropbox events branding: Ladies Get Loud launch
Inside the Company
Founded as a startup in 2007 by MIT students Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi, Dropbox has since attracted millions of users for its products – ranging from keeping files secure to helping teams collaborate more efficiently.
Design has been an important part of Dropbox from the beginning. Starting out as a team of one, it now comprises 170 multidisciplinary creatives, and its practice has also matured in that time, as it continually evolves with the company.
More recently, Dropbox committed to becoming a ‘virtual first’ company. Its international offices will become studios for special gatherings and collaboration, while staff will work from home most of the time.
Now 'virtual first', the Dropbox team work all over the world
Dropbox values human-centred design
Mission and Values
If joy is the engine that powers the best ideas, the mission of Dropbox Design is to help people enjoy the way they work. This means that while tackling tough challenges, the team also looks to infuse the work with joy.
Alastair Simpson, VP [vice president] of Design, describes this as designing a more human future. As the company shifts to new ways of working, human-centred design will drive equity and empathy in our work, with a focus on ensuring it is diverse and inclusive.
The team believe joy is the engine that powers the best ideas
Culture and Benefits
The company values humanity, trust, simplicity, ownership and customer-centricity. The design team is close and collaborative, and celebrates individual perspectives because they make the collective culture better. They believe that it is important to love what you do, and have fun doing it.
Team members are encouraged to get in touch with their feelings through group activities such as the Personal Voice Workbook or Team Values Toolkit. These exercises bring the team closer together and help people learn from one another.
Since everyone is working from home, and effectively living at work, babies and puppies are welcome at virtual meetings, as a reminder that this is a shared experience.
Entry-Level Opportunities
Dropbox Design is always growing. It looks for people who are passionate about the opportunity to design the future of work. Those from non-traditional and diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. You can find out about open roles and the company philosophy here.
Another way to get to know the company is by engaging in community events and asking the team questions directly.
