We are dscout. At our core, we are People Nerds. We empower our customers to meet the people who matter to them in the moments that matter most. Customer-obsessed companies and agencies like Lyft, Nike, IDEO, and REI use dscout to build better products and services because of people like you. We are building a smart and driven team in our Chicago HQ, and we would love for you to join us.

We are looking for a Contract Visual Designer to join our Studio Team. Think of dscout's Studio Team as a full-service, mixed-methods research consulting group. We also happen to be some of the dscout platform's biggest power-users. As part of the Studio Team, you take on the most challenging projects our clients have: investigating emerging trends, clarifying business opportunities, testing the boundaries of iconic brands, and vetting new-to-the-world products and services, all while pushing dscout’s products to the limit.

As a Contract Visual Designer on the Studio Team, you’ll work closely with our Research Leads and Analysts in developing presentation narratives, frameworks, and data visualizations that support our client deliverables. Managing templates, schedules, and resourcing will appeal to your skills in detail orientation and project management, while creating evocative diagrams, illustrations/icons, and layouts will satiate your need to communicate complex ideas with clear, striking visuals.

Additionally, when time and projects allow, you’ll work with other designers at dscout on the continued evolution of the dscout brand and its implementation throughout the organization - product, business development, marketing, and social media.

Curious to know more about our team and the work we do? Visit https://dscout.com/the-studio!

Note: You must have a portfolio or work samples in order to apply for this role.

This is an hourly CONTRACT role that will span for several months. To complete the needed work, this role will likely require about 20 hours per week. We have a strong preference for candidates who can be on-site at least a day per week (or several partial days per week).

What you will do (let’s call them Responsibilities):

• Design! First and foremost, you will use design to tell stories through presentations, icons, and other artwork.
• Collaborate with research teams to plan, design, and deliver exceptional client deliverables (these mostly take the form of decks, though not always)
• Iterate on designs based on feedback from team members and clients
• Smoothly navigate timelines and deadlines
• Empower peers on the Studio Team with the tools and skills to take care of basic design needs independently
• Support design needs across other departments internally, as needed
• Receive and provide constructive feedback of design work

What you need to have (we can call them Desired Skills and Background):

• Degree in graphic design or visual communication (BA, BFA, BDes, MFA, MDes), or equivalent work experience
• 2-3 years experience as a designer (graphic, visual, typographic, and presentation design experience preferred); plus for experience designing within a company’s brand guidelines
• Great information design and data visualization abilities
• Proficiency in the Adobe Creative Suite and Keynote (and yes, sometimes PowerPoint or Google Slides)
• You think in terms of systems, make rational design decisions and can then communicate how those decisions tie back to project goals.
• You obsess about the details, polish your work and constantly ask the question, “Is this how it should be?”
• A strong portfolio showing client-ready work.
• You have experience with both brand and editorial design (ie, you are well versed with typography and layout). You will be using both skill sets in this role.
• You’re a great communicator, team player, and thrive on collaboration.
• Experience working with common industry software (Proficient in: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign / Sketch; Bonus: Animation (After Effects), Keynote)
• Familiar with file formats and creating assets for the web and print
• Plus: experience in a high-paced agency setting that focuses on exceptional client deliverables

What will you get?
Here at dscout, we are a team of passionate research, sales, technical, marketing, design, success, and operations professionals. We are driven by the power of research—how in-context insights from real people can build products and services that are more people-centric. We value learning, sharing, and building. We deeply value being a diverse and inclusive team and company, and we are looking for team members who align with that belief. We are proud of what dscout is today and we are excited to build our future with you.