I feel like I was scammed - Product Designer ICON Employee Review

3.0
7 Apr 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Inspiring mission, cool robots, good location, nice salary

Cons

You'll hear the word "design" a lot when leadership talks about how important it is. But as time went by, it was clear that this was not the case. Sure, the brand design was important, the marketing design was important, the industrial design, architectural design was important (and in fact, it's quite beautiful)...but UX design was not put on the same pedestal. UX design was not well integrated into "design" at ICON. In fact, it felt like we were seen as a bottleneck to progress, our work only being worth something when it was developed. And yeah, our work does need to get developed, but how are you helping that happen when you take our dev resources away to work on a marketing site after you paid a company a good amount of money just to disappoint you with it? Despite having no dev resources, the UX team did a phenomenal job of getting ahead of them to start full force the next year. A whole new suite of software, new design to match the redesign that hit us out of nowhere, a very thorough design system, product strategy against all odds. I'm proud of the work we did, but because of the division in design and what seems like personal issues at play, our team did not get the credit it deserved, and were not given the chance to shine. Instead, we were let go, and our managers had no idea and were given no say. Despite the amazing mission, this is still a startup just like any other. It's a business, never forget that. I did.

Explore other reviews about ICON

5.0
16 Apr 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

ICON gives exciting opportunities to work with cutting edge technology, kind people, and exciting partners. Every day at ICON looks different and things are constantly new and different. It allows an eager employee to build a variety of skills and tools that they can use for their entire career.

Cons

Things at ICON are constantly changing. The ICON you may have worked at last year might not be the ICON you work at today. This can be really hard if you're not adaptable. It's also demanding and very "surge-y". It can be hard to predict when the big surges happen, but it's important to have a personal life that allows for periods of extreme commitment to your career (I am talking week-long+ sprints of working and sleeping only). This can be really difficult, if you aren't prepared for it. Another key challenge is that ICON is a true start up. Nothing is guaranteed. If you're looking for a stable and reliable workplace for longterm consistent comfort, look elsewhere. But fortune also tends to favor the bold.

5
3.0
29 Nov 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

This company is a startup. A rather big startup, but still got the startup vibe. CEO is evangelical, an excellent salesman. Has brought in a ton of investment. He trends quite visionary, especially in the aesthetic domain. It is a good place to get your feet wet. We embrace big technical challenges. Per true startup style, an enterprising person willing to put in extra work can rise in the organization. Hard work and long hours are appreciated. And sometimes mandated, though the official 6 days/week requirement didn't work out so well... Come join us. The hiring process is a bit opaque and confused. We go through HR folks pretty regularly. Call back, use your inside contacts. Good luck, and see you soon!

Cons

Velocity is our motto. Chaos is our middle name. We embrace it. We reorganize. We change our toolchain. We layoff and fire, then we hire. We ride! Design-oriented CEO is less competent in the engineering/technical domain. Our robots are serious engineering/technical stuff. Company culture is a personality cult, revolving around the CEO. He wears a white cowboy hat. Always. The small "executive" huddle who surrounds the CEO worships the white hat. Only the CEO wears a white hat. No one else would dare.

5
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