Job Description
Design Director
Hours: 10:30 - 19:00
Mon-Wed at Chancery Lane, London Office
The role
As Design Director, you will oversee the delivery of exceptional creative solutions across branding, user experience, digital, and print design projects. This role requires a highly experienced design professional with expertise in managing multidisciplinary teams, engaging directly with clients, and leading on project costing, planning, and execution. You will guide your team in producing world-class work by combining art direction, strategic planning, and design leadership, ensuring all outputs meet the highest standards of quality, functionality, and innovation. This role offers a unique opportunity to drive creative excellence, shape the company’s future direction, and grow into a senior leadership position.
Responsibilities and Key Competencies
· Creative and Design Leadership
· Define and uphold the brand's visual identity, ensuring a consistent, high-quality design standard across all outputs.
· Lead the conceptual development of branding, user experiences, and marketing materials, transforming client briefs into impactful creative solutions.
· Provide expert art direction and design guidance for complex projects, ensuring innovation, functionality, and visual appeal.
· Establish and maintain design systems that promote consistency, efficiency, and scalability across projects.
· Stay informed of industry trends, tools, and technologies to foster a progressive and forward-thinking creative environment.
Design and Project Management
· Manage and interpret client briefs, aligning business objectives with actionable creative strategies.
· Oversee design projects from conception to completion, including developing scopes, timelines, and budgets, while ensuring deliverables meet usability, accessibility, and aesthetic standards.
· Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including marketing, product development, and production, to ensure cohesive and seamless project execution.
· Regularly monitor project progress, identifying risks and opportunities, and reporting updates to senior leadership.
· Allocate resources effectively, balancing team workloads to meet priorities without compromising quality.
· Review and approve all design outputs, providing constructive feedback to team members to ensure consistent excellence.
Client Engagement and Relationship Management
· Act as the main point of contact for clients, ensuring their goals and feedback are understood and translated into actionable design improvements.
· Present design concepts, project updates, and final deliverables, maintaining client engagement and satisfaction throughout the creative process.
· Build strong client relationships by demonstrating a deep understanding of their needs and delivering exceptional results.
Costing, Planning, and Optimisation
· Lead project costing exercises, balancing budgetary constraints with innovative solutions.
· Develop pricing models that align with business objectives, ensuring both profitability and client satisfaction.
· Continuously evaluate and refine project costs and workflows to identify opportunities for efficiency and improvement.
Creative Innovation and Team Development
· Provide creative support across various disciplines, including motion graphics, branding, and presentation design.
· Foster a culture of learning and innovation by mentoring junior team members and encouraging exploration of new design approaches.
· Use downtime to refine workflows, test emerging tools, and implement innovative creative techniques.
Experience and Skills
· Minimum 15 years of professional design experience, including at least 5 years in a leadership role.
· Proven ability to manage high-profile projects valued up to £500,000, consistently delivering innovative and effective solutions.
· Extensive expertise across branding, UI/UX, print, and digital design, with a strong portfolio showcasing high-calibre work.
· Demonstrated success in leading and mentoring multidisciplinary design teams, fostering collaboration and professional growth.
· Experience liaising with clients and cross-functional teams, ensuring cohesive, impactful outcomes.
Core Skills
· Deep expertise in art direction, branding, and strategic design leadership.
· Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities effectively.
· Analytical mindset with problem-solving capabilities to troubleshoot design challenges and deliver innovative solutions.
· Excellent communication skills for presenting complex ideas clearly to clients and non-technical stakeholders.
Technical Proficiency
· Expertise in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, Premiere Pro).
· Advanced proficiency in Figma, Sketch, and motion graphics tools such as Adobe Animate.
· Basic knowledge of web technologies like HTML, CSS, and platforms such as WordPress using Elementor.
· Proficiency in creating impactful presentations using PowerPoint and Keynote.
This role presents an exciting opportunity to drive impactful design solutions and lead high-value projects, working with a talented team of multidisciplinary creatives.
Whitewall, is a growing international agency, seeking an experienced Design Director to join our team. In this role, you will be pivotal in shaping the creative direction of our projects, aligning design excellence with strategic goals, and ensuring that deliverables are executed flawlessly.
We are looking for a leader who understands the commercial imperative, inspires a team to deliver world-class work, and maintains exceptional attention to detail. As Design Director, you will work closely with our VP Creative & Design and VP Experience & Digital, overseeing clients and managing a wide range of creative outputs, including brand assets, live and digital experiences, motion and graphic design, marketing materials, and ad hoc projects. Your vision, leadership, and expertise will elevate our creative offerings and make a lasting impact.