Experiential Designer

Activate Inc.; Ferndale (MI); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Activate is seeking an Experiential Designer to create physical environments for events, activations, and packaging projects. You will turn concepts into buildable, real-world outputs and collaborate with Production and Fabrication to bring ideas to life.

A strong portfolio of 2D/3D work and proficiency with Illustrator and Photoshop are essential. The role blends in-office collaboration with hands-on fabrication, requiring at least 3 years of related experience and the ability to design across

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experiential or physical design experience.
• Portfolio showing real-world applications (events, environments, architecture, installations, packaging, etc).
• Strong understanding of scale, materials, and how things actually get built.
• Ability to design across 2D + 3D + spatial contexts.
• Proficiency in Illustrator and Photoshop.

Responsibilities

• Design physical environments for events, activations, and mobile tours.
• Concept and execute PR kits and packaging (structural + visual).
• Translate ideas into buildable, real-world outputs.
• Create mood boards, mockups, and pitch decks that sell ideas internally and to clients.
• Develop graphics for print, large format, and spatial applications.
• Collaborate closely with Production and Fabrication to bring concepts to life.
• Occasionally support on-site execution to ensure design integrity.

Skills

Experiential design

Portfolio required

2D + 3D design

Scale & materials

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Job description

Experiential Designer (Events & Packaging)

Ferndale, MI (Hybrid: In office 3 days per week)

At Activate, we don’t design for screens: we design for the real world.

We’re looking for an Experiential Designer who has a proven ability to take ideas from concept into physical reality. This includes everything from PR kits and packaging to full‑scale live event environments.

If your work lives primarily in social media, branding, or digital design, this likely isn’t the role for you.

What You’ll Do

You’ll concept and design experiences that people can walk through, interact with, and remember.

• Design physical environments for events, activations, and mobile tours
• Concept and execute PR kits and packaging (structural + visual)
• Translate ideas into buildable, real‑world outputs
• Create mood boards, mockups, and pitch decks that sell ideas internally and to clients
• Develop graphics for print, large format, and spatial applications
• Collaborate closely with Production and Fabrication to bring concepts to life
• Occasionally support on‑site execution to ensure design integrity

What We’re Looking For

• 3+ years of relevant experiential, environmental, or physical design experience
• A portfolio that clearly shows real‑world applications (events, environments, architecture, installations, packaging, etc.)
• Strong understanding of scale, materials, and how things actually get built
• Ability to design across 2D + 3D + spatial contexts
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator & Photoshop required)
• Comfortable working in a fast‑paced, collaborative environment

What Doesn't Fit This Role -

We want to respect your time as much as ours.

This role is not a fit for candidates whose experience is primarily in:

• Branding without physical execution
• Pur­ely conceptual work without real‑world production

Why Activate?

We’re a hands‑on experiential agency that produces:

• National mobile tours
• Large‑scale brand activations
• Custom PR kits and gifting programs

We build what we design and our designers are part of that process.

You’ll work alongside a team that values:

• Practical creativity (ideas that actually get made)
• Collaboration across disciplines
• Ownership from concept through execution

If your portfolio shows work that exists in the real world we want to see it!

Activate provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, and pregnancy‑related conditions), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, genetic information, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances.