Senior Information Designer (Wayfinding)

Society for Experiential Graphic Design; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Vision and Dental insurance

401K plan

17 days PTO, plus 11 holidays

Additional PTO with years of service

Hybrid working

Flexible working hours

Annual training budget

Volunteer day

Travel to London Head office

Office snacks and welcoming atmosphere

Job summary

Applied Wayfinding Inc is seeking a Senior Information Designer to lead wayfinding and environmental graphics projects from concept to production. You will collaborate with designers and planners, driving design workshops and presenting work to clients in the Bay Area and with global partners.

Reporting to creative directors, you will mentor junior designers and help grow the San Francisco office, while delivering projects on time and to a high standard of design excellence.

Qualifications

• 5-8 years of experience in Experiential/Environmental Graphic Design, Graphic Design, Wayfinding, or related industry.
• Experience supervising junior designers.
• Proficiency in using Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop).
• Ability to communicate ideas clearly with clients and internal team members.
• Ability to work to deadlines and understand budgeting constraints.

Responsibilities

• Design concepts for wayfinding and environmental graphics programs.
• Plan and lead design workshops with internal and external stakeholders.
• Lead projects, mentor junior designers, and present work to clients.
• Develop project programs, define deliverables, and work with PMs to scope budgets.
• Oversee sign elevations, construction packages, and coordination with vendors.

Skills

Wayfinding design

Environmental graphics

Design leadership

Workshop facilitation

Presenting to clients

Mentoring junior designers

Budgeting

Project delivery

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Photoshop

Job description

Company Information

Applied Wayfinding Inc is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary consultancy. It designs the interactions between people and the built environment. At any given moment the organisation is delivering a range of projects which differ significantly in subject, size and complexity. It is vital to the success of the business that projects are delivered on time and exceed company and client expectations. It is equally important to the business that working for Applied is fulfilling and advances personal growth.

About the role

Applied Information Group is looking for a talented full-time Senior Information Designer with a passion for wayfinding and design that supports people navigating their environments. Reporting directly to creative directors at the firm, Senior Designers at Applied are responsible for a significant amount of creative development on projects.

You will be involved in the successful delivery of environmental graphic design and wayfinding projects, both in the Bay Area and in partnership with Applied’s other offices in London, England; Vancouver, Canada; and Seoul, South Korea. You will collaborate with other designers and planners on all aspects of the design process from user research, through strategy and concept, to detailed design and implementation.

Core responsibilities

We are looking for a candidate who can:

• Design & strategy

  • Set a high-standard for the craft of design at Applied.

  • Provide creative leadership and oversight to projects.

  • Design concepts for wayfinding and environmental graphics programs.

  • Plan and lead design workshops to develop concepts with both internal and external stakeholders.

• Leadership

  • Be a leader as the San Francisco office grows, including mentoring and managing junior designers.

  • Contribute to a culture of design excellence within the San Francisco office.

• Delivery

  • Play a leading role in presenting project work to clients and stakeholders.

  • Develop project programs, defining deliverables, and working with project managers to appropriately scope program budgets.

  • Play an active role with project managers the AM/PM in monitoring project delivery against budget and scope

  • Deliver projects from conception to production with minimal supervision and supporting junior colleagues.

  • Prepare, issue and present client-facing design documentation.

  • Support signage production stages as needed: providing feedback to manufacturing vendors, reviewing shop drawings, attendance at site meetings, and deficiency reviews.

  • Delegate tasks involved in the project delivery to the wider team and have an oversight and support role.

  • Travel as appropriate and necessary.

  • Develop sign elevation drawings and specifications for wayfinding program outcomes.

  • Create and refine message schedules and construction packages.

What success looks like

• Within the first three months, you will understand Applied’s theory and approach to design, as well as the cadence of a typical project.

• Within the first six months, you will be independently leading agreed projects, supporting junior designers, and engaging directly with clients.

• Throughout your work, you will cultivate a culture of constructive collaboration, design excellence, and clear communication of design concepts.

Required experience

• 5-8 years of experience in Experiential/Environmental Graphic Design, Graphic Design, Wayfinding, or related industry.

• Experience supervising junior designers.

• Proficiency in using Adobe Creative Suite (primarily Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop)

• Experience in industrial or physical product design.

• Demonstrated ability to communicate ideas clearly, showcasing the developmental work behind your designs with clients and internal team members.

• Experience providing and receiving constructive feedback to help designs improve.

• Demonstrated ability to work to deadlines, understand budgeting constraints, and plan work programs to deliver creative projects.

Desirable experience

• A portfolio that demonstrates graphic and typographic skills, and your dedication to the craft of your final designs.

• A keen graphic eye and ambition to deliver projects of the highest quality.

• Experience of industrial/product design for wayfinding signage, including the drafting of design intent drawings and specifications

• Experience designing or incorporating non-visual communication elements into designs, products, or experiences.

• A passion for creating user-centered, empathetic design solutions

• Experience creating city, transit, campus, and/or building maps and diagrams.

• Knowledge of GIS software, such as QGIS;working knowledge of 3D CAD software such as Vectorworks; and experience using Figma or other UX/UI tools.

• Familiarity with ADA, MUTCD, and other regulatory standards related to signage and displayed information.

• Experience working with fabricators.

We will select applicants based on merit including relevant experience, skills, and interest in the role. We are a company that is fully committed to advancing people and society and looking after the planet. Applied is B-Corp certified. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, or age. If you are interested but unsure if you have what we are looking for please contact us.

Working environment

Our studio is located in downtown San Francisco - accessible by MUNI. The space includes multiple balconies with views to the Embarcadero and Twin Peaks. We have a kitchen stocked with snacks and good coffee. All San Francisco team members are in the office at least three days a week. We collaborate regularly with colleagues in the UK and Europe. Flexible working is required to support calls and collaboration with the UK/Europe timezone before 9am.

Benefits:

• US Company benefits (Health, Vision and Dental insurance.)

• 401K plan and contribution.

• 17 days PTO, plus 11 public holidays.

• For each completed year’s service employees will receive an additional day of PTO, up to a maximum of 3 extra days.

• The role will be office based, with ability for Hybrid working.

• Flexible working hours.

• Annual Personal training budget as well as Corporate training budget.

• One paid day a year to volunteer with a charity of your choice.

• Opportunity to travel to our London Head office.

• Welcoming office environment with snacks.