Design Lead

Aer Studios; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid working

Company pension

Private health insurance

Discretionary annual bonus

21 days holiday + 3 days Christmas

Personal development budget

Job summary

Aer Studios is seeking a Design Lead to shape how we think, design and deliver across a range of digital and experience-led projects. You will lead design thinking, influence the team, and drive high-quality output while staying hands-on with the work.

Based in Bristol with a flexible hybrid model, you’ll shape AI-enabled experiences, collaborate with UX, product, engineering and delivery, and build strong client partnerships through workshops and strategic direction.

Qualifications

• Strong UX and interaction design experience.
• Ability to lead design thinking across projects and teams.
• Comfortable working with AI-enabled design processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead design thinking across projects from discovery to execution.
• Develop and communicate design concepts, journeys and prototypes.
• Mentor and develop the design team to raise quality and consistency.
• Collaborate with UX, product, engineering and delivery throughout projects.
• Present and articulate thinking to clients and stakeholders.

Skills

UX

Design thinking

Leadership

AI in design

Collaboration

Job description

Design Lead

About Aer Studios

We are a Creative Technology Studio, working for mission-driven organisations, building digitalexperiences that deliver a serious positive impact.

We believe that mission-driven organisations deserve digital experiences as compelling andmotivating as the causes they champion.

Our clients need a partner who can deliver the quickest route to positive impact - so we close thegap between ambition and action.

We fuse development and design to deliver highly creative solutions - building digital products thatdon't just engage people, they move people to act.

This matters - because every pound raised, every visitor inspired, every citizen engaged is a steptoward the world our clients are building.

What’s in the role

Type: Full-time, permanent, 40 hour week

Location: Hybrid, Bristol-based studio

Reports to: CEO

About this opportunity

We’re looking for a Design Lead to help shape how we think, design and deliver at Aer.

Our Design Lead will bring strong creative thinking to projects, influence the wider team and raisethe quality of our methods and design output, while being hands-on and close to the work anddelivery.

They’ll lead design thinking across a range of digital and experience-led projects, working closelywith UX, product, engineering and delivery. Comfortable moving between the big picture and thedetail. For example, shaping a response to an open-ended client challenge one day, getting into

interaction design or prototyping the next.

A big part of the role is helping us define what great design looks like in an AI-enabled world. We’relooking for someone with a strong point of view on how AI can enhance our design practices,alongside practical experience using AI tools to improve both the creative process and theexperiences we create.

The work

Our work is predominantly digital and experience-led, spanning:

• UX and service design
• Digital products and platforms
• Websites and digital experiences
• Interactive and immersive experiences
• Product and experience strategy
• AI-enabled experiences
• Creative technology

We work with organisations where there is a genuine problem, audience need or purpose behind thework. Our clients include BBC, Dogs Trust, Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, Historic RoyalPalaces and organisations across the public sector.

Responsibilities you’ll hold

Lead design thinking

Lead the design thinking and direction across projects, from early discovery and strategythrough to final execution.

Turn complex or open-ended client challenges into clear, compelling creative and designdirections.

Bring strong UX and product thinking to the work, grounding decisions in user needs,behaviours and business objectives.

Develop and communicate design concepts, interaction models, journeys, prototypes andhigh-fidelity work.

Raise the quality and ambition of design across Aer through great direction, critique and

feedback.

Stay hands-on and involved in the work.

Shape our approach to AI

Help define how Aer uses AI across our design practice, from strategy and ideation throughto execution.

Explore and adopt new AI tools and workflows that can improve how we think, make anddeliver.

Bring a practical, informed perspective on where AI can genuinely add value, both to thecreative process and to the experiences we create for clients.

Help build AI capability and confidence across the wider design and creative team.

Lead and develop designers

Manage and support our design team (currently 3 people).

Provide clear creative direction, feedback and coaching.

Help designers develop their thinking, craft, commerciality, and confidence.

Set a high bar for the quality and consistency of our work.

Create an environment where people can challenge ideas, learn and do their best work.

Work collaboratively across disciplines

Work closely with UX, product, engineering and delivery throughout the life of a project.

Collaborate with technologists to understand what’s possible and push what’s possiblefurther.

Work with delivery and commercial teams to balance creative ambition with scope,timelines and business realities.

Help ensure design isn’t operating as a silo, but is an integral part of how Aer solvesproblems.

Work directly with clients

Design, lead and contribute to high-fidelity client workshops.

Present and articulate the thinking behind our work with confidence and clarity.

Build trust with clients and become a credible design and strategic partner.

Help clients define and improve their briefs, rather than simply responding to them.

Remain focused on the business outcomes and commercials behind the work, not just thequality of the design output.

What you’ll bring

Strong UX and digital experience

You’ll have substantial experience shaping digital products and experiences, with a strongunderstanding of UX and interaction design. You’ll be comfortable working from early-stage userneeds and strategic thinking through to journeys, interaction and high-fidelity execution.

A solid perspective on AI

You’ll have a genuine interest in, and practical experience with, AI in design. You don’t need to haveall the answers, but you’ll have a well-informed perspective on where the discipline is heading andbe excited about helping Aer shape its approach.

Agency-ready

You’ll have previous agency or studio experience and understand the realities of working in thisenvironment: multiple projects, changing priorities, tight timelines, different clients and the need tomove quickly without compromising the quality of the thinking.

You’ll enjoy that pace and variety, and know how to balance creative ambition with the practicalrealities of delivering great work for clients.

Creative problem solver

You’ll be comfortable with ambiguity and able to take a fairly open-ended challenge and turn it intoa clear creative or design direction. You’ll be curious, thoughtful and able to connect dots acrossaudience needs, business objectives, technology and creative opportunity.

Design direction

You’ll be confident offering design thinking on projects and giving clear direction to others. You’llknow how to give constructive, useful feedback and bring people with you, raising the quality of thework without needing to own every decision yourself.

Collaborative by nature

You’ll enjoy working across disciplines and be comfortable collaborating with strategists, UXers,product people, developers and delivery leads.

You’ll also look beyond Aer, building relationships across the wider creative, design and technologyecosystem, sharing ideas, learning from others, representing Aer externally and helping build astrong network of collaborators, peers and future opportunities.

Client confident

You’ll be comfortable in front of clients and when delivering workshops, able to explain and stand by your thinking with a good dose of humility. Understand that successful design is about solving theright problem and delivering meaningful outcomes, alongside producing something that looks

great.

How we’ll remunerate and develop you

We pay competitive salaries that are annually industry and location benchmarked.

You join an award-winning company, recognised by Great Place to Work®, where yourcontributions are highly valued.

You join a team that delivers impactful work that is purposeful and meaningful.

Flexible hybrid working option.

Company pension contribution & Private Health Insurance.

Discretionary annual employee bonus.

21 days holiday + 3 days paid Christmas leave during holiday closure, plus additional loyalty

leave at key milestones.

Personal annual development budget and dedicated time allocation.

Mental health first aid training & 2x paid charity volunteering days.

Annual company holiday weekend.

Aer Studios are an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed tocreating an inclusive environment for all employees and freelancers.