2D Creative Lead

DesignScene; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading design agency in London is seeking a 2D Creative Lead to oversee creative vision and execution for global projects. The ideal candidate will have over 12 years of agency experience in experiential event production and a strong proficiency in design software. This role involves leading teams, managing international projects, and ensuring high-quality outcomes that fit within client budgets. Competitive salary based on experience, with a hybrid work model.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 12 years’ agency experience in creative experiential event production.
• Proven ability to lead creative conversations and projects.
• Exceptional time management and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Leading creative development for major brands.
• Translating briefs into feasible presentations.
• Mentoring and guiding designers and freelancers.

Skills

Passion for design

Creative flair

Vast experience in 2D design

Ability to visualize briefs

Excellent communication skills

Time management skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Microsoft Office

Google G-Suite

Job description

Overview

Hello.

We Are DesignScene. We craft design-led events and experiential marketing campaigns for brands worldwide.

Most agencies talk about pushing boundaries but play it safe when budgets are on the line. We\'re different. We\'re confident, creative, innovative, and collaborative. We\'re called when conventional won\'t cut it. We\'re behind the experiences that Pinterest, Amazon, T-Mobile, and Live Nation keep coming back for. We experiment with new materials and processes—whatever it takes to create something worth talking about.

We are looking to strengthen our team with the addition of a 2D Creative Lead in London to work across physical, hybrid and digital events and activations delivered across the globe.

You will have a minimum of 12 years’ agency experience and a background in a creative experiential event production, with a passion for bringing ideas to life through visually striking brand experiences. You’ll thrive on rising to creative challenges, delivering impactful design solutions, and working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary environment. You’ll combine strategy, planning, and management with a deep understanding of the creative process, applying industry best practices and expert-level proficiency in leading design software. Exceptional time management and organizational skills are key, along with a genuine enthusiasm for events and brand storytelling.

As part of this role, international travel will be essential to support global events and experiential activations.

What is the purpose of the job?

You'll be leading creative development for brands like Pinterest, Amazon, T-Mobile, and Live Nation. Not just any projects—the ones that happen at CES, Cannes Lions, and SXSW. The kind that gets shared, saved, and talked about.

Translating loose briefs into buildable realities. Often co-writing the brief alongside clients because they trust your vision, and you know what they need before they know what they want.

Taking the team on exciting journeys, regardless of the complexities we face. Presenting to decision-makers who green-light your concepts and put them on the path to becoming industry case studies.

Working across international teams and time zones because the world is your oyster. Traveling abroad to deliver your creations. Sometimes problem-solving in real-time when builds go sideways (which happens when we least expect it). Making team time on-site enjoyable for everyone.

The 2D Creative Lead is responsible for driving the creative vision and execution of experiential projects — ensuring ideas are always on brand, strategically strong and practically achievable. This role exists to lead the concepting and creative direction of immersive brand experiences, blending imagination with a solid understanding of production realities. Working closely with production and project management teams, the Creative Lead ensures that creative concepts are deliverable and can be adapted to meet client budget parameters without compromising on impact or originality. A deep understanding of the experiential events industry, printing processes, printing materials, digital formats, and live environment design is essential to bring ideas to life effectively and efficiently.

Reporting to the Creative Director, the 2D Creative Lead is a key creative force in the agency — driving innovation across pitches, RFPs, and live projects, while inspiring the internal teams and freelancers to deliver outstanding work within the client brand guidelines parameters. Ultimately, the purpose of this role is to create bold, feasible, and winning creative ideas that excite clients, meet budgets, and elevate the agency\’s creative reputation.

The DesignScene values that we look for are:

• Confident
• Creative
• Innovative
• Collaborative

You’re Someone Who

• Is ambitious, driven, and thrives in a fast-paced creative environment.
• Balances big-picture thinking with hands-on execution.
• Can adapt quickly and confidently to changing priorities and deadlines.
• Confident and happy to lead Senior and Junior Designers and Artworkers.
• Used to dealing with print processes and all things digital.
• Is collaborative by nature and confident leading creative conversations.
• Brings fresh energy, ideas, and passion to every project

We want you to create the experiences your industry peers will secretly wish they had designed.

Sound like you? Get in touch with your CV and an extensive portfolio of work

About

• Location: DesignScene London (working across global projects)
• Employment Type: Permanent full time, 3 days in the office, Monday and Fridays WFH.
• Salary: dependant on experience
• Reports to: Creative Director
• Leads: Senior and Junior 2D Designers

We’re looking for a passionate, fast-moving 2D Creative Lead to join our experiential team — someone who lives and breathes spatial design, brand storytelling, and immersive experience creation. Reporting to the Creative Director, this role leads the brand vision across pitches, RFPs, and live projects, bringing ideas to life through exceptional 2D design, creative direction, and hands-on leadership.

This is a key creative role for someone hungry to make an impact — combining strong conceptual thinking with practical delivery. You’ll guide multidisciplinary teams and freelancers to produce world-class experiential work that inspires, engages, and delivers results.

What do you have to achieve?

• Client satisfaction
• Excellence in design concepts that stick to brand parameters in fresh new ways
• Creative development of the client’s brief to ensure the goals of the brief are met
• Excellent management of the creative process for every assigned project
• Ensure all creative work and print and digital deliverables are delivered to a high standard and to the agreed deadlines and budget constraints
• Leads multi disciplinary teams of designers across specific projects.
• Direct and create high quality creative solutions that inspire and delight our clients, meet their design brief and are delivered within the constraints of cost and time
• Great, timely communication with relevant parties
• Strong partnership with other disciplines to ensure effective delivery and information flow
• Manage company communication effectively and consistently from/to senior management flagging any issues and seeking resolution
• Efficient working across international teams and time zones

What do you have to do?

• Work in partnership with key stakeholders to ensure the objectives and requirements of the job are met through the design process, whilst pushing creative boundaries
• Interpret design briefs and deep diving into client brand guidelines in order to come up with the perfect on brand response while bringing a fresh and creative take on everything that goes into print or screen.
• Present creative concepts internally and externally with clarity, confidence, and passion.
• Lead creative responses for new business opportunities, including RFPs and pitch briefs.
• Develop strong creative ideas under tight deadlines without compromising quality.
• Estimating the time required to complete the work to support project team in providing quotes for clients
• Direct and create high quality creative solutions that inspire and delight our clients, meet their design brief and are delivered within the constraints of cost and time
• Coordinate with production team and outside suppliers, such scenic vendors or printers
• Be onsite during site visits to view the venue and understand the surroundings
• Demonstrating onsite skills during build, being able to react and make quick decisions while the event print graphics are being installed and digital assets tested.
• To regularly evaluate market trends and share with business
• Mentor and guide senior and junior Designers and freelancers, fostering a collaborative and high-energy studio culture.
• Manage and brief freelance creatives and 2D designers, ensuring deliverables meet the creative vision and deadlines.
• Partner closely with the Creative Director to evolve and elevate the agency\’s creative output.

What are the skills required?

• Passion and enthusiasm for design, with creative flair
• Vast experience of working in 2D design roles with ability to visualise the brief from concept to final approval and design intent drawings
• Experience working on pitches and RFPs under tight deadlines, with the ability to balance creativity, speed, and strategic insight.
• The ability to take initial ideas and effectively translate into innovative design solutions
• Ability to hand sketch to express ideas in an quick efficient way
• Detailed knowledge of the creative process
• Flexible and collaborative approach with the ability to multitask
• Excellent communication skills in order to interpret briefs with the team and clients
• Excellent presentation skills and the confidence to explain and sell ideas to clients and colleagues
• Time management skills and the ability to work on several projects at a time
• Have a good knowledge of printing materials and techniques
• Being open to feedback and willing to make changes to your designs
• Technically proficient in relevant design packages
• Self-motivated, organised and able to multi-task and work effectively under pressure
• Influencing and negotiating skills

What technical knowledge do you need?

• Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects preferred).
• Knowledge on generative AI, Midjourney, KREA, Firefly, etc…
• Expert in Apple OS, Google G-Suite, Microsoft Office,, MIRO
• Presentation design skills using Apple Keynote, PowerPoint, and Google Slides.