Mid-Level Graphic Designer

We're Growing!

About Flyleaf Creative

Flyleaf Creative is an award-winning multidisciplinary design firm that builds brands and digital strategy for mission-driven organizations that are undergoing great transitions. With over 25 years in communications design, we strive to produce meaningful work that improves lives, specializing in the fields of arts & culture, criminal justice reform, education, and freedom of expression. We seek collaborators with similar interests in those fields who are adept at bringing awareness and energy to our clients’ work.

We value diversity in our team members, consultants, and clients, and we aim to uphold an informed perspective about the context within which our work and that of our clients exists. We are committed to the work of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in our own organization, and we embrace the fact that this value only strengthens our work.

We always tackle projects that encompass more than one design discipline including branding, web design, digital marketing, print communications, and large-scale environmental graphics and signage programs, for clients such as St. Ann’s Warehouse, the Apollo, Bard Prison Initiative, MCC Theater, Longwood Gardens, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center.

About the Role

Flyleaf is growing! We are looking to add a full-time Graphic Designer who has 3+ years of multidisciplinary experience, with an emphasis on branding, brand systems, and brand activation campaigns. Ideally, the designer has some experience working with cultural and/or advocacy-oriented clients.

Our projects require a very creative and organized individual with an enterprising spirit who can think independently and work collaboratively, while contributing their intellectual passions to the life of the studio. We are looking for someone who is capable of making gorgeous, ground-breaking work, bringing a fresh playful approach to brand activations and can guide projects through every stage of their life cycles. The studio consists of the principal, account/project manager, three designers, a remote digital team, and strategic consultants that are a regular part of the extended Flyleaf family.

We are looking for a designer who thinks strategically and is a highly motivated, detail-oriented team player who will liaise directly with the principal, design team, and client, and is responsible for delivering high-quality projects on time.

Ideal candidates should have:

Interest in and/or awareness of culture, performing arts, literature, public policy, or other mission-based issues; some experience with clients in these fields is preferred
Solid understanding of the R&D and design development process for branding and creation of of visual brand systems, brand voice, and presentation decks
Experience creating whole or portions of multi-platform brand activation campaigns based on research of the client’s mission and brand language such as: digital marketing campaigns (e.g., website, social media, eblast); advertising campaigns (e.g., digital display, out of home); print collateral (e.g., brochures, annual reports); large-scale graphics and special events collateral
Strong conceptual thinking and leadership skills with confidence to communicate ideas clearly while working closely with a small internal team, clients, outside consultants, developers, and printers
Solid understanding of designing and launching websites with sensitivity to accessibility and user experience
Flexibility and willingness to learn and take on new challenges
Willingness to take charge of projects while enjoying the autonomy of working in a small studio
Comfortable with highly collaborative team environments
Familiarity with the following is a plus: large-scale graphics and/or environmental signage design; motion graphics skills and/or light video editing; illustration skills
Interest in contributing to studio marketing initiatives, a plus

Major Responsibilities:

Designing and creating materials of a high and consistent quality, with responsibility for selection and oversight of production
Developing new brands in web and print: involves creating new brand systems and brand voice, discovery and branding research, logomarks, typographic hierarchy, templates, etc. ranging from full websites, social and digital ad campaigns, to print collateral
Designing for existing brands: involves working within established brand systems to generate print and digital materials
Brainstorming and building marketing campaigns across social media, email, print, and microsites
Creation of design system for websites, including mockups, animated prototypes and supplementary graphic components, creation of client guideline documents
Creating, organizing, and delivering production-ready assets and documentation for all phases of the project
Working with account manager to set appropriate schedules based on workflow; self-managing deadlines
Tolerance for some ambiguity in project scopes and translating approaches into tangible next steps
Presenting comfortably to clients, designer will have exposure to high-level client leaders and their staff (working with them on a day-to-day basis), responding professionally and confidently to their feedback
Meeting with and receiving feedback from other team members, and accurately accounting for feedback in making revisions
Willingness to ideate on content and content strategy when helpful
Designer will report to Project Manager and Principal

Qualifications:

BFA/BA in graphic design or similar
Outstanding creative portfolio that showcases previous website, style guide and presentation deck work as well as a solid understanding of the R&D and design development process (branding you’ve designed; apps, websites or campaigns you’ve deployed for said brands, etc.) and a strong grasp of typographic hierarchy, color palette and image making
A strong design background, 3+ years of multidisciplinary experience such as: comprehensive brand systems (including social media and digital ad campaign assets), feature-rich websites, robust print pieces, and digital presentation decks. Including: Strong grasp of typographic hierarchy, color palette and image making; playful, vibrant, lush designs across type-, graphic-, and photographic-based work; some understanding of how you would approach intellectual/experimental subject matter; if available, examples of a presentation deck of some phase of design work as shared with a client
Previous agency experiences is preferred
Previous experience with non-profit and/or arts & culture clients is a plus but not required
Excellent writing, communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills with ability to articulate design decisions and to support thematic concepts for design presentations, brand narrative and other written documentation, including client guideline documents
Thrives as a systemic thinker, bringing attention to detail and ability to see the big picture
Excellent organizational skills with ability to plan, prioritize, and coordinate multiple projects
An open, positive, and empathetic personality
Demonstrates ability to build trusted partnerships with project manager, designers, web developers, and clients
Practices giving and taking feedback with a positive and curious attitude
Proven experience in a similar role
Ability to work on multiple projects at once, some on strict deadlines
Ability to problem-solve project briefs and consider various routes to ensure delivery

Software and Technical Experience:

Experience with web graphics and website design required
Familiarity with formal UX / UI fundamentals is a plus
Intimate knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite Software
Familiarity with UX and product design tools (Adobe XD/Sketch/Figma), and digital prototyping programs such as InVision is a plus but candidates should feel comfortable with designing site navigation and content in the Adobe Creative Suite
Strong knowledge and experience with managing the life cycle of web deliverables from discovery through deployment
Experience working with developers for back-end functionality deliverables
Basic HTML & CSS skills to allow you to collaborate with our developers, a plus but not required
Familiarity with email marketing platforms such as Mailchimp, Dot Digital, and/or Constant Contact is preferred
Experience with technical requirements for social media formats, platforms, and image/video quality constraints
QA and fielding client bug reports and escalating them to appropriate parties, following through until they’re resolved
Familiarity with content editing and asset management in CMS platforms such as Wordpress and Squarespace is preferred
Experience with creative management systems such as Basecamp, Google Suite, Slack, Milanote, Miro, a plus but not required
Video editing skills and/or motion design experience, a plus but not required

How To Apply

This is a full-time position starting immediately. Interested candidates must live within commutable distance to the studio in Chelsea, Manhattan. Our studio offers some WFH flexibility due to COVID.

Salary and benefits are commensurate with experience. Designer must be eligible to work in the US. We cannot sponsor candidates at this time. We cannot sponsor candidates at this time.

To apply, please send a PDF of your 1) cover letter, 2) resume, and, 3) a link to your portfolio via email to working@flyleafcreative.com with the subject line “Mid-Level Graphic Designer.” No phone calls please.