Open to Junior & Designer applicants / permanent / full time / hybrid (3 days in Putney office)
This is an exciting opportunity for a Junior or Designer level applicant with experience in illustration, surface design or textiles to join one of the most established and recognisable British greetings cards brands. With an eye for great design, excellent sense of colour, and an understanding of the Caroline Gardner aesthetic, you will produce every day and seasonal greetings cards, flat wrap, roll wrap and gift bags using a range of drawing styles and mediums, supported by Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.
1. Create ‘house’ style cards, gift wrap and gift bags in-line with the brand strategy.
2. Innovate new ranges and develop existing ranges in line with budgets.
3. Generate new colour palettes, drawing styles, patterns, fonts, and themes, synonymous with the brand.
4. Initiate research trips and design workshops/courses to stay inspired.
5. Utilise sales information to design commercial yet cutting edge designs.
6. Work with the sales team to understand key national accounts and independent customers preferences to inform your designs and range building.
7. Display a strong commercial awareness to design in accordance with a card’s topic, theme, type, and target market. (Who would send this card and why?).
8. Understand target customers (both trade and retail) and new emerging markets from sales meetings
9. Utilise sales information from the sales tracker to design the next ‘best seller’.
10. Identify shopping trends and gaps in the market.
11. Manage own workload within the critical path, understanding time scales for each release and ensuring all deadlines are met.
12. Ready approved designs for artworking, artwork each design and brief to the printers.
13. Send artwork to print on time and relay relevant information to the Buying and Merchandising teams.
14. Assist with the approval process for all printed stock, including printed cards, wrap and ancillary, and ensure the final product is satisfactory before delivery to warehouse.
15. Attain solid working relationships with all main suppliers and gain a thorough understanding of their processes to create artwork in accordance with their specifications.
1. You have at least 2 years’ previous industry experience.
2. a relevant design degree (illustration, surface pattern, textiles, graphic design).
3. Ability to draw, paint and collage, and then transfer to Adobe to create the finished cards whilst maintaining the hand crafted details.
4. excellent communication skills to interpret and negotiate briefs with colleagues/clients.
5. demonstrable passion and enthusiasm for design, with a creative flair and excellent sense of colour.
6. good presentation skills and the confidence to explain and sell ideas to clients and colleagues.
7. excellent time management skills and the ability to cope under pressure with several projects at once.
8. accuracy and attention to detail when readying designs for artworking and briefing.
9. open to feedback with a willingness to make changes to designs as directed.
10. motivated to develop the role and design abilities, always learning and improving.
11. a team player with the ability to also work independently with some supervision.
12. has a ‘can do’ attitude.
13. enthusiastic, self-confident and self-motivated.
14. understands and represents the Caroline Gardner brand values.
15. demonstrates respect and politeness and regularly exceeds expectations.
For the full job description please visit the 'jobs' page of our website.
All applications should include a covering letter explaining a bit about yourself and why you're right for the role, a CV and a relevant sample of your portfolio.
