Senior Visual Communication Designer San Francisco, CA

IDEO; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equitable pay

Work-life balance

Employee benefits

Autonomy in design process

Job summary

IDEO is seeking a Visual Communication Designer who excels in storytelling through visuals. Collaborating with teams, you will create impactful narratives and design brand identities across various mediums.

The role calls for a strong foundation in graphic design, a compelling portfolio, and the ability to work with tools like Adobe Creative Suite and Figma. Join IDEO and contribute to crafting solutions that embody empathy and innovation.

Qualifications

• Experience in interactive/graphic design across various applications.
• Strong portfolio showcasing elevated design craft and visual storytelling.
• Extensive tools experience such as Adobe Creative Suite and Figma.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with teams to translate research into visual narratives.
• Develop and express brand identities across multiple mediums.
• Design prototypes to communicate design directions.

Skills

Visual storytelling

Graphic design

Adobe Creative Suite

Figma

Motion design

Education

Relevant experience in interactive/graphic design

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.

We’re looking for designers who bring a distinct visual voice, curiosity, and a commitment to craft excellence. The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in graphic design and experience applying practical and conceptual design principles across brand expression, interaction and digital product experiences, motion, and storytelling.

Responsibilities

• 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 across a variety of industries (health, financial services, consumer products, etc.).
• Advocate for exceptional visual craft through making, iteration, and collaboration.

Qualifications

• Relevant experience and/or educational background in interactive/graphic design across a variety of applications and media.
• 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, and vendors equitably, regardless of gender identity or race/ethnicity/cultural identity.

Compensation and Benefits

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.

Locations

• Cambridge, MA
• Chicago, IL
• London
• Shanghai