Wayfinding Designer Jobs in Iowa (NOW HIRING)

We’re looking for an experienced signage and wayfinding experiential graphic designer who gets excited about helping people find their way — and enjoy the journey while they’re at it.

In this role, you’ll support the continued growth of RDG’s Experiential Design practice, shaping how people move through and experience the built environment. From big-picture wayfinding strategies to the final details that make a space feel intuitive, you’ll design systems that turn “Where am I?” into “Oh, this makes sense.” Whether it’s a bustling campus, a healthcare environment or a branded destination, you’ll help push what’s possible, bringing curiosity, creativity and a human-centered mindset to projects across RDG’s markets.

Our ideal designer is energized by early ideas and equally motivated by refining them until they’re built just right. They naturally shift between seeing the big picture and shaping the fine details, to make each experience feel seamless and intuitive. They lead with confidence, work fluidly with teammates across disciplines and turn complex environments into visual communication that simply makes sense.

If you believe in doing good design that helps people feel at ease in their surroundings, we’d love to talk.

Essential Functions:

• Lead the planning, visioning and design of experiential graphics, signage and wayfinding projects.
• Effectively delegate tasks to project team members to support efficient and successful project delivery.
• Collaborate with project teams to define scope, establish staffing plans, manage budgets and maintain schedules that support successful delivery of experiential graphics and signage projects.
• Direct the creative and technical development of experiential graphics and signage solutions from concept through fabrication-ready documentation, ensuring alignment with architectural, interior and brand objectives.
• Produce and oversee comprehensive documentation including location plans, message schedules, elevations, sign type drawings and full drawing packages, ensuring accuracy and adherence to QA/QC standards.
• Ensure compliance with accessibility requirements, building codes and signage standards through coordination with internal teams, consultants and regulatory guidelines.
• Serve as the primary client contact for experiential graphics scope: leading meetings, communicating progress and fostering strong relationships with clients, consultants and project partners.
• Contribute to the growth and advancement of the experiential graphics discipline by refining workflows, developing tools and standards, supporting proposals and advocating for services across the firm.

• Ability to synthesize complexity and identify clear, effective solutions.
• Build long-term relationships with team members and clients.
• Demonstrates clear, proactive communication to ensure alignment, clarity and coordination across internal teams.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills with ability to meet deadlines.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, industrial design, experiential design or a related field.
• Five plus years of experience with a focus on signage and wayfinding.
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud, CADtools, SignAgent or similar software, and familiarity with basic 3D visualization tools such as SketchUp and/or Fusion360.
• Strong understanding of graphic and wayfinding principles, ADA compliance and signage fabrication methods.
• Ability to travel for meetings, site reviews and installation coordination as needed.
• Experience in an architectural or multidisciplinary design studio strongly preferred.

Location: Denver, Des Moines, St. Louis, Omaha, Madison or Iowa City