Visual Communication Design Lead

Job Summary

We are seeking a Visual Communication Design Lead to guide teams and clients through complex design challenges, setting the visual direction and elevating storytelling across engagements.

Responsibilities

• Own the visual direction of engagements and lead multidisciplinary teams through all phases of the design process from early research and exploration through prototyping, refinement, and client-facing storytelling.
• Contribute across a diverse portfolio of work spanning brand, experience, interaction, digital product, and service design.
• Lead project teams and collaborate with multidisciplinary designers.
• Collaborate closely with clients, using storytelling and design to make complex ideas clear and actionable.
• Turn research and open-ended questions into visual systems and stories that build empathy for people and bring their experiences to life for both teams and clients.
• 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 tool to make ideas tangible and meaningful.

Design Craft

• Relevant experience and/or educational background required in visual communication, brand expression, interaction, and digital product design.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in graphic design, interaction design or an equivalent degree.
• 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 using tools like Google Slides and FigJam/Figma Slides to shape and deliver client-facing narratives.
• Ability to balance hands-on making with direction-setting and mentorship.

Diverse Experience

• 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.

Key Mindsets

• 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.

What Does IDEO Offer You?

• A place where you can solve diverse, complex challenges for our clients and their organizations, alongside thoughtful, intelligent individuals who lead with curiosity, empathy, and humility.
• Craft moments that allow our community to pause, create, and connect.
• Encourage our community to bring their whole selves to work, respect the need for work-life balance, and allow for autonomy in the design process and your career.

Payscale & Benefits

• IDEO is committed to paying its employees, contractors & vendors equitably, regardless of gender identity or race/ethnicity/cultural identity.
• The salary range for this role is $100,000–$120,000 USD. Final offers may vary based on candidate experience, location, and other factors.
• This role is eligible for employee benefits as a full-time position.