Junior Graphic Designer - Howly

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Junior Graphic Designer

Company: Howly (part of SKELAR)

Location: Kyiv, Ukraine

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Creative & Design / Marketing Operations

Date Posted: 2026-05-12

Experience Level: Junior (0-2 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (with autonomous office option)

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and maintain a cohesive visual identity across all digital products and platforms for Howly, a fast-growing venture builder.

• Develop engaging visual content for social media, marketing materials, and internal communications, ensuring brand consistency.

• Collaborate with product and marketing teams to translate concepts into compelling visual designs that enhance user experience and brand perception.

• Leverage AI tools for image generation and explore motion animation to elevate creative output.

• Contribute to a dynamic, fast-paced startup environment within a larger venture builder ecosystem, focusing on innovation and rapid iteration.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is situated within Howly, a multi-product company under the SKELAR venture builder. While the core responsibility is graphic design, the context of a venture builder and its diverse product portfolio suggests opportunities for broad creative exposure and impactful design work across various tech domains (EdTech, Mental Health, Petcare, FashionTech). The "Junior" title combined with the 1+ year experience requirement indicates a focus on foundational skills with significant room for growth and learning within a supportive structure.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive graphic design ecosystem for Howly's digital products, including unique mascot designs, visual content for websites and applications, and interface banners.

• Create compelling visual assets for social media campaigns and organic content to drive engagement and brand awareness.

• Design visuals for internal presentations, marketing materials, and corporate merchandise, ensuring brand alignment and aesthetic quality.

• Adapt designs for various digital formats, understanding platform-specific requirements, safe zones, and resolutions for optimal display.

• Collaborate closely with product managers, marketers, and other stakeholders to interpret project briefs and deliver creative solutions that meet business objectives.

• Manage design tasks from conceptualization to final file delivery, demonstrating independence and efficiency.

• Integrate AI tools into the creative workflow for image and video generation, exploring new possibilities for content creation.

• Ensure all print-related designs adhere to industry standards, including understanding bleeds, CMYK color modes, and cut lines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a blend of core graphic design duties with a forward-thinking approach, incorporating AI tools and an understanding of digital-first design principles. The mention of "interface banners" and "visual content for website and app" hints at potential UI/UX design contributions, though the primary focus remains graphic design.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a background in Graphic Design, Visual Arts, or a related field is highly recommended.

Experience: Minimum of 1 year of professional experience as a Graphic Designer, with a proven track record of creating digital visuals.

Required Skills:

• Strong portfolio showcasing a minimum of 1 year of graphic design experience.

• Excellent command of composition, typography, visual hierarchy, and color theory.

• Proven experience in creating visuals for digital content, including blogs, long-form articles, and landing pages.

• Demonstrated ability to design engaging visuals for social media platforms.

• Solid understanding of digital design formats, including dimensions, safe zones, and cross-platform adaptation.

• Skill in working with text to visually structure content and highlight key messages.

• Ability to effectively receive and incorporate feedback, iterating quickly on designs.

• High degree of self-sufficiency in managing design projects from ideation to completion.

• Proficiency in AI tools for image and video generation.

• Basic understanding of print design specifications (bleeds, CMYK, cut lines).

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with motion animation design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "1+ year experience" and "strong skills" suggests the company is looking for a candidate who can contribute meaningfully from the outset, rather than a purely entry-level role. The emphasis on AI tools and motion animation indicates a desire for a designer who is adaptable and forward-looking.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated selection of projects demonstrating a strong understanding of composition, typography, and color theory.

• Examples of digital content creation for blogs, landing pages, and social media, showcasing adaptability to different platforms and formats.

• Case studies or project examples that highlight the process of developing visual concepts from brief to final execution.

• Visuals that illustrate the ability to create a cohesive graphic ecosystem, including mascots, banners, and interface elements.

Process Documentation:

• Clearly articulated design process, from initial brief interpretation and concept development to final asset delivery and iteration.

• Examples of how feedback was integrated into design revisions, demonstrating a collaborative and iterative approach.

• Documentation of how digital design best practices (safe zones, file formats, resolution) were applied to ensure optimal output across platforms.

• Evidence of understanding print design requirements, even if primarily a digital role.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Junior Graphic Designer, the portfolio is paramount. The emphasis should be on demonstrating foundational skills, a clear design process, and the ability to work with core design tools. The "AI tools" and "motion animation" preference suggests that including projects showcasing these skills, even if experimental, would be highly advantageous.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the Junior level (0-2 years experience), location in Kyiv, Ukraine, and the company's venture-builder status, a competitive range for a Junior Graphic Designer would typically fall between <strong>25,000 UAH to 45,000 UAH gross per month</strong>. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for similar roles in Ukraine, considering the demand for digital design skills and the benefits offered.

Benefits:

• Internal professional clubs for continuous learning and networking (e.g., marketing, development, finance, recruiting).

• Compensation for training, courses, and conference attendance to support professional development.

• Comprehensive medical insurance.

• Access to a corporate doctor for health consultations.

• Reimbursement for Mental Health programs.

• Free sports classes with corporate trainers.

• Office breakfasts and lunches provided.

• Autonomous office spaces equipped with backup power and internet for uninterrupted work.

• On-site gym and climbing wall facility.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week. The company culture emphasizes "Bias for action, but not chaos," suggesting a structured but efficient work schedule, with potential for some flexibility given the hybrid work arrangement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on common compensation levels for junior design roles in Kyiv, Ukraine. The benefits package is substantial and reflects the company's investment in employee well-being and professional growth, which can partially offset a more modest base salary for a junior position. The autonomous office is a significant advantage, especially in Ukraine.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology (Venture Builder, EdTech, Mental Health, Petcare, FashionTech, Professional Services)

Company Size: SKELAR is a venture builder that constructs companies. Howly, one of its ventures, has grown to over 200 people. SKELAR itself likely comprises multiple teams supporting these ventures.

Founded: SKELAR was founded at an undisclosed date but has built multiple successful tech products. Howly has been operating for over 4 years.

Team Structure: The Graphic Designer will likely be part of the Howly product team, reporting to a Design Lead or Marketing Manager. They will collaborate closely with product managers, developers, marketers, and potentially other designers within Howly or the broader SKELAR Platform. The SKELAR Platform itself provides centralized support functions (Legal, Finance, HR, Admin, Talent Acquisition, Employer Branding, IT), indicating a well-structured operational backbone.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven & Action-Oriented: The company values "Bias for action, but not chaos," indicating a preference for making decisions and acting quickly, backed by data and systemic processes.

• Open Communication: "Openness" is a core value, promoting transparent goals, open communication, and honest feedback.

• Ownership & Growth: Employees are encouraged to take "Ownership" and proactively seek ways to improve. "Active infinite Growth" is a key principle, with ample opportunities for learning and development.

• Agile & Iterative: The "Bias for action" culture suggests an agile approach to product development and design, with rapid iteration and continuous improvement.

Company Website: https://www.skelar.tech

📝 Enhancement Note: The venture builder model means the designer is part of a dynamic ecosystem with multiple product lines. This offers exposure to different industries and challenges, fostering rapid learning. The emphasis on "Ownership" and "Bias for action" points to a culture that empowers individuals and expects initiative.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a "Junior Graphic Designer," typically the first step in a dedicated design career path. It signifies an entry-level position requiring foundational skills and a strong willingness to learn and grow under guidance. The expectation is to develop core competencies and begin contributing to tangible design outcomes.

Reporting Structure: The Junior Graphic Designer will likely report to a Senior Graphic Designer, Design Lead, Creative Director, or a Marketing Manager within Howly. This provides a clear line of mentorship and oversight, crucial for skill development at the junior level. Collaboration will extend across product teams, marketing, and potentially other SKELAR Platform functions.

Operations Impact: While not a traditional "operations" role in the sense of revenue or sales operations, this graphic design position significantly impacts the "operations" of Howly's products and marketing efforts. Effective visual design is critical for:

• User Acquisition & Retention: Compelling visuals attract users to products and keep them engaged.

• Brand Perception: A strong visual identity builds trust and professionalism.

• Marketing Effectiveness: High-quality creatives drive better performance in advertising and social media campaigns.

• User Experience: Intuitive and aesthetically pleasing interfaces improve usability.

• Internal Communication: Clear and engaging visuals support internal processes and team cohesion.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in digital design, UI elements, social media content, and potentially motion graphics or AI-driven design.

• Career Progression: Potential to advance to Graphic Designer, Senior Graphic Designer, or specialize in UI/UX Design, Brand Design, or Creative Direction within Howly or other SKELAR ventures.

• Cross-Functional Learning: Exposure to various product lines within Howly and the broader SKELAR ecosystem provides a unique understanding of different market needs and business models.

• Mentorship: Access to experienced designers and creative leaders within the venture builder structure.

• Training & Development: Company-provided resources for courses, conferences, and internal clubs facilitate continuous learning.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth trajectory for a Junior Graphic Designer in a venture builder like SKELAR is often accelerated due to the fast-paced environment and the company's investment in employee development. The "active infinite Growth" value is a strong indicator that career advancement and skill expansion are prioritized.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company offers autonomous offices that are "warm, energy-independent, and fully autonomous." These spaces are designed to function during power outages and water disruptions, ensuring a stable working environment with stable internet. This indicates a high level of preparedness and a commitment to employee comfort and productivity, especially relevant in the current Ukrainian context.

Office Location(s): The primary location is Kyiv, Ukraine. The company provides on-site amenities like showers, device charging stations, and refreshments within these autonomous offices.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative & Productive: The environment is designed to inspire results, featuring spaces like a gym, climbing wall, green zones, and libraries. The emphasis on functional, comfortable, and secure workspaces suggests a focus on enabling deep work and effective collaboration.

• Tech-Enabled: The availability of stable internet and power backup ensures that designers can reliably use their design software and tools.

• Team Interaction: While hybrid, the office provides a hub for team interaction, brainstorming, and fostering a strong company culture, complementing remote work.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, and while hybrid, the presence of well-equipped, autonomous offices suggests that in-office days will be productive and focused. The company's values of "Bias for action" and "Ownership" imply a results-oriented approach to work hours, valuing efficiency and output over strict timekeeping.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "autonomous office" is a significant differentiator, offering a level of security and reliability that is highly valued. This hybrid setup, with a strong on-site option, likely balances the flexibility of remote work with the benefits of in-person collaboration and a dedicated, functional workspace.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Application Screening: Review of CV and portfolio to assess foundational skills, experience, and alignment with required qualifications.

2. Initial Interview (HR/Recruiter): Discussion about experience, motivation, cultural fit with SKELAR/Howly values, and understanding of the role. This stage often includes a brief overview of the company and the role.

3. Portfolio Review & Technical Interview: A more in-depth discussion with a hiring manager or senior designer. This will involve a detailed walkthrough of the candidate's portfolio, focusing on design choices, process, problem-solving, and technical skills (Figma, Adobe Suite, AI tools). Expect questions about how they approach design challenges.

4. Practical Task/Case Study (Potentially): A small design task or case study may be assigned to assess practical application of skills, problem-solving abilities, and ability to work within brand guidelines and time constraints.

5. Final Interview: May involve meeting with additional team members or leadership to assess overall fit and discuss career aspirations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Process: Don't just present final designs; explain your thought process, challenges, and how you arrived at the solution. Use case study formats.

• Highlight Core Skills: Ensure your portfolio prominently features examples demonstrating strong composition, typography, color theory, and digital format understanding.

• Include Diverse Projects: Showcase a range of work, including social media visuals, web/app elements, and any AI-generated or motion graphics projects.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that align with Howly's product areas and the responsibilities outlined.

• Clarity & Conciseness: Present your work clearly, with concise descriptions of your role and contributions.

• Technical Proficiency: Be prepared to discuss your proficiency with Figma, Adobe Illustrator, and Photoshop, and how you use AI tools.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Howly's Products: Familiarize yourself with Howly's four main products to grasp their visual needs and target audiences.

• Review SKELAR's Brand: Understand the overarching brand identity of SKELAR and how Howly fits within it.

• Prepare for Design Questions: Be ready to discuss your favorite designers, design trends, how you handle feedback, and how you stay updated on design tools and techniques.

• Practice Explaining Your Work: Articulate your design decisions clearly and confidently. For any given piece, be able to explain the objective, your approach, and the outcome.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio walkthrough and potentially a practical task indicates that practical design skills and the ability to articulate one's process are critical for this role. Understanding Howly's product suite will be key to tailoring portfolio examples and interview responses.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for collaborative design, prototyping, and creating UI elements and interfaces. Expect to use it for daily design tasks, including designing banners, social media graphics, and potentially app-specific visuals.

• Adobe Illustrator: Primarily used for vector graphics, logo design, mascot creation, and complex illustrations.

• Adobe Photoshop: For raster image editing, photo manipulation, creating detailed digital artwork, and preparing assets for web and print.

Analytics & Reporting: While not directly using analytics tools, understanding how design impacts metrics is important. The designer should be aware of:

• Social Media Analytics: How visual content performs (engagement rates, reach, clicks).

• Website/App Analytics: How design elements affect user behavior, conversion rates, and bounce rates.

CRM & Automation: Not directly applicable to the graphic designer role, but awareness of how marketing campaigns (driven by design) interact with CRM systems might be beneficial.

Emerging Tools:

• AI Image Generation Tools: Proficiency in using AI tools for generating images, textures, or concepts to enhance design workflows.

• Motion Animation Tools (Preferred): Familiarity with software for creating simple animations, GIFs, or short video clips for social media or product features.

📝 Enhancement Note: The listed tools (Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop) are standard for graphic design. The explicit mention of AI tools and preferred motion animation skills highlights the company's forward-looking approach to design and content creation.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Ownership: Taking full responsibility for design tasks and proactively identifying areas for improvement within the visual brand and user experience. This means not just executing but also proposing solutions.

• Openness: Fostering a transparent environment where feedback is openly shared and received, allowing for constructive critique of designs and collaborative problem-solving.

• Bias for Action: A drive to execute designs efficiently and effectively, moving from concept to completion without unnecessary delays, while maintaining quality and systematic processes.

• Active Infinite Growth: A commitment to continuous learning and skill development in graphic design, embracing new tools like AI and animation, and seeking opportunities to expand expertise.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Working closely with product managers, marketers, and developers to ensure visual designs align with product goals and marketing strategies.

• Feedback Culture: Actively participating in design reviews, providing and receiving constructive critique to refine visual assets.

• Knowledge Sharing: Contributing to a culture of shared learning, perhaps by sharing new design techniques, AI tool discoveries, or effective visual strategies with the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's core values are strongly embedded in its culture and expected behaviors. For a designer, this means being proactive, communicative, efficient, and always looking to learn and improve their craft.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Brand Consistency with Product Diversity: Managing visual identity across multiple distinct products within Howly, each potentially having its own nuances or target audiences.

• Rapid Iteration Cycles: Adapting quickly to evolving project requirements and feedback in a fast-paced startup environment.

• Integrating New Technologies: Effectively incorporating AI-generated assets and motion graphics into established design workflows and brand guidelines.

• Remote/Hybrid Collaboration: Ensuring seamless communication and project delivery in a hybrid work model, maintaining design quality and team cohesion.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Design Skills: Deepening expertise in specific areas like UI design for digital products, complex illustration, or advanced motion graphics.

• AI Design Exploration: Becoming proficient in leveraging AI for creative ideation, asset generation, and workflow optimization.

• Cross-Product Exposure: Gaining experience with a variety of design challenges across different industries (EdTech, Mental Health, etc.) within Howly's portfolio.

• Mentorship and Leadership: Opportunities to learn from senior designers and potentially mentor future junior designers as one's career progresses.

• Industry Trends: Staying ahead of design trends and technologies through company-supported learning resources.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to a growing venture builder environment, offering significant opportunities for a designer willing to embrace them. The growth opportunities are directly tied to the company's focus on development and its diverse product landscape.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design Process: "Walk me through your design process from receiving a brief to delivering the final asset. How do you ensure brand consistency across different projects?"

• Problem-Solving: "Describe a time you had to design for a challenging brief or incorporate difficult feedback. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?"

• Tool Proficiency: "How do you leverage tools like Figma, Illustrator, and Photoshop in your workflow? What are your thoughts on using AI tools for design, and how might you integrate them into this role?"

• Collaboration: "How do you collaborate with non-designers (e.g., product managers, marketers)? How do you ensure your designs align with their objectives while maintaining creative integrity?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• Values Alignment: "Which of SKELAR's core values (Ownership, Openness, Bias for Action, Active Infinite Growth) resonates most with you, and how do you see yourself embodying it in this role?"

• Product Interest: "What are your thoughts on Howly's product areas (e.g., document automation, career growth platform)? Which one interests you most from a design perspective, and why?"

• Working Style: "How do you manage your time and prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment? How do you prefer to receive feedback?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: For each project, tell a concise story: the challenge, your role and approach, the tools used, the solution, and the impact (if measurable).

• Highlight Key Skills: Explicitly point out examples that showcase your composition, typography, color theory, and digital format expertise, as well as any AI or motion graphics work.

• Demonstrate Process: Show wireframes, sketches, mood boards, or iterations to illustrate your design thinking.

• Technical Clarity: Be ready to discuss the specific features or techniques you used in Figma, Adobe Illustrator, or Photoshop.

• Conciseness: Aim for 3-5 strong case studies that best represent your capabilities for this role.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviews for design roles, especially junior ones, heavily rely on portfolio review. Candidates should be prepared to not only show their work but also to articulate their thought process, problem-solving skills, and alignment with the company's values and culture.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Junior Graphic Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on jobs.ashbyhq.com.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features projects demonstrating strong composition, typography, and digital design skills. Highlight any work involving AI image generation or motion graphics. Clearly articulate your design process for each project.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight your 1+ year of graphic design experience, specific tool proficiencies (Figma, Adobe Suite, AI tools), and any relevant design achievements. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, problem-solving approaches, and how you align with SKELAR/Howly's values. Prepare to walk through your portfolio in detail.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Howly's four product offerings and SKELAR's venture builder model. Understand their mission and values to demonstrate genuine interest and cultural fit.

⚠️ 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.