Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Midweight Designer
💰 $65,000 - $85,000
🎯 Role Definition
The Midweight Designer is a key creative engine within the organization, sitting at the intersection of execution and ideation. With established foundational skills, this individual operates with a degree of autonomy, taking ownership of significant projects from concept to completion. They are responsible for translating marketing and product strategies into high-quality, engaging visual content across both digital and print mediums. This role requires a strong creative eye, technical proficiency, and the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, all while upholding and evolving the company's brand identity. They are expected to contribute to creative strategy while also executing flawlessly under the guidance of senior creative leadership.
📈 Career Progression
Typical Career Path
Entry Point From:
- Junior Graphic Designer
- Graphic Designer
- Production Artist
Advancement To:
- Senior Designer
- Art Director
- Lead Product Designer
Lateral Moves:
- UI/UX Specialist
- Brand Strategist
- Motion Graphics Designer
Core Responsibilities
Primary Functions
- Conceptualize, design, and execute a wide range of creative projects from the initial brief to final delivery, ensuring alignment with brand guidelines and project objectives.
- Develop and produce a diverse portfolio of visual assets for multi-channel marketing campaigns, including social media graphics, web banners, email newsletters, and paid ad creatives.
- Collaborate closely with marketing, product, and content teams to translate strategic goals and complex ideas into compelling and effective visual communications.
- Design and refine user interfaces (UI) for web and mobile applications, creating wireframes, mockups, and prototypes that contribute to intuitive user experiences (UX).
- Act as a brand guardian, contributing to the evolution and maintenance of the company's brand identity and ensuring consistency across all customer-facing touchpoints.
- Prepare, package, and deliver production-ready files for both digital and print mediums, demonstrating a strong understanding of color profiles, file formats, and printing processes.
- Actively participate in brainstorming sessions and creative workshops to generate innovative ideas and visual concepts for upcoming projects, campaigns, and product features.
- Independently manage multiple design projects simultaneously, effectively prioritizing tasks and consistently meeting deadlines in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
- Skillfully interpret and incorporate feedback from senior designers, art directors, and stakeholders, iterating on designs to achieve the best possible creative outcomes.
- Create and diligently maintain a central library of design assets, component libraries, templates, and style guides to improve efficiency and brand consistency for the wider team.
- Design engaging presentations, compelling infographics, and detailed reports that communicate data and complex information in a clear, digestible, and visually appealing manner.
- Support the art direction of photoshoots and video production by providing input on visual style and ensuring all captured assets align with the established brand standards.
- Proactively stay current with industry trends, modern design tools, and emerging technologies, sharing knowledge with the team to foster a culture of continuous improvement.
- Design and oversee the production of physical marketing materials such as brochures, event signage, trade show booths, and product packaging, managing the process from concept to print.
- Create simple yet effective motion graphics or animated assets using tools like After Effects for use on social media, websites, and digital ads to increase audience engagement.
- Work within project management systems (e.g., Asana, Jira, Trello) to track project progress, manage feedback loops, and maintain clear communication with team members.
- Conduct thorough visual research and create detailed mood boards to help establish and communicate the creative direction for new projects and marketing campaigns.
- Assist in mentoring junior designers by providing constructive feedback, design guidance, and support on their work, fostering their growth and development.
- Ensure all digital designs are optimized for performance, responsiveness, and accessibility across a variety of devices, browsers, and platforms.
- Articulate and confidently present design concepts, strategies, and rationale to internal teams and key stakeholders, explaining how creative solutions meet business objectives.
- Collaborate with copywriters to ensure that visual and textual elements work together harmoniously to deliver a cohesive and powerful brand message.
- Develop and refine custom iconography, illustrations, and other bespoke graphic elements that enhance and differentiate the brand’s visual language.
Secondary Functions
- Assist in the management and organization of the company's digital asset management (DAM) system to ensure all creative assets are easily accessible.
- Contribute to internal creative initiatives, such as designing materials for company-wide events, internal communications, and employer branding efforts.
- Provide ad-hoc design support for sales and business development teams by creating impactful pitch decks and professional proposal templates.
- Participate in user research and testing sessions to gather qualitative feedback on UI/UX designs and inform future iterations.
Required Skills & Competencies
Hard Skills (Technical)
- Adobe Creative Suite: Expert-level proficiency in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign for a wide range of digital and print applications.
- UI/UX Design Software: Strong command of industry-standard tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD for creating wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototypes.
- Typography, Color & Layout: A deep and applied understanding of design fundamentals, including hierarchy, composition, color theory, and typographic principles.
- Branding & Identity Systems: Proven ability to work within and expand upon established brand guidelines to create cohesive visual systems.
- Print Production: Solid knowledge of pre-press processes, color spaces (CMYK/RGB), and preparing production-ready files for print vendors.
- Prototyping: Experience creating clickable prototypes in tools like Figma, InVision, or Marvel to communicate user flows and interactions.
- Basic Motion Graphics: Foundational skills in Adobe After Effects for creating simple animations, GIFs, and video graphics for digital channels.
- Presentation Design: Proficiency in creating visually compelling and well-structured presentations in tools like PowerPoint, Keynote, or Google Slides.
- Digital Asset Management (DAM): Familiarity with organizing and maintaining creative files within a DAM platform or shared server structure.
- HTML/CSS Awareness: A basic understanding of the capabilities and limitations of front-end web technologies to inform web design decisions.
Soft Skills
- Communication & Presentation: The ability to clearly articulate design rationale and present ideas persuasively to both creative and non-creative stakeholders.
- Collaboration: A team-player mindset with a proven ability to work constructively with marketers, developers, writers, and other team members.
- Time Management: Excellent organizational skills with the capacity to manage multiple projects and competing priorities without compromising quality.
- Creative Problem-Solving: A resourceful and inventive approach to tackling design challenges and finding effective visual solutions.
- Receiving Feedback: The maturity to accept and apply constructive criticism from peers and leadership to elevate the final product.
- Attention to Detail: A meticulous eye for detail, ensuring accuracy and quality in all outputs, from pixel-perfect alignment to typo-free copy.
Education & Experience
Educational Background
Minimum Education:
- Bachelor's Degree or equivalent, demonstrated professional experience with a strong portfolio.
Preferred Education:
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) in a design-related discipline.
Relevant Fields of Study:
- Graphic Design
- Visual Communications
- Interaction Design / Human-Computer Interaction
Experience Requirements
Typical Experience Range:
- 3-5 years of professional experience in a graphic design or product design role.
Preferred:
- A strong portfolio is paramount, showcasing a diverse range of high-quality digital and print projects. Experience working within a fast-paced in-house creative team or a design agency is highly desirable.