Visual Communication Design Lead

About the role

The Visual Communication Design Lead at Chicago will guide teams and clients through complex design challenges, setting the visual direction and elevating storytelling across engagements. This role requires a strong foundation in graphic design and experience applying practical and conceptual design across various disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Own the visual direction of engagements and lead multidisciplinary teams through all phases of the design process.
• Contribute across a diverse portfolio of work spanning brand, experience, interaction, digital product, and service design.
• Create and guide looks-like/works-like prototypes at different levels of fidelity to explore ideas and align teams.
• Support and grow other designers through thoughtful critique, collaboration, and hands-on craft leadership.
• Hold a high bar for visual quality while staying open to exploration, iteration, and learning.
• Promote visual communication as a powerful way to make ideas tangible and meaningful.

Requirements

• A strong foundation in graphic design and experience applying practical and conceptual design across various disciplines.
• Able to shape and deliver client-facing narratives using tools like Google Slides and FigJam/Figma Slides.
• Experience establishing and expressing brand identity—from strategy through execution—across systems, touchpoints, and mediums.
• Experience leading visual work across interaction and digital product experiences, not just static artifacts.
• Experience leading client work and multidisciplinary teams through complex, often ambiguous design challenges.
• Experience working across industries and project types, adapting craft to context and audience.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree or higher in graphic design, interaction design, or an equivalent degree.
• A strong, versatile portfolio demonstrating exceptional craft, visual storytelling, and leadership across complex work.
• Fluency in tools such as Adobe Creative Suite and Figma, with experience using motion and design prototyping tools.
• Comfort shaping and delivering client-facing narratives using tools like Google Slides and FigJam/Figma Slides.

Skills

• Confident and collaborative—able to lead teams and clients while remaining open, curious, and human.
• Comfortable with ambiguity—able to push work forward without having all the answers.
• Growth-oriented—embraces critique, experimentation, and learning through making.
• Proactive and accountable—takes ownership, follows through, and supports the success of the whole team.

Benefits

IDEO offers competitive compensation, including a salary range of $100,000–$120,000 USD, with final offers based on experience, location, and other factors. Full-time employees are eligible for employee benefits.

Pay

$100,000 - $120,000 USD

Schedule

Full-time