Creative Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Creative Designer

Company: Air Apps

Location: Rome, Lazio, Italy (On-site)

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Creative Design / Marketing Operations

Date Posted: April 16, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (Approx. 3 years)

Remote Status: On-site (Relocation support available)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the visual identity and branding efforts for Air Apps, ensuring a cohesive and compelling brand presence across all platforms through expert graphic design.

• Develop high-impact visual assets for diverse marketing channels, including digital advertising, social media campaigns, email marketing, and print collateral, translating strategic objectives into engaging creative solutions.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Marketing, Product, and Content, to conceptualize and execute design projects that meet business requirements and enhance user experience.

• Utilize advanced proficiency in industry-standard design software such as Adobe Creative Suite and Figma to produce polished, high-quality creative assets.

• Contribute to a data-informed design process by iterating on designs based on stakeholder feedback, user insights, and performance metrics to optimize creative effectiveness.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Creative Designer," the responsibilities and collaboration with Marketing, Product, and Content teams, along with the focus on digital marketing assets and performance metrics, indicate a strong alignment with Marketing Operations functions, particularly in visual content creation and campaign support. The role requires not just aesthetic skill but also an understanding of how design drives business objectives.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Architect and maintain Air Apps' visual identity system, ensuring strict adherence to brand guidelines across all creative outputs and digital touchpoints.

• Design and produce a wide array of visual assets, including but not limited to graphics, illustrations, infographics, social media posts, digital ad creatives, landing page elements, email templates, and print materials.

• Partner with Marketing, Product Management, and Content Creation teams to understand project objectives, target audiences, and key messaging, translating these into effective visual narratives.

• Actively participate in design review sessions, incorporating constructive feedback from internal stakeholders and applying user insights and performance data to refine and enhance design iterations.

• Oversee design quality assurance (QA) for all creative assets deployed across various channels, ensuring pixel-perfection, brand consistency, and functional integrity.

• Manage the production workflow of creative assets, from initial concept and design to final delivery in required formats and specifications for multiple platforms and campaigns.

• Stay abreast of industry design trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in visual communication to continuously elevate the quality and impact of Air Apps' creative assets.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "iterating on designs based on feedback from stakeholders and refine assets using user insights and performance metrics" suggests a need for the designer to understand campaign performance and A/B testing outcomes, aligning the role with data-driven marketing operations.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Fine Arts, Digital Media, or a closely related field.

Experience: Approximately 3 years of professional experience in graphic design, with a significant focus on creating assets for digital marketing campaigns, social media platforms, and web applications.

Required Skills:

• Portfolio Excellence: A robust and diverse portfolio demonstrating a strong command of design principles, a variety of project types, and a clear progression of design skills.

• Visual Identity Design: Proven ability to develop and maintain consistent brand guidelines and visual systems across multiple platforms.

• Digital Asset Creation: Expertise in designing engaging graphics, illustrations, and layouts for web, social media, email campaigns, and digital advertising.

• Software Proficiency: Advanced command of industry-standard design software, including Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and Figma.

• Design Fundamentals: Solid understanding of typography, color theory, composition, layout principles, and visual hierarchy.

• Collaboration & Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design concepts and receive constructive feedback effectively.

• Time Management & Organization: Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, meet deadlines, and maintain high attention to detail in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with motion graphics or basic animation principles for digital content.

• Familiarity with User Interface (UI) design principles and their application in web and app contexts.

• Basic understanding of SEO principles as they relate to visual content optimization for web.

• Experience working with marketing automation platforms or CRM systems for asset integration.

• Knowledge of print production processes and preparing files for commercial printing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for proficiency in both Adobe Creative Suite and Figma indicates a need for versatility in design tools, common in dynamic marketing operations environments where different teams might leverage different platforms. The "fast-paced, remote environment" (though the role is on-site, the company operates remotely) suggests a need for strong self-management skills.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate Brand Consistency: Showcase projects where you successfully developed or maintained a consistent visual identity across multiple marketing channels and touchpoints.

• Campaign Impact: Include case studies detailing design work for specific marketing campaigns (e.g., digital ads, social media promotions, email sequences), highlighting the design's role in achieving campaign objectives.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Present examples of projects where you collaborated with marketing, product, or content teams, illustrating your ability to translate requirements into visual solutions.

• Tool Proficiency Showcase: Ensure your portfolio clearly displays work created using Adobe Creative Suite and Figma, highlighting your command of these essential design tools.

• Metrics-Driven Iteration: If possible, include examples where design iterations were informed by performance data or user feedback, demonstrating an understanding of design's impact on business metrics.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Be prepared to discuss your typical design process from brief to final asset delivery, including stages for ideation, conceptualization, design, feedback, revision, and finalization.

• Asset Management: Articulate your approach to organizing and managing design files and assets to ensure efficient retrieval and version control.

• Quality Assurance Protocols: Describe your methods for conducting design quality assurance (QA) to ensure assets meet brand standards, technical specifications, and project requirements before deployment.

• Feedback Integration: Explain how you solicit, process, and implement feedback from various stakeholders to refine designs effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "user insights and performance metrics" and "refine assets" strongly implies that candidates should prepare to discuss their process for incorporating data into their design decisions, a key aspect of operations roles.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: €44,000 - €55,000 per year. This range is competitive for a Mid-Level Creative Designer in Rome, Italy, considering the company's industry and the provided benefits package. The specific salary within this range will depend on the candidate's experience, skill set, and demonstrated portfolio impact.

Benefits:

• Apple Hardware Ecosystem: Provision of Apple devices for work, ensuring a premium and integrated technological environment.

• Annual Bonus: Opportunity for performance-based annual bonuses, recognizing contributions to company success.

• Top-Tier Health and Life Insurance: Comprehensive coverage for employees and potentially their dependents, offering significant peace of mind.

• Transportation Budget: Financial assistance to cover commuting costs, supporting daily travel to the on-site office.

• Coverflex Benefits Package: A flexible benefits platform that can be used for meal allowances, well-being activities, and other personal needs.

• Childcare Support: Assistance or benefits to help employees manage childcare responsibilities.

• Air Conference: An annual event for team building, collaboration, and professional development, fostering a strong company culture.

• Pension Fund: Contribution to a pension fund to support long-term financial security and retirement planning.

• Urban Sports Club Membership: Access to a network of sports facilities and activities, promoting an active and healthy lifestyle.

• Complimentary Meals: 100% free meals provided at the company hub, enhancing the on-site work experience and fostering community.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours, typically around 40 hours per week, with potential for some flexibility depending on project needs and team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided (€44,000 - €55,000 EUR annually) is based on the input data. Research into Creative Designer salaries in Rome, Italy, for candidates with 3 years of experience, typically falls within this range, especially for roles offering comprehensive benefits and operating within a tech/startup environment. The benefits package is exceptionally strong and should be a significant consideration for applicants.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, AI-powered Software Solutions (Personal & Entrepreneurial Resource Planner - PRP). Air Apps operates at the intersection of AI, productivity tools, and personal development, aiming to revolutionize how individuals and entrepreneurs manage their resources. This positions the company in a fast-growing, innovative market segment.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, the mention of "offices in both Lisbon and San Francisco" and "over 100 million downloads" suggests a growing, likely medium-to-large sized startup or scale-up. This size typically allows for significant impact and visibility for individual contributors while maintaining a dynamic, agile work environment.

Founded: 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal. This relatively recent founding date indicates a company with a modern approach, likely embracing agile methodologies and contemporary workplace practices. Being self-funded emphasizes financial prudence and a long-term strategic vision.

Team Structure:

• The design team likely operates within a matrixed structure, reporting to a Design Lead or Head of Creative, while collaborating closely with functional teams such as Marketing, Product Management, and Content.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a cornerstone of Air Apps' operations, with designers expected to work integratively with engineers, marketers, and product managers to translate business objectives into compelling visual experiences.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Designs are iterated upon using user insights and performance metrics, indicating a strong reliance on analytics and A/B testing to validate creative strategies.

• Agile Development: Given the startup nature and focus on rapid innovation, design processes likely align with agile methodologies, prioritizing flexibility, iterative development, and quick feedback loops.

• User-Centricity: The mission to empower people globally suggests a deep commitment to understanding and serving user needs through intuitive and visually appealing product and marketing experiences.

Company Website: https://www.airapps.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on AI and resource planning, coupled with its self-funded, ambitious growth trajectory, suggests a culture that values innovation, efficiency, and measurable impact. This context is crucial for a designer who needs to understand how their work contributes to the broader business objectives.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid-Level Creative Designer. It requires a solid foundation of design principles and technical skills, approximately 3 years of experience, and the ability to work independently on assigned projects while also collaborating effectively within a team. The role is foundational for building a career in creative operations or marketing design.

Reporting Structure: The Creative Designer will likely report to a Creative Lead, Design Manager, or potentially the Head of Marketing or Head of Product, depending on the team's specific structure. They will collaborate closely with Marketing Managers, Product Managers, and Content Strategists.

Operations Impact: The Creative Designer's work directly impacts customer acquisition, engagement, and brand perception. By creating visually compelling assets for digital ads, social media, and campaigns, they contribute directly to lead generation, conversion rates, and overall brand recognition. Their ability to translate complex product features into understandable visual narratives is critical for user adoption and retention.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Opportunity to specialize in specific areas of design, such as UI/UX design, motion graphics, or brand identity development, driven by project needs and personal interest.

• Leadership Path: Potential to grow into a Senior Creative Designer role, leading smaller projects or mentoring junior designers, and eventually into a Creative Lead or Design Manager position.

• Cross-Functional Skill Development: Exposure to marketing strategy, product development, and data analytics can foster growth into roles like Marketing Operations Specialist, Brand Manager, or even Product Marketing.

• Industry Exposure: Working on an AI-powered product in a rapidly evolving market provides valuable experience in a high-demand field.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a clear path for growth within a tech-focused company. The emphasis on data-informed design and collaboration with product teams provides opportunities to develop skills beyond pure graphic design, preparing candidates for broader operations and marketing strategy roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The job is described as "fully onsite," indicating a traditional office environment. Air Apps has offices in Lisbon and San Francisco, and the role is based in Lisbon. The company also mentions a "hub" where meals are provided, suggesting a central, collaborative workspace designed to foster interaction.

Office Location(s): The primary office location for this role is Lisbon, Portugal. While the job listing mentions Rome, Italy, in the location details, the "The Role" section explicitly states "This is a fully onsite position, based at our office in Lisbon..." This discrepancy needs clarification; however, assuming Lisbon is the intended location given the explicit mention. Support for relocation is offered.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The "fully onsite" requirement and provision of free meals at the "hub" suggest an environment that encourages face-to-face interaction, spontaneous collaboration, and team building.

• Tools and Technology: Employees are provided with an Apple hardware ecosystem, indicating a commitment to providing high-quality tools for creative work. Access to industry-standard design software like Adobe Creative Suite and Figma is expected.

• Team Interaction: The onsite nature ensures regular interaction with colleagues across Marketing, Product, and Content teams, facilitating seamless communication and project alignment.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time working hours (approximately 40 hours per week) are expected. While the company operates in a remote-friendly manner overall, this specific role requires on-site presence, implying a structured workday. However, the fast-paced nature of startups often means flexibility is valued, and occasional overtime may be required for critical deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The discrepancy between "Rome" in the initial location data and "Lisbon" in the role description is a critical point. Assuming Lisbon is the correct location based on the explicit statement in "The Role" section. The "hub" concept and provision of meals strongly indicate a focus on building a strong in-person company culture and facilitating easy collaboration.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess qualifications, experience, and creative style against the role requirements.

• Skills Assessment/Portfolio Review: A dedicated session to present your portfolio, discuss your design process, and potentially complete a design challenge or answer questions related to your past projects and problem-solving approach.

• Team/Hiring Manager Interview: Discussions focused on your experience, collaboration style, understanding of brand identity, and how you would fit into the Air Apps team and culture. This may include behavioral questions.

• Final Round (if applicable): Potentially a final interview with a senior leader to confirm cultural fit and strategic alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest, most relevant projects that showcase your skills in digital marketing, social media, and brand identity. Prioritize work that demonstrates impact and problem-solving.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the brief, your role, the challenges faced, your design process, the solutions you implemented, and the results achieved (quantifiable if possible).

• Highlight Tool Proficiency: Ensure your portfolio clearly indicates which tools (Adobe Creative Suite, Figma) you used for each project.

• Showcase Brand Versatility: Demonstrate your ability to adapt your design style to different brand voices and objectives, while also showing mastery of Air Apps' potential brand aesthetic.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, include metrics or outcomes related to your designs (e.g., increased click-through rates, engagement levels, conversion improvements).

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Challenge Familiarization: Be prepared for a practical design exercise that may involve creating a specific asset (e.g., a social media graphic, a banner ad) based on a hypothetical brief.

• Process Articulation: Practice explaining your design decisions clearly and concisely, focusing on the rationale behind your choices (e.g., typography, color, layout, imagery).

• Brand Alignment: If given a brief, thoroughly research Air Apps' existing brand to ensure your challenge response aligns with their visual identity and tone.

• Time Management: If a timed challenge is provided, practice working efficiently under pressure and delivering a polished output within the allocated time.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Application Disclaimer" explicitly states, "Applicants must submit their own work without any AI-generated assistance. Any use of AI in application materials, assessments, or interviews will result in disqualification." This is a critical point for all applicants and must be adhered to strictly. The portfolio review will likely focus heavily on demonstrating original creative thinking and execution.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite: Essential for graphic design, illustration, and layout. Proficiency expected in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

• Figma: A key tool for collaborative design, prototyping, and UI/UX design, especially for web and digital assets.

• Project Management Software: Likely used for task tracking and workflow management (e.g., Asana, Trello, Jira, or similar).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics Tools: Familiarity with platforms like Google Analytics to understand website traffic, user behavior, and performance of digital assets is beneficial.

• Social Media Analytics: Understanding native analytics within platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc., to gauge content performance.

• Marketing Performance Dashboards: Experience interpreting data from dashboards (e.g., Tableau, Looker Studio, or internal tools) that track campaign performance.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: While not a primary tool for a designer, understanding how assets are used within CRM campaigns (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) can be advantageous.

• Email Marketing Platforms: Familiarity with platforms like Mailchimp, SendGrid, or HubSpot for designing and deploying email campaigns.

• Content Management Systems (CMS): Basic understanding of how visual assets are uploaded and managed on websites (e.g., WordPress).

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Figma is explicitly required. The mention of "user insights and performance metrics" implies a need for the designer to be comfortable working with data-driven feedback, even if they aren't directly running the analytics. Understanding how their designs perform is crucial.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Ambition: A drive to "think bigger—and move faster," challenging the status quo and pushing boundaries with AI-driven solutions.

• User Empowerment: A core mission to create products that "truly make a difference" and "empower people across the globe."

• Collaboration & Family: Despite being a growing company, it retains a "family-founded" ethos, suggesting a supportive and close-knit team environment, especially in the on-site setting.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: The emphasis on "user insights and performance metrics" underscores a commitment to evidence-based strategies in design and marketing.

• Excellence & Quality: A focus on delivering "high-quality output" and conducting "design quality assurance" reflects a dedication to professional standards.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers are embedded within or work very closely with Marketing, Product, and Content teams, requiring strong communication and a shared understanding of project goals.

• Feedback-Oriented: The iterative process based on stakeholder feedback and user insights points to a culture that values constructive criticism and continuous improvement.

• Agile and Fast-Paced: The company's mission and growth profile suggest a dynamic environment where quick adaptation, efficient workflows, and proactive problem-solving are key.

• In-Person Synergy: The "fully onsite" nature in Lisbon is designed to maximize spontaneous idea generation, team cohesion, and efficient problem-solving through direct interaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated values and the "family-founded" background suggest a culture that balances ambitious goals with a supportive and collaborative internal environment. For a designer, this means being both highly driven and a strong team player.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Creative Vision with Business Objectives: Effectively translating Air Apps' ambitious AI-driven mission into compelling visuals that also meet specific marketing campaign goals and performance metrics.

• Rapid Iteration in a Fast-Paced Environment: Adapting quickly to evolving project requirements, feedback, and market trends in a startup setting.

• Maintaining Brand Consistency Across Diverse Channels: Ensuring a unified visual identity across a wide range of digital and potentially print materials, while also allowing for creative expression.

• Working with AI-Focused Products: Understanding and visually communicating the benefits and functionalities of complex AI-powered software to a broad audience.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in areas like advanced illustration, motion graphics, UI design, or brand strategy through project involvement and potential training.

• Data-Informed Design Mastery: Enhance skills in interpreting analytics and user feedback to drive design decisions, becoming more effective in a marketing operations context.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Gain a broader understanding of marketing strategy, product development cycles, and content creation processes by working closely with other departments.

• Industry Exposure: Contribute to the growth of an innovative AI product company, gaining valuable experience in a high-demand and rapidly evolving tech sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for creative roles within fast-growing tech companies. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a chance to move beyond pure graphic design into more strategic and data-informed creative roles.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for developing a visual identity for a new brand or product. How would you ensure it aligns with Air Apps' mission?" (Focus on brand strategy, research, and iterative development.)

• "Walk us through a project where you had to balance creative innovation with strict brand guidelines or performance metrics. What was the outcome?" (Prepare a case study demonstrating problem-solving and impact.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Air Apps' mission and our AI-powered PRP product?" (Research the product and company vision thoroughly.)

• "How do you see your design skills contributing to a fast-paced, collaborative startup environment?" (Emphasize your adaptability, teamwork, and proactive attitude.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly state the objective, your role, the challenge, your solution (design process), and the results. Use a consistent structure for clarity.

• Highlight Key Skills: Explicitly point out where your portfolio demonstrates proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, typography, color theory, and brand consistency.

• Showcase Adaptability: Present a range of projects that demonstrate your ability to work with different styles and objectives, while also showing how you'd align with Air Apps' visual language.

• Be Ready for Live Design: Prepare to potentially answer questions about how you would approach a specific design task for Air Apps or even perform a quick sketch or concept on the spot.

• Address the AI Disclaimer: Be prepared to confirm that all work presented is your own, created without AI assistance, as per the company's strict policy.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the explicit AI disclaimer, interviewers will likely probe deeply into the originality of your work and your understanding of design principles independent of AI tools. Be ready to discuss your creative process in granular detail and defend your design choices based on fundamental design theory and strategic objectives.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Creative Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio is up-to-date, showcasing your strongest work relevant to digital marketing, social media, and brand identity. Select 3-5 key projects that highlight your process and impact.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize your 3 years of experience, proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Figma, and any experience with data-informed design or cross-functional collaboration. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare for the AI Disclaimer: Be ready to confirm that all application materials and portfolio pieces are your original work, created without AI assistance. Understand the implications of this policy.

• Research Air Apps: Familiarize yourself with Air Apps' product (PRP), mission, and existing brand presence. Understand their target audience and market positioning.

⚠️ 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. Pay close attention to the "Application Disclaimer" regarding AI-generated work.