VeeFriends Cards — Graphic Designer
📍 Job Overview
Job Title: Graphic Designer — VeeFriends Cards Company: VeeFriends Location: Queens, NY Job Type: Temporary Category: Marketing & Design Date Posted: December 22, 2025 Experience Level: 3+ Years Remote Status: On-site
🚀 Role Summary
- Design visually compelling social media assets specifically for VeeFriends Trading Cards, driving collector engagement and brand identity.
- Translate complex collector terminology and "pull moments" into impactful visual narratives for social platforms.
- Collaborate closely with marketing, social, and product teams to bring card-related announcements and storytelling to life.
- Execute high-quality, consistent designs optimized for mobile-first social platforms like Instagram, X, TikTok, and Stories.
- Contribute to growing the VeeFriends Cards social presence towards a 1 million follower milestone.
📝 Enhancement Note: This role is explicitly defined as a "Cards-First Social Design" position, distinct from general marketing or product design, emphasizing a deep understanding of the trading card collector mindset and visual language.
📈 Primary Responsibilities
- Develop and design social graphics that educate users on VeeFriends Trading Cards, including their inserts, parallels, serial numbers, and rarity.
- Create engaging visuals that highlight "pull moments" and collector achievements through compelling storytelling.
- Design assets that effectively communicate the excitement, premium nature, and value of VeeFriends cards to a collector audience.
- Strategize and execute visual content for Instagram feeds and carousels, Stories and Broadcast Channels, X timelines and threads, and TikTok (graphic-led or hybrid).
- Adapt existing design templates and formats to maintain visual consistency while ensuring content feels fresh and engaging.
- Ensure all visual assets are optimized for mobile viewing, prioritizing immediate impact and readability for rapid scrolling behavior.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand campaign objectives and translate them into visually effective social media graphics.
- Maintain a high standard of design craft, paying close attention to composition, typography, and visual hierarchy.
- Support storytelling around product drops, significant pulls, community wins, and historical card moments.
- Ensure designs accurately reflect collector language such as "case hit," "short print," "serial pull," and rarity callouts.
📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "Collector Culture & Visual Storytelling" indicates a need for the designer to not just create aesthetically pleasing graphics, but to deeply understand and communicate the emotional drivers and specific language within the trading card collecting community.
🎓 Skills & Qualifications
Education: While specific educational requirements are not listed, a degree in Graphic Design, Fine Arts, Communications, or a related field is typically expected for roles requiring 3+ years of experience. A strong portfolio can often substitute for formal education.
Experience: Minimum of 3 years of dedicated graphic design experience, with a significant focus on creating social media content. Experience within the collectibles, trading card, or enthusiast culture space is highly preferred.
Required Skills:
- Demonstrated expertise in social-first graphic design, with a portfolio showcasing previous work.
- Deep understanding and passion for trading card culture, including concepts like parallels, serial numbers, rarity, and "pull moments."
- Advanced proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop for creating high-quality digital assets.
- Strong eye for visual composition, typography, and information hierarchy, particularly as applied to mobile screens.
- Ability to design for rapid scrolling behavior and create instantly engaging content.
- Proven ability to maintain visual consistency across multiple social media platforms and campaign elements.
- Skill in adapting and innovating upon design templates without losing brand integrity or making content feel generic.
- Experience in visual storytelling and translating complex ideas or cultural nuances into accessible graphics.
- Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced social media environment, meeting tight deadlines.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills for working with marketing, social, and product teams.
Preferred Skills:
- Active participation in collecting or following trading cards.
- Familiarity with "pull culture," card breaks, and collector hype cycles.
- Experience designing graphics that incorporate screenshots, card scans, or photography.
- Ability to create premium-feeling designs without over-complicating or over-designing.
- Demonstrated agility and speed in design execution while maintaining high taste levels.
- Understanding of platform-specific best practices for Instagram, X, TikTok, and Stories.
📝 Enhancement Note: The "Must-Haves" and "Big Plus If You" sections strongly indicate that practical experience and a demonstrable passion for the trading card niche are more critical than formal education for this role. The emphasis on "collector psychology" and "collector energy" suggests a need for intuitive design skills that resonate with enthusiast communities.
📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements
Portfolio Essentials:
- A robust portfolio is critical, showcasing at least 3 years of social-first design work.
- Specifically highlight projects demonstrating an understanding of collectibles, trading cards, or similar enthusiast cultures.
- Include examples of designs that effectively communicate rarity, value, and excitement related to collectible items.
- Showcase your ability to create platform-native content optimized for mobile and fast-scrolling feeds.
- Evidence of visual storytelling through graphics, such as illustrating "pull moments" or product drops.
Process Documentation:
- While formal process documentation isn't explicitly requested, your portfolio should implicitly demonstrate your design process:
- How you approach a brief from marketing or product teams.
- Your methods for incorporating feedback and iterating on designs.
- Your workflow for creating assets across multiple social platforms efficiently.
- Examples of how you've maintained visual consistency for a brand or campaign.
📝 Enhancement Note: The job description heavily emphasizes the portfolio as the primary evaluation tool. It should not only display design skills but also a deep, intuitive understanding of the trading card collector's mindset and visual language.
💵 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $25 - $35 per hour. This range is based on the provided hourly rate for a temporary position, reflecting a typical compensation for a mid-level graphic designer with specialized social media and cultural niche experience in the New York metropolitan area.
Benefits: As this is a temporary position, standard benefits like health insurance, retirement plans, or paid time off may not be offered or may be limited. Specific benefits would need to be confirmed with the hiring organization.
Working Hours: The role is structured around a standard 40-hour work week. Given the fast-paced nature of social media and the need for timely content, flexibility may be required to meet deadlines, especially around product drops or announcements.
📝 Enhancement Note: The hourly rate of $25-$35 for a temporary role in Queens, NY, aligns with market rates for experienced freelance or contract graphic designers specializing in social media content creation. This rate considers the specialized niche and required experience level.
🎯 Team & Company Context
🏢 Company Culture
Industry: VeeFriends operates within the broader digital collectibles, blockchain, and entertainment space, with a specific focus on building a strong community around intellectual property and physical/digital collectibles. The VeeFriends Cards initiative specifically targets the physical trading card market, blending traditional collecting with modern community engagement.
Company Size: While not explicitly stated, VeeFriends is part of Gary Vaynerchuk's ecosystem, suggesting a dynamic, entrepreneurial environment that likely operates with a lean, agile team structure. The mention of growing a brand to 1 million followers implies a focus on rapid growth and social media impact.
Founded: VeeFriends was founded by Gary Vaynerchuk in 2021, evolving from digital collectibles to incorporate physical products like trading cards. This origin story points to a culture that values innovation, community building, and direct engagement with its audience.
Team Structure:
- The Graphic Designer will likely be part of a marketing or creative team, working closely with social media managers, marketing leads, and product development teams focused on the trading card line.
- Collaboration is expected to be cross-functional, requiring clear communication and the ability to translate different team objectives into visual assets.
- The reporting structure is likely direct to a Creative Director or Marketing Manager.
Methodology:
- The company emphasizes a "cards-first" approach to social content, meaning the design strategy revolves around the intrinsic appeal and cultural significance of the trading cards themselves.
- A strong focus on community engagement and storytelling is central to their methodology, aiming to build hype and connection around drops and collector achievements.
- The environment is described as fast-moving, requiring agile execution and responsiveness to market trends and community sentiment.
Company Website: https://veefriends.com/
📝 Enhancement Note: VeeFriends' culture is heavily influenced by its founder, Gary Vaynerchuk, known for his energetic, hustle-oriented approach. This role demands a designer who can thrive in such an environment, understanding the nuances of collector culture and translating that into authentic, high-impact social visuals.
📈 Career & Growth Analysis
Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a specialized Graphic Designer, focusing on social media content creation within a specific niche (trading cards). It's an execution-focused role, requiring strong technical design skills and a deep cultural understanding of the target audience.
Reporting Structure: The designer will report to a manager within the marketing or creative department, likely working closely with social media managers and product teams responsible for the VeeFriends Cards line.
Operations Impact: The Graphic Designer's impact is measured by their ability to enhance the visual presentation of VeeFriends Cards, directly influencing social media engagement, brand perception, and collector excitement. High-performing visuals are crucial for driving community interaction, increasing follower counts, and ultimately supporting the commercial success of the trading card products.
Growth Opportunities:
- Deepen Niche Expertise: Further specialize in the design and marketing of collectibles and trading cards, becoming a go-to expert in this visual niche.
- Expand Social Media Design Skills: Gain experience with a wider range of social media platforms and emerging content formats.
- Brand Building Contribution: Contribute significantly to the growth of the VeeFriends Cards brand, potentially leading to opportunities for more senior or specialized design roles within the VeeFriends ecosystem or larger VaynerX umbrella.
- Portfolio Development: Build a strong portfolio demonstrating successful social campaigns within a high-growth, enthusiast-driven market.
📝 Enhancement Note: While not a traditional "operations" role, the impact is tied to "operations" in the sense of driving engagement and supporting the go-to-market strategy for VeeFriends Cards. Growth is primarily within the creative and marketing domain, emphasizing specialized visual communication for enthusiast communities.
🌐 Work Environment
Office Type: This is an on-site role based in Queens, NY. The specific office environment within VeeFriends is likely dynamic and collaborative, aligning with the energetic culture often associated with the VaynerX companies.
Office Location(s): Queens, NY. This location places the role within the greater New York City metropolitan area, offering access to a vibrant cultural and business hub.
Workspace Context:
- The workspace is expected to be collaborative, with opportunities for direct interaction with marketing, social media, and product teams.
- Access to necessary design tools and technology (Adobe Creative Suite) will be provided.
- The environment will likely be fast-paced, requiring adaptability and quick turnaround times on design tasks.
- Opportunities for brainstorming and contributing creative ideas will be present, especially in relation to translating collector energy into visuals.
Work Schedule: The role is based on a standard 40-hour work week. However, the demands of social media content creation, especially around product drops and real-time events, may necessitate some flexibility or occasional extended hours to ensure timely delivery of critical assets.
📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Queens, NY, suggests a need for a designer who can be physically present for team collaboration and potentially participate in any on-site content creation or events related to the trading cards.
📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process
Interview Process:
- Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio to assess basic qualifications and alignment with the role's requirements.
- Portfolio Deep Dive: A more in-depth review of the candidate's portfolio, focusing on relevant social media design and trading card/collector culture examples. Expect questions about specific projects, design choices, and how they translated collector psychology into visuals.
- Skills Assessment/Creative Challenge: Candidates may be asked to complete a short design challenge or present a mock-up for a hypothetical VeeFriends Cards social post to assess their real-time design skills, speed, and understanding of the brand's aesthetic and collector focus.
- Team/Manager Interview: Discussion about work style, collaboration, experience in fast-paced environments, and cultural fit. This is where they'll assess your understanding of "collector energy" and ability to create "scroll-stopping" content.
Portfolio Review Tips:
- Curate Strategically: Prioritize social media design work. If you have specific trading card or collectible-related projects, feature them prominently.
- Showcase "Scroll-Stopping" Designs: Include examples that demonstrate an immediate visual impact and clarity, particularly those designed for mobile.
- Highlight Collector Understanding: Use your portfolio to demonstrate how you've visually communicated concepts like rarity, excitement, and collector hype. If possible, include case studies or descriptions that explain your strategic approach.
- Demonstrate Versatility: While focusing on cards, show your ability to adapt templates and maintain visual consistency across different platforms (Instagram, X, TikTok, Stories).
- Be Ready to Explain: Prepare to walk through your process for 2-3 key projects, explaining your design decisions, tools used, and the intended impact on the audience.
Challenge Preparation:
- Familiarize Yourself: Deeply research VeeFriends Cards, their current social media presence, and the broader trading card collector community. Understand their visual style and tone.
- Practice Mobile Design: Mentally (or physically) design graphics that would look effective on a mobile feed. Think about quick comprehension and visual hierarchy.
- Anticipate "Collector Language": Be ready to visually represent terms like "case hit," "short print," or "serial pull."
- Focus on Speed and Clarity: If given a challenge, prioritize delivering a clear, on-brand concept quickly, rather than aiming for perfection.
📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily weigh the portfolio and the candidate's demonstrated understanding of trading card collector culture. Be prepared to speak the language of collectors and explain how your design choices tap into their motivations and excitement.
🛠 Tools & Technology Stack
Primary Tools:
- Adobe Illustrator: Essential for creating vector graphics, logos, and detailed illustrations for social assets. Proficiency is a must-have.
- Adobe Photoshop: Crucial for image manipulation, photo editing, compositing, and creating raster-based social graphics. Advanced skills are expected.
Analytics & Reporting:
- While not a direct responsibility of this role, an awareness of social media analytics (engagement rates, reach, impressions) will be beneficial for understanding what kind of content performs best. The designer should be able to interpret feedback based on performance metrics.
CRM & Automation:
- Not directly applicable to this design role.
📝 Enhancement Note: The core technical requirements are centered around Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, emphasizing the need for advanced proficiency in these industry-standard design tools.
👥 Team Culture & Values
Operations Values:
- Collector-Centric: A deep appreciation and understanding of the collector community's passion, language, and motivations.
- Visual Storytelling: The belief that compelling visuals are key to engaging collectors and conveying excitement.
- Speed & Agility: The ability to move quickly and adapt to the fast-paced demands of social media and product drops.
- Craftsmanship & Consistency: Maintaining high design quality and visual coherence across all outputs.
- Authenticity: Creating content that resonates genuinely with the collector audience, avoiding overly corporate or inauthentic messaging.
Collaboration Style:
- Cross-Functional Integration: Working seamlessly with marketing, social media, and product teams to align visual content with broader strategies.
- Responsive Feedback Loop: Openness to receiving and incorporating feedback from team members and stakeholders to refine designs.
- Proactive Contribution: Offering creative ideas and solutions to enhance visual communication and collector engagement.
- Team-Oriented: Contributing to a shared goal of growing the VeeFriends Cards brand and community.
📝 Enhancement Note: The company values are heavily skewed towards understanding and authentically engaging with a specific enthusiast community. The designer must be able to embody the "collector energy" and translate it into their work.
⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities
Challenges:
- Translating Collector Hype Visually: Capturing the intangible excitement and emotional connection collectors have with trading cards into compelling static or motion graphics.
- Balancing Speed and Quality: Producing high-quality, on-brand assets rapidly to keep pace with social media demands and product release schedules.
- Maintaining Visual Distinction: Creating designs that stand out in a crowded social media landscape while adhering to brand guidelines and avoiding generic templates.
- Adapting to Evolving Trends: Staying current with social media design trends and collector culture shifts to ensure content remains relevant and engaging.
- Working with Diverse Assets: Effectively designing around various assets like card scans, photography, screenshots, and promotional materials.
Learning & Development Opportunities:
- Niche Specialization: Becoming a recognized expert in visual communication for the trading card and collectibles market.
- Social Media Strategy Exposure: Gaining a deeper understanding of social media marketing strategies and how design contributes to campaign success.
- Brand Building Experience: Contributing to the growth of a high-profile brand in a rapidly evolving market.
- Networking: Working within the VaynerX ecosystem offers opportunities to connect with professionals across various industries.
📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge lies in bridging the gap between the abstract excitement of collecting and tangible visual design. Growth opportunities are focused on deepening expertise within this niche and contributing to brand expansion.
💡 Interview Preparation
Strategy Questions:
- "How would you visually represent a 'case hit' or a rare 'serial pull' for a social media post?" (Tests understanding of collector language and visual translation.)
- "Describe a time you had to design for a fast-paced social media campaign with tight deadlines. How did you manage?" (Assesses ability to work under pressure.)
- "Walk us through your process for designing a social media carousel that educates collectors about different card parallels." (Evaluates design process and ability to explain it.)
- "How do you ensure visual consistency across different social media platforms while still tailoring content for each?" (Tests platform understanding and brand management.)
Company & Culture Questions:
- "What excites you about VeeFriends Cards and the trading card community?" (Gauges genuine interest and cultural fit.)
- "How would you approach designing graphics that tap into 'collector energy' and hype cycles?" (Assesses intuitive understanding of the target audience.)
- "How do you stay updated on trends in both graphic design and collector culture?" (Evaluates continuous learning and market awareness.)
Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
- Theme Your Presentation: If possible, group projects by theme (e.g., social campaigns, collectible-focused work).
- Tell a Story for Each Project: For 2-3 key pieces, explain the objective, your role, your design process, the challenges you faced, and the outcome (if known). Emphasize how your design addressed the collector's mindset.
- Highlight Mobile Optimization: Specifically point out how certain designs are optimized for mobile viewing and scrolling behavior.
- Showcase Tool Proficiency: Briefly mention the tools used (Illustrator, Photoshop) and any specific techniques you employed.
- Be Enthusiastic and Authentic: Let your passion for design and potentially for collectibles shine through.
📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to articulate your understanding of collector psychology and demonstrate how your design skills can translate that into impactful social media content that drives engagement. Your portfolio is your primary tool; know it inside and out.
📌 Application Steps
To apply for this Graphic Designer position:
- Submit your application through the provided link on rippling.com.
- Portfolio Customization: Ensure your submitted portfolio prominently features social media design work, with a strong emphasis on any projects related to trading cards, collectibles, or enthusiast culture.
- Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight your 3+ years of experience in social content creation, advanced Adobe Creative Suite skills, and any experience with niche collector communities. Use keywords like "social graphics," "trading cards," "collector psychology," "visual storytelling," and "mobile design."
- Interview Preparation: Thoroughly research VeeFriends Cards and the trading card market. Practice articulating your design process and how you can capture "collector energy" visually. Be ready to discuss specific examples from your portfolio.
- Company Research: Understand VeeFriends' mission and Gary Vaynerchuk's broader brand philosophy. Familiarize yourself with their existing social media channels to grasp their current aesthetic and tone.
⚠️ 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.
Application Requirements
Candidates must have at least 3 years of graphic design experience with a strong portfolio showcasing social-first design and an understanding of trading cards. Advanced skills in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop are essential, along with a keen eye for mobile composition.