Design Director - National Geographic (Washington D.C.)
As the Design Director for National Geographic Magazine, you will be responsible for managing a 10-person design group that collaborates with world-class designers, illustrators, graphics specialists, developers, cartographers, and typographers. Your team will work closely with colleagues commissioning Nat Geo's award-winning photography and video content to create engaging and immersive experiences for our readers and users. The Design Director is passionate about cultivating extraordinary stories and will concept editorial features and content packages, commission and edit work by both internal and external contributors, help build an extensive editorial calendar, and guide the integrated storytelling process while bringing a forward-thinking editorial sensibility to our team.
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One of your primary duties will be to review and adjust all designs, information graphics, maps, and data visualizations created by staff and freelance graphic editors to ensure they meet strict technical printing and web publishing standards by set deadlines. Additionally, you will guide the design group in converting design assets to various sizes and formats required by other internal and external teams, such as foreign partner editions, Apple news, video, social media, books, and image collections. You will also train new members of the group in production standards and processes and manage out-of-office freelance production help.
This role offers a unique opportunity to join National Geographic at a pivotal moment as we build on our 134-year legacy and drive new approaches to storytelling. You will be a key member of the creative team and a strong advocate for a modern, forward-looking approach to how National Geographic Magazine presents itself in all formats. Reporting to the Creative Director, you will have the chance to shape the future of one of the world's most iconic publications.
Responsibilities and Duties of the Role:
Manage visual designers and developers in the creation of magazine layouts and immersive digital experiences that leverage a range of visual assets to tell compelling stories
Collaborate with graphics specialists in the creation of static and interactive infographics that translate information into visual experiences
Collaborate with cartographers in the creation of static and interactive maps that advance our storytelling
Collaborate with in-house artists in the creation of original art that advances our storytelling, and guide team in the selection and commissioning of illustrators
Partner with photo editors, photographers, video producers and editors, and AR/VR specialists to help shape asset creation for our print, digital, and social experiences and ensure that those assets are in line with the brand’s visual identity
Partner with text editors to help shape story concepts and assignments, keeping in mind the visual requirements for engaging and immersive print and digital experiences
Manage the production of each print edition, from covers to story mix to photo selection, layouts, and typography to color correction, post-production, and press guidance—and manage the translation of all print content into digital versions/experiences
Basic Qualifications:
Minimum of 8 years of experience using design to develop engaging content-based experiences across print and digital media for consumer audiences, in leadership roles as a design director or senior designer managing visual design teams.
Hands-on experience designing for print publications, inclusive of layout design, typography, photo selection and usage, illustration, and production and post-production, with a strong preference for background in consumer magazine titles with a strong photographic bent
Experience guiding the visual direction of digital content experiences, inclusive of digital templates, UX design, and the use of photography, video, audio, and interactive graphics
Experience creating and/or directing the creation of infographics and/or maps is strongly preferred
Experience providing art direction for video, including social video (e.g., Instagram Reels, TikTok) strongly preferred
Experience collaborating with and commissioning work from freelance designers, typographers, illustrators, artists, photographers, videographers
Fluency in the Adobe Creative suite, including InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator
An eye for visual presentation that transcends the norm and a desire to innovate
Collaborative spirit and an ability to work well in a matrixed environment with a variety of stakeholders
Ability to work efficiently within operational considerations (timing, budgets, etc.), prioritizing effort level and tasks across multiple projects, and managing teams to deliver excellence within specific requirements
Interest in National Geographic’s subject areas and its mission
Required Education:
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent