Design Director in London

We are looking for a Design Director to lead design across our retail and brand experience work. This is a role for a visionary conceptualist and a hands-on design leader: someone who understands that a retail environment or a brand experience is more than a physical build, it’s a narrative journey, and who can lead a team of senior designers to deliver it at the highest level of design delivery.

THE ROLE

As Design Director, you will own the creative and design vision for our retail and brand experience projects, from global retail toolkits to high-profile launches and immersive activations. You will lead the core concept and the end-to-end customer or guest journey, ensuring that every touchpoint, from the initial invitation to the physical space, is conceptually rigorous and beautifully realised.

You will lead, brief and mentor our senior designers and 3D teams, setting the standard for spatial planning, visualisation and production quality. While you may not be modelling day to day, you must have a comprehensive understanding of the 3D pipeline (SketchUp, V-Ray, Cinema 4D) to sketch visions, brief with precision, and critique renders with an established eye for lighting, materials and composition. You will lead pitches, manage a design team, and ensure our creative and design output remains of the highest standard across both retail and brand experience.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design & Creative Leadership: Lead the conceptual and design development of retail environments and live brand experiences. You will own the Big Idea and consider how it lives across physical, digital and retail space.
• Team Leadership: Lead, brief and mentor a team of senior designers and 3D specialists, setting the design standard and process across every project.
• Retail & Brand Integration: Direct design across global retail toolkits, store environments and brand experiences, ensuring brand storytelling, spatial strategy and production feasibility work hand in hand.
• 3D Workflow Direction: Oversee the 3D production pipeline, including spatial planning, modelling and visualisation such as lighting, textures, materials and atmosphere, ensuring it meets our highest quality standard.
• Pitch Mastery: Lead new business pitches from start to finish. You will write the narrative, direct the visual style, and present directly to clients with confidence and charisma.
• Production Oversight: Collaborate with the production team to ensure concepts are buildable, commercially viable and cost effective, with a designer’s eye for materials and fabrication.
• Narrative & Journey: Craft the story of a space or an event, ensuring the customer or guest journey is considered at every touchpoint.
• Quality Control: Direct on site during builds and installs, ensuring the final physical output matches the creative vision perfectly.

ABOUT YOU

• Experience: 8+ years in a senior design leadership role within retail design, brand experience, experiential or live event environments, with proven experience managing and mentoring a design team.
• Proven Spatial Portfolio: A portfolio of built work spanning retail environments and brand experiences, showing real world outcomes and not just concepts.
• Conceptual Depth: You are a “big picture” thinker who can link a brand’s values to a physical retail or experiential space.
• Leadership: A track record of leading, briefing and developing senior designers and 3D teams, setting quality standards and process.
• Technical Literacy: Expert level in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and Keynote.
• 3D Pipeline Fluency: Deep working knowledge of SketchUp, V-Ray, C4D or Unreal Engine, enough to direct and critique a team’s output with authority, even if you’re not modelling day to day.
• Retail Expertise: Experience delivering retail store design, fixtures and global retail toolkits, alongside broader brand experience work.
• Production Savvy: You know the difference between a high end finish and a budget solution, and understand print, materials and fabrication processes.
• Sector Passion: You have deep experience or a genuine passion for Sports, Fashion, Luxury and Tech.
• Hands on 3D: Proficiency in SketchUp, Cinema 4D or Vectorworks is a huge plus.
• Tech Integration: Experience with AR/VR, RFID gamification, or projection mapping.
• AI Curious: Working knowledge of, or an interest in, AI platforms to support the design and creative process.

WHY JOIN US

You’ll be working at the heart of brand and retail experience with some of the most exciting clients in fashion, lifestyle and retail. You’ll be part of an ambitious, creative agency that values innovation, craft and the intersection of brand, space and story. We offer a flexible working approach, a collaborative studio environment in Shoreditch and a culture that encourages experimentation and professional growth. Dogs are welcome in the studio (if you’re a dog lover you’ll fit right in!)

WHAT YOU WILL GET FROM US

A highly competitive industry salary. Hybrid working with a mix of office time and working from other locations. 25 days holiday a year plus.