About the roleThe Design Director (DD) is a senior design and experience leader who operates at the intersection of design, technology, and strategy. Working closely with Design Directors, VPs, and cross-functional teams, the DD helps shape experience strategy, guide creative execution, and ensure the delivery of exceptional digital products, websites, and eCommerce experiences that meet both user and business needs.
This role balances strategic leadership with hands-on design involvement. The DD is an accomplished practitioner who can move seamlessly between defining experience vision, mentoring teams, facilitating client collaboration, and contributing directly to design execution when needed. They are equally comfortable leading workshops, presenting strategic recommendations, developing design systems, and refining the details of user interfaces and digital experiences.
Successful Design Directors inspire design excellence, foster strong client relationships, and help teams deliver best-in-class digital experiences while contributing to the continued evolution of Verndale's Experience Design practice.
ResponsibilitiesCreative & Experience Leadership- Lead the creation and review of key experience design deliverables, including:
- Concept sketches and creative explorations
- User journeys and flows
- Information architecture and site maps
- Wireframes and functional prototypes
- High-fidelity design compositions
- Design systems and style guides
- Personas and audience models
- Strategic recommendations and presentation materials
- Translate complex business requirements into user-centered digital experiences.
- Define visual frameworks, moodboards, design directions, and scalable design systems.
- Ensure creative work aligns with client objectives, brand standards, accessibility requirements, and user needs.
- Contribute to experience strategies informed by research, analytics, customer insights, and industry best practices.
- Champion design quality and consistency across projects and teams.
Team Leadership & Mentorship- Provide direction, mentorship, and feedback to designers and experience strategists.
- Foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning across teams.
- Help establish priorities, manage workloads, and support successful project delivery.
- Lead by example through strong design craft, professionalism, and accountability.
- Support performance development through coaching and ongoing feedback.
Client & Stakeholder Engagement- Present work confidently to clients and internal stakeholders.
- Facilitate workshops, discovery sessions, design reviews, and collaborative working sessions.
- Build trusted relationships with client teams and serve as a strategic advisor.
- Clearly communicate design rationale and recommendations to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Partner with Account, Research, Strategy, and Technology teams to identify opportunities for growth and innovation.
Design Execution & Delivery- Contribute directly to the design of websites, digital products, and eCommerce experiences when needed.
- Create visually compelling, user-centered experiences that balance usability, brand expression, and business objectives.
- Collaborate closely with developers to ensure clear handoffs, accurate implementation, and high-quality builds.
- Produce well-structured, developer-ready design files, specifications, and assets.
- Ensure deliverables meet quality standards, accessibility requirements, and project objectives.
- Leverage AI-powered design, research, content generation, and prototyping tools to accelerate exploration, improve workflows, and enhance the quality of experience design deliverables.
- Evaluate emerging AI technologies and identify opportunities to improve design processes, team efficiency, and client outcomes.
- Balance strategic oversight with hands-on involvement throughout project lifecycles.
Practice Leadership & Business Development- Participate in business development efforts, including pitches, proposals, RFIs, and RFPs.
- Contribute to the evolution of Verndale's design methodologies, tools, and best practices.
- Stay current on emerging technologies, design trends, tools, and industry developments.
- Help shape and advance Verndale's Experience Design practice.
- Identify opportunities to improve team effectiveness, delivery quality, and client outcomes through process innovation and continuous improvement.
Qualifications- Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
- 7-10 years of experience in UX, product design, digital experience design, eCommerce, or a related field.
- 2-4 years of experience leading, mentoring, or managing designers and cross-functional teams.
- Strong portfolio demonstrating strategic thinking, UX expertise, visual design excellence, and successful digital product delivery.
- Advanced proficiency in Figma and modern design and prototyping tools.
- Proficiency using AI-powered design and prototyping tools to support experience design, workflow optimization, and rapid concept testing.
- Familiarity with AI-assisted design workflows, interactive prototyping, experience simulation, and design system acceleration.
- Demonstrated ability to thoughtfully integrate AI into the design process while maintaining strong creative judgment, accessibility standards, and user-centered design principles.
- Experience designing for enterprise CMS and commerce platforms such as Sitecore, Optimizely, Shopify, Adobe Experience Manager, or similar platforms.
- Deep understanding of user-centered design methodologies, responsive design principles, and usability best practices.
- Experience developing design systems, component libraries, and scalable digital experiences.
- Ability to synthesize research, analytics, stakeholder input, and business requirements into actionable design direction.
- Strong communication, facilitation, presentation, and storytelling skills.
- Experience collaborating closely with development teams and managing design-to-development handoffs.
- Working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and modern front-end development concepts.
- Experience designing accessible digital experiences and applying WCAG guidelines.
- Strong critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
- Experience in an agency, consultancy, or digital product environment preferred.
