Visual Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Visual Designer

Company: Western Governors University

Location: Salt Lake City, UT, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Creative & Media / Instructional Design Operations

Date Posted: April 20, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (Estimated 3-7 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (4 days in-office, 1 day remote)

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on the creation and management of engaging digital content for instructional media, a critical component of modern educational operations.

• The Visual Designer will be responsible for producing a range of multimedia assets, including graphics, videos, animations, and other digital learning materials, directly impacting the effectiveness of educational delivery.

• This position requires strong proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and a solid understanding of graphic design, animation, and video production principles within an educational context.

• The role involves managing multiple creative projects, collaborating with stakeholders in Program Development to enhance course design, and staying abreast of emerging trends in instructional media.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Visual Designer," the responsibilities clearly place this role within the operational aspects of educational content creation, aligning it with Instructional Design Operations. The emphasis on "instructional media," "online courses," and "learning design" indicates a focus on operationalizing educational content for scalable delivery.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, and coordinate multiple projects focused on creating engaging digital content for instructional media, ensuring alignment with course, departmental, and university goals.

• Produce high-quality graphics, videos, motion graphics, animations, documents, and other multimedia assets specifically for online courses.

• Stay current with the latest trends, innovations, and research in instructional media, with a particular focus on graphic design, animation, scripting, and storyboard/wireframe development.

• Collaborate closely with stakeholders in Program Development to identify opportunities and implement improvements in the learning experience and design of online courses.

• Manage creative projects within the learning experience platform, ensuring on-time delivery and adherence to quality standards.

• Identify and recommend appropriate software programs and external vendors for multimedia asset creation and project support.

• Perform other related duties as assigned to support the broader instructional media and course development operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of creative execution and project management within an operational framework. The emphasis on "improving learning and design of courses" and "managing projects in learning experience" signifies a direct contribution to the operational efficiency and effectiveness of WGU's educational programs.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in animation, graphic design, digital media, or a relevant field.

Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years of experience working in graphic design, animation, multimedia, or a closely related field.

• Proven experience in successful creative project management.

• Experience with video shooting and/or editing.

• Demonstrated experience in motion graphics and/or animation.

• Experience with audio recording or voice-over work.

• Familiarity with instructional design principles and learning design methodologies.

Required Skills:

• Advanced proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite, specifically After Effects, Premiere, Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.

• Strong graphic design and animation skills, including a solid understanding of core concepts.

• Proven ability to self-initiate and remain self-motivated in a dynamic environment.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision, as well as effectively as part of a collaborative team.

• Excellent multitasking capabilities and the ability to manage multiple projects concurrently.

• Strong listening, written, and verbal communication skills for effective stakeholder interaction.

Preferred Skills:

• 5-7 years of experience in graphic design, animation, multimedia, or a relevant field.

• Specific experience with Adobe After Effects.

• Prior experience in a higher education setting.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize a blend of technical creative skills and operational project management. The requirement for "instructional design and learning design" experience, coupled with "online course design," points towards an operational need for content that is not only visually appealing but also pedagogically sound and scalable within an online learning environment.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio demonstrating a strong visual design aesthetic and technical proficiency across various media types (graphics, animation, video).

• Case studies showcasing successful creative project management, illustrating your ability to deliver complex multimedia projects on time and within scope.

• Examples of work that highlight your understanding of instructional design principles and how visual elements enhance the learning experience in online courses.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of systematic approaches to workflow design and optimization for multimedia asset creation, from concept to final delivery.

• Examples of how you have implemented or improved processes for animation, video editing, or graphic production to increase efficiency and quality.

• Documentation or descriptions of how you measure the impact and effectiveness of your visual content in supporting learning objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on instructional media, a portfolio is crucial. It should not only showcase creative output but also demonstrate an understanding of the operational aspects of content development, including project management, stakeholder collaboration, and the application of design principles to enhance learning outcomes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $60,300.00 - $90,500.00 annually.

Explanation: This range is provided by Western Governors University and takes into account factors such as skill sets, experience, training, licensure, certifications, and business needs. The specific salary offered will depend on the candidate's qualifications and the circumstances of the hire, with individuals typically not hired at the top of the range.

Benefits:

• Health & Wellness:

  • Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
  • Telehealth services
  • Mental Healthcare support
  • Health Savings Account (HSA)
  • Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

• Insurance:

  • Basic and Voluntary Life Insurance
  • Disability Coverage
  • Accident Insurance
  • Critical Illness Insurance
  • Hospital Indemnity Insurance
  • Legal Coverage and Identity Theft Protection

• Retirement & Financial:

  • Retirement Savings Plan

• Work-Life Balance & Development:

  • Wellbeing Program

  • Discounted WGU Tuition

  • Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) with no accrual needed

  • Flexible Paid Sick Time with no accrual needed

  • 11 Paid Holidays

  • Up to 12 weeks of Paid Parental Leave Working Hours: 40 hours per week. This is a full-time, regular position.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is specific to the Professional 306 grade. The extensive benefits package, particularly the flexible PTO and parental leave, indicates a strong focus on employee well-being, which is a common operational consideration for large organizations aiming to attract and retain talent.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Higher Education (Online, Competency-Based)

Company Size: Large (Likely 1,000-5,000 employees, based on typical university structures)

Founded: 1997

Team Structure:

• Instructional Media Team: This role is part of a team responsible for creating and managing digital content for WGU's online courses. The team likely includes instructional designers, multimedia specialists, graphic designers, animators, and video producers.

• Reporting: The Visual Designer will report to a manager overseeing instructional media or course development.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Significant collaboration is expected with Program Development teams, instructional designers, subject matter experts (SMEs), and potentially marketing or academic departments to ensure content aligns with curriculum goals and university standards.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Content Enhancement: WGU's competency-based model relies on data to refine curricula. This role contributes by creating visually effective content that supports measurable learning outcomes.

• Agile/Iterative Development: Course development and media creation often follow iterative processes, requiring designers to adapt based on feedback and performance data.

• Scalable Content Production: A key operational focus is producing high-quality, engaging content that can be delivered consistently to a large, diverse student body across various programs.

Company Website: https://www.wgu.edu/

📝 Enhancement Note: WGU's mission-driven focus on expanding access to higher education through online, competency-based learning shapes its culture. For operations professionals, this means a focus on efficiency, scalability, and student success, with a strong emphasis on leveraging technology to deliver education effectively.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This Visual Designer role is positioned at a professional level, requiring significant specialized skills and independent work. It sits above entry-level creative roles and contributes directly to the operational output of the instructional design and course development departments.

Reporting Structure: The role reports to a manager within the instructional media or course development function, indicating a clear hierarchy where the designer executes creative tasks and project management under guidance.

Operations Impact: The Visual Designer's work directly impacts the student learning experience and the operational efficiency of course delivery. High-quality, engaging multimedia content can improve student retention, comprehension, and completion rates, thereby contributing to WGU's core mission and operational success metrics. Effective content production also streamlines the course development process.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas like advanced motion graphics, 3D animation, or video production techniques relevant to instructional media.

• Senior/Lead Visual Designer: Potential to advance into a senior role, taking on more complex projects, mentoring junior designers, and contributing to strategic content development.

• Instructional Design Path: With experience in learning design and course development, there's a potential transition into an Instructional Designer role, focusing more on pedagogical strategy and curriculum architecture.

• Team Leadership: For individuals with strong leadership and project management skills, opportunities may arise to manage multimedia teams or lead specific content development initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth path for a Visual Designer at an educational institution like WGU often involves specializing in instructional media techniques or moving into instructional design itself, both of which are critical operational functions within the education sector.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This role is based in a physical office in Salt Lake City, UT, with a hybrid work arrangement. This suggests a collaborative office environment designed for team interaction and access to shared resources.

Office Location(s): Salt Lake City, UT. This location likely offers a professional workspace conducive to creative work, with access to necessary technology and collaborative spaces.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model (4 days in-office) emphasizes the importance of in-person collaboration, team meetings, and brainstorming sessions, crucial for creative project development.

• Technology & Tools: Employees will have access to company-provided computer hardware, software licenses (including Adobe Creative Suite), and potentially specialized equipment for video and audio production.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for daily interaction with fellow designers, instructional designers, project managers, and program development stakeholders, fostering a culture of shared learning and problem-solving.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week, with the flexibility of one remote day, allows for focused individual work while maintaining team cohesion and operational integration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work model is a common operational strategy to balance employee flexibility with the benefits of in-person collaboration, particularly for creative and team-dependent roles.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess qualifications and creative output.

• Technical/Creative Assessment: You may be asked to complete a design challenge or present a case study from your portfolio that demonstrates your skills in graphic design, animation, or video production relevant to instructional media.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion focused on your experience, project management skills, understanding of instructional design, and cultural fit with WGU's mission.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with potential colleagues and stakeholders (e.g., instructional designers, program developers) to evaluate collaboration style and ability to integrate into existing workflows.

• Final Interview/Offer: A final discussion with leadership, potentially followed by an offer.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best represent your skills in graphic design, animation, and video production for educational contexts.

• Demonstrate Process: For each project, clearly articulate your role, the project's objectives, your creative process, the tools used, and the outcome or impact.

• Highlight Instructional Design Relevance: Emphasize how your visual designs contributed to learning objectives, engagement, or clarity in educational materials.

• Showcase Adobe Suite Proficiency: Ensure examples clearly highlight your mastery of Adobe After Effects, Premiere, Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.

• Prepare to Discuss: Be ready to talk through your design choices, problem-solving approaches, and how you managed project constraints.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brief: If given a design challenge, thoroughly read and understand the requirements, target audience, and learning objectives.

• Focus on WGU's Context: Consider how your design would fit within an online, competency-based educational environment.

• Time Management: Practice completing design tasks within a set timeframe to simulate potential challenge conditions.

• Presentation Skills: Prepare to present your challenge solution clearly and concisely, explaining your rationale and design decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio and potential design challenges is standard for creative roles. For this specific position, showcasing how visual design supports educational objectives and operational efficiency in course delivery will be key.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Cloud Suite:

  • Adobe After Effects: Essential for motion graphics and animation. Expect to demonstrate advanced proficiency.
  • Adobe Premiere: Crucial for video editing and production.
  • Adobe Illustrator: For creating vector graphics, logos, and illustrations.
  • Adobe Photoshop: For image editing, manipulation, and digital asset creation.
  • Adobe InDesign: For layout and design of documents, potentially supporting course materials.

• Storyboarding/Wireframing Tools: While not explicitly listed, familiarity with tools like Adobe XD, Figma, or even basic sketching for wireframing and storyboarding is implied by the responsibilities.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to this role's core functions, but understanding how content integrates into student portals or course platforms is relevant.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in the Adobe Creative Suite, particularly After Effects and Premiere, is non-negotiable for this role, forming the core of the operational tools used for content creation.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Student-Centricity: All work is geared towards improving the student learning experience and supporting WGU's mission of expanding access to higher education.

• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: A commitment to staying current with trends in instructional media and actively seeking ways to enhance existing processes and content.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Working effectively with diverse teams (instructional designers, program developers, SMEs) to achieve shared goals.

• Data-Informed Decisions: While the designer creates visually, the content should align with learning objectives and potentially be informed by data on student performance or engagement.

• Efficiency & Quality: Balancing the need for high-quality visual assets with timely project delivery to support operational timelines.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Actively participating in team meetings, providing creative input, and receiving constructive feedback from instructional designers and program development specialists.

• Process Alignment: Understanding and adhering to established workflows for content creation, review, and deployment within the learning management system.

• Knowledge Sharing: Willingness to share best practices, techniques, and insights with colleagues to elevate the team's overall capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: WGU's mission-driven culture means that operational roles like this one are deeply connected to the educational outcomes. Values of student success, innovation, and collaborative problem-solving are paramount.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Creativity with Operational Constraints: Delivering visually compelling content that meets pedagogical requirements, brand standards, and tight deadlines within an educational operational framework.

• Staying Ahead of Technology: Rapid advancements in multimedia tools and educational technology require continuous learning and adaptation.

• Cross-Functional Communication: Effectively translating creative vision into actionable requirements for non-creative stakeholders and vice-versa.

• Scalability of Content: Producing high-volume, high-quality multimedia assets that can be consistently deployed across numerous online courses and programs.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Skill Development: Access to training and resources to deepen expertise in specialized areas like advanced animation, interactive media, or AR/VR for education.

• Industry Conferences: Opportunities to attend conferences related to instructional design, educational technology, and media production to stay current and network.

• Mentorship: Potential to be mentored by senior designers or instructional design leaders, and conversely, to mentor junior team members.

• Project Diversity: Exposure to a wide range of course subjects and design challenges, broadening your portfolio and problem-solving capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges and growth opportunities are tied to both the creative demands of the role and the operational realities of a large educational institution focused on scalable content delivery.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance creative vision with strict brand guidelines or pedagogical requirements. How did you approach it?" (Prepare a case study demonstrating compromise and successful outcome.)

• "Walk us through your process for creating a complex animation or video sequence for an educational module. What were the key stages and your role in each?" (Focus on workflow, tools, and stakeholder input.)

• "How do you stay current with trends in visual design, animation, and instructional media? Can you give an example of a recent trend you incorporated into your work?" (Highlight proactive learning and application.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about WGU's mission and competency-based education model? How does your work as a Visual Designer support this mission?" (Research WGU's website and articulate alignment.)

• "Describe your ideal work environment and how you collaborate with instructional designers and other team members." (Emphasize teamwork, communication, and adaptability.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each portfolio piece, clearly state the objective, your specific contribution, the tools used, challenges faced, and the final outcome.

• Quantify Impact: If possible, provide metrics or qualitative feedback that demonstrates the effectiveness of your visual assets (e.g., improved engagement, clarity of concept).

• Highlight Technical Skill: Be prepared to discuss the technical aspects of your work, especially your proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite.

• Focus on Educational Context: Frame your projects within the context of learning and instruction, explaining how your designs enhance comprehension or engagement for students.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just creative talent, but also an understanding of the educational context, operational efficiency, and collaborative skills required for this role at WGU.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Visual Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the WGU careers portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects demonstrating your skills in graphic design, animation, and video production specifically for educational or instructional purposes. Emphasize your experience with Adobe Creative Suite.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly lists your years of experience, proficiency with Adobe products, and any experience in instructional design, learning design, or online course development. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your creative process, project management experience, and how your visual design skills contribute to effective online learning. Prepare specific examples for behavioral and technical questions.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with WGU's mission, its competency-based education model, and its approach to online learning. Understand how this role fits into the broader operational framework of the university.

⚠️ 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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