brand designer

Creativity needs room to breathe. At Agency Habitat, we’ll give you the space. There’s no one right way to live, work, create or sell, which is why we believe in a different kind of work environment. One that is inclusive and inviting to folks from all walks of life, no matter the intersecting identities you encompass. All we ask is that you bring new experiences to the table, share your talents and insights openly and learn as much as you can from the people you meet every day. We know that collaboration, open communication, accountability and a humble spirit drive us forward in this Habitat, and we’re looking to grow with you. We need team players who want to work hard and contribute to the greater success of our clients and community. We do life together with our clients and teammates and we do it all through brand, content and media. Sound like the place for you? Keep reading.

Job Summary:

Designing for brands requires a keen eye for detail, a deep understanding of your client’s voice and vision and strong communication skills to collaborate effectively with team members. As part of the Agency Habitat team, our Brand Designers are expected to concept, develop and execute innovative and effective creative solutions that meet client expectations and drive results. When necessary, you will work closely with Habitat’s specialty teams, including social media, influencer management, studio and interactive.

Habitat Brand Designers may be required to establish and maintain working relationships with external designers, illustrators, photographers, printers, production houses and other vendors to ensure everything comes to life as efficiently and beautifully as possible. In addition to your artistic and technical skills, we’ll tap your strategic and interpersonal abilities to help develop campaign strategies, goals and timelines as needed. Above all, you’ll foster awesome creative and have fun pushing the boundaries.

Key Responsibilities:

Design Execution and Ideation

• Create innovative, attractive and technically sound designs in the print and digital space that fit within brand standards for multiple clients
  • Including branding, logo creation, social media, content creation, OOH, packaging designs, trade show assets, websites, brochures, booklets, etc.
  • Strong color theory, typography and hierarchy skills required

• Be able to own the execution of a project from start to finish, with minimal oversight/changes from a creative lead – ideation, development, refinement, execution, packaging and/or exporting of final files
• Own the day-to-day design of small- to medium-sized accounts with the oversight of a creative lead
  • Take the lead on the design direction of projects while keeping the creative lead involved for additional guidance and direction
  • Make changes and edits to projects while staying within brand guidelines
  • Be able to occasionally delegate and guide work to other designers to help keep projects moving
  • Be present for all kickoff meetings for the brand
• Participate in concepting projects and be able to bring original ideas and thoughts to the table
  • Come prepared to brainstorming meetings with ideas and research that you have done by yourself or with other team members
  • Ideate in the form of mood boards, sketches, designs, inspiration images/videos, copy ideas or storytelling
  • Bring strong, well thought-out ideas to brainstorming meetings with thoughts on how to connect the idea to the visual execution
  • Ask questions and participate in conversations to further strengthen ideas from the full team
  • Have a “yes, and” attitude to build on other team members’ ideas
  • Bring ideas/concepts to life, with direction and support of a design lead through mockups, mood boards, animations and other designs
• Lead photo/video shoots
  • Lead shot list creation and finalization
  • Lead production team and give direction during planning and on set
  • Lead model selection with client
  • Give direction to the stylist and hair and makeup artist
  • Potentially help style sets and products
  • Help with agency/freelance coordination
  • Be available to answer questions and navigate client direction on set, with support from a creative lead
• Adhere to project briefs and create designs that accomplish the goal outlined in the brief
• Have a strong understanding of print processes, techniques; ability to identify opportunities to enhance projects via creative production is a plus
• Have the ability to build proper print files to avoid production delays and pitfalls

General

• Expertise with the latest versions of Adobe Creative Suite and an in-depth knowledge of Microsoft Office; Keynote proficiency is a plus

• Manage workload and be able to stick to timelines
  • Be able to multitask and prioritize the projects you have
  • Be able to learn quickly, produce in a fast-paced environment and work well under pressure
  • Be able to work on multiple aspects of a project at the same time
  • Be able to actively work on multiple clients at the same time
• Be able to defend and present your work internally and with clients
  • Effectively explain the rationale behind why the design achieves the goal outlined in the brief, and explain why specific design decisions were made
  • With support of a creative lead, be able to think on your feet and answer client questions thoroughly
• Remain up to date on current best practices, trends and technology advancements
• Be willing to learn and take constructive criticism on designs and concepts
• Utilize critical thinking skills and have the ability to adapt as needs change and industry standards evolve
• Be process-focused and organized, and have a strong attention to detail
• Maintain a positive attitude and a problem-solving mindset in both optimal and challenging situations
• Remain dedicated to your craft, with a strong work ethic and passion to create
• Possess the ability to perform duties with a high level of enthusiasm, respect and initiative
• Bring a sense of humor to your everyday work life and not take yourself too seriously
• Be self-motivated to maintain a high degree of conceptual creativity
• Contribute to an open, honest and supportive team environment where everyone feels valued and heard
• Be able to interact with employees at all levels – interns, other designers, design leads and managers
• Seek help and solutions while being resourceful about finding answers on your own
• Possess strong written and oral communication skills
• Perform other tasks beyond the assigned duties as needed

Relationships

• Work seamlessly with Copywriters throughout the life of a project
  • Connect at the beginning of a project to ensure that you and the Copywriter are aligned on direction
  • Brainstorm together and create any wireframes that are needed
  • Share design progress with the Copywriter to be able to make any optimizations together to achieve the goal
  • Continue to check in throughout if design or copy shifts the direction of the project
• Connect with Brand Managers to have any questions answered or gain more client insights in order to keep projects moving efficiently
• Keep Project Managers up to date on progress, deadline timing and workload
• Report directly to a creative lead and/or an Associate Creative Director/Creative Director
  • Share regular progress on projects for feedback and direction
  • Consistently participate in 1:1s for growth and development
• Collaborate heavily with other creatives from the brand, content and media teams
• Help identify vendors and be able to lead communications with those external partners
• Participate in virtual and in-person client meetings for presentations, brainstorms, workshop sessions, etc.

Leadership

• Help mentor and work with Associate Art Directors
• Help mentor and work with interns
• Be an everyday leader by being someone who has a service mindset, helps other bring the best out in themselves and who leads by example

Other

• May occasionally be asked to evaluate other team members
• Experience with motion graphics and social media content creation a plus
• Front-end design experience with light HTML and CSS coding a plus

Qualifications:

• Education: A degree in Communications, Journalism, English, Advertising, Marketing or other related discipline is a plus
• Work Experience: 3+ years of design experience (agency experience preferred); portfolio demonstrating professional approach
• Work requirements: Occasional overtime and travel required. May work some odd hours.

Relationships:

• Reports to: VP of Brand Creative and/or their appointees
• External relationships: Clients, Vendors

Location:

• Fort Worth, TX

We offer a friendly and creative work environment that fosters community, companionship and dynamic working relationships. We believe in the power of connection and collaboration, so we work mostly in our state-of-the-art office, but we understand life happens, and we have the flexibility to work from home when needed. We offer a competitive salary with potential bonus opportunities based on company and individual performance, plus benefits, 401(k), ample paid time off, a festive holiday schedule, three coffee makers, an arcade and full bar.