Senior Visual Communication Designer Chicago, IL

IDEO; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee benefits

Work-life balance

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

A leading design firm in Chicago is searching for a Visual Communication Designer who excels in visual storytelling and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. The ideal candidate has a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design or a related field, along with 3-5 years of design experience. Expectations include developing brand identities and producing high-quality visual deliverables. The salary range for this full-time position is between $80,000 and $100,000 USD, along with employee benefits.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of interactive/graphic design experience or education across various applications and media.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating elevated design craft, typography, layout, and visual storytelling.
• Comfort collaborating in client-facing presentation environments.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with teams to translate research into compelling visual narratives.
• Create looks-like/works-like prototypes for design directions.
• Produce high-quality deliverables communicating user stories.

Skills

Visual storytelling

Collaborative teamwork

Interactive/graphic design

Brand expression

Curiosity and experimentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Interaction Design, or related field

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Figma

After Effects

Job description

Visual Communication Designers at IDEO make the biggest impact through visual storytelling. They work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to bring ideas, research, strategy, and stories to life through strong craft execution.

In this role, you will …

You’ll work as a key contributor on project teams, supporting all phases of the design process—from early exploration and prototyping through to polished, client‑facing deliverables. Your work may span brand, storytelling, motion, interaction and digital product, information design, packaging, and environmental expression.

Once here you will:

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to translate research and strategy into compelling visual narratives
• Contribute to the development and expression of brand identities across mediums
• Create looks-like/works-like prototypes at varying levels of fidelity to explore and communicate design directions
• Design thoughtful experiences across digital, physical, and hybrid touchpoints with the end user in mind
• Produce high‑quality visual deliverables that communicate user stories and strategic intent working across a variety of industries (health, financial services, consumer products, etc.)
• Advocate for exceptional visual craft through making, iteration, and collaboration
• 3‑5 years interactive/graphic design experience or education across a variety of applications and media
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Graphic Design, Interaction Design, or related field
• Strong portfolio demonstrating elevated design craft, typography, layout, and visual storytelling
• Extensive experience with tools such as Adobe Creative Suite and Figma
• Familiarity with motion and interaction tools (After Effects, prototyping platforms, etc.)
• Comfort collaborating in client‑facing presentation environments such as Google Slides and FigJam/Figma Slides
• Curiosity and openness to experimenting with emerging mediums including 3D, motion, and AI‑assisted design

Diverse Experience:

• Experience establishing and expressing brand identity, from understanding strategy through creative interpretation and execution, including: visual identities, brand systems, and guidelines for implementation
• Experience in concept ideation, design research, and prototyping, with a curiosity for learning and experimenting across visual, digital, and experiential mediums
• Ability to work across a wide range of design challenges, recognizing patterns, and translating insights into thoughtful visual solutions
• Comfort moving between exploratory and polished work, helping teams bring ideas to life through strong craft and storytelling

Key Mindsets:

• Collaborative and adaptable: able to navigate team dynamics, timelines, and client contexts while delivering exceptional design.
• Growth oriented and resilient: open to feedback, eager to iterate, and comfortable learning through experimentation and critique
• Curious and proactive: able to generate ideas, take initiative, and contribute wherever needed, from early exploration to final delivery.

What does IDEO offer you?

IDEO is a place where you can solve diverse, complex challenges for our clients and their organizations, alongside thoughtful, intelligent individuals who lead with curiosity, empathy, and humility. We intentionally craft moments that allow our community to pause, create, and connect. We encourage our community to bring their whole selves to work, respect the need for work‑life balance, and allow for autonomy in the design process and your career.

IDEO is committed to paying its employees, contractors & vendors equitably, regardless of gender identity or race/ethnicity/cultural identity.

The salary range for this role is $80,000–$100,000 USD. Final offers may vary based on candidate experience, location, and other factors. As a full‑time position, this role is eligible for employee benefits.