Designer

About AKQA

Creatives at AKQA apply artistry and craftsmanship to strategic insight, creating and bringing to life beautiful and technologically innovative ideas that move the world. From a variety of backgrounds and disciplines, our creatives are innately curious and strive to transform client challenges into beautiful, cutting-edge solutions.

Located on the Nieuwe Herengracht in central Amsterdam, you will work in an environment which fosters a meritocratic culture and encourages ownership, and you will be surrounded by some of the brightest minds in their fields.

The Role: Designer

The Designer is a key contributor to the imaginative application of craft and visual storytelling across brand and digital experiences. They are a versatile talent, adept at developing and executing design solutions, and contributing to scalable visual systems. Collaborating across disciplines, they translate strategic insights into compelling design codes. This role demands a curious, open, and passionate individual with a can-do mindset, deeply engaged with design, art direction, culture, tech, and AI.

Role Requirements

• Concept & Craft: Contribute to and execute innovative visual design from concept to delivery across brand, campaign, and digital experiences, under the guidance of senior team members.
• Independent Contribution: Deliver high-quality design work with a strong sense of ownership and attention to detail, seeking feedback and support when needed.
• Meaning into Form: Translate strategic insights into compelling visual narratives and distinctive design codes, understanding the 'why' behind the work.
• Systematic Application: Apply and contribute to scalable visual systems, ensuring consistency and craft across platforms, channels, and moments.
• Visual Intent: Draw inspiration from culture, fashion, photography, and design to inform and contribute to distinct, contemporary art direction.
• Clear Communication: Present design work clearly and articulate design decisions to internal teams, with opportunities to present to clients.
• Interdisciplinary Team Collaboration: Collaborate effectively with strategists, client service, delivery, writers, developers, and fellow designers to push ideas further and make the work better.

Qualities and Characteristics

• Proven Craft: A strong portfolio showing exceptional craftsmanship, sharp concepts, and a growing range across brand and digital work.
• Visual Storytelling: A conceptual thinker who designs with meaning and intent, grounding ideas in the why and bringing them to life with precision and taste.
• Relevant Experience: 2+ years as a Designer or (Digital) Art Director in an agency or similarly fast-paced creative environment.
• Tool Fluency: Proficient use of Figma and Adobe, with an understanding of motion principles and experience working with AI.
• System Mindset: Experience applying and contributing to scalable visual systems, with an appreciation for both the big picture and the details.
• Multidisciplinary Range: Eager to develop and apply skills across brand identity, campaign art direction, and digital product design.
• Clear Persuasion: Clear communicator, able to articulate design ideas effectively to internal teams and keen to develop presentation skills for wider audiences.
• Cultural Curiosity: Actively engaged with design, art direction, culture, technology, and emerging trends, with an interest in AI and its creative potential.
• Adaptive Energy: Flexible and resilient, ready to embrace evolving briefs, new challenges, and change.
• Can-Do Mindset: Proactive, solution-oriented, and positive, with a genuine drive to learn, grow, and make better work.

We believe great work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach including required in-office days. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

Key skills/competency

• Visual Design
• Brand Identity
• Digital Experience
• Figma
• Adobe Creative Suite
• Art Direction
• Visual Storytelling
• Design Systems
• AI Integration
• Client Collaboration