Design Director, Washingtonian

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Job Description: Washingtonian is seeking an imaginative, collaborative, and relentlessly ambitious designer to serve as a design authority within its art department. For 60 years, the award-winning city magazine for the Washington area has been a home for groundbreaking feature writing, essential service journalism, and arresting visuals. The Design Director will hold the lead position in design, driving the magazine’s visual excellence through exceptional creativity and hands-on execution, while working alongside a high-caliber team of designers, photo editors, and staff photographers. Reporting to the Director of Creative, this role is pivotal in maintaining the magazine’s aesthetic identity and mentoring the next generation of design talent.

Responsibilities:

  • Contributing to the overall look and feel of the magazine from a visual perspective

  • Brainstorming and designing covers, features and service packages

  • Mentoring junior art staff on art direction, typography, layout

  • Collaborating with staff and freelance contributors on design execution and illustrations

  • Working with editors on visually-driven story ideas

  • Assisting with the design of ancillary publications

  • Helping with the design of online versions of print articles

  • Providing input on aspects of the brand's visual presence

Unofficial Responsibilities: Contributing to a freewheeling creative environment where ambitious ideas big and small are encouraged; collaborating with a talented team of designers and editorial staff to enhance visual storytelling; maintaining high visual standards; and bringing enthusiasm to the design process.

In addition to first-class design skills, our ideal Design Director would possess a strong network of artists and photographers to help make our pages even more exciting. The Design Director reports to the Director of Creative.

Job Requirements:
Qualifications:

  • Experienced print art director and designer with strong attention to detail and a love and understanding of typography, design, illustration, and photography

  • Excellent communication skills, including the ability to talk through editorial ideas in a lively, collaborative, and fast-paced environment

  • Strong network of industry connections with illustrators, designers, and photographers

  • Works closely to implement designs across all brand platforms, including print, web, and video

  • Proficiency in InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop required; experience with K4 a plus

  • Web-based graphic design experience a plus

  • Must have a minimum of 5 years of magazine experience, a love of typography, a keen eye for complex page design, and be a true team player

Type of Job: Design

City: NW

State/Country: DC

Duration: Full-Time

Company: Washingtonian Magazine

About Our Company: Washingtonian, the magazine Washington lives by, is the region’s top source of information for dining, shopping, entertainment, and personalities. It has been Washington’s most trusted guide to living, working, and playing in the area for more than half a century thanks to features like “100 Very Best Restaurants,” “Top Doctors,” and “Great Places to Live.” The print magazine is read each month by more than 400,000 people, who spend an average of 96 minutes with each issue and save each issue for an average of five months. Washingtonian.com reaches more than a million unique readers every month. Washingtonian is a five-time National Magazine Award winner for its reporting and writing.

How to Apply: Please send your cover letter, résumé, and samples (no larger than 10MB) or a link to your online portfolio to designjobs@washingtonian.com with "Design Director" in the subject line.