Visual Designer (12-Month FTC)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Visual Designer (12-Month FTC)

Company: Lloyds Banking Group

Location: Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Job Type: FULL_TIME, TEMPORARY

Category: Visual Design / User Experience Design

Date Posted: 2026-06-18

Experience Level: 7-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (2 days in office/week)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the visual design quality and delivery for Lloyds Banking Group's Digital Cards and Wallets experiences, focusing on enhancing mobile application interfaces.

• Collaborate within agile Experience Design teams, integrating with researchers, content writers, and strategists to solve customer problems.

• Apply creative thinking to complex design challenges, translating them into simple, user-centric solutions for web and mobile applications.

• Design and lay out user interfaces, leveraging components from a central design system to optimize content and UI element balance on screen.

• Contribute to the creation of engaging digital experiences through production assets, infographics, and other visual elements.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a fixed-term contract (FTC) for 12 months, indicating a need for immediate impact and a focus on project-based deliverables within a specific timeframe. The emphasis on "raising the quality bar" suggests a need for a designer who can both execute and elevate existing design standards.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own and deliver the visual design for Digital Cards and Wallets experiences, ensuring high-quality output that delights customers.

• Apply creative thinking to solve complex user experience challenges, simplifying them into intuitive and accessible interfaces.

• Design and produce production assets, including infographics, logos, and other visual elements as required for digital platforms.

• Create engaging digital interfaces for both web and mobile applications, ensuring a cohesive and appealing user experience.

• Design and lay out pages and User Interfaces (UI) by skillfully and creatively utilizing components from a central design system, finding the optimal balance of content and UI elements on screen.

• Collaborate effectively within agile teams, participating in the uncovering of priorities, visualization of outcomes, and definition of project scope.

• Ensure that human needs are at the heart of every problem solved, advocating for user-centered design principles.

• Contribute to and advocate for the existing digital Design System, ensuring consistency and adherence to brand guidelines.

• Uphold and promote accessibility standards in all visual design outputs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic thinking (solving complex problems, user-centricity) and hands-on execution (designing assets, laying out interfaces). The mention of "Digital Cards and Wallets experiences" points to a specific domain within the financial services sector, requiring an understanding of secure and user-friendly transaction interfaces.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent knowledge and practical application of visual design principles is essential.

Experience: Minimum of 7-10 years of experience as a Visual Designer, with a proven track record of driving delivery and elevating visual design quality for digital products.

Required Skills:

• Visual Design Expertise: Proven ability to drive the delivery and raise the visual design quality bar for a product.

• Prototyping Software: Proficiency in Figma (as it's the primary tool) is essential.

• Adobe Creative Suite: Strong command of Adobe Creative Suite for asset creation and manipulation.

• Microsoft Office Suite: Competency in PowerPoint, Excel, and Acrobat for presentations, data handling, and document management.

• User Interface (UI) Design: Skillful in designing and laying out pages and user interfaces, balancing content and UI elements.

• Design System Utilization: Experience in understanding and contributing to existing digital Design Systems.

• Accessibility Standards: Understanding and advocacy for accessibility standards in design.

• Digital Journey Design: Experience in solving visual design challenges and delivering experience-led digital journeys.

Preferred Skills:

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Experience working collaboratively with a full-stack design team, including Researchers, Content Designers, Service Designers, and Interaction Designers.

• Developer Communication: Strong ability to communicate with developers to ensure designs meet specifications and are usable by a broad range of users.

• Mobile Application Design: Specific experience in designing for mobile applications, particularly within financial services.

• Infographic Design: Ability to create clear and compelling infographics.

• Digital Storytelling: Experience in engaging customers through rich storytelling within digital experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 7-10 years of experience, coupled with specific tool proficiencies like Figma and Adobe Creative Suite, indicates a mid-to-senior level role. The emphasis on both design execution and system contribution suggests a candidate who can operate independently while also thinking strategically about design consistency and scalability.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Visual Design Case Studies: Showcase 3-5 comprehensive case studies demonstrating your ability to drive visual design quality for a product from concept to delivery.

• Figma Prototypes: Include interactive Figma prototypes that illustrate user flows, UI interactions, and the application of design system components.

• UI/UX Deliverables: Present examples of designed interfaces for web and mobile applications, highlighting layout, typography, color, and iconography.

• Design System Contribution: Provide examples or descriptions of how you have contributed to, or worked within, established design systems.

• Accessibility Considerations: Demonstrate how accessibility standards were integrated into your design process and final outputs.

• Asset Creation: Showcase examples of production assets, infographics, or logos created for digital platforms.

Process Documentation:

• User-Centered Design Process: Clearly articulate your process for understanding user needs and translating them into visual design solutions.

• Design System Implementation: Detail your approach to using and contributing to design systems, ensuring consistency and efficiency.

• Cross-functional Workflow: Illustrate how you collaborate with developers, researchers, and content designers, including your communication methods and feedback loops.

• Agile Project Execution: Provide examples of how you have worked within agile development cycles to deliver design assets.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's focus on driving quality and working within a design system, the portfolio should emphasize the impact of the visual design on user experience and business objectives. Specific examples of how designs were implemented and the resulting user engagement or satisfaction metrics will be highly valued.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £61,344 - £68,160 per annum.

Benefits:

• Pension: A generous pension contribution of up to 15%.

• Bonus: An annual performance-related bonus.

• Share Schemes: Access to share schemes, including free shares.

• Discounts: Benefits that can be adapted to lifestyle, such as discounted shopping.

• Holiday: 30 days of annual leave, with bank holidays in addition.

• Wellbeing: A range of wellbeing initiatives.

• Parental Leave: Generous parental leave policies.

Working Hours: 35 hours per week, full-time.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is specific and within the mid-to-senior level for a Visual Designer in the UK financial sector. The benefits package is comprehensive, reflecting the offerings of a large, established financial institution like Lloyds Banking Group, with a strong emphasis on long-term financial security and employee well-being.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services. Lloyds Banking Group is one of the UK's largest financial institutions, offering a wide range of banking and financial services. Its operations span retail banking, commercial banking, and insurance.

Company Size: Large Enterprise (over 10,000 employees). This scale implies robust processes, significant resources, and a structured organizational hierarchy.

Founded: 2009 (formed through the merger of Lloyds TSB and HBOS). This history suggests a blend of established traditions and modern innovation, with a focus on integrating different organizational cultures.

Team Structure:

• Experience Design Team: The Visual Designer will be part of a multidisciplinary Experience Design team, which includes Interaction Designers, Researchers, Content Writers, and Strategists.

• Agile Teams: The role operates within agile teams, implying a collaborative, iterative, and fast-paced working environment.

• Reporting Structure: While not explicitly detailed, a Visual Designer typically reports to a Design Lead, Head of Experience Design, or a similar manager within the Experience Design function. Collaboration with product managers and development leads is also expected.

Methodology:

• User-Centred Design: A strong emphasis is placed on putting human needs at the heart of problem-solving and design.

• Agile Development: Work is conducted within agile frameworks, requiring adaptability and iterative development.

• Design System Driven: The team utilizes a central design system to ensure consistency, efficiency, and scalability across digital products.

• Data-Informed Decisions: While not explicitly stated for this role, large financial institutions often leverage data analytics to inform design decisions and measure impact.

Company Website: https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on "helping Britain prosper" and its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion are key cultural indicators. For a Visual Designer, this means working within a large, established organization that values both customer impact and employee well-being, while operating in a regulated industry that demands high standards of quality and security.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Mid-to-Senior Level Visual Designer. This role requires substantial experience (7-10 years) and the ability to "drive delivery" and "raise the quality bar," indicating a level of autonomy and influence.

Reporting Structure: The Visual Designer will report into the Experience Design team, likely to a Design Manager or Lead. They will collaborate closely with other designers, researchers, content writers, strategists, and development teams within agile pods.

Operations Impact: The Visual Designer's impact is directly tied to the quality and engagement of Lloyds Banking Group's digital customer experiences, specifically within Digital Cards and Wallets. By enhancing visual appeal and usability, they contribute to customer satisfaction, brand perception, and potentially, customer retention and acquisition.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in visual design for financial services, mobile applications, and user interface design.

• Design System Mastery: Become an expert in the company's design system, potentially contributing to its evolution.

• Cross-functional Learning: Work alongside a diverse team of designers and learn about interaction design, UX research, content strategy, and service design.

• Project Leadership: For a 12-month FTC, the opportunity to lead the visual design aspect of specific projects and deliver tangible outcomes.

• Potential for Extension/Permanent Roles: Successful performance in a fixed-term contract can often lead to extensions or opportunities for permanent positions within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: As a 12-month FTC, the primary growth opportunity lies in gaining significant project experience within a major financial institution and developing a strong portfolio piece. The exposure to a multidisciplinary design team and a structured design system offers valuable learning experiences applicable to future roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid working model. This means a blend of remote work and in-office collaboration. The specific office mentioned is Edinburgh New Uberior House Head Office.

Office Location(s): Edinburgh, United Kingdom. This location is a key operational hub for Lloyds Banking Group.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The office environment is likely designed to facilitate collaboration among team members, with meeting rooms and open-plan areas.

• Design Tools & Technology: Access to standard design software (Figma, Adobe Creative Suite) and company-provided hardware.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for face-to-face interaction with designers, researchers, developers, and other stakeholders, fostering strong working relationships.

Work Schedule: 35 hours per week, full-time. The hybrid model allows for flexibility, with colleagues expected to spend at least two days per week (or 40% of their time) in the office. This structure aims to balance focused individual work with collaborative team activities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid working arrangement is a key aspect. The expectation of spending at least two days in the office suggests a focus on collaborative activities, design reviews, and team building during those in-office periods. Candidates should be comfortable with this structured flexibility.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a review of CV and portfolio for essential skills and experience.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where candidates present their portfolio, focusing on visual design quality, problem-solving approaches, and project impact. Be prepared to walk through specific case studies.

• Skills-Based Interview: Questions assessing proficiency in Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, design system principles, and accessibility standards.

• Behavioral/Situational Interview: Questions assessing collaboration, problem-solving, handling feedback, and cultural fit with the agile team and Lloyds Banking Group's values.

• Final Interview: May involve a discussion with a senior design leader or hiring manager.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Impact: Select 3-5 of your strongest visual design projects that align with the job description, focusing on financial services or complex digital products if possible.

• Showcase Process: Clearly articulate your design process for each project, from understanding the brief to final delivery. Highlight how you addressed challenges and made design decisions.

• Quantify Results: Whenever possible, include metrics or outcomes that demonstrate the impact of your visual design work (e.g., improved user engagement, conversion rates, customer satisfaction).

• Highlight Figma & Design Systems: Ensure your portfolio prominently features your Figma proficiency and any experience with design systems.

• Address Accessibility: Be ready to discuss how you incorporate accessibility standards into your designs.

• Storytelling: Frame your projects as stories – the problem, your solution, and the outcome.

Challenge Preparation:

• Figma Exercise: Be prepared for a practical exercise, potentially involving a small design task in Figma or a critique of an existing interface.

• Design System Task: A task might involve applying existing design system components to a new scenario or suggesting improvements to the system.

• Problem-Solving Scenario: You may be given a hypothetical design problem related to digital cards or wallets and asked to outline your approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "12-Month FTC" suggests that the interview process may be expedited. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their ability to hit the ground running and deliver high-quality work quickly. A strong understanding of how visual design contributes to business objectives within a regulated environment will be crucial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The primary tool for prototyping and UI design. Extensive experience is a core requirement.

• Adobe Creative Suite: Essential for asset creation, manipulation, and potentially more detailed graphic design work (e.g., Photoshop, Illustrator).

• Microsoft PowerPoint: Used for presentations, design reviews, and stakeholder communication.

• Microsoft Excel: Likely used for data analysis, tracking, or project management.

• Microsoft Acrobat: For document management and review.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly mentioned for this role, expect to interact with teams that use analytics tools to track user behavior and design performance. Experience with tools like Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics is a plus, though not directly required for the designer's day-to-day. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly relevant to this Visual Designer role, as it's more focused on customer-facing product design rather than backend process automation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is paramount. Candidates should be ready to demonstrate advanced skills in creating interactive prototypes, component libraries, and design system elements within Figma. Familiarity with the broader Adobe suite is also critical for asset production.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: A strong commitment to understanding and serving customer needs, aiming to "help Britain prosper."

• Quality & Excellence: Driving high standards in visual design quality and delivering delightful customer experiences.

• Collaboration: Working effectively within multidisciplinary agile teams and across departments.

• Innovation & Adaptability: Applying creative thinking to solve problems and adapting to evolving digital landscapes.

• Inclusion & Diversity: Commitment to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.

Collaboration Style:

• Agile & Iterative: Embracing an agile approach means working in short cycles, providing regular feedback, and adapting designs based on team input and testing.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Expect close collaboration with UX Researchers, Content Designers, Interaction Designers, and Developers, requiring clear communication and a shared understanding of project goals.

• Design System Advocacy: A collaborative approach to maintaining and evolving the design system, ensuring buy-in and adoption across teams.

• Feedback-Oriented: A culture that encourages constructive feedback to continuously improve designs and processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "values-led culture," "diversity, equity, and inclusion," and "helping Britain prosper" suggests that candidates will be assessed not only on their technical skills but also on their alignment with the company's ethical and social commitments.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• 12-Month Time Constraint: The primary challenge is to deliver significant impact and high-quality visual design within a fixed 12-month period. This requires efficient workflow and strong prioritization skills.

• Raising the Quality Bar: Elevating the visual design quality of existing digital experiences requires a keen eye for detail, a strong understanding of current design trends, and the ability to articulate and implement improvements effectively.

• Balancing Design System and Creativity: Effectively using a central design system while still bringing fresh creative solutions and ensuring unique, delightful experiences.

• Navigating a Large Organization: Working within a large, established financial institution can present challenges related to established processes, stakeholder management, and gaining buy-in for new ideas.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Financial Services Design: Gaining in-depth experience in designing for the regulated and security-conscious financial services sector.

• Advanced Figma Skills: Deepening proficiency in Figma's advanced features, including complex prototyping and design system management.

• Exposure to Full Design Spectrum: Learning from and collaborating with specialists in UX research, interaction design, content design, and service design.

• Design System Contribution: Opportunity to contribute to the practical application and potentially the evolution of a robust enterprise-level design system.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly linked to the project-based nature of the role and the company's objective of improving design quality. Candidates who can demonstrate resilience, adaptability, and a proactive approach to problem-solving will be well-suited.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you significantly improved the visual design quality of a digital product. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?"

• "How do you balance adherence to a design system with the need for creative expression and user delight?"

• "Walk us through your process for designing a new feature for a mobile banking application, from