Design Director

Your Studio • Los Angeles, CA

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

YourStudio is a dynamic strategy and creative agency specialising in next-generation experiences and environments for global brands. With studios in London, Melbourne, New York and LA, we work supportively as one global team to deliver award-winning experiences that are recognised globally.
We're looking for a Design Director to lead creative execution across environments and experience design. You’ll be a design leader who brings vision, craft, and the ability to move seamlessly from big-picture thinking to meticulous detail.
Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you'll bring big ideas and translate these into tangible, emotionally resonant retail experiences that drive human connection — designed to captivate, connect audiences, and shape culture.
Fluent across retail environments, in-store experience, and brand activation. You will bring a deep understanding of retail design fundamentals and have the skills to translate brand identity and storytelling into the built environment. You will be passionate about exploring how technology and creativity converge meaningfully within physical space.
This role could be located on either the East or West Coast of the US.
As Design Director, you'll be the creative anchor across key client projects — translating strategic vision into beautifully crafted, purposeful design outcomes. You'll lead and mentor multidisciplinary teams, build trusted client relationships, and champion the kind of work that pushes creative boundaries while remaining coherent, buildable, and on-brand.
You'll report to the Creative Director and work closely with Strategy Directors, Account Directors, and Project Managers to deliver projects that elevate our studio's reputation for creative excellence.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in retail environments, experiential design, brand activation, and spatial storytelling with a portfolio that demonstrates both conceptual ambition and executional excellence.
• A portfolio that showcases leadership-level conceptual depth and craft — demonstrating your ability to set creative direction, elevate a team's output, and translate complex brand challenges into memorable, multi-channel in-store experiences
• Exceptional storytelling, visualisation, and presentation skills — commanding a room as easily as you craft a narrative; fluent across strategy decks, storyboards, and immersive 3D concepts
• Advanced proficiency in Figma/Miro for collaborative design, alongside deep expertise in Cinema 4D and a strong instinct for sketching; able to guide teams across tools and workflows with authority
• Strategic integration of AI-assisted and generative tools — not just as part of the process, but to push the boundaries of what's possible and inspire teams to explore new creative territory
• A proven track record of fostering a hands-on, experimental studio culture — leading by example, championing iteration, and creating the conditions for bold ideas to thrive
• The drive and vision to create work that defines culture and leaves a lasting impression — at the intersection of brand, space, and human experience
• Inspiring and calm under pressure — able to lead with empathy and authority
• An excellent communicator who can unite multiple disciplines behind a shared vision
• Culturally curious and forward-thinking, always seeking innovation and relevance
• Balances creative ambition with pragmatism to deliver exceptional, buildable outcomes
• Deep expertise across brand, spatial, and experiential touchpoints — with particular strength in designing for brand at retail

Responsibilities

• Lead design direction across key client projects, ensuring work is innovative, strategically resonant, and beautifully crafted
• Translate high-level creative direction into actionable, detail-oriented guidance for teams
• Maintain consistently high design quality and integrity across multiple concurrent projects
• Push creative boundaries while ensuring work remains purposeful, coherent, and on-brand
• Mentor and develop Associate Design Directors and Senior Designers, guiding creative thinking, craft, and confidence
• Lead design reviews and workshops, providing clear, constructive feedback that sharpens ideas and execution
• Build an environment of shared ownership and pride, encouraging initiative and growth across the team
• Act as the creative lead in client presentations, articulating ideas with confidence and clarity
• Foster trusted, collaborative relationships with clients that encourage creative bravery and partnership
• Represent the studio's design vision externally, helping position it as a leader in experience and brand design
• Oversee the design process from concept to delivery, ensuring high standards of craft and presentation
• Collaborate closely with Project Management and Client Services to maintain clarity on scope, timeline, and priorities
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, design systems, and studio workflows without compromising creative quality
• Contribute to scope writing with a strong understanding of how individual projects sit within wider business commercials

Benefits

• We value culture and collaboration, for this reason we operate a 3 day in the office and 2 day WFH hybrid working policy
• Generous Paid-Time Off allowance, including 25 days plus 10 Public Holidays, a well-being day, 2 community days and your birthday off! Alongside additional extra service allowance (pro-rata for temporary contracts)
• Private Medical and Dental
• 2 week Working Abroad Opportunity
• Opportunities to work from our global studios whilst travelling
• Dedicated learning platform
• Enhanced parental leave policies
• Lunch club, Thursday office drinks, Summer and Christmas parties!

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees