Inkling is a creative agency renowned for crafting immersive experiences that bridge the digital and physical worlds. We're looking for an Art Director to join our team and play a pivotal role in shaping brand narratives, developing compelling art direction, and championing the quality of our creative output.
In this hands-on role, you'll collaborate with a talented cross-functional team of experienced designers to conceptualize and develop groundbreaking immersive physical brand activations, eye-catching websites, and compelling visual storytelling. You'll be a key driver in translating client briefs into innovative, high-impact creative treatments that exceed expectations and deliver measurable results.
If you're a passionate creative leader with a strong understanding of experiential design, exceptional visual storytelling abilities, and the agility to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative agency environment, we want to hear from you.
What You'll Do
- Conceptual Visionary: Concept and develop innovative, big ideas for a wide range of projects, including experiential events, integrated campaigns, and graphic design initiatives.
- Art Direction: Lead projects with autonomy, driving art direction, design, and conceptual ideas from inception to execution, ensuring a cohesive and compelling visual narrative.
- Client Champion: Present creative concepts clearly and persuasively to clients, effectively articulating the strategic rationale behind design decisions and building consensus.
- Creative Collaboration: Collaborate seamlessly with copywriters, designers, engineers, strategists, and product managers within a cross-functional team to ensure the seamless integration of art direction across all touchpoints.
- BrandSteward: Uphold and elevate Inkling's visual identity, ensuring all creative executions adhere to brand guidelines and maintain the highest standards of visual craft and attention to detail.
- Proactive Leadership: Take initiative and lead projects independently, demonstrating proactive problem-solving, resourcefulness, and the ability to anticipate challenges and develop effective solutions.
- Mentorship & Inspiration: Provide guidance and mentorship to junior designers, fostering a culture of creative excellence and continuous improvement within the team.
What You'll Bring
- Creative Agency Expertise: 3+ years of proven experience in an advertising agency or similar creative environment, with a strong portfolio showcasing a range of successful campaigns and projects.
- Experiential Marketing Prowess: Proven experience in developing art direction for experiential marketing initiatives, with a deep understanding of how to create engaging and memorable physical brand experiences.
- Art Direction Proficiency: Expertise in crafting impactful art direction across various mediums, with a strong understanding of design principles, typography, color theory, and visual hierarchy.
- Conceptual Thinking & Storytelling: A history of self-initiated creative projects and a demonstrated ability to develop original concepts and translate them into compelling visual stories.
- Communication & Collaboration Excellence: Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and persuasively, both verbally and visually.
- Technical Proficiency: Strong proficiency with industry-standard design tools, including Figma, Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator.
- Motion Design Awareness: Basic proficiency in motion animation design and an understanding of how motion graphics can enhance visual storytelling.
This Job Requires
- Work from our Bushwick office a minimum of 2 days a week
- 3+ years of agency experience concepting and designing campaigns
- Proven experience developing art direction for experiential marketing.
- Expertise in crafting impactful art direction across digital, print, and experiential mediums.
- A strong portfolio demonstrating original concepts and compelling visual stories.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills.
- Proficiency with industry-standard design tools (Figma, Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator).
- Basic proficiency in motion animation design.
- Experience working cross-functionally in collaborative environments.
- Proficiency in developing in-product storytelling and strategy.
Preferred Credentials
- Bachelor's degree in advertising, marketing, production or similar discipline
- On-site experience providing creative solutions to unexpected problems
The Perks
- 100% company provided medical, dental and vision insurance
- 20 days paid time off per calendar year
- 401k with Company Match Program
The Company
Inkling is a creative agency that will challenge your collaboration skills over digital platforms, encourage you to follow your passions and foster a friendly environment that celebrates great work and craft.
Inkling welcomes diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities and all else, as we strive to create an equitable and inclusive environment for all.