Brand Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Brand Designer

Company: Co–Star

Location: Remote

Job Type: Contract, Part-Time

Category: Brand Design / Visual Operations

Date Posted: 2026-07-24

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on shaping Co-Star's external brand presence through visually compelling campaign and editorial design.

• The Brand Designer will be instrumental in defining and executing visual storytelling across earned and owned channels, ensuring a distinct brand identity.

• This position requires a senior-level individual contributor with a strong foundation in graphic design, typography, and composition, capable of both directing and executing creative work.

• The role involves close collaboration with leadership and marketing teams to translate brand strategy into impactful visual assets that resonate with a global audience.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Brand Designer," the responsibilities heavily lean into visual operations, brand asset management, and campaign execution, which are critical components of a Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy. The emphasis on "visual systems," "campaign visuals," and "owned channels" indicates a need for structured design operations.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and execute campaign visuals for advertisements, social media content, and product launches, managing the process from concept to final asset delivery.

• Apply an editorial design sensibility to owned channels, including email marketing series, blog content, and campaign imagery, ensuring a cohesive brand narrative.

• Develop and maintain expressive, non-corporate visual systems that define Co-Star's brand aesthetic across all external touchpoints.

• Partner closely with the marketing team to align visual direction with broader GTM strategies for earned and owned media.

• Collaborate asynchronously with a small, fast-moving, and remote team, ensuring efficient project workflows and timely delivery of high-quality design assets.

• Translate complex astrological concepts and data into visually engaging and accessible content for a broad audience.

• Contribute to the evolution of the Co-Star brand identity through innovative and culturally fluent design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a need for operational efficiency in design processes, including asset creation, workflow management, and cross-functional alignment, which are core to GTM operations.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Not specified, but a strong portfolio with demonstrable design education or equivalent experience is expected.

Experience:

• Approximately 5-8 years of experience as a senior individual contributor in graphic and brand design.

• Proven experience in shaping campaigns and directing creative execution, not just producing assets. Required Skills:

• Visual Design & Graphic Design: Expertise in creating compelling visual narratives across digital and print mediums.

• Typography & Composition: Mastery of typographic principles and compositional layout as a primary design language.

• Editorial Design: Strong ability to bring an editorial sensibility to owned channels like email and blogs.

• Campaign Design: Demonstrated experience in conceptualizing and executing integrated campaign visuals (ads, social, launches).

• Brand Identity Development: Experience in developing and maintaining expressive, culturally fluent visual systems.

• Digital Design Proficiency: Skill in creating assets optimized for various digital platforms.

• Print Design Fundamentals: Understanding of print production and design principles.

Preferred Skills:

• Editorial/Publication Experience: Background in print or digital magazines.

• Motion Design: Ability to create animated graphics and visual effects.

• Illustration: Skill in creating original illustrations to enhance visual storytelling.

• Generative AI Tools: Experience in utilizing AI tools for creative content generation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "senior IC" and "5-8 years" suggests a role requiring significant autonomy and a deep understanding of design operations principles, rather than entry-level design tasks.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a range of expressive, culturally fluent graphic design projects across editorial, campaigns, and identities.

• Include examples demonstrating expertise in both print and digital applications.

• Highlight projects where the candidate directed campaigns, illustrating strategic thinking and leadership beyond asset production.

• Present work that clearly communicates taste, range, and a distinct point of view.

• Demonstrate experience in developing and applying visual systems consistently across different platforms. Process Documentation:

• Provide case studies that detail the design process from concept ideation to final asset delivery, emphasizing workflow management.

• Illustrate how visual systems were developed, implemented, and maintained across various channels.

• Showcase examples of how collaboration with marketing and leadership influenced design outcomes.

• Where applicable, include examples of using generative tools or motion design within a structured workflow.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is paramount, and for a role touching on GTM operations, it should not only display aesthetic quality but also evidence of structured process, efficiency, and strategic impact.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: As this is a freelance/contract role with potential for growth, compensation will likely be project-based or an hourly rate. For a senior Brand Designer with 5-8 years of experience in a remote, high-demand tech/creative field, typical freelance rates in major US markets (NYC, SF, LA) can range from $60 - $100+ USD per hour, depending on the complexity of the projects and the proven impact of the designer's work.

Benefits:

• Freelance/contract engagement with potential for long-term partnership and growth.

• Flexible, fully remote work environment, allowing work from anywhere.

• Opportunity to work with a globally recognized and rapidly growing app.

• Exposure to a unique blend of humanities (astrology) and cutting-edge technology (AI, NASA data).

• Collaboration with an experienced team from top tech and entertainment backgrounds.

• Potential to influence the visual direction of a product downloaded by millions worldwide.

Working Hours: This is a part-time engagement to start, with flexibility to scale based on project needs and team growth. The asynchronous collaboration model suggests a need for adaptability in working hours, but generally, a full-time equivalent (40 hours/week) commitment is expected for significant projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: The freelance nature means compensation is variable. For an operations-minded candidate, understanding project scope and estimating time accurately will be key to financial planning.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Astrology, Technology (AI, Mobile Apps)

Company Size: Small, experienced team of 30 individuals.

Founded: 5 years ago.

Team Structure:

• The design team is likely small and integrated within a larger product/marketing function.

• Close collaboration with leadership (CEO, CTO, etc.) is expected, given the company's size and the role's direct impact.

• Cross-functional collaboration with marketing, product, and engineering teams is essential for campaign execution and brand consistency. Methodology:

• Data-driven approach, leveraging real-time NASA data and AI for personalized horoscope generation.

• Focus on creating viral growth through product design rather than traditional marketing spend.

• Emphasis on a fresh, opinionated, and high-quality design foundation that is forward-looking.

• Asynchronous communication and independent work are key operational methodologies due to the remote nature of the team.

Company Website: costarastrology.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's success via organic growth and viral design highlights a culture that values innovation, creativity, and a deep understanding of user engagement, all critical for effective GTM operations.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Senior Individual Contributor (IC) in Brand Design, with a strong emphasis on visual storytelling and campaign execution. It's a critical role for shaping external brand perception, requiring a strategic and operational mindset.

Reporting Structure: The Brand Designer will partner closely with leadership on campaigns and visual storytelling. This suggests a direct reporting line to a senior marketing leader, creative director, or even a founder, emphasizing direct influence and autonomy.

Operations Impact: The role's impact is directly tied to how Co-Star "shows up outside of the app, in the broader world." This involves driving brand awareness, engagement, and potentially user acquisition through compelling visual content. Effective visual operations directly support GTM objectives.

Growth Opportunities:

• Long-term Partnership: Potential to transition from freelance to a more permanent role as the team and work expand.

• Creative Leadership: Opportunity to shape the visual direction and strategy for a globally recognized brand.

• Skill Expansion: Development in areas like motion graphics, illustration, and generative AI tools, as these are "nice to have" skills.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Deepen understanding of marketing operations, product storytelling, and GTM strategy through close collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth potential for a designer who can operate with an "operations" mindset, focusing on scalable visual solutions and strategic GTM impact.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully remote.

Office Location(s): No specific office location; work is permitted from anywhere. Travel to NYC is optional but not required.

Workspace Context:

• A highly independent and self-directed work environment is expected.

• Emphasis on asynchronous communication means effective time management and clear documentation are crucial.

• Access to necessary design software and collaboration tools will be provided or expected.

• Opportunities for connection with the team likely occur through virtual meetings and collaborative platforms.

Work Schedule: Part-time to start, with flexibility. The asynchronous nature allows for some control over working hours, but meeting project deadlines and collaborating effectively with team members across different time zones will be key.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote and asynchronous nature requires strong self-discipline and operational efficiency from the designer to ensure seamless integration with the rest of the team.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Portfolio Submission: The initial stage will involve submitting a portfolio that showcases taste, range, and point of view.

• Initial Screening: Likely a review of the portfolio and resume to assess experience and alignment with requirements.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: Candidates may be asked to complete a design exercise or present a case study from their portfolio, focusing on how they approach campaign design, visual systems, and problem-solving. This will assess their ability to direct and execute.

• Team/Leadership Interviews: Interviews with leadership and potentially other team members to assess cultural fit, collaboration style, and strategic thinking.

• Discussion on Vision: Conversations about how the candidate sees the Co-Star brand evolving visually.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best represent the skills required: campaign design, editorial sensibility, visual systems, and a strong point of view.

• Showcase Process: For each project, briefly explain the brief, your role, the design process, challenges faced, and the final outcome, highlighting any impact or metrics if available.

• Emphasize Direction: Clearly articulate instances where you directed campaigns or shaped strategy, not just executed.

• Demonstrate Cultural Fluency: Ensure your portfolio reflects an understanding of current visual culture across art, fashion, publishing, music, and the internet.

• Highlight Remote Capabilities: If possible, include examples of successful remote collaboration or projects executed independently.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Co-Star: Thoroughly research Co-Star's app, brand, target audience, and existing visual identity.

• Anticipate Brand Challenges: Think about how to visually represent abstract concepts like astrology and AI in a fresh, modern way.

• Prepare to Discuss Visual Systems: Be ready to explain how you would build and maintain a consistent yet expressive visual system for a global brand.

• Practice Articulation: Prepare to clearly and concisely articulate your design choices, strategic thinking, and creative process.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "taste, range, and point of view" suggests that the review process will be highly subjective and focused on creative leadership, requiring candidates to present their work with confidence and strategic rationale.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design Software: Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) will be standard. Figma or Sketch are also highly probable for digital asset creation and collaboration.

• Prototyping/Collaboration: Tools like Figma or InVision for prototyping and sharing designs.

• Project Management: Asynchronous collaboration suggests familiarity with tools like Asana, Trello, Notion, or Monday.com for task management and workflow tracking.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a direct responsibility, understanding how design impacts metrics (e.g., click-through rates on ads, engagement on social media) is beneficial. Familiarity with basic analytics platforms like Google Analytics or social media analytics dashboards would be a plus. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to this design role, but understanding how visual assets integrate with marketing automation platforms (e.g., for email campaigns) could be advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in industry-standard design tools is a given. The emphasis on asynchronous collaboration and potential for generative AI tools points to a modern, digitally-native operational workflow.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Forward-Thinking: A drive to create work that is "not what’s now but what’s next."

• Expressiveness & Individuality: Emphasis on creating "expressive rather than corporate" visual systems, valuing unique points of view.

• Cultural Fluency: Deep understanding and integration of visual culture across various contemporary fields.

• Efficiency & Autonomy: A culture that supports remote, independent work and asynchronous collaboration.

• Impact & Growth: A focus on designing for viral growth and global reach, evidenced by the company's own success.

Collaboration Style:

• Asynchronous First: Communication and collaboration will primarily occur without real-time meetings, requiring clear written communication and thorough documentation.

• Leadership Partnership: Close working relationships with leadership on strategic initiatives.

• Cross-functional Integration: Working seamlessly with marketing and other teams to ensure brand consistency and campaign effectiveness.

• Feedback-Oriented: An environment where design opinions are valued and constructive feedback is exchanged.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture values strong individual contributions within a collaborative, remote-first framework, emphasizing clear communication and a shared vision for innovative design.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Expressiveness with Brand Consistency: Creating distinct, opinionated designs while ensuring they align with Co-Star's overall brand identity and appeal to a global audience.

• Translating Abstract Concepts: Visually representing complex and abstract concepts like astrology and AI in an engaging and accessible manner.

• Remote Collaboration Efficiency: Maintaining high levels of productivity and seamless integration within a fully remote, asynchronous team environment.

• Staying Ahead of Visual Trends: Continuously innovating and producing work that feels "next" in a rapidly evolving visual culture.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Generative AI: Opportunity to gain hands-on experience with generative design tools.

• Motion Graphics & Illustration: Expand skill set into these preferred areas.

• GTM Strategy Exposure: Gain insights into how design directly supports marketing and growth objectives.

• Brand Building: Contribute to the visual identity of a brand with a massive global following.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents a unique opportunity to blend creative artistry with operational efficiency in a fast-paced, innovative environment, pushing the boundaries of brand expression.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach developing a visual system for Co-Star that is both expressive and globally consistent?"

• "Describe a campaign you directed from concept to completion. What were the key visual decisions, and what was the impact?"

• "How do you stay ahead of visual culture trends, and how would you integrate them into Co-Star's brand identity?"

• "Given our focus on asynchronous collaboration, how do you ensure your design work is well-communicated and integrated with the team?" Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Co-Star's mission and its unique blend of astrology and technology?"

• "How do you see your design philosophy aligning with Co-Star's values of expressiveness and innovation?"

• "Describe a time you collaborated with a marketing team to achieve a specific GTM objective through design." Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: For each project, frame it as a narrative: the challenge, your approach, your role, the solution, and the impact.

• Highlight Strategic Decisions: Don't just show pretty pictures; explain why you made certain design choices and how they supported the project's goals.

• Demonstrate Direction: Clearly articulate instances where you led creative direction, managed stakeholders, or influenced strategy.

• Emphasize Process: Briefly touch upon your workflow, tools used, and how you handled remote collaboration and feedback.

• Be Concise: Respect the interviewers' time. Focus on quality over quantity.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to discuss your creative process, strategic thinking, and ability to operate independently and collaboratively in a remote setting. Your portfolio should be the backbone of your responses.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-focused Brand Designer position:

• Submit your portfolio along with your application via the provided link. Ensure your portfolio clearly demonstrates taste, range, and a strong point of view.

• Tailor your resume: Highlight experience in campaign design, editorial work, visual systems, and any experience with motion graphics, illustration, or generative AI tools. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare a concise portfolio walkthrough: Be ready to present 3-5 key projects that showcase your ability to direct and execute visually compelling campaigns and expressive brand identities.

• Research Co-Star thoroughly: Understand their app, target audience, brand voice, and existing visual elements to articulate how you can contribute to their next phase of growth.

• Consider a brief cover letter: If allowed, briefly explain your interest in Co-Star and how your unique blend of creative skills and operational mindset aligns with their needs.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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