Digital Design Studio Graduate in Manchester

Established in 1981 with a single store in the Northwest of England, the JD Group is a leading omni‑channel retailer of sports fashion, outdoors and gyms.

JD Sports Fashion Plc was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1996 and has been a FTSE100 publicly quoted company since 2019 and continues to grow in the UK and internationally.

We want to be the leading global omnichannel retailer in the sports and outdoor industry.

To be a part of this successful company and help us to achieve this you will have the desire to ingrain our strategic goals of being a people‑led, innovative and customer‑focused organisation which provides operational excellence whilst identifying new areas of growth as part of our day‑to‑day objectives.

Digital Design Studio Graduate

This is a 2‑year graduate role within the JD Group Creative Studio, sitting across the Retouch, Design and Motion Graphics teams.

Structured across four six‑month segments, the placement is designed to give a motivated undergraduate a deep, progressive grounding in commercial creative content creation, from foundational image retouching through to graphic design, motion graphics, and ultimately end‑to‑end campaign work for one of the UK’s most recognisable sportswear and fashion brands.

Year 1 (Months 1–6): Retouch Foundations

The placement begins in the Retouch team.

The focus is on building precise, repeatable skills in commercial image retouching, working at volume across e‑commerce and campaign photography.

• E‑commerce image retouching across footwear, apparel and accessories
• Product colour matching for accuracy across digital channels
• Footwear still life retouching – one of the studio’s core specialisms
• Paid and organic social image retouching
• Campaign retouching & colour grading
• Generative AI briefs and training
• Working to briefs and managing feedback via Frame. io

Skills developed: Photoshop proficiency, attention to detail, colour correction, brief interpretation, studio workflow and time management.

Year 1 (Months 7–12): Digital Design & Artwork

Having built strong image fundamentals, the placement moves into the Design & Artwork team. The focus shifts to layout, typography, and multi‑format asset production.

• Producing campaign and daily digital artwork across digital sites, email, social and OOH
• Applying and interpreting brand guidelines across formats
• Typography, layout and colour in channel environments
• Creating style sets for retail and digital campaigns
• File preparation and delivery across print and digital specifications

Skills developed: Application improvement within Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, In Design; design & brand systems, layout principles, multi‑channel artwork production, file management.

Year 2 (Months 13–18): Motion Design

In the second year, the placement moves into higher‑complexity work, introducing motion design and combining image skills from both previous roles to create motion graphics at scale.

• Motion graphics for social (Reels, Stories, paid video banners)
• Motion graphics for retail (standard and special execution screens)
• Animation of existing design assets – typography, product reveals, logo locks
• Introduction to motion workflow

Skills developed: Improved After Effects skills, motion principles, design‑to‑motion pipeline.

Year 2 (Months 19–24): Extended Discipline Focus

The final segment brings everything together and gives the candidate the opportunity to spend their final six months with their preferred department.

Qualifications & Education

We welcome applicants from a range of undergraduate programmes.

The strongest candidates tend to come from courses with a practical creative or digital production element.

The specific course matters less than the candidate’s portfolio and practical ability – we are looking for evidence of careful, precise image work and a genuine interest in commercial retouching.

• Primary targets: Digital Media Production / Creative Media Production
• Graphic Design or Visual Communication (with a digital / image focus)
• Fashion Photography or Fashion Media

Also worth considering

• Illustration or Fine Art (where the candidate can demonstrate strong Photoshop skills)
• Fashion Design or Fashion Buying & Merchandising (where there is a strong digital portfolio)
• Art Direction or Advertising (with hands‑on production skills)

Essential Skills & Attributes

• Photoshop proficiency – Working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop
• Attention to detail – High attention to detail and a careful, methodical approach to image work
• Consistency – The ability to maintain consistent quality across a set of images
• Brief interpretation – Ability to interpret and execute a creative brief
• Time management – Ability to manage time effectively within deadlines in a studio environment
• Collaborative mindset – Self‑motivated and a proactive, team‑first attitude and willingness to learn from feedback

Desirable Skills & Attributes

• Colour awareness – Understanding of colour theory and colour correction tools
• Wider Adobe CC knowledge – Familiarity with Adobe Creative Cloud software
• Multi‑channel awareness – An understanding of image output requirements across digital channels (e‑com, social, print)
• AI image & video tools – Awareness of or interest in AI‑powered image and video software and how it is shaping commercial creative production
• Personal Attributes
• Curious and enthusiastic about commercial image‑making
• Resilient under volume and comfortable with repetitive precision work
• Open to feedback and able to adapt quickly
• Takes pride in craft – quality matters to them personally
• Curious about AI image and video tools and their role in the future of creative production
• Organised and self‑motivated once shown the way

What We Offer

• A structured 2‑year placement with clear progression
• Hands‑on experience within a live commercial studio
• Exposure to real briefs, campaigns and deadlines
• Regular 1:1s and development support
• A collaborative environment with experienced creatives
• A career pathway conversation at the end of your placement
• Staff discount on JD Group and other brands within the organisation
• Personal development opportunities to learn and develop at work
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