Graphic Designer - Midweight

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Graphic Designer - Midweight

Company: N2O

Location: Maidenhead, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Graphic Design, Brand Experience Design, Retail Marketing Design

Date Posted: June 10, 2025

Experience Level: Midweight (Minimum 5 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in office, 2 days remote)

🎨 Role Summary

• Deliver visually appealing and engaging graphic design work across a diverse range of projects, including experiential campaigns, in-store activations, and digital content.
• Work across the full graphic design process, from initial concept development and scamp interpretation to final artwork delivery and production readiness.
• Apply design principles and techniques to create impactful visuals for various media, including print, digital, social media, and large format displays, ensuring brand consistency.
• Collaborate closely with account managers, the wider creative team, and digital/content specialists to translate briefs into compelling visual solutions.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

• Execute high-quality graphic design craft for experiential campaigns and in-store activities, primarily within the FMCG and beauty sectors, focusing on visual hierarchy, layout, and typography.
• Generate design concepts and assets for both print and online applications, ensuring creative flair and originality while adhering to brand guidelines.
• Prepare accurate and production-ready artwork for a variety of repro processes, including large format printing, demonstrating a strong understanding of technical specifications.
• Think creatively to develop new design concepts, graphics, and layouts that effectively communicate brand messages and engage target audiences.
• Support the Artwork team as required, contributing to the efficient delivery of design projects and maintaining high standards of quality and accuracy.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Degree-level professional qualification relevant to graphic design or a related creative field is required.

Experience: Minimum of 5 years of experience in a similar graphic design role, preferably within an agency or a company focused on brand experience, retail marketing, or FMCG.

Required Skills:

• In-depth knowledge and demonstrable capability in Adobe Creative Suite, specifically Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator, for design creation and artwork production.
• Strong creative flair, versatility, and conceptual ability with a proven track record of developing original design concepts and layouts.
• Excellent understanding and application of typography, visual hierarchy, and layout principles to create effective and aesthetically pleasing designs.
• Meticulous attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in design execution and preparation of production-ready artwork.
• Demonstrated experience working creatively and effectively within established brand guidelines to maintain brand consistency across various projects.
• Confidence in discussing and proposing materials and production methods to bring design concepts to life in physical and digital formats.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in designing for experiential marketing campaigns, in-store activations, or retail environments.
• Familiarity with 3D visualization software or rendering tools for creating realistic mockups and concepts.
• Understanding of digital design principles and best practices for social media content, interactive experiences, and online marketing collateral.
• Experience supporting or working closely with an Artwork or Production team.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A professional portfolio showcasing a diverse range of graphic design work, including examples relevant to brand activation, retail marketing, or experiential design.
• Include projects that demonstrate strong conceptual thinking, creative problem-solving, and the ability to translate briefs into compelling visual solutions.
• Present case studies or project examples that clearly articulate your design process, from initial concept and scamps to final execution across different media.
• Showcase your proficiency in key design tools (Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator) and your ability to produce high-quality, production-ready artwork.

Process Documentation:

• For each project, briefly describe the initial brief, your understanding of the target audience, and the design challenge you aimed to solve.
• Illustrate your ideation process, including sketches, wireframes (if applicable), and design iterations that led to the final solution.
• Explain your design decisions, including choices related to typography, color palettes, imagery, and layout, justifying how they support the project goals and brand identity.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Up to £45,000 gross per annum, depending on experience.

Benefits:

• Competitive annual leave entitlement starting at 23 days plus bank holidays, increasing with service up to 30 days.
• Flexible holiday scheme allowing options to buy or sell additional holiday days.
• Access to a Digital GP service and Digital Dental service from your first day of employment.
• Company-provided medical insurance offered after 2 years of service.
• Life assurance coverage for added financial security.
• Access to a retail discounts scheme, providing savings on various products and services.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) offering confidential support and resources for personal and professional challenges.
• Season ticket loan facility to assist with commuting costs.
• Head office location in Maidenhead offers additional perks, including an on-site gym, complimentary breakfasts, and an on-site cafe.

Working Hours: Full-time, typically standard business hours, with flexibility for creative workflow and project deadlines. Hybrid work arrangement allows for 2 days working from home.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Advertising Services, specializing in Brand Activation, Experiential Marketing, Shopper Marketing, and Retail Marketing.

Company Size: Approximately 51-200 employees (LinkedIn data), indicating a medium-sized agency environment.

Founded: 1999, suggesting over two decades of experience in the brand experience and marketing industry.

Team Structure:

• The Graphic Designer will report directly to the Design Manager, indicating a structured design team hierarchy.
• Close collaboration is expected with account managers, the wider creative team (potentially including other designers, copywriters, etc.), and the digital and content teams.
• This structure suggests a collaborative environment where design is integrated into broader campaign strategies.

Methodology:

• The company emphasizes insight-led creative and brand experiences, suggesting a data-informed approach to design.
• Focus on transforming customers into brand advocates implies a user-centric or audience-centric design approach.
• Known for turning strategic insights into data-driven, bespoke campaigns, highlighting a project-based and tailored design methodology.

Company Website: https://www.n2o.co.uk

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: Midweight Graphic Designer. This level typically involves independent work on projects, mentoring junior designers (if applicable), and a significant role in the design process from concept to completion. It's a step up from a Junior role, requiring more autonomy and experience.

Reporting Structure: Reporting to a Design Manager suggests a clear path for mentorship, performance feedback, and potential advancement within the design team structure.

Design Impact: The role directly contributes to the visual execution of key client campaigns, impacting how brands are perceived and experienced by consumers in physical and digital spaces. Design is central to N2O's offering.

Growth Opportunities:

• Potential for career progression to a Senior Graphic Designer or potentially a Design Lead role within the agency, depending on performance, leadership skills, and business needs.
• Opportunities to develop specialized skills in areas like experiential design, 3D visualization, or digital interactive design through exposure to diverse projects.
• Growth through increased responsibility in managing projects, mentoring junior team members, and contributing to the evolution of the design process and standards within the agency.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: Hybrid work environment with a requirement to be office-based in Maidenhead for 3 days per week. The office is located at Foundation Park.

Office Location(s): Maidenhead, England, United Kingdom. The headquarters office is specifically mentioned at Foundation Park, SL6 3UD.

Design Workspace Context:

• The Maidenhead head office offers amenities like an on-site gym, free breakfasts, and an on-site cafe, contributing to a positive work environment.
• Being office-based for 3 days facilitates in-person collaboration with the Design Manager, creative team, and other cross-functional teams.
• The hybrid model provides flexibility for focused work from home on the remaining 2 days.

Work Schedule: Full-time with a hybrid work arrangement (3 days office, 2 days remote). Standard business hours apply, with potential for flexibility depending on project demands.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

• Initial screening call, likely with HR or a recruiter, to discuss your experience, suitability, and interest in the role.
• Portfolio review stage, where your submitted portfolio will be evaluated for design quality, process documentation, and relevance to N2O's work. Be prepared to discuss specific projects in detail.
• Interview(s) with the hiring manager (Design Manager) and potentially other members of the creative team or cross-functional stakeholders. These interviews will likely delve into your technical skills, creative process, collaboration style, and experience with specific project types.
• A design task or exercise may be required to assess your practical design skills, problem-solving abilities, and ability to work under constraints.
• Final interview to discuss cultural fit, expectations, and any remaining questions.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate your portfolio to prominently feature projects that align with N2O's focus areas: brand activation, experiential marketing, retail design, FMCG, or beauty sectors.
• For each project, provide a clear, concise overview of the brief, your role, the challenge, your process, and the final outcome/impact. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) where applicable.
• Include examples of production-ready artwork and large format design if you have them, as this is specifically mentioned in the responsibilities.
• Highlight your proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite with specific examples of how you used InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator in your work.

Challenge Preparation:

• If a design task is assigned, clarify the brief, timeline, and expected deliverables.
• Approach the task with a clear process: research (if needed), ideation (show sketches/iterations), execution, and rationale.
• Be prepared to present your solution and walk through your process, explaining your design decisions and how they address the brief.

ATS Keywords: Graphic Designer, Midweight Designer, Adobe Creative Suite, InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Typography, Layout, Visual Hierarchy, Branding, Brand Guidelines, Artwork, Production Design, Print Design, Digital Design, Social Media Design, Experiential Design, Brand Activation, Retail Marketing, Shopper Marketing, FMCG, Beauty, Creative Concept, Problem Solving, Collaboration, Design Process, Portfolio, Case Study, Visualisation, Creative Agency, Hybrid Work.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Adobe InDesign: Essential for layout, typography, and preparing documents for print and digital distribution. Expect to use it for brochures, reports, presentations, and potentially large format layouts.
• Adobe Photoshop: Crucial for image editing, manipulation, creating visual assets, and potentially realistic mockups or visualisations for experiential concepts.
• Adobe Illustrator: Key for creating vector graphics, illustrations, logos, icons, and scalable artwork for various applications, including large format printing.

Collaboration & Handoff:

• Likely use of standard communication and project management tools within the agency (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams, Asana, Trello, etc. - specific tools not mentioned but implied for collaboration).
• Handoff processes for production-ready artwork will be critical, potentially involving file-sharing platforms or specific artwork management systems.

Research & Testing:

• While not explicitly mentioned, an insight-led approach suggests potential use of tools or methods for gathering consumer or market insights that inform design decisions.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

• Emphasis on delivering "visually appealing and engaging" work, highlighting a focus on aesthetics and audience connection.
• Value placed on creativity and originality, as evidenced by the requirement for "creative flair" and developing "new design concepts."
• Importance of attention to detail, crucial for producing accurate and high-quality artwork, especially for print and large format.
• Strong focus on working within brand guidelines, indicating a value for brand consistency and integrity.
• Collaborative spirit, as working closely with various teams is a key aspect of the role.

Collaboration Style:

• Collaborative problem-solving is highlighted, suggesting a team-oriented approach to overcoming design challenges.
• Close interaction with account managers and the wider creative team implies a need for strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Integration with digital and content teams suggests cross-functional collaboration is a significant part of the workflow.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

• Working across a wide variety of projects and media requires adaptability and the ability to switch contexts quickly.
• Delivering visually appealing and engaging work that genuinely "captivates" and "makes fans for brands" sets a high creative bar.
• Balancing creative innovation with strict adherence to brand guidelines can be a challenge requiring strong problem-solving skills.
• Managing workload on multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment demands excellent organizational and time management skills.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Opportunity to expand expertise in specific areas like experiential design, retail marketing visuals, or digital activation graphics.
• Exposure to diverse clients and project types provides continuous learning and skill refinement.
• Working under a Design Manager offers mentorship and guidance for professional development.
• Potential to learn about new materials and production methods through the requirement to propose and discuss these options.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

• Be prepared to walk through your design process for a specific project from your portfolio, highlighting your approach to understanding the brief, ideation, iteration, and final execution.
• Discuss how you interpret scamps (rough sketches or layouts) and translate them into finished designs.
• Explain how you ensure your designs are production-ready for various media, particularly print and large format.

Company Culture Questions:

• Research N2O's recent campaigns and be prepared to discuss what you admire about their work and how your skills align with their style and focus areas.
• Discuss your experience collaborating with cross-functional teams (account managers, digital specialists, etc.) and how you handle feedback and differing perspectives.
• Be ready to talk about how you stay motivated and manage your workload in a fast-paced, agency environment.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select 3-5 key projects for an in-depth walkthrough, focusing on those most relevant to N2O's work (experiential, retail, FMCG/beauty).
• For each project, clearly articulate the challenge, your process (including sketches, iterations), your design decisions, and the final outcome.
• Highlight your technical skills (Adobe Creative Suite proficiency) and your understanding of production requirements through your project examples.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

• Submit your application through this link.
• Ensure your design portfolio is up-to-date, well-organized, and specifically curated to showcase your most relevant work for brand activation, retail marketing, and experiential design projects. Include case studies that detail your design process.
• Optimize your resume to include keywords from the ATS Keywords list provided above, highlighting your proficiency in required software and relevant experience.
• Prepare for the interview process by reviewing your portfolio projects, practicing explaining your design process, and researching N2O's recent work and company culture.
• Be ready to discuss your experience working within brand guidelines, your attention to detail in production artwork, and your collaborative approach to design.