Design Director - 12M FTC Experience Design New London

Landor; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Landor in London is seeking a Design Director to lead experience-led design for immersive, spatial and brand-led projects. You will translate insights into distinctive concepts, oversee end-to-end design development and collaborate across strategy, brand and production teams.

The role requires a senior, strategic leader with exceptional presentation and client-management skills. A hybrid work model applies, with strong opportunities to shape global brand experiences within the WPP ecosystem.

Qualifications

• Significant design experience in a brand-focused design agency or similar environment.
• Strong strategic and creative point of view, turning bold ideas into distinctive, high-quality design.
• Excellent conceptual skills with a track record of developing brand-led work.
• Confidence presenting design strategies to clients and teams.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills with the business sense to manage stakeholders and grow client relationships.
• Financial awareness to set and work towards project and team financial goals.
• Proven ability to lead, mentor and inspire project teams with an growth-oriented approach.
• Awareness of design and creative trends and how global shifts influence brand engagement.
• Passion for design, branding and creative excellence.
• Experience with interactive or immersive platforms is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Define and champion the creative vision and design strategy for experience-led projects including spatial design and branded spaces.
• Translate brand and audience insights into distinctive concepts connecting physical and digital touchpoints.
• Lead projects from brief through exploration, development, prototyping, fabrication and launch.
• Shape cohesive spatial experiences including journeys, layouts, materials, lighting and signage.
• Lead multiple projects concurrently, delivering high-quality work that meets client objectives.
• Collaborate with strategy, brand, digital, architecture, production and client services to develop integrated solutions.
• Oversee reviews, coordination, prototypes and site implementation while protecting the creative vision.
• Ensure accessibility, inclusivity, sustainability, safety and operational needs are considered.
• Act as senior creative partner to clients; build relationships, run workshops and present design strategies.
• Lead creative development for client pitches and new business opportunities when required.

Skills

Brand strategy

Leadership

Design direction

Client management

Presentation skills

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Cinema 4D

Rhino

SketchUp

Job description

Design Director - 12M FTC Experience Design

London

Landor is looking for a Design Director (Experience) to join our London studio. Could this be you?

We are Landor, part of WPP
World-leading brand experts,
underpinned by the most expansive strategic & creative capabilities in our category.
We make brands more valuable and less vulnerable.
We build brands differently. We work with our clients to define and solve their business problems through the lens of brand. We strategically join the dots between our design, experience, governance and measurement capabilities, and always connect our brand work to business outcomes.
Landor companies also include amp (sonic branding), bdg (workplace & architectural experts), Deep Local (creative technologists) and ManvsMachine (3D motion design).

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unitecutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counselin a single company –powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open,to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com .

What you’ll do

• Define and champion the creative vision and design strategy for experience-led projects, including spatial design, retail environments, branded spaces, pop-ups, exhibitions and expos.
• Translate brand, business and audience insights into distinctive concepts and memorable experiences that connect physical and digital touchpoints.
• Lead projects from initial brief, research and concept development through design development, prototyping, production, fabrication, installation and launch.
• Shape cohesive spatial experiences, guiding elements such as customer and visitor journeys, layouts, circulation, materials, lighting, graphics, signage, wayfinding, content and interactive technology.
• Lead multiple projects concurrently, delivering innovative, high-quality work that meets client objectives and strengthens their brand.
• Collaborate with clients and multidisciplinary teams—including strategy, brand, digital, architecture, production and client services—to develop integrated solutions.
• Oversee design reviews, technical coordination, prototypes, mock-ups and site implementation, resolving challenges while protecting the creative vision and ensuring designs are practical to build and operate.
• Ensure solutions consider accessibility, inclusivity, sustainability, safety, operational needs and project requirements.
• Act as a senior creative partner to clients: build trusted relationships, lead workshops, present design strategies and communicate a clear point of view.
• Lead creative development for client pitches and new business opportunities when required.
• Partner with Client Services to align scope, resourcing, schedules and budgets with project and financial goals, while identifying opportunities for growth.
• Set a high standard for creative excellence, providing constructive critique and guidance to strengthen team output.
• Recruit, mentor and inspire designers, fostering a supportive, ambitious and collaborative creative culture.
• Identify opportunities to develop the team’s capabilities and support its future growth.
• Build strong relationships with client-side creative teams, production partners and suppliers to ensure continuity and quality from concept to completion.
• Serve as an internal leader in experience and spatial design, collaborating across the business to solve complex creative and strategic challenges.

What you’ll need

• Significant design experience in a brand-focused design agency or similar environment.
• A strong strategic and creative point of view, with the ability to turn bold ideas into distinctive, high-quality design.
• Excellent conceptual skills and a track record of developing innovative brand-led work.
• Confidence presenting design strategies and telling compelling stories to clients, stakeholders and teams.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with the business acumen to manage stakeholders, grow client relationships and identify commercial opportunities.
• Financial awareness, including the ability to set and work towards financial goals for projects and teams.
• Proven ability to lead, motivate and encourage project teams with an optimistic, growth-oriented approach.
• A strong awareness of design and creative trends, as well as the cultural, industry and global shifts influencing how people engage with brands.
• A passion for design, branding and creative excellence.
• Proficiency with creative tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Miro and AI tools, alongside proficiency with relevant design and visualisation software, such as Cinema 4D, Rhino, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Vectorworks, 3D rendering and real-time visualisation tools. Experience with interactive or immersive platforms is an advantage.
• Experience in digital design and motion graphics, including leading the creation of impactful visual content across platforms.

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

We build brands. We build futures. Landor, a WPP company, is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all applicants without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics, committed to a culture of respect where everyone belongs and can progress in their careers.