Illustrator & DIY Craft Designer

The Product & Crafts Designer will play a key role in designing and developing new craft concepts, DIY activity kits, product packaging, and seasonal collections that reflect the brand’s fun, celebratory, and modern aesthetic. Working closely with the Head of Creatives, this role supports the full product development cycle from ideation to production, ensuring that each craft and party product is retail-ready, visually compelling, and aligned with market trends.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Craft & Product Concept Design

• Conceptualize, design, and review sampling of creative DIY craft products, activity sets, and party items.
• Effective use of AI tools in the concept and mockup phase.
• Support in the creation and delivery of biannual retail product catalogs.
• Track progress of product and craft subcategories (e.g., Pixel Pop, Muddies, Threadies, DIY activity kits, etc.), ensuring deadlines for SKU definition, pricing, packaging, and samples are met.
• Coordinate with design, sourcing, and marketing teams to ensure all craft materials, assembly instructions, and visuals are ready for internal and retail presentations.

2. Collaboration & Execution

• Work closely with the Head of Creatives, Sourcing, and Private Label teams to align on craft design direction, material selection (yarn, clay, paper goods, textiles), and production feasibility to ensure craft designs and assembly components meet quality, safety, material, and cost standards.
• Review physical samples, test assembly/craft mechanics, and provide design feedback during pre-production.

3. Brand & Aesthetic Consistency

• Ensure craft product lines, packaging designs, and instructional inserts align with brand guidelines and seasonal themes.
• Support the development of cohesive craft and party collections that align with broader campaign or retail strategies.

4. Research & Trend Analysis

• Stay updated with retail and design trends within the crafts, DIY hobby, party goods, gifting, and lifestyle categories.
• Benchmark competitor craft kits and propose improvements or innovation opportunities.

5. Documentation & Handoffs

• Prepare detailed design specs, product renders, assembly guides/craft instructions, and print-ready files for supplier handoff.
• Maintain organized design records, templates, and version control for ongoing projects.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Illustration, Graphic Design, Fine Arts, Surface Pattern Design, or a related visual arts field.
• 2-4 years of professional experience focusing on commercial illustration, surface pattern design, children's book/toy graphics, or DIY craft product development.
• A strong portfolio demonstrating exceptional skills in digital illustration, character/motif creation, pattern design, and playful color theory.
• Strong proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign; comfort with digital illustration tools (Procreate, etc.).
• Strong proficiency in using AI art generation tools (Midjourney, DALL-E, etc.) for creative concepting and moodboarding.
• Hands-on passion and expertise in physical crafting techniques (e.g., paper crafts, textiles, clay, scrapbooking, DIY kits).
• Good understanding of print production processes (CMYK vs. RGB, spot colors, print finishes, vector files) and component-based product assembly.
• Detail-oriented, organized, and able to manage multiple visual projects simultaneously.
• Ability to balance creative thinking with practical design execution.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills, ability to collaborate with creatives, sourcing, and marketing teams effectively.
• Interest in seasonal trends (Christmas, Halloween, Birthdays, etc.) relevant to the party and craft industries.