QA Engineer: 2D & Creative Applications

What you'll do

This is manual and functional testing of creative software, done the way designers, illustrators and animators actually use it. You run real workflows through 2D and creative applications, push into the edge cases and longer multi-step sequences where things tend to break, and log what you find: bugs, usability problems, inconsistencies and behaviour nobody intended.

Each finding gets the classic QA write-up: steps to reproduce, the expected result and the actual result. You also design and run test cases for specific features and workflows, give feedback on functionality and user experience, and work with the team on coverage.

The ad frames all of this as evaluating real-world workflows to improve the quality and reliability of AI systems, but it does not spell out where the AI sits: whether the applications under test are AI-powered, or whether your test cases and reports become evaluation data. Ask at the interview, because it changes what "a good bug" means for this project.

Who fits

• Professional experience in QA, software testing or application testing
• Hands-on testing of 2D, design, animation, illustration or other creative software
• Familiarity with tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma, Sketch, After Effects or Animate
• Manual and functional testing, test case design and bug reporting
• A sharp eye for visual as well as functional defects (a misaligned handle or a colour shift counts)
• Clear written and verbal communication

The best fit is a tester who has also worked as, or closely with, designers: someone who knows how a working illustrator moves between layers, masks and exports, and so knows which paths matter.

What it pays

$90–175/hour, micro1's own published figure, hourly with no per-task terms stated. That is high for manual QA in almost any market. The band nearly doubles from floor to ceiling and the ad says nothing about what decides placement, so plan around $90 until you see an offer. No weekly hours, project length or start date are stated.

How it compares

micro1 previously ran a general QA Engineer listing on the same $90–175 band, now expired, which rated AI-generated technical output and leaned on automation frameworks. This one is narrower: creative applications, manual and functional testing, and no automation tooling in the requirements.

Worth knowing

Good:

• A top-of-market band for manual testing
• 30 openings, flagged high demand
• Creative-tool knowledge is the differentiator, which few QA candidates have
• No automation framework experience required

Less good:

• The AI angle is stated in one sentence and not explained
• An $85-wide band with no published basis for placement
• No hours, duration or start date published
• Contractor engagement: no benefits, your own tax to manage
• The customer is not named

About this listing

Posted by micro1 on its own jobs portal on 7 October 2026 and read on 12 October 2026. The $90–175/hour band, the 30 openings, the tool list and the qualifications are its published text. Location is given only as remote with no country list. See micro1.