Lead Graphic Designer

StudioXAG creates bold spaces that tell big stories

We are a B Corp-certified creative studio in London and Amsterdam that believe in business as a force for good.

We create exciting experiences for some of the world's best known brands, telling stories that touch every corner of the globe. Luckily for us, we have a diverse team of conceptual thinkers, creative dreamers and inquisitive makers that help make this happen.

They’re our core. They make us tick, inspire us, push us to be better.

Now we want to hear from you.

The Role:

We are looking for a Lead Graphic Designer to join our in-house design studio.

Reporting into one of our Associate Design Directors, you’ll be joining a design team of 18 in a vibrant, exciting, and creative environment in our London office. You will have the opportunity to work with great brands on interesting projects; you will be responsible for delivering brilliant creative on a broad range of design projects for the business.

The Lead Designer will head up their own full-time mini team of 2 designers to support and nurture their development, training them to the highest standards.

Who exactly are we looking for?

We’re looking for a bold, fast and fearless design leader who has a hunger for managing talented, happy teams and creating inspiring and beautiful work.

The ideal candidate will:

• Be highly creative
• Have the ability to tell stories and pull together narrative
• Be a great communicator
• Be a true team player
• Be a fantastic organiser
• Be a brilliant people manager
• Have a strong eye for detail
• Be a talented creative problem solver

Ideal Experience:

• 9+ years experience in 2D graphic design within creative retail
• A graphic design based bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• A keen creative eye with experience in generating engaging narratives and creative concepts to help reinforce brand messages and sell specific products
• Good experience preparing artwork for print
• Expert understanding of design principles across typography, colour theory, layout and composition, branding and identity
• Ability to guide, mentor and coach other designers
• Ability to communicate a creative vision to an in-house designer or freelance designer
• People management - nurturing and developing a growing team
• Ability to train designers on design programs and design skills
• Experience working within an agency or team environment with other designers
• Expert ability to navigate and resolve complex design challenges
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to articulate complex graphic design concepts to non-design stakeholders

Skills & Responsibilities:

Creative Experience

• Creating and developing 2D / Graphic Design for exciting concept designs for window displays and retail spaces - from POS to large scale facade takeovers
• Supporting the wider design team delivering graphic design assets for multiple projects
• Supporting the artworking team preparing large format print files for window rollouts over multiple stores
• Graphic design & artworking of vector files for cut vinyl
• Building design presentations - guidelines, toolkits & specification packs for production
• Retouching images for social media and marketing purposes
• Ability to think creatively and come up with original ideas
• Keeping up-to-date with design trends and new technologies
• Ensuring high quality, consistency and precision across all design work

Project Management & Communication

• Dissecting briefs and understanding clients' needs
• Proven ability to lead multiple projects at one time
• Proven ability to present and justify design decisions to key stakeholders within Studio XAG and to clients
• Accountable for comprehensive and complete handovers of your projects through to in-house teams or external production (when required)
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to articulate design concepts clearly
• Flexibility in adapting to changes and new requirements
• Ability to prioritise and organise workload effectively
• Proven track record of meeting tight deadlines and managing priorities efficiently

Team Leadership / Training

• Responsible for the nurturing and personal development of a team of up to 2 direct reports. This will include their 121’s, personal development plans, career progression and growth plans
• Working with freelance designers and external agencies to deliver creative to the same level of quality as expected when working with in-house teams
• Ensuring the team are happy, motivated and inspired, bringing the best out of each individual
• Training teams on design programs, design skills, soft skills and creative skills
• Ability to lead designers, including mentoring and developing junior, middleweight and senior designers to deliver work to a high standard

Industry Knowledge

• Excellent understanding of the world of retail and brand experience and the design and production process
• A diverse and up to date knowledge of brands, with knowledge of luxury, beauty, lifestyle sectors and the wider retail industry

Tool Knowledge

• Expert knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite - Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign
• Knowledge of Sketchup is helpful but not essential
• Knowledge of motion graphics / animation skills in After Effects (or similar video editing software)
• Strong understanding of spatial design

Location:

We currently work a hybrid model; 3 days a week from our East London studio in E10 and 2 flexible days. Our normal working hours are 9am - 6pm but flexible working hours and days are available.

Some of our benefits:

• Gross profit-related annual bonus scheme
• Workplace pension
• 25 days holiday (inc 3 days taken during Christmas closure) + Bank Holidays
• 0.5 paid days off per month to get inspired
• International research budgets and trips
• All-you-can-eat YCN creative professional learning membership
• Spill mental health support
• Flexible and remote working available

Salary: £50-60k DOE. Please state expectations on application.

Belonging and Inclusivity at StudioXAG:

StudioXAG is a business that strives for equality for all its people. Known for our storytelling, our different perspectives make us more creative than ever. No matter who you are, you are welcome at StudioXAG.