MARKETING DESIGNER at Woodward Communications

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: MARKETING DESIGNER

Company: Woodward Communications

Location: Appleton, Wisconsin, United States

Job Type: Full Time

Category: Marketing Design

Date Posted: 2025-06-10T00:00:00

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (4+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🎨 Role Summary

Drive growth and engagement by ensuring all visual interactions with the Insight brand are professional and compelling.
Champion the Insight brand through impactful visual storytelling across print, digital, and event platforms.
Own the creative design process from concept through execution for a wide range of marketing assets.
Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including editors, event specialists, and sales to deliver integrated marketing campaigns.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role summary emphasizes the impact of design on business outcomes (growth, engagement, revenue) and highlights the cross-functional nature of the position, which is typical for marketing design roles in media companies. The focus is on translating business value into visual communication.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

Design visually impactful magazine covers and develop engaging layouts and typography for print publications to attract readership and foster loyalty.
Produce professional media kits and collateral that effectively communicate the publication's brand, audience, and advertising value proposition to potential advertisers.
Create compelling sponsor sheets clearly articulating event sponsorship tiers and benefits to secure partnerships.
Optimize the digital user experience by designing intuitive and customer-friendly website interfaces to improve engagement metrics like time on site and page views.
Execute visually appealing and effective digital advertising banners and social media graphics to drive subscriptions, newsletter sign-ups, event registrations, and brand engagement.
Lead event branding initiatives, including logo development and theme creation, and design promotional materials to drive registration and sponsorship interest.
Provide visual guidance and templates for exhibitor booths to ensure brand consistency and enhance the professional appearance of events.
Collaborate with internal stakeholders throughout the creative process, participating in ideation sessions and contributing to content calendars and campaign planning.
Manage assigned design projects from conceptualization to final asset delivery, ensuring accuracy, timely execution, and alignment with strategic organizational priorities.

📝 Enhancement Note: Responsibilities are detailed to show the breadth of design work (print, digital, events) and the specific business goals associated with each task (driving sales, engagement, sponsorships). This level of detail is crucial for designers to understand the scope and impact of the role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, or a closely related creative field is required.

Experience: A minimum of 4 years of hands-on graphic design experience in a similar creative role is essential. A design portfolio demonstrating relevant work will be requested as part of the application process.

Required Skills:

Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, including InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat.
Impeccable attention to detail in all design outputs and adherence to design best practices.
Strong ability to create engaging media assets across print, digital, and event platforms.
Proven experience collaborating effectively within a dynamic creative team environment.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills for articulating design concepts and feedback to diverse stakeholders.
Adeptness at interpreting complex data and trends to create visually compelling infographics and visualizations.

Preferred Skills:

Experience with motion graphics and/or video graphics skills.
Familiarity and experience with various social media platforms for content creation and optimization.
Ability to prioritize tasks and execute effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic media environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: Skills and qualifications are broken down into required and preferred, with specific software proficiency highlighted. The importance of a portfolio and the ability to translate data into visuals are emphasized, reflecting the marketing-focused nature of the role.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Your design portfolio should showcase a range of work across print, digital, and event materials, demonstrating versatility and adaptability.
Include case studies that detail your design process, from understanding the brief and audience to ideation, iteration, and final execution, particularly for marketing campaigns or publication layouts.
Highlight examples of visually compelling magazine covers, print collateral (like media kits or brochures), digital ads, social media graphics, and event branding materials.
Demonstrate understanding of typography, layout, color theory, and branding principles applied consistently across different media.

Process Documentation:

Document your approach to design projects, including how you gather requirements, conduct research (if applicable to the project), and develop creative concepts.
Showcase your iteration process, including sketches, wireframes (for digital projects), or multiple design options explored before reaching the final solution.
Explain how you incorporated feedback and collaborated with stakeholders throughout the design lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: Portfolio requirements are tailored to a marketing design role, emphasizing the need to showcase work across diverse media, document the design process, and demonstrate understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: While the salary is undisclosed in the original posting, based on industry standards for a Mid-Senior Level Marketing Designer in Appleton, Wisconsin (a metropolitan area with a moderate cost of living), a competitive salary range would likely fall between $55,000 and $75,000 annually. This estimate is based on salary data from sources like Glassdoor, Salary.com, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics for similar roles and experience levels in the region, adjusted for the specific requirements of a media organization.

Benefits:

Specific benefits are not detailed in the original posting. However, as a full-time employee at Woodward Communications (a diversified, employee-owned company), typical benefits packages may include health insurance (medical, dental, vision), life insurance, disability coverage, and potentially retirement plans (such as a 401k or participation in the ESOP - Employee Stock Ownership Plan).
Paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and holidays, is commonly offered.
Opportunities for professional development and continuous learning may be available, particularly given the dynamic nature of the media and design industries.

Working Hours: Full-time position, generally requiring standard business hours. Flexibility may be needed occasionally to meet project deadlines or support events.

📝 Enhancement Note: A salary range estimate is provided based on research for similar roles in the specified location and experience level. The methodology for the estimate is explained. Benefits are inferred based on typical full-time employment benefits, especially considering the company's employee-owned status.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Woodward Communications operates within the Advertising Services, Publishing, and Media industries, with a focus on community journalism, niche B2B magazines, radio, commercial printing, and events. This multi-faceted environment means the design team supports a diverse range of communication channels and business objectives.

Company Size: According to LinkedIn, Woodward Communications has between 501-1,000 employees. This indicates a medium-to-large sized company, suggesting established processes and potentially specialized teams, but also opportunities for cross-functional collaboration.

Founded: Founded in 1836, Woodward Communications has a long history, suggesting stability and deep roots in the communities it serves. The employee-owned structure likely influences the company culture, potentially fostering a sense of shared ownership and commitment.

Team Structure:

The Marketing Designer will work closely with other designers, editors, event specialists, and the sales team, suggesting a collaborative and integrated team structure focused on delivering cohesive marketing and content strategies.
This structure implies frequent interaction and shared responsibility across departments to achieve overall business goals.

Methodology:

The responsibilities suggest a workflow involving conceptualization, ideation, design execution, and delivery, often in response to marketing campaign needs or publication schedules.
Collaboration with editors and sales implies an iterative process involving feedback and revisions to align design outputs with content and business objectives.
The need to interpret data for infographics suggests a data-informed approach to design, at least for certain projects.

Company Website: http://www.wcinet.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Company information is interpreted through the lens of its impact on a design role. The industry mix, company size, and history are analyzed to provide context for the potential work environment and collaboration dynamics within the design team and across the organization.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: This role is listed as requiring 4+ years of experience, placing it at a Mid-Senior level. This indicates a position expected to take ownership of projects, contribute significantly to creative strategy, and potentially mentor or guide less experienced team members, though direct management is not explicitly mentioned.

Reporting Structure: The specific reporting structure is not detailed, but the collaborative nature suggests reporting to a design lead, marketing manager, or potentially a creative director, depending on the team's organizational structure. Close partnership with various teams is a key aspect.

Design Impact: The role description highlights the direct impact of the Marketing Designer's work on driving growth, engagement, and revenue across print, digital, and events. Design is positioned as a key function in championing the brand and communicating value proposition.

Growth Opportunities:

Opportunities may exist to take on more complex or strategic design projects, leading creative initiatives for major campaigns or publications.
Developing expertise in specific areas like motion graphics, video editing, or advanced digital design techniques could open up new avenues within the role.
Potential for growth into a lead design role or a broader marketing/creative management position within the company, leveraging cross-functional experience.
Given the company's diversified nature, there might be opportunities to work on projects across different brands or business units within Woodward Communications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The career level is assessed based on experience requirements. Growth opportunities are inferred from the role's responsibilities, the company's structure, and typical career progression paths in marketing design within media organizations.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: The role is listed as on-site at the Insight location in Appleton, WI. This suggests a traditional office or studio environment where the design team and collaborating departments are co-located.

Office Location(s): The primary location is Insight in Appleton, WI. Woodward Communications has multiple locations across Iowa and Wisconsin, indicating a regional presence, but this specific role is tied to the Appleton office.

Design Workspace Context:

Being on-site facilitates direct collaboration with other designers, editors, sales team members, and event specialists, enabling spontaneous discussions and quick feedback loops.
Access to physical resources like printing materials, large displays for reviews, and potentially a dedicated design studio space might be available.
The work environment likely supports a mix of individual focus time for design execution and collaborative sessions for ideation and project planning.

Work Schedule: Full-time, on-site position, implying a consistent daily or weekly presence at the Appleton office during standard business hours. Some flexibility might be needed for events or critical deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The work environment section focuses on the implications of an on-site role within a media company, highlighting the benefits of co-location for collaboration and access to resources relevant to design work (like print materials).

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

The interview process will likely include an initial screening call, followed by one or more rounds of interviews with the hiring manager and potentially other members of the design team, marketing team, or key stakeholders.
Expect questions about your design process, experience with different media (print, digital, events), collaboration style, and ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
A portfolio review will be a critical component, where you will be expected to walk through selected projects, explaining your design decisions, process, and the impact of your work.
A design challenge or take-home assignment may be part of the process to assess your skills in practice, potentially related to creating marketing assets or designing a publication layout.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Curate your portfolio to specifically showcase projects relevant to marketing design across print, digital, and events. Highlight examples that demonstrate your ability to communicate a brand's value proposition and drive engagement.
For each project, clearly articulate the problem you were solving, your design process, the tools you used, your role in the project, and the outcome or impact of your work (e.g., increased clicks, improved readability, successful event branding).
Be prepared to discuss your design decisions and rationale, explaining why you chose specific typography, colors, layouts, etc., and how they align with the project goals and target audience.
If possible, include case studies that show how your design work contributed to specific marketing objectives or business results.

Challenge Preparation:

If given a design challenge, pay close attention to the brief and requirements. Ask clarifying questions if anything is unclear.
Structure your response to demonstrate your thought process, not just the final design. Show sketches, iterations, and explain your rationale.
Manage your time effectively to complete the challenge within the given timeframe.
Be prepared to present your solution and explain your design choices and process during the interview.

ATS Keywords: Graphic Design, Marketing Design, Visual Communications, Adobe Creative Suite, InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, Print Design, Digital Design, Event Design, Publication Design, Magazine Layout, Media Kit, Advertising Design, Social Media Graphics, Web Design, UI Design (basic), UX Design (basic), Branding, Typography, Layout, Color Theory, Visual Storytelling, Data Visualization, Infographics, Collaboration, Communication, Project Management, Attention to Detail, Creative Strategy, Marketing Campaigns, Brand Management, Asset Creation, Problem Solving, Adaptability, Fast-paced Environment, Media Industry, Publishing, Advertising, Events, B2B Marketing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application and interview process section provides a structured overview of potential steps, tailored to a design role. Specific advice is given for portfolio review, emphasizing relevance to marketing design and process documentation. Preparation tips for design challenges and a comprehensive list of relevant ATS keywords are included for candidate guidance.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

Adobe Creative Suite: Proficiency in InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator is explicitly required. These are fundamental tools for print layout, image editing, and vector graphics creation, essential for publication design, marketing collateral, and digital assets.
Adobe Acrobat: Required for creating and managing PDF documents, often used for media kits, reports, and final print-ready files.

Collaboration & Handoff:

While specific tools aren't mentioned, collaboration is key. Tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or project management software (e.g., Asana, Trello) are commonly used in such environments for communication and workflow management.
Knowledge of preparing assets for handoff to printers for print materials and to developers for digital implementation is likely necessary.

Research & Testing:

The ability to interpret data for infographics suggests potential interaction with data analysis tools or reports, though specific tools are not listed.
Familiarity with social media platforms implies understanding their technical requirements for graphic assets.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tools section focuses on the explicitly mentioned software and infers the need for collaboration and handoff tools based on the role's responsibilities and team interaction requirements. The inclusion of motion/video graphics as a preferred skill suggests potential use of tools like Adobe After Effects or Premiere Pro, though not explicitly stated.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

The company values professional and engaging visual interactions that clearly communicate value proposition, indicating an emphasis on effective and impactful design.
Championing the brand through visual storytelling is a core value, suggesting appreciation for design's role in shaping perception and narrative.
Attention to detail and use of design best practices are highlighted as essential skills, pointing towards a culture that values quality and craftsmanship in design outputs.
A "customer-comes-first" mindset is mentioned, which likely extends to understanding the needs of both external audiences and internal stakeholders (sales, editors) in the design process.

Collaboration Style:

The role requires close partnership with multiple teams, indicating a highly collaborative environment.
Participation in creative ideations and meetings suggests a culture where designers are involved early in the planning process and contribute to content and campaign strategy.
Effective communication and the ability to explain design concepts and discuss feedback are emphasized, highlighting the importance of clear and open communication within the team and across departments.

📝 Enhancement Note: Design culture and values are inferred from the company's description and the required behaviors and skills. The emphasis on visual impact, brand championing, attention to detail, and collaboration points to a culture that values design's strategic role in achieving business goals.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

Balancing design needs across diverse platforms (print, digital, events) with potentially different technical requirements and audience expectations can be challenging.
Translating complex business insights and data into visually compelling and easily understandable graphics requires strong conceptual and data visualization skills.
Working in a fast-paced media environment often means managing multiple projects simultaneously and meeting tight deadlines.
Maintaining brand consistency across a wide range of materials and channels while pushing creative boundaries can be an ongoing challenge.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas like publication design, digital advertising, or event branding.
Potential to learn and utilize more advanced features of the Adobe Creative Suite or explore new design tools, especially if motion or video graphics are a focus.
Gaining experience in a multi-platform media environment provides valuable cross-functional insights and broadens design skill sets.
Exposure to different business units within Woodward Communications could offer opportunities to work on varied design projects and expand industry knowledge.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges are identified based on the nature of the role and the media industry context. Growth opportunities are linked to skill development, exposure to different projects, and potential advancement within the company structure.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

Be prepared to discuss your end-to-end design process for a typical marketing campaign or publication project. Walk through examples from your portfolio.
Explain how you approach gathering requirements, conducting research (if applicable), ideation, and iteration.
Describe a time you received critical feedback on a design and how you incorporated it, demonstrating your ability to collaborate and iterate effectively.

Company Culture Questions:

Research Woodward Communications and Insight's recent work and publications. Be prepared to discuss what you find compelling about their brand and marketing materials.
Think about how your design philosophy aligns with a "customer-comes-first" mindset and a collaborative team environment.
Prepare questions for the interviewer about the design team structure, typical workflow, and opportunities for creative exploration.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Select 3-5 key projects from your portfolio that best demonstrate your skills in marketing design, covering print, digital, and ideally, event-related work.
For each project, tell a concise story: the objective, your role, the challenges, your process, the final design, and the outcome or impact. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
Highlight specific design decisions and explain your rationale clearly.
Practice your presentation to ensure it flows smoothly and stays within a reasonable timeframe (typically 15-20 minutes for a portfolio walkthrough).

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation guidance is specific to a marketing design role, focusing on discussing the design process, aligning with company culture, and presenting a portfolio effectively with a focus on impact and process.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

Submit your application through this link
Tailor your resume to highlight your experience in marketing design, print and digital media, and proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite. Use relevant ATS keywords throughout.
Prepare your design portfolio, ensuring it includes a diverse range of relevant projects and clear case studies demonstrating your process and the impact of your work.
Research Woodward Communications and Insight to understand their brand, publications, and target audience, and be prepared to discuss how your skills and experience align with their needs.
Practice articulating your design process and presenting your portfolio projects effectively, focusing on problem-solving, collaboration, and results.

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

MARKETING DESIGNER