Art Director - Freelance

REVOLT is the leading Black-owned and operated multimedia platform servicing content 24/7 across digital, linear, and live media channels. The platform produces rich content and original material with the biggest names in hip hop, along with reports of breaking news, current events, trends and announcements within the Black cultural movement and hip hop world. REVOLT takes pride in its diversity, both in its mindset and its company makeup, further instilling its dedication to culture within its staff and audiences. REVOLT attracts over 50 million millennials and Gen Z audiences through their disruptive, authentic material across all platforms.

Reporting to the Sr. Director of Creative Services, the Art Director is a creative, conceptual thinker who collaborates with the rest of the creative teams to ensure the brand identity is in each asset created. This individual should be skilled at all aspects of design, maintaining brand identity, while elevating the company’s vision, but with an eye for cutting edge, on-trend style, and future-facing design that resonates with hip hop and youth culture.

This role requires a conceptual, strategic thinker and a collaborative team player. You must be an excellent storyteller with sharp design acumen to quickly identify the best solutions for content. She/he will help lead graphic designers within the Creative Services team to create visual images and graphics for campaigns, live events, mobile apps, print, merchandise, set design, and production-related elements, as well as videos for linear, app, streaming, social (IG, FB, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok), and other media formats. Be prepared to develop concepts and ideas based on the brand identity per campaign/show, pitch to leadership, and create compelling, impactful, and engaging work all while maintaining best practices.

What You’ll Do:

• Conceive, develop, and create high level graphic campaigns and visual elements with an emphasis on branding, marketing campaigns, live events, experiential marketing, and promo material.
• Translate marketing, promo and branding strategies into visual production of impactful and innovative campaigns across various media platforms, including linear television, social media, app, streaming, web, live events, and more.
• Oversee all graphics from concept to completion, while meeting deadlines, maintaining budgets and quality.
• Provide inspiration, direction, notes and feedback to the design team. Be able to get your team to execute your vision effectively and efficiently.
• Help build out timelines for projects, manage and delegate tasks and responsibilities to other designers, track progress throughout various stages and checkpoints to ensure timely delivery.
• Oversee and manage asset delivery and file management, including folder structure, project files, and file naming conventions, utilizing file storage platforms like Dropbox, and project management software like Monday.com.
• Be able to effectively create and implement brand guidelines, style guide, show bibles, and more.
• Balance competing priorities and multiple projects while meeting strict deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Be intentional with your designs, not only focused on high level creative, but best practices, effectiveness, and creative problem solving. We don’t just do it well, we do it right.
• Focus on optimizing engagement from a consumer perspective. Can your designs effectively grab attention, communicate an idea, and engage the audience?
• Take creative feedback from multiple sources, including high level executives, and sort out how to translate it, address it, directly or indirectly, for the benefit of the work.

• Stay current on industry developments, latest design trends, and technological advancements, understand the REVOLT voice, and be able to identify the next wave of design trends.

• Resolve operational problems and identify work process improvements.
• Participate in weekly creative and strategic discussions, creative concepting, and asset development.
• Provide constant updates on project timelines, and identify and communicate challenges.
• Lead brainstorm sessions, articulate creative, provide clear art direction, references, inspiration, as well as generate detailed notes, feedback, and approvals.
• Develop an extensive inventory of photography, type, icons, and vectors.
• Adhere to brand guidelines in ways that still push creative boundaries.
• Stay inspired.

Who You Are:

• A top tier Art Director with 8+ years professional at a Studio/TV network, Agency, Media company, or related creative enterprise.
• College or university degree in graphic design, digital design, animation or equivalent (Preferred); motion graphic design background is a huge bonus.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects. Knowledge of VFX and 3D is a plus).
• In depth understanding of marketing initiatives, strategic positioning, and the hip-hop audience.
• Experience in brand design, including but not limited to, logo design, brand identity, visual identity, brand guidelines, typography, and more.
• Experience in creative campaigns for live events, experiential marketing, set design, signage, and physical merchandising.
• Must have experience creating in-show packaging and assets, including show opens, lower thirds, bumps, logos, key art, and more
• Excellent skills in conceptualizing and graphic design
• A sharp eye for strong visual details and top shelf design aesthetics.
• Must possess skills in photo retouching, photo manipulation, and compositing.
• High-level attention to detail and organization (file naming, project layout and organization) and the ability to work within a structure and department workflow.
• Team player who can work collaboratively, take direction, effectively implement multiple rounds of notes, and own a project from end to end.
• Ability to work quickly and efficiently. Ability to meet deadlines and stay on schedule is a must.
• Willingness to speak up and voice your opinions on the audience, the brand, and the creative.
• Open to feedback; interpersonal savvy, build rapport and form effective work relationships.
• Comfortable presenting and pitching to high level execs, communicating your vision effectively, and then translating and applying their feedback.
• Demonstrated participation in the culture in a genuine way, cultural taste in design, copy, art direction, music, fashion, technology, etc.
• Willingness to work long hours and the occasional weekend if necessary. It’s not the norm, but it happens from time to time.
• Strong online portfolio and resume demonstrating experience and knowledge of design tools. If you don’t have a link to your work, you won’t be considered.
• You can pass the vibe check. We are a tight knit group, and your character is almost as important as your skillset.