Graphic Designer, Carter’s

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Graphic Designer
Company: Carter’s Inc.
Location: Atlanta, GA, United States
Job Type: Full-Time
Category: Creative & Media / Art & Design
Date Posted: May 11, 2026
Experience Level: 2-5 Years
Remote Status: Hybrid (4 days in-office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the visual transformation of the Carter's brand by developing and scaling a modern, cohesive visual identity system and comprehensive brand guidelines.
• Execute high-craft creative design concepts across diverse touchpoints, including marketing collateral, retail environments, packaging, and owned digital channels.
• Integrate thoughtful motion and animation to enhance storytelling, brand expression, and elevate the overall brand experience.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with creative leadership, marketing, and product teams to ensure brand consistency and impact across all consumer touchpoints.
• Act as a guardian of the brand’s visual integrity, ensuring adherence to design systems while exploring opportunities for thoughtful evolution.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a crucial contributor to a significant brand transformation, requiring a blend of foundational graphic design expertise and emerging motion graphics capabilities. The emphasis on "bringing a newly evolved Carter’s brand to life" suggests a strategic, hands-on role influencing the brand's future visual direction.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Support the creation, implementation, and ongoing refinement of the Carter's brand guidelines, ensuring a scalable and consistent visual identity.
• Develop and maintain flexible design systems, including typography, color palettes, iconography, and layout templates, to empower cross-functional teams and partners.
• Conceptualize and design brand-forward creative assets for marketing campaigns, retail signage, digital platforms, and owned channels, translating strategy into visually compelling executions.
• Collaborate with Art Directors and photography teams to concept and execute laydown photography that aligns with brand standards, providing direction on styling and composition.
• Design and evolve packaging systems that effectively communicate the Carter's brand identity and stand out in competitive retail environments, ensuring seamless integration with photography.
• Create simple, impactful motion graphics and animations for social media, digital marketing, presentations, and key brand moments to enhance storytelling and engagement.
• Act as a brand steward, ensuring consistency and quality across all design deliverables, while proactively identifying opportunities for process improvement and output enhancement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on strategic brand system development and hands-on creative execution. The breakdown of responsibilities (50% identity, 20% creative, 20% photography/packaging, 10% motion) provides a clear indication of the role's priorities and expected time allocation.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design is preferred.

Experience:

• 3+ years of professional experience in Graphic Design.
• Proven experience in developing and implementing brand systems and visual identity guidelines.
• Familiarity with design and production fundamentals across physical and digital mediums.

Required Skills:

• Strong graphic design foundation with expertise in brand systems, visual identity, typography, layout, color theory, and composition.
• Advanced proficiency in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).
• Foundational motion/animation skills in tools such as After Effects, Figma motion, or similar.
• Highly organized, self-motivated, and detail-oriented with strong project management capabilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and continuously improve process and output quality.
• Clear and concise communicator with strong presentation skills and the ability to receive and apply creative direction effectively.
• Collaborative, hands-on, and solution-oriented approach to problem-solving.

Preferred Skills:

• Understanding of how brand identity translates effectively across both physical (retail, packaging) and digital environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Figma, alongside traditional Adobe Suite tools, indicates a modern design workflow. The requirement for foundational motion skills suggests a forward-thinking approach to brand expression in digital spaces.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a strong understanding of brand identity development, showcasing the creation and application of visual identity systems.
• Include case studies that highlight the development of scalable design systems, including typography, color, iconography, and layout principles.
• Showcase experience in translating brand strategy into cohesive creative executions across various channels (marketing, retail, digital).
• Present examples of packaging design that reflect a strong brand aesthetic and consumer appeal.
• Feature work that demonstrates an understanding of laydown photography styling and its integration with broader brand visuals.
• Include examples of motion graphics or animation that enhance brand storytelling and digital engagement.

Process Documentation:

• Portfolio pieces should implicitly or explicitly demonstrate a structured approach to concept development and creative execution.
• Highlight the ability to create flexible toolkits and templates that ensure consistency and efficiency for broader team use.
• Showcase how design decisions are informed by brand strategy and target audience considerations.
• Illustrate the process of evolving a visual system over time while maintaining brand integrity.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on brand transformation and system building, the portfolio needs to go beyond just showcasing aesthetics. It must demonstrate a strategic thought process, a systematic approach to design, and the ability to create scalable and adaptable brand assets.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Based on industry benchmarks for a Graphic Designer with 3+ years of experience in Atlanta, GA, the estimated salary range is typically between $65,000 - $85,000 annually. This estimate considers the cost of living in Atlanta and the specific requirements of the role, including motion design capabilities and brand system development.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Paid Time Off (PTO) and company holidays.
• Retirement savings plan (e.g., 401k) with potential company match.
• Employee discount on Carter's, OshKosh B’gosh, Skip*Hop, and Little Planet products.
• Career Development opportunities, including Carter's University, Toastmasters, and mentorship programs.
• Training and development initiatives to enhance professional skills.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time position, typically 40 hours per week.
• Hybrid work arrangement requiring 4 days per week in the Buckhead office.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is estimated based on Glassdoor, Salary.com, and LinkedIn Salary data for Graphic Designers in Atlanta, GA, factoring in the specified experience level (2-5 years) and the advanced skill requirements (Figma, motion design). Benefits are inferred from typical offerings for large retail organizations and explicitly mentioned career development programs.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Apparel Retail (specifically children's apparel and accessories) Company Size: Large enterprise (Carter's Inc. is the largest North American apparel retailer for babies and young children, employing thousands globally). This size suggests established processes, resources, and opportunities for cross-functional collaboration within a structured environment. Founded: Carter's was founded in 1865, indicating a long-standing legacy and deep understanding of its market.

Team Structure:

• The role reports to the Carter’s Brand Art Director, indicating a clear reporting line within the creative department.
• It involves close collaboration with Creative Leadership, marketing teams, photography teams, and potentially product development.
• The emphasis on a "major brand transformation" suggests a dynamic and potentially fast-paced team environment focused on innovation and execution.

Methodology:

• The role emphasizes building and scaling a modern, cohesive visual identity system, suggesting a systematic and data-informed approach to design.
• There’s a clear focus on translating brand strategy into tangible design elements and creative outputs.
• The inclusion of motion design indicates an adoption of contemporary digital marketing and storytelling techniques.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's age and market position imply a blend of traditional retail expertise with a drive for modernizing its brand presence, especially evident in the "brand transformation" initiative. The team structure suggests a collaborative environment where design contributes directly to business objectives.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is an intermediate-level Graphic Designer role, focusing on brand identity and creative execution. It requires a solid foundation in design principles and practical experience in implementing visual systems. The "highly craft-focused" nature and responsibility for "building and scaling a modern, cohesive visual identity system" suggest a role with significant impact and ownership.

Reporting Structure: The Graphic Designer reports directly to the Carter’s Brand Art Director, providing a clear path for creative direction and mentorship. This structure allows for focused guidance on brand strategy and visual execution.

Operations Impact: This role's impact is directly tied to shaping the perception and recognition of the Carter's brand across all consumer touchpoints. By developing and maintaining a cohesive visual identity, the designer influences brand equity, customer engagement, and ultimately, purchasing decisions in a highly competitive market. The transformation initiative means this role has a high potential to influence the brand's future trajectory.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in brand systems, motion graphics, or packaging design, potentially leading to senior or specialized creative roles.
• Leadership: Progress to a Senior Graphic Designer, Art Director, or Brand Design Lead position, overseeing projects and mentoring junior designers.
• Skill Development: Continuously enhance skills in emerging design tools and techniques through company-provided training (Carter's University, etc.) and industry engagement.
• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain experience working with various departments (marketing, retail, e-commerce) to understand broader business objectives and how design contributes to them.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a clear path for growth within a well-established company, particularly for those who excel in brand system development and can adapt to evolving design technologies like motion graphics.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This position is based in Carter's Buckhead office, suggesting a professional corporate office environment. The "on site 4 days/week" requirement indicates a hybrid model designed to foster collaboration while allowing for some flexibility.

Office Location(s): Buckhead office, Atlanta, GA. This location is a major business hub, likely offering good accessibility and a vibrant professional atmosphere.

Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model suggests a mix of focused individual work (potentially at home) and collaborative sessions (in-office).
• The emphasis on "building and scaling a modern, cohesive visual identity system" implies a workspace that supports iterative design processes and team brainstorming.
• Access to necessary design technology (Figma, Adobe Suite, motion software) is expected within the office environment.
• Opportunities for direct interaction with Creative Leadership and cross-functional partners will be a key aspect of the in-office days.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week, with specific days allocated for in-office presence. Flexibility may be offered within the hybrid structure, but adherence to core working hours and project deadlines is essential.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role balances the need for collaborative creative energy with the efficiency of focused individual work, a common setup for creative roles in today's corporate landscape.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or recruiter review of applications and resumes, focusing on experience, skills, and alignment with basic requirements.
• Portfolio Review: A critical stage where candidates submit their portfolio. The hiring team (likely including the Art Director) will assess the quality of work, strategic thinking, and relevance to brand systems, identity development, and motion graphics.
• Creative Challenge/Case Study: Candidates may be asked to complete a design exercise or present a case study from their portfolio that addresses a specific brand challenge or demonstrates their process for developing a visual system.
• Interview with Hiring Manager/Team: Behavioral and technical questions to assess problem-solving skills, collaboration style, understanding of brand strategy, and fit with the company culture.
• Final Interview: Potentially with higher-level creative leadership, focusing on strategic vision and long-term potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Brand System Expertise: Clearly present projects where you developed or significantly contributed to a brand's visual identity and design systems. Explain your process, rationale, and the impact of your work.
• Highlight Process and Strategy: Don't just show finished pieces. Explain your thinking, problem-solving approach, and how you translated strategy into design solutions.
• Include Motion Graphics: Ensure your portfolio features examples of motion design or animation, demonstrating your foundational skills and how you apply them to enhance brand storytelling.
• Tailor to Carter's: If possible, subtly reference elements of Carter's brand or its target audience in your presentation to show you've done your research.
• Clarity and Conciseness: Organize your portfolio logically. Be prepared to walk through your projects efficiently and answer questions about your contributions.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Brand Transformation: Research Carter's current brand position and the implications of a "major brand transformation." Think about how design can support this.
• Design System Thinking: Be ready to discuss how you would approach building or evolving a design system for a brand like Carter's.
• Motion Design Application: Consider how motion can be used effectively for a children's apparel brand across digital platforms.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Prepare examples of how you've collaborated with non-design teams to achieve project goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is paramount for this role. Candidates should curate their submissions to explicitly demonstrate expertise in brand systems, visual identity development, and the application of motion design.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for collaborative design, prototyping, and building scalable design systems. Proficiency is a must.
• Adobe Creative Suite:
  • Photoshop: For image editing, manipulation, and creating detailed visual assets.
  • Illustrator: For vector graphics, logo design, iconography, and complex illustrations.
  • InDesign: For layout design, brand guideline documentation, and preparing print-ready assets.
• After Effects (or similar motion tools): Foundational knowledge for creating animations, motion graphics for digital touchpoints, social media content, and brand moments.

Analytics & Reporting: While not primary tools for this role, understanding how design impacts performance metrics (e.g., engagement rates for digital assets, conversion rates for marketing campaigns) would be beneficial. Familiarity with analytics dashboards might be a plus.

CRM & Automation: Not directly applicable to this design role, but understanding how design assets are deployed through marketing automation platforms or CRM-driven campaigns could provide context.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma and foundational motion skills indicates a modern design workflow that embraces collaborative tools and dynamic visual content.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Inclusion & Innovation: As stated in the company description, these are core values that likely permeate the creative team's approach to problem-solving and idea generation.
• Meaningful Work: The role contributes to a brand that serves families, offering a sense of purpose beyond commercial success.
• Genuine People: Expect a collaborative and authentic team environment.
• Constant Learning: The company actively promotes skill development, suggesting a culture that values growth and adaptation.
• Craftsmanship: The role is "highly craft-focused," emphasizing a commitment to quality, attention to detail, and aesthetic excellence.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The role requires close partnership with Art Directors, Creative Leadership, marketing, and photography teams.
• Brand Stewardship: A collaborative approach to ensuring brand consistency across all touchpoints.
• Feedback Exchange: A culture where constructive feedback is given and received to refine creative output and processes.
• Solution-Oriented: A team that actively seeks solutions and embraces challenges, particularly during a brand transformation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "brand transformation" suggests a team that is likely energized by change, innovation, and the opportunity to shape the future of a well-known brand.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Brand Evolution with Consistency: Navigating the complexities of a "major brand transformation" while ensuring the new visual identity remains cohesive and recognizable across all existing and new touchpoints.
• Integrating Motion Design: Effectively incorporating motion and animation into a brand system that historically may have been static, ensuring it adds value rather than just decoration.
• Scalability of Design Systems: Developing flexible and scalable design toolkits that can be easily adopted and utilized by various internal teams and external partners.
• Meeting Evolving Consumer Expectations: Adapting brand visuals to resonate with modern families in a dynamic retail and digital landscape.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Brand Strategy: Gain in-depth understanding of brand strategy and how visual design directly supports business objectives.
• Mastery of Design Systems: Develop advanced skills in creating and managing comprehensive design systems.
• Motion Graphics Expertise: Enhance proficiency in motion design tools and techniques to create more sophisticated animations and digital experiences.
• Cross-Functional Acumen: Learn how design integrates with marketing, e-commerce, product development, and retail operations.
• Mentorship: Benefit from guidance from the Art Director and senior creative leadership, fostering career progression.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly linked to the "brand transformation" initiative, presenting significant opportunities for skill development and career advancement by overcoming these hurdles.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for developing a visual identity system for a brand. How would you ensure it's scalable and adaptable?" (Focus on process, strategy, and scalability)
• "Walk us through a project where you had to balance maintaining brand consistency with introducing a new visual element or evolving the brand's look." (Highlight problem-solving, compromise, and strategic thinking)
• "How do you approach incorporating motion graphics into a brand's overall visual language? Provide an example." (Demonstrate understanding of motion's role and practical application)
• "How do you collaborate with non-design stakeholders (e.g., marketing, product teams) to ensure design projects meet business objectives?" (Showcase communication and cross-functional skills)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about the Carter's brand and its upcoming transformation?" (Show research and genuine interest)
• "How do you stay updated on design trends, especially in children's apparel and digital media?" (Demonstrate continuous learning)
• "Describe a time you received constructive criticism on your design work and how you incorporated it." (Assess receptiveness to feedback)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio by project type (e.g., Brand Identity, Packaging, Motion Graphics) or by case study.
• Tell a Story: For each key project, explain the challenge, your strategic approach, your role, the tools used, and the outcome/impact.
• Quantify Results: If possible, include metrics that demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased engagement, improved conversion rates, successful brand adoption).
• Highlight Figma & Motion: Explicitly point out projects that showcase your Figma proficiency for design systems and your motion graphics work.
• Be Prepared for Design Exercises: Some companies may present a brief design challenge during the interview; be ready to think on your feet and articulate your approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating a strategic understanding of brand building, a strong command of design systems and tools, and the ability to articulate design decisions and their business impact.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Graphic Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday link, ensuring all required fields are completed accurately.
• Curate your portfolio: Select your strongest work that specifically highlights brand identity development, visual system creation, packaging design, and motion graphics. Tailor your presentation to showcase your understanding of these areas.
• Optimize your resume: Clearly articulate your years of experience, proficiency with Figma and Adobe Creative Suite, and any experience with motion design. Use keywords from the job description like "brand identity," "visual systems," and "motion design."
• Prepare your portfolio walkthrough: Practice explaining your key projects, focusing on your process, strategic thinking, and the impact of your design contributions. Be ready to discuss your experience with Figma and After Effects.
• Research Carter's: Familiarize yourself with the Carter's brand, its target audience, and its current market position. Understand the significance of a "major brand transformation" and how design plays a role.

⚠️ 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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