London, UK
Head of design
at StudioXAG
StudioXAG is looking for a head of design to join its London-based team on a one-year maternity contract.
About
Designing and making some of the most exciting window displays, StudioXAG will make you stop and look. Established in 2009 by Xavier & Gemma, the team is now made up of 25 full-time 2D & 3D designers, account managers, production managers & our workshop team.
Based in Leyton, east London, the XAG team specialises in design and fabrication for retail environments. With projects ranging from show-stopping bespoke installations to concept shop-fits and global window roll-outs. Visual storytelling is at the heart of our work, with a strong ability to tailor our approach to the core brand values and aesthetics of our clients.
You
Do you have a passion for design? You must be bold, creative and have a desire to work with a talented team that design storytelling brand experiences. Experience mentoring a team of creatives, helping them solve problems and guiding them to produce show-stopping designs that WOW.
The role
You would be heading up a medium-sized team of amazing designers in a challenging, exciting and creative environment, from our warehouse studios. You will have the opportunity to work with great brands on interesting projects, guiding our team of 7 2D/3D designers of varying levels, ensuring that the design work produced is of the highest standard and answers all the deliverables of the brief. With 10-15 live projects in studio at once, you must be able to multitask and prioritise workloads and have excellent time management skills. You will be working with senior management and directors across the company, helping to drive the business forward.
Our ideal candidate would have:
- five+ years 3D design experience within a retail design agency/in-house visual team
- two+ years managing a medium sized design team (5-10 people)
- experience taking projects from start to finish, from initial concept right through to final design & build
- a good understanding of production methods, materials and assembly processes
- extensive and up-to-date knowledge of retail & design trends, with an active interest in all areas of design
Creative skills:
- concept generation; creating storytelling concepts for brands to help reinforce brand messages/sell specific products
- creative direction; guiding the designers to develop strong creative solutions. Critiquing and giving constructive feedback on designs to ensure they are aligned with the brief
- experiential; An understanding of marketing strategies to engage the consumer within retail pop-up spaces, along with knowledge of social media activations and digital/virtual reality
Design management skills:
- excellent at dissecting briefs, assessing the scope of works & resources required to complete each project. Using this information to prepare design quotes for MD to review
- clear and concise at relaying client briefs to the design team, making sure they understand the key deliverables and timelines they are working to
- scheduling each project, setting feasible phased deadlines & ensuring these are met
- scheduling the design studio, overseeing 10-15 live projects at one time. Forecasting what the team will be working on 2-3 weeks in advance & making sure they are appropriately resourced
- managing the design process through its multiple phases: concept design & design development in the design studio, then working alongside the PMs and Technical team to oversee production progress
Communication skills:
- confident and professional communicating with clients whether it be over email or face to face meetings
- motivational and encouraging, inspiring the team to create their best work
- leading internal meetings: a weekly companywide Status Update meeting, a fortnightly design team meeting, and one-to-one’s with team members on a weekly basis
- a great sense of humour with an ‘everything is possible’ attitude
Terms: one-year maternity cover contract commencing January/February 2019
Benefits
Amazing people + being part of the XAG family + free food + annual research trips to Europe + regular parties + pizza lunches!
To submit your application, please click the ‘apply’ button below.