About the Role

As a Visual Designer at Wirecutter, you'll join our creative team and be central to bringing our stories to life through compelling visuals. While the role has a special focus on motion and animation, your core responsibility is high-quality graphic design. Reporting to an Associate Creative Director, you'll create clear and engaging designs for our reviews and stories, helping to inform and inspire our readers.

You'll need a keen eye for design, with strong skills in layout, typography, and information design. You will work closely with video editors to produce animated diagrams, title cards, and callouts, as well as help other designers integrate motion into their work. You'll also be instrumental in our "off-platform" efforts, creating platform-native graphics and motion pieces for social media and newsletters. The goal is to critically think about what each platform needs and deliver engaging designs that resonate with specific audiences.

This is a fantastic opportunity to grow your skills and directly impact how Wirecutter connects with its audience.

This is a hybrid position based in New York City and includes regular attendance in the office each week per your departmental guidance.

Responsibilities:

• Create compelling graphics, charts, and infographics for Wirecutter's stories, bringing them to life with motion graphics and animation in After Effects.
• Collaborate with video editors to design and produce animated graphics like diagrams, title cards, and callouts for various video projects.
• Work with other designers to add animation and motion elements to their visuals, enhancing storytelling and engagement.
• Create and adapt platform-native graphics and short animations for social media and newsletters, collaborating directly with those teams.
• Work closely with the Associate Creative Directors and other team members on larger visual projects.
• Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.

Basic Qualifications:

• 3+ years experience in a graphic or editorial design role with demonstrable experience in motion graphics and animation, and a strong portfolio.
• Strong skills in design principles including layout, typography, UX, and information design, with a portfolio showcasing both static and animated work.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects) and Figma.
• Proven ability to create clear and compelling visuals that simplify complex information for a broad audience.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to articulate design decisions and collaborate effectively.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with 3D animation software (e.g., Blender, Cinema 4D).
• Understanding of social media design and strategy.
• Familiarity with front-end technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.