Summary
The Senior Art Director of UI is a creative visionary and leader who specializes in – and is passionate about – crafting enviable digital experiences, and always thinks BIG.
Senior Art Directors, along with the UX and Content leads at Phase2, are responsible for establishing the creative vision for our clients’ digital experiences, extending and growing a brand into the digital channel of the web. Senior Art Directors evangelize the power of brand, and are beacons of inspiration and knowledge as it pertains to their area of expertise.
In addition to being a creative leader who empowers team members to collaboratively create world-class experiences, Senior Art Directors are skilled at communicating visually, verbally, and in the written word when it comes to inspiring internal and client stakeholders. Selling a concept with excitement and passion is equally as important as the creative work – the Senior Art Director shines in this area.
Understanding that the ultimate output of the creative work is in the medium of the web, Senior Art Directors understand and expertly operate within the user-interface layer, directing and working alongside design team members to fully realize consistent and contiguous, component-based design systems.
The Senior Art Director of UI will help champion a culture of collaboration, ensuring all relevant perspectives are brought into the design process. It is their responsibility to foster growth and trust amongst their reports and peers. As a Senior Art Director, staff management is a key role that is carried out for the purpose of advocacy, professional development guidance, and mentorship.
Responsibilities
-Lead creative pitches and design reviews with large, high-profile clients
-Work in partnership with key stakeholders to define visual language and establish art direction that extends existing brand guidelines and strategies.
-Create and improve on a range of artifacts and deliverables throughout the project life cycle, including but not limited to creative briefs, element collages, high fidelity mock-ups, style guides, and prototypes.
-Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to facilitate/participate in collaborative design sessions to achieve specific outcomes for a particular project goal.
-Seeks to receive and give critical feedback in reviews with stakeholders and peers by using empathy along with deep listening skills.
-Understand limitations and functional range of what is possible within the realm of designing for the responsive web, but also constantly striving to deliver innovative work.
-Design, develop, modify, and manipulate graphic images, photography, logos, and icons for client and internal web projects.
-Take a role in developing and refining team processes and workflow efficiencies.
-Document processes and techniques for re-use on other projects, or improve existing documentation.
-Understand and provide feedback on clients' existing brand guidelines and strategies.
-Communicate clearly and effectively across non-delivery departments such as marketing and sales.
-Work within project parameters and priorities as defined by the Project Lead on both internal (Sales, Marketing, etc.) and external projects.
-Liaising with outside agencies to help guide and educate on Phase2 design process.
-Has a deep understanding of the value and importance of designing for content and expertise working with content strategists to create experiences that break through the noise
and…
-Proactively evaluate and improve Phase2's internal processes, and document/train others on our best practices to improve our ability to deliver for our clients.
-Provide leadership and education to non-design team members in project as someone who can elucidate design practices and process.
-Manage, mentor, and coach staff members in all areas of professional practice and development.
Qualifications
-Must possess 8+ years of digital design experience.
-Experience in all phases of design with a primary focus on concept development and design direction
-Expert knowledge of design elements, the principles of design, and established web design best practices.
-Expert knowledge of typography, color theory, layout, and interaction design.
-Exceptional visual design/communication skills, deep knowledge of user-centered design and good usability.
-An excellent portfolio exhibiting good taste and a breadth of interactive visual design skills and experience that spans a multitude of web properties.
-Comprehensive knowledge of Sketch & Figma, and ability to adapt to new design tools.
-Experience illustrating user interface mechanisms to facilitate client understanding.
-Intensely collaborative and highly practical, with the ability to handle a wide variety of design challenges.
-A BA/BS or higher degree in Graphic Design, Interaction/Digital Design or related field, or equivalent experience.
-Ability to work independently and as part of a team and possess a demonstrated ability to transfer skills to other team members.
-Requires strong communication (verbal and written) skills with team members and clients.
-Intellectual curiosity with an interest in learning new technologies and practices.
-Ability to manage time across a variety of tasks and projects.
Desired Skills
-Experience with participating in Agile development methodologies such as SCRUM or Kanban.
-Ability to create animated mockups to convey intended interactions.
-Experience leading and facilitating collaborative design sessions.
-Understanding or experience with online publishing, open government, or community-based systems and business practices.
-Knowledge of web-based solutions including data driven websites, portals, web services, content management systems (CMS), contact relationship management (CRM), e-commerce (EC), membership management and online community solutions.
Physical Demands
-Frequently remain in a stationary position, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time.
-Occasional adjusting or moving of light objects up to 20 pounds in all directions.
-Continuous communication with others to exchange information.
-Continuous repetitive movements that may include the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
Mental Demands
-Comprehension- Must continuously be able to understand direction and adhere to established procedures.
-Organization- Must continuously be able to gather and classify information.
-Reasoning and Decision Making- Must continuously use logic to analyze and interpret information, and prioritize.
-Communication- Must continuously express or exchange ideas and meaning with employees.
-Resilience- Must continuously adapt well in the face of workplace stressors.