Art Director

PlanetArt; Calabasas (CA); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

401(k) with matching

Pet Insurance

Mental Health Benefits

Comprehensive Time Off Program and PTO

Job summary

PlanetArt is seeking an Art Director to lead the visual identity across our growing portfolio, including Personal Creations, Gifts.com, Amazon brands, and Etsy storefronts.

You will guide a talented design team, set brand standards, and collaborate with marketing, merchandising, and external partners to deliver high-impact visuals for email, social, digital ads, and ecommerce experiences. The role blends hands-on design with leadership and mentorship.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in graphic design, Visual Communications, or related field, or equivalent.
• 3 years of professional experience as an Art Director or senior graphic design/creative leadership.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating design, branding, and art direction across digital channels.
• Expertise in visual design principles: composition, color theory, typography, layout.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, especially Photoshop and Illustrator.
• Proven ability to develop original concepts from ideation to execution.
• Experience leading and mentoring designers while maintaining high quality.
• Strong organizational and project management skills in a fast-paced environment.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently while collaborating with teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to present ideas effectively.
• Creative thinker with passion for design, branding, trends, and engaging experiences.
• Detail-oriented with commitment to polished, high-quality work.

Responsibilities

• Lead the creative vision and visual identity for multiple brands with cohesive brand execution.
• Provide direction to designers, copywriters, marketing, merchandising, and external partners.
• Oversee digital assets including email campaigns, social media, ads, and ecommerce visuals.
• Collaborate to develop seasonal creative strategies and content calendars.
• Direct photography and video concepts with production partners.
• Monitor insights and trends to optimize customer engagement and product presentation.
• Develop templates, design systems, and reusable assets for consistency.
• Work with the Creative Director on new concepts and innovative approaches.

Skills

Art Direction

Branding

Design Leadership

Mentoring

Adobe Creative Suite

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in graphic design or Visual Communications

Tools

Photoshop

Illustrator

Job description

Company And Vision

PlanetArt's vision is to be the leading seller of personalized and make-on-demand products worldwide. We provide consumers with unmatched tools and content and an unparalleled end-to-end customer experience that result in high-quality, meaningful finished products and memorable celebrations of life events.

The company's brands include the popular FreePrints and FreePrints Photobooks apps and the industry leading SimplytoImpress card and stationery site, as well as Personal Creations, CafePress and ISeeMe! Visit www.planetart.com to learn more about our brands.

We have more than 500 team members across multiple offices, primarily in Calabasas CA, San Diego CA, Woodridge IL, Minneapolis, MN and Pleasanton, CA. We also have team members in two company-owned offices in China, as well as in Europe.

Job Overview

We are seeking a creative, strategic, and detail-oriented Art Director to lead and elevate the visual identity of our growing portfolio of our brands. This individual will play a key role in shaping the look and feel of our customer - facing content across digital channels, ensuring cohesive and compelling storytelling that drives engagement and performance.

As Art Director, you will guide a talented team of designers and collaborate cross-functionally with marketing, merchandising, and external partners. You'll be responsible for art direction, brand consistency, and the creation of high-impact visual assets for email, social media, digital ads, eCommerce, and more. This role balances hands-on design work with leadership and project oversight, making it ideal for a creative leader who thrives in both execution and mentorship.

The ideal candidate is a visionary designer with strong branding instincts, excellent communication skills, and the ability to make data-informed creative decisions. If you're passionate about design and translating brand strategy into captivating visuals, we'd love to meet you.

PLEASE NOTE: Candidates must be local to or willing to relocate to the Calabasas area as we operate on a hybrid work model (3 days onsite, 2 remote)

What You’ll Do

Key Responsibilities

Art Direction

• Lead the creative vision and visual identity for Personal Creations (US/UK), Gifts.com, Amazon brands (Let's Make Memories and RedEnvelope), and Etsy storefronts, ensuring consistent brand execution across all customer touchpoints.
• Establish, evolve, and maintain brand standards while providing creative direction to designers, copywriters, marketing, merchandising, and external creative partners.
• Oversee the creative development and approval of digital assets including email campaigns, social media, digital advertising, Amazon content, product imagery, video, and ecommerce experiences.
• Partner with Marketing and Merchandising to develop seasonal creative strategies, promotional campaigns, and content calendars aligned with business objectives.
• Direct photography and video concepts, collaborating with internal and external production partners to ensure assets support marketing and merchandising initiatives.
• Monitor customer insights, performance metrics, and industry trends to recommend creative improvements, optimize customer engagement, and influence product presentation.
• Develop and maintain creative templates, design systems, and reusable assets that promote consistency and efficiency across marketing channels.
• Collaborate with the Creative Director to develop new concepts, creative initiatives, and innovative approaches that strengthen brand presence

Design & Creative Execution

• Design and oversee high-impact creative for websites, landing pages, email campaigns, social media, digital advertising, and ecommerce experiences.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to develop and execute A/B tests and user experience enhancements based on customer insights and business performance metrics.
• Create original concepts for new campaigns, product launches, photography, video, and emerging marketing channels.
• Provide hands-on design support for priority initiatives, new creative concepts, and high-visibility projects as business needs require.
• Leverage the company's proprietary AI ad producing platform for campaign development.

Leadership & Project Management

• Lead, mentor, and provide day-to-day direction to the design team, fostering collaboration, creativity, and professional development.
• Prioritize and assign creative work based on business priorities, project timelines, and team capacity.
• Partner with Project Management, Marketing, and Merchandising to ensure projects are delivered on time and aligned with strategic objectives.
• Review and approve creative work, provide constructive feedback, and ensure adherence to brand standards and quality expectations.
• Communicate priorities, processes, and project status across cross‑functional teams while supporting an efficient creative workflow.

Requirements

What You Should Have

• Bachelor's degree in graphic design, Visual Communications, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 3 years of professional experience as an Art Director or in a senior graphic design or creative leadership role.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating exceptional design, branding, and art direction across digital marketing and ecommerce channels.
• Expertise in visual design principles, including composition, color theory, typography, and layout.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Photoshop and Illustrator, with knowledge of production and print processes.
• Proven ability to develop original creative concepts from ideation through final execution.
• Experience leading, mentoring, and providing creative direction to designers while maintaining high quality standards.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Self‑motivated and able to work independently while collaborating effectively with cross‑functional teams and stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present creative ideas and provide constructive feedback.
• Creative thinker with a passion for design, branding, emerging trends, and delivering engaging customer experiences.
• Detail‑oriented with a commitment to producing polished, high‑quality creative work.

What You Can Expect

Working Conditions

• Work is performed in an office environment with low to moderate noise levels.
• Position requires regular, continuous use of computer.
• Position requires regular sitting and standing.
• Position requires regular interaction with team members through the following methods: in-person, phone, Zoom, Slack, or email.
• May require occasional travel.
• This is a hybrid position; employees are expected to be in the office three days per week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday) with the option of working remotely two days (Wednesday and Friday)

Benefits

The compensation range for this position is $75,000 - $95,000 annual salary.

PlanetArt offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• 401(k) with matching
• Pet Insurance
• Mental Health Benefits
• Comprehensive Time Off Program, including Vacation, Sick Days, Paid Holidays, and Floating Holidays
• Employee Product Discounts