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Design Director Designer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Complex

Freelance Design Director

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

Work with designers bringing concepts and campaign objectives to life * Collaborate: Working with design leaders, account managers, experiential and product to create a visual roadmap for a variety ...

Ford Motor Company

Digital Design Director

Palo Alto, CA · Hybrid

$182K - $223K/yr

Our team is comprised of a dynamic group of product designers, researchers, visual designers, industrial designers, modelers, and project managers. In this position... EXPERIENCE STRATEGY & DESIGN ...

Ford Motor Company

Digital Design Director

Palo Alto, CA · Hybrid

$167K - $316K/yr

Our team is comprised of a dynamic group of product designers, researchers, visual designers, industrial designers, modelers, and project managers. In this position... EXPERIENCE STRATEGY & DESIGN ...

Ford Motor Company

Digital Design Director

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$178K - $218K/yr

Our team is comprised of a dynamic group of product designers, researchers, visual designers, industrial designers, modelers, and project managers. In this position... EXPERIENCE STRATEGY & DESIGN ...

Side

Lead Designer

Los Angeles, CA

We're looking for a Design Lead or Design Director to drive design excellence across a range of ... Whether you're currently a Lead Designer ready for a broader challenge or an established Design ...

REVOLVE GROUP

Design Manager

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$125 - $135/hr

This is full-time role for a highly experienced, talented Designer Manager who is driven by and can lead on-trend design and concept. This position will report to the Design Director and SVP to help ...

REVOLVE

Design Manager

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$125K - $135K/yr

This is full-time role for a highly experienced, talented Designer Manager who is driven by and can lead on-trend design and concept. This position will report to the Design Director and SVP to help ...

Side

Lead Designer

Los Angeles, CA

We're looking for a Design Lead or Design Director to drive design excellence across a range of ... Whether you're currently a Lead Designer ready for a broader challenge or an established Design ...

SIDE

Lead Designer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$110 - $170/hr

We're looking for a Design Lead or Design Director to drive design excellence across a range of ... Whether you're currently a Lead Designer ready for a broader challenge or an established Design ...

Hybrid Promotions LLC

Designer

Cypress, CA · On-site

$33.65 - $35/hr

Drive creative along with the Design Director in creating styles from concept to completion; direct Associate, Assistant Designers through line development * Monitor development of preproduction ...

CourtAvenue

Design Director, Platform UI

San Diego, CA · On-site

$164K - $202K/yr

At CourtAvenue, the Design Director, Platform UI leads the visual interface layer of our most ... Not a brand or campaign designer. You will partner closely with our Experience Strategy team, who ...

CourtAvenue

Design Director, Platform UI

San Diego, CA

$150K - $180K/yr

At CourtAvenue, the Design Director, Platform UI leads the visual interface layer of our most ... Not a brand or campaign designer. You will partner closely with our Experience Strategy team, who ...

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All JobsDesign Designer JobsDesign Director Designer JobsDesign Director Designer Jobs in California

Design Director Designer information

What does a design director do?

A Design Director oversees the creative vision and direction for design projects within an organization. They lead design teams, set project goals, and ensure that all visual and creative work aligns with the company's brand and objectives. Design Directors collaborate with clients, stakeholders, and other departments to deliver high-quality design solutions. They are responsible for mentoring junior designers, managing timelines and budgets, and staying up-to-date with design trends to maintain a competitive edge.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a design director?

To thrive as a Design Director Designer, you need advanced design skills, leadership experience, and a strong portfolio, often supported by a degree in graphic design or a related field. Mastery of design software such as Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, and proficiency in project management tools are commonly required. Exceptional communication, creative vision, and team leadership abilities help set top candidates apart. These skills are crucial for driving innovative design solutions, guiding teams, and ensuring alignment with business objectives.

How does a design director collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive project success?

As a Design Director, you will frequently work alongside product managers, engineers, marketing professionals, and other stakeholders to ensure the design vision aligns with business goals and user needs. Effective collaboration involves leading design reviews, providing clear feedback, and facilitating open communication across teams. You’ll often translate complex requirements into actionable design strategies while advocating for user-centered solutions. This collaborative environment not only fosters innovation but also ensures cohesive and impactful project outcomes.

What is the difference between Design Director Designer vs Graphic Designer?

AspectDesign Director DesignerGraphic Designer
CredentialsBachelor's degree in design, art, or related field; extensive experienceBachelor's degree in graphic design or related field; portfolio required
Work EnvironmentLeads creative teams, oversees projects, strategic planningCreates visual content, works on specific design projects
Industry UsageUsed in agencies, corporate branding, large design firmsCommon in advertising, publishing, freelance work

The main difference is that a Design Director Designer oversees entire creative teams and projects, focusing on strategy and leadership, while a Graphic Designer primarily creates visual content for specific projects. The Design Director Designer role involves higher-level responsibilities and management, whereas the Graphic Designer focuses on executing design tasks.

What are popular job titles related to Design Director Designer jobs in California?

For Design Director Designer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Design Director Designer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Design Director Designer jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Design Director Designer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Design Director Designer job openings:

Design Director Designer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Design Director Designer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 85% Full Time, 8% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 84% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution.

Freelance Design Director

Complex

Los Angeles, CA • On-site

Contractor

Posted 11 days ago

Job description

Company And Culture
Complex is the definitive platform for global youth culture and music lifestyle, seamlessly integrating cutting-edge content, commerce and live experiences with unparalleled scale. Through innovative content, Complex tells stories of music, streetwear and style, sports, art and beyond. Its content engages in a dynamic conversation with the audience, reflecting and shaping the zeitgeist of convergence culture. A powerful media juggernaut paired with a curated marketplace, Complex is redefining the way fans interact with their favorite brands and artists and reshaping the future of digital culture and commerce.
Why We're Hiring
Our team is growing and looking for a freelance Design Director to raise the bar within the Complex Brand Partnerships team. You'll work within the Branded Art and Design team cross functionally with branded content (editorial and video), account management, product and experiential to ideate and execute deliverables. We offer a full range of products-from digital content to live events-to our clients and need someone with a strong technical skillset and ability to work from concept ideation to finished execution bringing a wide range of deliverables to life.
We're seeking a well rounded utility player with a multi-disciplinary approach and deep expertise within innovative graphic design, social design, display media, printed collateral, merch and experiential concepting. This role is ideal for a creative visionary who understands how to transform cultural insights and partner brand guidelines into iconic visual expressions across mediums-from digital to physical. This individual is self-motivated, highly collaborative, and relentlessly curious, consistently sparking new ideas, pushing boundaries, and elevating design and creative across a range of platforms.
What You'll Do
You'll work cross-functionally with the Branded Production and Publishing teams, Experiential Producers, Product, Web Development and Account Managers to craft thoughtful executions from forward-thinking video, photo, and social campaigns to immersive events.
You'll report into design and branded content leadership elevating content on a variety of platforms and you're adept at being a player-coach who can both do the work and guide partnering designers towards better visual outputs.
You'll demonstrate an ability to listen and receive internal and external creative feedback with a high level of urgency, professionalism, and attention to detail. You'll consistently create engaging designs with a strong focus on Art Direction. An ability to composite in 2D is a must and a background in 3D rendering is a major plus.
You can execute within design and production workstreams in a fast paced environment and you have a strong understanding of the Complex brand, the different IP within our world, and how to maintain our tone of voice in branded work.
The Specifics
  • Mentor and Lead: Concept and pitch work to internal and external teams. Work with designers bringing concepts and campaign objectives to life
  • Collaborate: Working with design leaders, account managers, experiential and product to create a visual roadmap for a variety of deliverables
  • Executing projects: Taking projects from concept to launch, creating within existing workflow systems while marrying brand guidelines and the Complex visual ID
  • Presenting: You'll pitch and sell your work in to senior leadership and brand clients as necessary
  • Display and Social Design: Ability to translate larger campaign initiatives and creative into display and social deliverables
  • Experiential and Event Design: Work with design leadership on conceptualizing and executing physical brand experiences-from bespoke pop-up activations to large-scale experiences like ComplexCon
  • Apparel: Design of limited-edition merch drops, and collabs bringing fashion sensibility to product storytelling
  • Researching: Conducting research to identify problems and validate designs
  • Expert in latest Mac software: Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects), Google Slides, Figma, ReadyMag, SketchUp or other experiential 3D render software
    Impressive, wide-ranging portfolio (brand, print, event, editorial and product is a plus)
  • Working knowledge of current AI render platforms

Who You Are
  • Minimum 6-8 years of graphic design experience and art direction experience within the last 3-4 years at an agency, culturally-adjacent media publisher, or in-house brand
  • Passion for forward-thinking design across digital, print, experiential, and product
  • Voracious consumer of pop culture and working knowledge of trends in music, events, streetwear, and fashion at large
  • Well-organized, with strict attention to detail and a proactive approach to problem solving
  • Excellent communication skills: written, verbal, interpersonal
  • Able to support design decisions using industry insight, best practices, and tried and true execution approaches
  • Obsess about the details and push the creative until its reached the best execution
  • Highly responsible, self-motivated, and able to thrive in an energetic, fast-paced, high growth, entrepreneurial environment
  • Must have strong time management skills and the ability to pivot from project to project juggling multiple at a time
  • Passion for materials within tangible design for apparel, packaging, print, and experiential builds

$125,000 - $138,000 a year
The Pay Range, which consists of salary and commission, for this position is listed. Actual pay will vary based on factors including, but not limited to location, experience, and performance. The range listed is just one component of Complex Total Rewards offerings for employees.
We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.
The above statements cover what are generally believed to be principal and essential functions of the job. Specific circumstances may allow or require some incumbents assigned to the job to perform a different combination of duties.
Complex participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for visa sponsorship.

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