Terms of Reference: Layout and Production Designer

NESsT Inc; Tallahassee (FL); Remote; USD 40,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

NESsT is seeking an independent consultant or design studio to develop the visual concept, editorial layout, and final production files for an approximately 80–120-page, photography-driven coffee table book. The project is remote with a December completion timeline and delivery of print-ready and digital files.

Applicants should have at least five years of publication design experience, proficiency in InDesign, and a proven track record delivering long-form projects for premium audiences; Latin

Qualifications

• Five+ years in professional publication or editorial design.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe InDesign and Creative Cloud.
• Experience with long-form, multi-section print publications.
• Ability to craft editorial narratives through typography and pacing.
• Experience with production-file preparation and color management.

Responsibilities

• Develop visual concept and editorial design system for 80–120 pages.
• Design the complete publication including covers and spreads.
• Integrate stock photography, captions, and impact data.
• Create publication-ready charts, maps, timelines, and callouts.
• Flow and copyfit the English manuscript with revisions at checkpoints.
• Prepare final print-ready and digital files for distribution.

Skills

Editorial design

InDesign

Print production

Typography

Layout systems

Photography-led

Education

Publication design degree

Tools

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Creative Cloud

Color management

Prepress workflows

Job description

NESsT is seeking an independent consultant or design studio to develop the visual concept, editorial layout, and final production files for a premium, photography-driven coffee table book featuring human-centered stories, enterprise profiles, and impact data. NESsT will provide the approved English manuscript, publication structure, pre-selected photography, impact data, and brand assets. The selected designer will transform these materials into a cohesive publication for print and digital distribution.
Assignment type: Independent consultant or design studio
Location: Remote. Applicants based in Latin America and Central & Eastern Europe are particularly encouraged to apply.
Contract period: November 2–December 11, 2026
Submission deadline: October 18, 2026

Objective

The designer or studio will develop the visual concept, editorial layout, and final production files for an approximately 80–120-page publication. The design should be photography-driven, human-centered, contemporary, and appropriate for donor, investor, partner, and institutional audiences.

Scope of Work

• Develop a cohesive visual and editorial design system, including representative layouts.
• Design the complete 80–120-page publication, including covers, front and back matter, chapter openings, longform stories, profiles, photo-led spreads, and impact pages.
• Integrate NESsT-supplied photography, captions, credits, impact data, and brand assets.
• Create a limited number of simple publication-ready charts, maps, timelines, statistics, and callouts using approved NESsT data.
• Flow and copyfit the approved English manuscript and incorporate revisions through formal review checkpoints.
• Prepare final print-ready and digital files.
• This assignment excludes substantive writing, copyediting, translation, photography commissioning, extensive image research or retouching, printing, physical proofs, shipping, and interactive digital formats.

Key Deliverables

• Approved visual and editorial design system and representative layouts.
• By December 1: a release-ready digital package containing the introduction, ten longform stories, associated impact pages, and supporting front matter.
• By December 11: the complete publication layout, one print-ready PDF, one optimized digital PDF, and organized editable source files.

Required Qualifications

• At least five years of professional publication or editorial design experience.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe InDesign and relevant Adobe Creative Cloud applications.
• Strong experience with complete, long-form, multi-section print publications.
• Demonstrated ability to use typography, photography, pacing, and page composition to create a cohesive editorial narrative.
• Experience with photography-intensive publications, information design, commercial printing, color management, prepress, and production-file preparation.
• Strong attention to detail, file management, quality control, deadline management, and ability to work with a distributed international team.
• Applicants must demonstrate substantial experience designing complete, long-form print publications. Experience limited to brochures, one-pagers, websites, presentation decks, social media assets, or short reports will not be sufficient on its own.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with nonprofit, foundation, social entrepreneurship, international development, ESG, or impact-investing organizations.
• Experience designing donor-facing impact communications and stewardship materials.
• Experience with coffee table books, museum publications, foundation reports, premium annual reports, or comparable publications.
• Ability to translate complex social, environmental, and economic impact narratives into compelling visual experiences.

Proposal Requirements

Applicants should submit a complete proposal that includes: a brief statement of interest and approach; three to five completed editorial publications, including at least two publications exceeding 60 pages and at least one photography-driven publication for a premium audience; portfolio details for each example; team composition, if applying as a studio; a fixed-fee budget with assumptions, exclusions, taxes, reimbursable costs, and third-party expenses; and confirmation of availability to meet the December 1 and December 11 deadlines.

Anticipated Schedule

Applicants must be available to complete the assignment between November 2 and December 11, 2026. Key milestones include kickoff on November 2, design system review on November 10, priority package release on December 1, final proof review on December 8, and final files by December 11.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: NESsT is an equal-opportunity organization committed to a fair and inclusive selection process. We welcome proposals from applicants of all genders and diverse backgrounds and evaluate applicants based on the skills and experience relevant to the assignment.