Senior Designer- Retail
San Francisco
Posted Aug 05, 2026
Overview
Aquent Studios is seeking a visionary Senior Designer to join our team, partnering with a global innovator in digital services and hardware. This groundbreaking organization is renowned for connecting users with technology that solves everyday challenges and redefines possibilities. As a crucial member of our team, you will have the unique opportunity to shape the physical brand presence for a leading technology company, making a tangible impact on how users interact with innovative hardware products and influencing the customer journey from initial engagement to lasting impression.
About the Role
Step into a pivotal role where your creative vision will directly influence how millions experience cutting-edge technology in the physical world. As a senior creative force, you will lead the strategic conceptualization, holistic visual expression, and meticulous design execution for high-impact physical environments and retail spaces. This is an exciting opportunity to orchestrate complex design frameworks, maintain pristine brand stewardship, and mentor emerging talent, all while overseeing high-fidelity production from concept to physical realization. Your expertise will be instrumental in establishing and scaling compelling 2D and 3D visual design systems across a diverse hardware portfolio, ensuring technology truly speaks for itself.
What You’ll Do
- Drive overarching design concepts, vision decks, and comprehensive mood boards for large-scale retail initiatives, ensuring seamless alignment with global brand directives.
- Establish robust, scalable 2D design systems, typographic guidelines, and color frameworks that translate flawlessly across varied physical dimensions and architectural constraints.
- Oversee the visual strategy and creative direction for flagship window displays and key visual merchandising touchpoints, expertly balancing compelling storytelling with commercial impact.
- Partner directly with Spatial Designers, Experience Strategists, and Production Leads to forge a unified physical-to-digital customer journey within the retail footprint.
- Direct the print production and proofing process for complex materials, setting rigorous engineering and color standards to guarantee flawless physical execution.
- Confidently present sophisticated design strategies and creative solutions to senior leadership and key regional stakeholders, securing essential buy-in for your vision.
Required Skills & Experience
- 7+ years of professional design experience, with a strong focus on retail, environmental, experiential, or physical space design.
- A compelling portfolio showcasing retail environments, visual merchandising, window displays, branded physical experiences, or similar impactful work.
- Exceptional 2D graphic design and visual systems expertise.
- Proven experience developing creative concepts and providing art direction.
- A deep understanding of how graphic design translates effectively to 3D/physical environments and architectural constraints.
- Hands-on experience with print production, fabrication, proofing, color management, and physical execution.
- Strong presentation and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and articulate complex design rationale.
- Demonstrated experience collaborating effectively with cross-functional creative, production, spatial, and marketing teams.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience designing for a global consumer or hardware brand.
- Experience with large-scale or flagship retail programs.
- Experience working with external production partners and fabricators.
- Experience mentoring or providing creative direction to other designers.
Client Description
Aquent Studios is a global creative studio that delivers scale, speed and efficiency to the world’s most recognized brands. We create the work that matters the most to them—work that has a real impact on their business. As an Aquent Studios team member, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with the largest and most influential companies in the world, solving design challenges and extending their brands across tactic types and platforms, including digital design, UI/UX, video, motion, content, print design, web development, and more. If you want to do work that matters in a collaborative setting that values ingenuity and personal growth, you have found the right place!
Other Requirements
The target hiring compensation range for this role is $120-200K. However, final compensation level will be determined based on experience and scope alignment.
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