Graphic Designer at Culture Kings

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Graphic Designer
Company: Culture Kings
Location: Costa Mesa, California, United States
Job Type: Full Time
Category: Marketing Operations / Creative Operations
Date Posted: August 25, 2025
Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)
Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

This role is pivotal in translating Culture Kings' brand identity, deeply rooted in music, sport, and fashion, into compelling visual assets that resonate across all customer touchpoints.
The Graphic Designer will be responsible for the creation and execution of high-impact creative content, requiring a keen eye for detail and a strong understanding of brand consistency in a fast-paced retail environment.
Collaboration with cross-functional teams, including Brand and Digital Marketing, is crucial for ensuring cohesive visual messaging and successful campaign rollouts.
The position demands proficiency in bringing creative briefs to life, managing multiple design projects efficiently, and staying ahead of current design and cultural trends to maintain the brand's premium and innovative edge.

📝 Enhancement Note: Based on the company's description and the role's responsibilities, this position leans towards a creative operations function within the marketing department, focusing on the execution and consistency of brand visuals across diverse channels. The emphasis on brand alignment, digital marketing assets, and campaign support indicates a need for operational efficiency in creative production.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

Design and produce high-impact graphics and visual content for a broad spectrum of marketing and retail touchpoints, including digital marketing channels (email campaigns, paid social media ads, website visuals), in-store digital displays, and integrated campaign rollouts.
Translate creative briefs into visually engaging and on-brand design executions, ensuring all deliverables meet specified business objectives and aesthetic standards.
Manage and prioritize a design workload effectively, adhering to project timelines and team workflows to ensure timely delivery of assets for marketing initiatives and retail activations.
Collaborate closely with the Creative Lead, Content creators, and Digital Marketing teams to ensure a unified visual narrative and consistent brand messaging across all platforms and campaigns.
Actively participate in creative brainstorming sessions, contributing innovative ideas and visual concepts that align with campaign goals and enhance the overall customer experience.
Uphold and reinforce Culture Kings' brand guidelines across all design outputs, maintaining a cohesive, premium, and recognizable visual identity.
Support the development and maintenance of design templates and asset libraries to promote brand consistency and streamline creative production across various departments.
Proactively research and stay informed about the latest design, fashion, and cultural trends to ensure Culture Kings' visual output remains fresh, current, and competitive in the streetwear market.
Contribute to the continuous improvement of design processes and workflows within the creative team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a need for operational rigor in creative delivery, focusing on execution, consistency, and timely output, which are core to marketing operations. The emphasis on "bringing creative briefs to life" and "managing workflow" suggests a process-oriented approach to design production.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Arts, Communications, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience:

2-5 years of professional graphic design experience, preferably within a retail, fashion, or agency environment, with a proven track record of delivering high-quality creative assets.
Experience in designing for both digital and print mediums is essential, with a strong understanding of best practices for each.

Required Skills:

Graphic Design Proficiency: Expert-level skills in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and a strong understanding of visual composition, typography, and color theory.
Digital Asset Creation: Proven ability to design engaging graphics for digital marketing channels, including social media, email marketing, and web banners, with an understanding of aspect ratios and platform-specific requirements.
Brand Consistency Management: Demonstrated ability to interpret and meticulously apply brand guidelines to all design work, ensuring a cohesive and premium visual identity across all touchpoints.
Creative Brief Interpretation: Strong capability to understand and effectively execute design briefs, asking pertinent questions to ensure alignment with project objectives and desired outcomes.
Collaboration & Communication: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively within a team environment and collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders.
Time Management & Organization: Proven ability to manage multiple design projects simultaneously, prioritize tasks effectively, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Trend Awareness: A keen understanding of current design, fashion, and cultural trends, with the ability to translate these into relevant and innovative visual concepts.
Attention to Detail: Meticulous attention to detail in all aspects of design, from initial concept to final asset delivery.

Preferred Skills:

Motion Graphics/Video Editing: Familiarity with motion graphics software (e.g., Adobe After Effects) or video editing software (e.g., Adobe Premiere Pro) for creating dynamic visual content.
UI/UX Design Principles: Basic understanding of UI/UX design principles to inform digital asset creation for web and mobile platforms.
Retail Marketing Experience: Experience designing for retail environments, including in-store signage, window displays, and promotional materials.
Project Management Tools: Familiarity with project management or collaboration tools (e.g., Asana, Trello, Slack) for workflow management.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills emphasize a blend of technical design expertise and operational capabilities like brief interpretation, time management, and brand consistency, aligning with the needs of a structured creative operations role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

A curated portfolio showcasing a range of graphic design work, with a strong emphasis on retail, fashion, or lifestyle brands.
Demonstrations of design execution for digital marketing campaigns (paid social, email, web assets) with clear explanations of objectives and outcomes.
Examples of work that effectively apply and maintain brand identity, illustrating adherence to brand guidelines and consistency across different mediums.
Case studies or project examples that highlight the ability to interpret creative briefs and deliver on specific visual objectives.
Visuals that reflect an understanding of current design trends and their application in a commercial context.

Process Documentation:

While not explicitly stated, a portfolio demonstrating a systematic approach to design projects—from brief to execution—will be beneficial. This could include showing initial concepts, revisions, and final approved assets.
Evidence of efficient workflow and asset management, such as organized project files or examples of template usage, would be advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a graphic design role with operational responsibilities, the portfolio should not only showcase creative output but also demonstrate process efficiency, brand adherence, and the ability to deliver against project requirements, akin to how operations professionals showcase process improvements and system implementations.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

The stated salary range for this position is $70,000 - $90,000 per year. This is a competitive range for a mid-level Graphic Designer in the Costa Mesa, California area, reflecting the required skills and responsibilities.

Benefits:

Comprehensive Health Coverage: Likely includes medical, dental, and vision insurance plans, typical for full-time roles in the US.
Paid Time Off: Accrued vacation days, sick leave, and paid holidays.
Retirement Savings Plan: Potential for a 401(k) plan with company matching.
Employee Discount: As a retail company, expect a generous employee discount on Culture Kings merchandise.
Professional Development: Opportunities for training, workshops, and attending industry events to enhance design skills and stay current with trends.
Creative Work Environment: Access to a dynamic and inspiring workspace that fosters creativity and collaboration.

Working Hours:

This is a full-time position, typically requiring 40 hours per week. While specific hours may vary, standard business hours are expected, with potential for occasional overtime during peak campaign periods or events.

📝 Enhancement Note: The benefits listed are standard for full-time positions in the US, with a particular emphasis on perks relevant to a retail and fashion-focused company like Culture Kings. The salary range aligns with industry benchmarks for a Graphic Designer with 2-5 years of experience in a major California metropolitan area.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry:

Retail (Streetwear & Fashion): Culture Kings operates in the highly dynamic and trend-driven streetwear and fashion retail sector. This industry demands constant innovation, agility, and a deep understanding of youth culture, music, and sports influences. The visual branding and creative output are critical differentiators.

Company Size:

Large (Likely 250-1000+ employees): While not explicitly stated, Culture Kings' global presence, extensive product range, and marketing efforts suggest a sizable organization. A larger company size typically means more structured processes, opportunities for specialization, and potential for internal mobility, but also a need for clear communication and adherence to established brand guidelines.

Founded:

2008: Founded in 2008, Culture Kings has experienced significant growth, establishing itself as a prominent player in the global streetwear market. This history suggests a company that has successfully navigated market changes and scaled its operations, likely with a blend of established processes and a continuous drive for innovation.

Team Structure:

Creative & Brand Department: The Graphic Designer will likely be part of a larger Creative or Brand Marketing team. This team probably includes a Creative Lead or Art Director, other designers, copywriters, content creators, and digital marketing specialists.
Reporting Structure: The role reports to a Creative Lead or Art Director, who oversees the overall creative vision and execution. Collaboration will extend to digital marketing managers, campaign managers, and potentially retail operations teams.
Cross-functional Collaboration: The Graphic Designer will collaborate extensively with Digital Marketing, E-commerce, Social Media, Merchandising, and Retail teams to ensure visual assets are aligned with broader business objectives and campaign strategies.

Methodology:

Data-Informed Creativity: While creativity is paramount, operations in marketing often involve using data to inform design decisions, such as A/B testing visual elements or analyzing the performance of digital assets in marketing campaigns.
Agile Creative Production: Given the fast-paced nature of fashion and streetwear, the creative team likely employs agile methodologies to respond quickly to trends and market demands, requiring efficient workflow management and rapid iteration.
Brand-Centric Approach: All creative output is driven by a strong adherence to the Culture Kings brand identity, ensuring consistency and reinforcing the company's unique positioning at the intersection of music, sport, and fashion.

Company Website:

www.culturekings.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding Culture Kings' position in the fast-paced streetwear market is key. The role requires not just design skill but an operational mindset to ensure brand consistency and efficient delivery of creative assets that support aggressive marketing and retail strategies.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level:

This is a mid-level Graphic Designer position. It signifies a step beyond junior roles, requiring a solid foundation in design principles, proficiency with industry-standard tools, and the ability to work independently on projects while contributing to team goals. The role demands execution excellence and a growing understanding of how design impacts business objectives.

Reporting Structure:

The Graphic Designer will report to a Creative Lead or Art Director. This mentorship offers opportunities to learn advanced design strategies, gain exposure to higher-level creative direction, and understand the strategic application of design within a larger marketing framework. Direct interaction with various marketing departments provides exposure to different operational functions.

Operations Impact:

The visual output of the Graphic Designer directly impacts brand perception, customer engagement, and conversion rates across digital and physical retail channels. High-quality, on-brand visuals are crucial for driving traffic, sales, and customer loyalty in the competitive streetwear market. Efficient and timely delivery of assets supports marketing campaign success and operational agility.

Growth Opportunities:

Senior Graphic Designer: Progression to a Senior Graphic Designer role, taking on more complex projects, mentoring junior designers, and having more input into creative strategy.
Art Director: With significant experience and a strong portfolio demonstrating leadership in creative direction, advancement to an Art Director position is possible, overseeing creative projects and teams.
Specialization: Opportunity to specialize in specific areas like digital design, motion graphics, or campaign creative development.
Cross-functional Moves: Potential to move into related marketing roles, such as Digital Marketing Specialist or Content Manager, leveraging design skills and understanding of brand communication.
Skill Development: Access to professional development opportunities, workshops, and potential for attending industry events to enhance technical skills and stay abreast of design and marketing trends.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth path for a Graphic Designer in an operations-focused environment like Culture Kings involves not only artistic development but also increasing responsibility for process efficiency, strategic brand application, and potentially project leadership within the creative workflow.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type:

Modern Retail Headquarters: Likely a vibrant, modern office environment typical of fashion and lifestyle brands, designed to foster creativity, collaboration, and a connection to the brand's culture. It will likely feature elements that reflect the streetwear aesthetic.

Office Location(s):

Costa Mesa, California: This location places the designer in a hub for retail and creative industries, offering a dynamic work environment. The office is likely situated in a commercial area accessible to employees.

Workspace Context:

Collaborative Hub: The workspace is designed to encourage interaction and idea sharing among the creative and marketing teams. Open-plan areas or shared creative studios are probable, facilitating easy communication and brainstorming.
Tools & Technology: Employees will have access to up-to-date hardware and software, including the Adobe Creative Suite. High-speed internet and modern design facilities are expected.
Team Interaction: Regular team meetings, project reviews, and informal check-ins will be part of the daily routine, fostering a cohesive and productive team dynamic focused on delivering creative excellence.

Work Schedule:

Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours per week). Flexibility may be offered, but core hours are expected to align with typical business operations to facilitate collaboration. Deadlines for campaigns may necessitate occasional evening or weekend work, particularly during product launches or major sales events.

📝 Enhancement Note: The work environment is expected to be visually stimulating, reflecting the brand's identity and encouraging creative output. The operational aspect involves structured collaboration and efficient use of resources to meet the demands of a fast-paced retail cycle.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess qualifications and creative fit.
Portfolio Review & Skills Assessment: A dedicated session to walk through your portfolio, discuss your design process, and potentially present a short design exercise. Expect questions about how you handle creative briefs, manage revisions, and ensure brand consistency.
Team/Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion about your experience, work style, and how you would contribute to the team and Culture Kings' brand. This stage will likely assess cultural fit and collaborative abilities.
Final Interview (Potentially): May involve a more in-depth discussion with senior leadership or a final assessment of your suitability for the role and company culture.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Curate Selectively: Choose your strongest, most relevant pieces that showcase your skills in digital marketing, brand consistency, and creative execution for fashion/retail.
Tell a Story: For each project, briefly explain the brief, your design process, challenges faced, and the outcome or impact. Highlight how you met the client's objectives.
Show Brand Adaptability: Include examples that demonstrate your ability to adapt your design style to different brands while maintaining a professional and high-quality standard.
Highlight Process: Briefly touch upon how you manage projects, incorporate feedback, and ensure brand adherence. This demonstrates operational awareness.
Digital-First Presentation: Ensure your portfolio is easily accessible online (e.g., personal website, Behance, Adobe Portfolio) and functions flawlessly.

Challenge Preparation:

Design Challenge: Be prepared for a design challenge, which might involve creating a social media graphic, an email banner, or a concept for a campaign based on a provided brief.
Focus on Brand: Ensure any challenge submission strictly adheres to Culture Kings' existing brand guidelines and aesthetic.
Time Management: Practice completing design tasks within a limited timeframe, simulating real-world project constraints.
Presentation: Prepare to articulate your design choices, rationale, and how your solution meets the brief's objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes not just creative talent but also the candidate's ability to operate within a structured brand environment, manage projects efficiently, and communicate their design thinking effectively, mirroring the expectations of operations roles.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

Adobe Creative Suite:
- Photoshop: Essential for image editing, manipulation, and digital asset creation.
- Illustrator: Crucial for vector graphics, logos, icons, and layout design.
- InDesign: Used for multi-page layouts, brochures, and print collateral, though less emphasized for this digital-heavy role.
Adobe After Effects (Preferred): For motion graphics, animated social media content, and short video edits.
Adobe Premiere Pro (Preferred): For basic video editing and asset creation for campaigns.
Figma/Sketch (Potentially): Increasingly used for digital design and UI prototyping, familiarity is a plus.

Analytics & Reporting:

Google Analytics (Familiarity): Understanding how website traffic and user behavior are tracked can inform design choices for web assets.
Social Media Analytics Platforms: Tools like Facebook Ads Manager, Instagram Insights, etc., provide data on campaign performance, which can influence future creative strategies.
Email Marketing Platform Analytics: Understanding open rates, click-through rates, and conversion data from email campaigns.

CRM & Automation:

While not directly used by the Graphic Designer, understanding how CRM systems (like Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms (like HubSpot, Marketo) are used to segment audiences and deliver targeted campaigns can provide valuable context for asset creation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite is non-negotiable. Familiarity with motion graphics and an understanding of digital marketing analytics are highly advantageous, reflecting the operational need to create assets that perform well and integrate seamlessly into marketing automation workflows.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

Brand Integrity: A core value is the unwavering commitment to upholding and enhancing the Culture Kings brand identity through all visual communications. This requires a disciplined approach to design execution.
Creativity & Innovation: Encouragement to push creative boundaries and bring fresh ideas that align with evolving trends in fashion, music, and sport culture.
Collaboration: A strong emphasis on teamwork, open communication, and mutual support among creative and marketing professionals to achieve collective goals.
Efficiency & Agility: The ability to work effectively under pressure, manage time efficiently, and adapt quickly to changing project requirements and market demands.
Customer Focus: Designing with the end customer in mind, ensuring visuals are appealing, engaging, and contribute to a positive brand experience.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-functional Integration: The team works closely with various departments, requiring clear communication, active listening, and the ability to translate diverse stakeholder needs into visual solutions.
Feedback-Driven Improvement: A culture that embraces constructive feedback as a means to refine designs and improve workflows, fostering continuous learning and development.
Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of design trends, techniques, and best practices within the team to elevate the overall quality and efficiency of creative output.

📝 Enhancement Note: The cultural values emphasize a balance between creative expression and operational discipline. The ability to collaborate effectively and embrace feedback is crucial for successful integration into the team and for driving efficient creative production.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

Pace of Industry: The streetwear and fashion industry is incredibly fast-paced, requiring designers to constantly adapt to new trends and quickly produce relevant content. This demands high efficiency and rapid iteration.
Balancing Brand & Trend: The challenge of staying true to Culture Kings' established brand identity while incorporating current design and cultural trends requires a nuanced approach.
Volume of Assets: The need to produce a high volume of visual assets across multiple platforms for ongoing campaigns and retail activations can be demanding.
Managing Feedback: Effectively interpreting and incorporating feedback from various stakeholders, ensuring creative integrity while meeting project requirements.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Skill Enhancement: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specific design software, explore motion graphics, or learn new visual storytelling techniques.
Industry Exposure: Potential to attend industry events, workshops, or online courses related to design, fashion, and digital marketing to stay ahead of trends.
Mentorship: Learning from experienced Creative Leads and Art Directors to refine design strategy and understand the business impact of creative work.
Project Diversity: Exposure to a wide range of projects, from digital campaigns to in-store activations, allowing for broad skill development and portfolio building.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are common in creative roles within dynamic industries. The growth opportunities focus on developing both technical design skills and broader strategic understanding, essential for career advancement in a marketing operations context.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

Operations Strategy: "How do you approach managing multiple design projects with competing deadlines to ensure timely delivery of high-quality assets?" Prepare to discuss your workflow, prioritization methods, and how you communicate potential delays.
Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: "Describe a time you received critical feedback on a design. How did you handle it, and what was the outcome?" Focus on your ability to constructively receive feedback and collaborate to achieve the best result.
Problem-Solving: "Imagine you're given a brief that seems unclear or contradictory. What steps would you take to ensure your final design meets the intended objectives?" Emphasize your process for clarifying requirements and proactive communication.
Company & Culture: "What excites you about Culture Kings' brand, and how do you see your design contributions aligning with our mission?" Research the brand's current campaigns and visual style, and be ready to articulate your passion and fit.
Team Dynamics: "How do you best collaborate with marketing teams to ensure visual assets effectively support campaign goals?" Discuss your experience working with non-designers and your understanding of marketing objectives.
Impact Measurement: "How do you measure the success of your design work, particularly for digital marketing assets?" Be prepared to discuss metrics like engagement rates, click-through rates, or conversion impact, even if indirectly.

Company & Culture Questions:

Research Culture Kings’ latest campaigns, social media presence, and overall brand aesthetic. Understand their connection to music, sport, and fashion.
Prepare to discuss how your personal style and values align with the company's culture and brand ethos.
Think about how you contribute to a positive and collaborative team environment.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Structure: Organize your portfolio logically. Start with your strongest, most relevant pieces. For each piece, provide a brief overview: the objective, your role, the process, and the outcome.
Metrics: If possible, include any quantifiable results or feedback associated with your designs (e.g., "This social graphic achieved a 15% higher engagement rate than previous posts").
Brand Consistency: Explicitly point out how your work adheres to brand guidelines and maintains visual consistency.
Process Demonstration: Briefly explain your workflow, how you manage revisions, and your approach to problem-solving within the design process.
Conciseness: Be prepared to present your portfolio efficiently, focusing on the most impactful aspects relevant to the role.