Graphic Design & Visual Storyteller
Madison Children's Museum
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Madison Children’s Museum is seeking a Graphic Designer & Visual Storyteller to join the Advancement team on a part-time, non-exempt basis. You will craft compelling visual materials for print and digital platforms, collaborating with exhibit, communications, and external partners to advance the museum’s mission and engage families.
The role involves developing graphic assets for campaigns, signage, invitations, newsletters, and social content, while maintaining brand standards and ensuring
Qualifications
- Advanced degree in graphic design or graphic arts preferred.
- Minimum of 3-5 years of graphic design experience.
- Strong design skills in 2-D graphics and print design.
- Experience with signage, exhibit graphics, and branding.
- Familiarity with Wordpress and digital asset management.
- Excellent communication and organizational abilities.
Responsibilities
- Determine priorities, needs, audience, scope, and timelines for graphic projects.
- Participate in brainstorming and concept development for new initiatives.
- Create graphics for advertising and communication: brochures, posters, invitations, newsletters, calendars, and social media.
- Translate complex ideas into simple, engaging visual stories for major initiatives and campaigns.
- Manage collateral workflow from inception to completion within budget.
- Coordinate with outside vendors, printers, and photographers as needed.
- Support digital asset management and schedule photo/video shoots.
- Complete visual design updates for online activities in coordination with the communications team.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
Play is a vital part of childhood development and central to our mission. Since 1980, Madison Children’s Museum has connected children with their families, their communities, and the world beyond through discovery, learning, and creative play. MCM’s unique programs and custom, artist-designed exhibits are widely recognized for excellence, leading to the museum’s regular ranking among the top children’s museums in the country. Our team is composed of dedicated, professional individuals who take play and living our organizational values very seriously. We come from amazingly diverse backgrounds and are committed to the ideals of access, diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything we do, and in modeling environmental sustainability through our work.
The Graphic Designer & Visual Storyteller is a creative member of Madison Children’s Museum’s Advancement team, responsible for developing engaging visual experiences that advance the museum’s mission and connect children, families, educators, donors, and the broader community with the museum. The Graphic Designer and Visual Storyteller creates and manages visual materials and design direction across print, digital, environmental, and promotional platforms, and also works closely with the Exhibit team on exhibit graphic design, signage, caregiver guides, and environmental aesthetics as needed, to ensure a consistent vision and adherence to MCM’s brand standards. The position requires a self-directed, motivated, and creative thinker with strong follow-through, initiative, and accountability. This position also requires working collaboratively with multiple staff departments, and external partners to translate ideas into compelling, accessible, and playful visual communications that enhance the museum’s image and attract prospective visitors, members, and donors.
- Works within the Advancement team (Development/Communications/Membership) to determine priorities, needs, audience, scope, and timelines for graphic projects.
- Participates in creative brainstorming and concept development for new initiatives.
- Conceptualizes and creates and graphics materials for advertising and communication purposes, such as (but not limited to) advertisements, program brochures, booklets, posters, programs, invitations, newsletters, calendars, annual reports, e-mail campaigns, and social media graphics, seeking the most cost-effective solutions that have distinct cohesive visual identities.
- Works with team to translate complex ideas into simple, compelling visual stories that support major initiatives, campaigns, events, exhibits, and programs.
- Schedules, processes and manages all collateral/artwork from inception to completion, manages workflow of deliverables, and ensures projects are completed on schedule, on scope and within budget.
- Frequent communication with outside vendors and printers; communication with photographers, illustrators, and other creative professionals as needed.
- With the communications team, supports digital asset management systems from museum events, programs, project development, and project completion, making them easily accessible. Works collaboratively to schedule photo shoots, video documentation, and other as needed.
- Completes visual design and ongoing graphics maintenance/updating of MCM online activities as necessary in consultation with the communication team.
- Ensures that all visual communications reflect the museum’s values, personality, and commitment to children and families.
- Upholds and ensures the integrity of the MCM brand standards in all projects.
- Creates templates and tools to allow staff to create consistent, temporary visual materials and messaging.
- Documents best practices and updates branding guidelines as needed.
- Oversees the design and production of all printed materials that will be used in exhibits, educational outreach, working closely with the exhibit and education teams to ensure all design supports educational content and goals of each exhibit/program.
- Manage brand standards with external partner organizations and share brand assets and images.
- Oversees the graphic design, development, and installation of all museum signage: wayfinding, exterior graphics, donor signage, exhibit signage, and temporary signage, adhering to MCM’s brand guidelines.
- Coordinates revitalization, upgrade, and maintenance of all current exhibition and museum wayfinding/interior and exterior signage graphics, working closely with exhibit maintenance team, maintaining a high-quality visitor experience on the museum floor.
- Helps facilitate and coordinate contracts for outside graphics contractors, designers, painters, illustrators, printers, etc., as needed.
- Works with Communications Manager to manage up-to-date database of images from past projects andexhibit research.
- Works within established sustainable design guidelines and seeks to continue to center MCM as an environmental leader through design, making recommendations for sustainable sign substrates and other sustainable printing choices.
- Helps ensure that visual communications are developmentally appropriate, inviting, and easy for children and families to understand across languages and abilities.
- Creates and installs vinyl graphics on MCM’s in-house cutter; produces and trims in-house prints of consumables such as postcards, ballots, and temporary signage.
- Advanced degree in graphic design or graphic arts preferred, or 2-year technical degree in graphic design, or comparable degree in arts-related field.
- Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in graphic design required, preferably in both 2-D and 3-D areas, signage, and print design
- Extensive design skills and expertise required, especially in 2-D graphics, including Adobe Creative Suite, including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat. Experience with Premiere Pro and Google Sketch-Up strongly preferred
- Complete understanding of design-to-publication process (eg, how completed files should be provided to a printer), and signage graphic design processes
- Experience designing and maintaining websites strongly encouraged, especially Wordpress
- Familiarity with Basecamp, Canva, Emma/Constant Contact, or other desktop publishing software
- Asset management skills and organizational skills essential
- Supervisory capability required for project oversight
- Creative problem-solving
- Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
- Photographic skills
- Submission of graphic design portfolio or website required
- Passion for MCM’s mission and understanding of our vision and values
- Effective and diplomatic communicator
- Great team player – able to work collaboratively and proactively
- Ability to work independently and/or with minimal supervision
- Ability to juggle and complete a variety of projects in a timely and accurate manner
- Innovative and creative
- Flexible schedule to balance work and play
- Collaborative, creative team bringing learning and community to families
- Convenient downtown location on the Capitol Square, good bike access, and public transportation
- Participation in 401(K) Retirement Plan after two months of employment with a 2% match.
- Free MCM membership with reciprocal benefits at thousands of other museums
- Free admission to select MCM events and parties, including Adult Swim
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Madison Children’s Museum is an Affiant…?
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