Design Director

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Design Director

Company: Smosh

Location: Los Angeles, California, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Creative & Media / Art & Design / Management & Leadership

Date Posted: 2026-06-24

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and evolve the overall visual identity and brand aesthetic for the Smosh universe, encompassing its core channels (Smosh, Smosh Pit, Smosh Games, Smosh Cast, Smosh ALike) and associated ventures.

• Manage, mentor, and develop a small, high-performing design team, fostering a creative and collaborative environment to drive exceptional visual output and innovation.

• Balance strategic creative direction with hands-on design execution, leveraging expertise in industry-standard design software to deliver high-quality visual assets.

• Champion a cohesive and compelling brand narrative across all touchpoints, ensuring visual consistency and impact in alignment with Smosh's comedic and entertaining brand.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is situated within the entertainment and digital media industry, specifically focusing on content creation platforms like YouTube. The "Design Director" title, coupled with responsibilities like thumbnail strategy, merchandise design, and live show branding, indicates a strong emphasis on GTM (Go-To-Market) visual strategy and brand packaging, aligning it with revenue-generating activities through audience engagement and merchandise sales.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Creative Vision & Execution: Define, implement, and maintain the visual direction for all Smosh platforms, ensuring a high standard of creative quality, comedic relevance, and brand cohesion.

• Team Leadership & Development: Directly manage and provide guidance to the Senior Graphic Designer, Graphic Designer, and Senior Motion Graphics Designer, overseeing their workload, performance, and professional growth.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Actively partner with producers, directors, marketing, social media, membership, live events, and commercial teams to align creative strategies with project objectives, audience engagement, and business goals.

• Brand Asset Management: Oversee the creation and maintenance of all branded materials, including pitch decks, marketing collateral, social media assets, and internal presentations, ensuring they reflect Smosh's unique identity.

• Production Planning Integration: Participate proactively in production kickoff and pre-production meetings to identify and address graphic, branding, thumbnail, and social asset requirements in advance.

• Merchandise Design Support: Collaborate with and oversee the merchandise designer, providing direction and stepping in for hands-on design work to support product development for smosh.com merchandise.

• Thumbnail Strategy & Optimization: Lead the strategy for YouTube thumbnails across all channels, working closely with Social and Marketing teams to optimize packaging, drive audience engagement, facilitate A/B testing, and enhance performance metrics.

• Design Systems & Workflow Development: Create and implement scalable design systems, templates, and workflows to improve consistency, efficiency, and collaboration across all cross-functional teams.

• Motion Graphics & VFX Oversight: Partner with the post-production team and delegate to the motion graphics team to fulfill motion graphic and VFX requests, ensuring alignment with brand standards.

• Presentation & Pitch Delivery: Clearly articulate design rationale and creative concepts to executive leadership, while remaining receptive to collaborative input and comedic direction.

• Graphics Library Management: Maintain an organized and accessible library of all design assets for efficient retrieval by various departments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "thumbnail strategy," "merchandise design," and "marketing assets" indicates a strong connection to GTM operations, where visual elements directly impact customer acquisition, engagement, and revenue. The responsibility for developing "design systems and workflows" also points to a need for process optimization and scalability, key tenets of effective operations management.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Arts, Marketing, or a related field is preferred.

• Equivalent professional experience and a strong portfolio will be considered. Experience:

• 5-10 years of progressive experience in graphic design, with a significant portion in a leadership or directorial capacity.

• Proven track record of managing design teams and successfully delivering creative projects from concept to completion.

• Experience in the digital media, entertainment, or content creation industry is highly desirable. Required Skills:

• Creative Direction: Ability to conceptualize and articulate a compelling visual strategy that aligns with brand identity and audience expectations.

• Team Management & Mentorship: Demonstrated experience in leading, motivating, and developing creative teams, including performance management and skill development.

• Graphic Design Proficiency: Expert-level skills in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop for creating a wide range of visual assets.

• Brand Identity Development: Deep understanding of brand strategy, visual systems, and maintaining brand consistency across diverse platforms.

• Project Management: Strong organizational skills to manage multiple projects, prioritize tasks, and ensure timely delivery within a dynamic production environment.

• Cross-functional Leadership: Ability to collaborate effectively with diverse teams (production, marketing, social, etc.) and influence stakeholders through clear communication and visual rationale.

Preferred Skills:

• Motion Graphics & VFX Oversight: Familiarity with motion graphics principles and VFX workflows, with the ability to direct or oversee their creation.

• Thumbnail Strategy & Optimization: Experience in developing and analyzing thumbnail performance for digital content platforms, particularly YouTube.

• Design Systems Implementation: Experience in creating and deploying design systems for scalability and consistency.

• Merchandise Design Experience: Familiarity with product design, production processes, and creative execution for merchandise.

• Strategic Planning: Ability to contribute to long-term brand initiatives and creative strategy development.

• Production Planning Acumen: Understanding of content production workflows and the ability to anticipate design needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills strongly align with operations management principles, emphasizing process efficiency (Project Management, Design Systems), team productivity (Team Management), and strategic execution (Creative Direction, Cross-functional Leadership). The preferred skills like Thumbnail Strategy and Merchandise Design highlight a direct link to revenue-generating GTM activities.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a strong command of visual design principles, creative direction, and brand development across various media.

• Demonstrations of successful leadership and team management, with examples of guiding junior designers.

• Case studies highlighting the development and implementation of design systems or scalable workflows that improved efficiency or consistency.

• Examples of visual assets created for digital platforms, including social media graphics, website elements, and marketing collateral.

• Evidence of experience in thumbnail design and strategy, showcasing an understanding of audience engagement and click-through rate optimization. Process Documentation:

• Examples of how you have documented and standardized design processes or workflows to ensure consistency and facilitate collaboration.

• Demonstrations of your approach to project management, including how you prioritize tasks, manage timelines, and delegate responsibilities within a design team.

• Insights into how you've leveraged design tools and systems to streamline creative production and asset management.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Design Director role, particularly one with GTM implications, the portfolio should not only showcase aesthetic output but also demonstrate strategic thinking regarding process optimization, team efficiency, and the impact of design on business objectives (e.g., audience engagement, merchandise sales). Highlighting the development of "design systems and workflows" is crucial for demonstrating operational effectiveness.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Estimated Salary Range: $90,000 - $95,000 per year. Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• Paid time off (PTO) including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.

• 401(k) retirement savings plan with potential company match.

• Opportunities for professional development and continued learning in design and leadership.

• Access to company-provided creative tools and technology.

• Potential for performance-based bonuses or incentives. Working Hours:

• Standard 40-hour work week.

• Occasional overtime may be required to meet project deadlines or support live events.

• Flexibility may be available for on-site staff, subject to team and production needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The estimated salary range of $90,000 - $95,000 for a Design Director in Los Angeles, California, with 5-10 years of experience, is based on industry benchmarks for creative leadership roles in major metropolitan areas with a high cost of living. This range reflects the seniority, management responsibilities, and specialized skills required for this position in the digital media and entertainment sector.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Digital Media & Entertainment (Content Creation, YouTube, Comedy)

Company Size: Smosh is part of a larger organization, but operates with a dedicated team structure. The specific size of the design team is small but mighty, implying a close-knit and agile working environment.

Founded: Smosh was founded in 2005, establishing a long-standing presence and recognizable brand within the online entertainment landscape.

Team Structure:

• The Design Director will report to the Senior Director of Marketing, indicating a strong alignment with marketing and GTM strategies.

• The design team itself is composed of a Senior Graphic Designer, a Graphic Designer, and a Senior Motion Graphics Designer, suggesting a focused and specialized unit.

• Collaboration is expected to be extensive, with close partnerships across production, marketing, social media, and other commercial teams. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Thumbnail strategy and performance optimization point to a data-informed approach to visual packaging and audience engagement.

• Agile Creative Process: The need to participate in production planning and manage dynamic workflows suggests an agile and adaptable creative process, common in fast-paced media environments.

• Collaborative Ideation: The emphasis on "comedy-driven input" and collaboration highlights a culture where creative ideas are shared and refined collectively.

Company Website: https://smosh.bamboohr.com/careers

📝 Enhancement Note: Smosh's established history and focus on comedy and entertainment suggest a culture that values creativity, humor, and rapid content production. The Design Director plays a crucial role in translating this unique brand voice into a cohesive and engaging visual identity, directly impacting audience perception and marketability.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior leadership role within the creative function, equivalent to a Director level in a typical organizational hierarchy. It combines strategic oversight with hands-on execution and team management.

Reporting Structure: The Design Director reports directly to the Senior Director of Marketing, positioning the role as integral to the company's Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy and brand communication efforts. This close proximity to marketing leadership emphasizes the role's impact on revenue-generating activities.

Operations Impact: The Design Director's work directly influences audience acquisition and retention through compelling visual content (thumbnails, branding), drives merchandise sales via creative product design, and supports marketing campaigns with impactful assets. Effective visual strategy is a key component of the overall GTM operational success.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership Expansion: Potential to take on broader creative responsibilities for new brand initiatives or ventures within the Smosh ecosystem.

• Cross-Functional Skill Development: Opportunities to deepen understanding of marketing, production, and GTM operations through close collaboration with other departments.

• Team Growth & Development: Potential to expand the design team and shape its future direction as the company grows.

• Industry Visibility: Contributing to a well-known brand like Smosh can enhance professional reputation and open doors to further opportunities within the entertainment and digital media sectors.

📝 Enhancement Note: The reporting structure to Marketing and the direct impact on GTM elements like thumbnails and merchandise clearly place this role within an operational context focused on driving business outcomes through creative execution. Growth opportunities are tied to both creative leadership and operational influence.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is an on-site position, indicating a traditional office-based work environment.

Office Location(s): Los Angeles, California, 90067. This location places Smosh within a major hub for the entertainment and media industry.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role requires close collaboration with various teams, suggesting an open and interactive office space designed to facilitate communication and brainstorming.

• Creative Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design software (Adobe Creative Suite) and potentially other digital tools necessary for creative production and team management.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for direct daily interaction with the design team, marketing colleagues, and production staff, fostering a dynamic and integrated workflow.

Work Schedule:

• The standard 40-hour work week is typical, but the fast-paced nature of content creation and live events may necessitate occasional flexibility and extended hours. This requires an ability to manage time effectively and prioritize tasks in a demanding environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Los Angeles suggests a collaborative, studio-like environment common in media companies. This setting is conducive to the cross-functional teamwork essential for GTM operations, allowing for quick iteration and alignment between design, marketing, and production.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess relevant experience, leadership capabilities, and creative output.

• Portfolio Presentation & Interview: A session where you will present your portfolio, discussing your design philosophy, creative direction experience, team management approach, and specific case studies relevant to Smosh's brand and goals. Expect questions about your process for creating visual identities, managing design projects, and leading teams.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from Marketing, Production, and potentially other departments to evaluate collaboration style, communication skills, and strategic alignment.

• Executive Interview: A final discussion with senior leadership to assess cultural fit, strategic vision, and overall leadership potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your creative direction, brand development, team leadership, and problem-solving skills. Prioritize work relevant to digital media, entertainment, and audience engagement.

• Highlight Process & Impact: For each project, clearly articulate your role, the challenges faced, your design process, the solutions implemented, and the measurable impact (e.g., increased engagement, successful product launch, improved brand consistency).

• Showcase Leadership: Include examples of how you've managed teams, mentored designers, and driven creative projects to completion.

• Demonstrate GTM Relevance: Include examples of thumbnail strategy, social media asset creation, or merchandise design that demonstrate an understanding of how design drives audience acquisition and revenue.

• Prepare for Smosh Context: Familiarize yourself with Smosh's current content, brand voice, and target audience. Be ready to discuss how your creative vision would align with and elevate the existing brand.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a potential design challenge or a scenario-based question that assesses your problem-solving skills, creative thinking under pressure, and ability to align design with comedic content and business objectives.

• Practice articulating your design rationale clearly and concisely, especially when responding to feedback or challenging input.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes not just design skill but also operational capabilities: leadership, process management, cross-functional collaboration, and GTM impact. Preparing a portfolio that demonstrates these facets, with a focus on quantifiable results and strategic thinking, will be crucial for success.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite: Expert proficiency required in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop for all graphic design tasks.

• Motion Graphics Software: Familiarity with Adobe After Effects or similar tools for directing and overseeing motion graphics and VFX.

• Project Management Software: Experience with tools like Asana, Trello, Monday.com, or Jira for managing design workflows, prioritizing tasks, and tracking project progress.

• Collaboration & Communication Platforms: Proficiency in tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Workspace for team communication and cross-functional collaboration.

Analytics & Reporting:

• YouTube Analytics: Understanding of YouTube analytics to inform thumbnail strategy and assess content performance.

• Social Media Analytics Tools: Familiarity with analytics dashboards for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, etc., to understand audience engagement metrics.

• Reporting Dashboards: Experience with creating or interpreting reports from various analytics platforms to track design impact.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a primary focus, familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) might be beneficial for understanding marketing campaign contexts and audience segmentation.

• Understanding of workflow automation principles can be advantageous when developing design systems and optimizing processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Adobe Creative Suite, project management tools, and analytics platforms highlights the operational demands of this role. Proficiency in these tools is essential for efficient workflow management, team productivity, and data-informed decision-making, all critical for GTM operations.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Creativity & Innovation: A drive to push creative boundaries while staying true to the Smosh brand's comedic essence.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: A strong belief in working together across departments to achieve shared goals and deliver cohesive brand experiences.

• Efficiency & Scalability: A commitment to developing streamlined processes and design systems that support consistent, high-volume content production.

• Data-Informed Decision-Making: Utilizing analytics and performance metrics to guide creative choices, particularly in areas like thumbnail strategy.

• Adaptability & Responsiveness: The ability to quickly adapt to evolving trends, audience feedback, and production demands in a fast-paced media environment.

Collaboration Style:

• Proactive Partnership: Actively engaging with marketing, production, and social teams early in the planning process to anticipate needs and integrate design seamlessly.

• Open Feedback Exchange: Fostering an environment where constructive feedback is welcomed and utilized to refine creative output and improve processes.

• Cross-Functional Acumen: Demonstrating an understanding of the objectives and constraints of other departments to ensure design solutions are practical and aligned with broader business goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values emphasize a blend of creative excellence and operational pragmatism. The ability to collaborate effectively and leverage data to inform creative decisions are hallmarks of successful GTM operations teams.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Brand Identity with Evolving Trends: Maintaining Smosh's unique comedic voice while adapting visual elements to stay relevant with current design trends and audience preferences.

• Managing Diverse Creative Needs: Overseeing design for a wide array of platforms and products, from short-form social content to merchandise and live shows, requiring versatile creative direction.

• Optimizing Workflow in a Fast-Paced Environment: Ensuring efficient design production and timely delivery of assets for a high-volume content schedule, requiring strong project management and delegation skills.

• Leading and Developing a Small Team: Effectively mentoring and guiding designers to foster growth while maintaining high performance standards and team cohesion.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Creative Direction: Opportunities to refine strategic creative leadership skills and influence the broader brand narrative.

• GTM Strategy Immersion: Deepening understanding of marketing, audience acquisition, and revenue generation through close collaboration with the Senior Director of Marketing.

• Industry Trend Analysis: Staying abreast of emerging design trends, digital platform changes, and audience behavior within the entertainment and content creation space.

• Leadership Skill Enhancement: Developing advanced team management, mentorship, and strategic planning capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for creative leadership roles in dynamic media companies, requiring strong operational skills in process management, team leadership, and strategic execution to overcome. Growth opportunities are aligned with expanding operational influence and strategic impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach evolving the visual identity for Smosh's core channels to maintain relevance while preserving its core comedic voice?" (Focus on strategic planning, brand analysis, and iterative design process.)

• "Describe your process for developing and implementing a design system for a brand like Smosh. What are the key considerations for scalability and cross-functional adoption?" (Highlight efficiency, process documentation, and collaboration.)

• "Imagine we're launching a new merchandise line. Walk us through your process from concept to final product design, including how you would collaborate with the merchandise designer and ensure brand consistency." (Demonstrate project management, GTM integration, and team collaboration.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do you ensure a creative team stays aligned with broader company objectives, especially when collaborating with non-creative departments like marketing and production?" (Emphasize communication, stakeholder management, and understanding business goals.)

• "What is your philosophy on managing and mentoring creative talent? How do you foster growth and maintain high performance within a design team?" (Focus on leadership style, feedback mechanisms, and team development.)

• "How do you approach balancing creative vision with practical constraints, such as budget, deadlines, and specific platform requirements?" (Showcase problem-solving, adaptability, and operational awareness.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio by project type or by showcasing key skills (e.g., Brand Identity, Team Leadership, GTM Assets).

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your solution, your process, and the outcome. Quantify results whenever possible (e.g., "increased thumbnail click-through rate by X%," "supported successful launch of Y merchandise items").

• Highlight Leadership: Dedicate a section or specific case studies to demonstrating your experience managing teams, delegating tasks, and driving projects forward.

• Connect to Smosh: Be ready to explain how your past work and strategic approach are relevant to Smosh's specific needs and brand identity.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not only creative talent but also strong operational acumen, including strategic thinking, process management, team leadership, and a clear understanding of how design contributes to business objectives and GTM success.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Design Director position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Smosh careers page.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects demonstrating creative direction, team management, brand identity development, and experience with digital media assets (thumbnails, social graphics, merchandise). Emphasize any work that shows process optimization or workflow development.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your years of experience, leadership roles, proficiency in design software, and experience in collaborative environments. Use keywords like "Creative Direction," "Team Management," "Brand Identity," "Project Management," and "GTM" where applicable.

• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on articulating your design process, leadership philosophy, and how your work has driven tangible results. Be prepared to discuss your strategic approach to visual identity and team management.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Smosh's content, audience, brand voice, and current visual presence across all its platforms. Understand their comedic style and target demographic to better align your application and interview responses.

⚠️ 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.