Social Media Designer

Critical Playground LLC; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Uncapped leave

Enhanced parental leave

Dental care and Private Medical care

Profit share bonus

Job summary

Future is seeking a hybrid Graphic Designer to lead social-first design across our brand portfolio. You’ll craft templates, motion graphics and branded video elements for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, working closely with brand teams and content creators.

Bring a strong portfolio of social-first design, typography and motion, plus expert use of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects and Premiere Pro. London-based, with two days onsite per week.

Qualifications

• Portfolio demonstrating social-first design, typography and motion graphics.
• Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud and platform-ready assets.

Responsibilities

• Lead creation of social-first design assets, templates and motion graphics.
• Translate briefs into engaging visual assets for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
• Develop branded video elements and adaptable toolkits with Adobe apps.
• Design presentations and pitches to support commercial proposals.
• Produce platform-native visual formats and typography treatments.
• Collaborate with brand teams to apply trends and insights.
• Create reusable design templates and brand guidelines for editors.
• Support content testing with polished visual solutions.

Skills

Visual storytelling

Social-first design

Motion graphics

Brand templates

Collaboration

Tools

Photoshop

Illustrator

InDesign

After Effects

Premiere Pro

Job description

Who we are

We create trusted, expert content that helps millions of people discover more about the things they love, need and care about. From technology, gaming and entertainment to fashion, lifestyle, sport, finance and beyond, our specialist brands connect people with their passions every day.

Across websites, magazines, newsletters, social channels and events, we bring expert content to audiences around the world. We combine our deep specialist knowledge with innovative technology and data to create engaging experiences, build valuable communities and help people make better-informed decisions.

Behind it all are our people - passionate experts, creators, innovators and problem-solvers who are shaping the future of media.

About Future's Social Hub

The Social Hub is a new global centre of excellence, bringing together strategy, creativity and platform expertise to strengthen social across Future. By empowering our brands with the expertise, tools and ideas they need to succeed, we'll drive audience growth, strengthen brand relevance and unlock new commercial opportunities.

You’ll be working with some of the world's leading media brands, including Who What Wear, Marie Claire, Wallpaper*, GamesRadar+, PC Gamer, Tom's Guide and TechRadar.

This is an opportunity to build something new, influence how social evolves across Future and help shape its next chapter.

What You’ll Do:

Reporting to the Executive Director, Global Head of Social Hub, you'll lead the creation of social-first design assets, templates, and motion graphics across Future’s brand portfolio. You'll work closely with brand teams, video creators, and commercial leads to translate creative briefs into engaging visual assets for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

• Using Adobe Creative Cloud tools including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, and Premiere Pro, you'll develop branded video elements, motion graphics, and adaptable toolkits.
• You'll also design visually compelling presentations and pitches to support commercial proposals.
• Create high-quality social-first static assets, motion graphics, and platform-native visual formats.
• Develop adaptable design templates, toolkits, and brand guidelines to support editorial teams.
• Produce animated typography, title treatments, and repeatable graphic elements for social video franchises.
• Design polished presentation decks and visual mock-ups to support commercial pitches and pre-sale proposals.
• Collaborate with the Social Hub and brand teams to translate creative briefs into effective visual solutions.
• Apply social trends and audience insights to refine creative assets and support content testing.

What You’ll Bring:

• Demonstrated portfolio showing strong visual storytelling, typography, and social-first graphic design.
• Expertise in Adobe Creative Cloud tools including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
• Ability to create motion graphics and text animations using After Effects or Premiere Pro.
• Solid understanding of social platform specifications, mobile-first design, and accessibility best practices.
• Experience developing visual identities, brand templates, and repeatable assets for digital series.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills to manage multiple design projects effectively across teams.

Minimum Requirements:

• Professional portfolio demonstrating social-first design, typography, motion graphics, and presentation layout.
• Practical experience creating platform-ready design assets using Adobe Creative Cloud software.

What We Offer:

• Uncapped leave
• Enhanced parental leave
• Discounted rates with Dental care and Private Medical care
• When we hit our targets, enjoy a share of our profits with a bonus
• Refer a friend scheme - with payment following the successful hire.
• Well-being support with access to our Colleague Assistant Programmes
• Opportunity to purchase shares in Future, with our Share Incentive Plan
• Salary sacrifice Pension scheme up to 5% match

Free drinks and snacks in our offices

The expected range for this role is £50,000

This is a hybrid role, working 2 days per week from our London Office

Internal job family level, Commercial 6

Inclusion & Diversity

At Future, we're working to attract, retain and foster diverse talent, educating our colleagues in the importance of diversity, and review our internal processes so that they remain as free from bias as possible. We recognise that, in order to reach diverse communities through our content, we must first ensure ours is a culture in which diversity can thrive.

Find out more about Our Future, Our Responsibility on our website.

If you need any reasonable adjustments, please let us know, and we'll be happy to support you.

#LI-Hybrid / #LI-Remote

#LI-KC1