At Knot Studio, we’re seeking a Senior Environmental Designer with a powerful balance of imaginative creativity and technical expertise to join our team of specialists in Environmental Graphic Design, Landscape Architecture, and Landscape Ecology. As a member of our studio, your role is essential to driving the ideation and realization of innovative placemaking, intuitive wayfinding, and complex sign systems. You’ve been doing this for a while and can innately see the intricate connection between visual communication and the built environment.
You’re passionate about shaping memorable experiences, tackling complex design challenges, have a keen adeptness at navigating several project demands simultaneously, and maintain an unwavering enthusiasm for the co-mingling of ideas across disciplines. Your technical skills are razor-sharp, and you’re extremely agile in the tools of your trade. You thrive at both guiding and contributing to all aspects of a project, from conceptual development to detailed production drawings. Without a doubt, you’re a proactive communicator, client-focused, and the depth of your industry knowledge allows you to mobilize teams and drive creative development and project delivery.
As a member of our studio…
- You have an irrepressible willingness to attempt the unexpected, not only driven by creative curiosity but also by your relentless dedication to helping our clients and communities solve their most challenging problems.
- You bring a positive, open mind to the studio and your work.
- You’re as equally adept at working collaboratively in multi-disciplinary teams as you are working autonomously.
- You’re a maker at your core, and you thrive at both digital and physical creation. You believe creativity flourishes when it involves drawing, modeling, audio/visual, and other experimental hands-on work.
- You have a curious and empathetic lens, and you use it to listen to and observe the needs of our clients, partners, and communities. You believe this builds critical insight that drives more meaningful design research, process, engagement, and solutions.
- You’re a storyteller, exceptional at presenting both ambitious concepts and complex programs that effectively blend beauty and function.
- You’re approachable, reliable, and trustworthy. You understand that our work isn’t siloed, it’s entangled, and our connection and support for one another and our partners allow us to collectively thrive.
As a Senior Experiential Designer…
- You have a deep understanding of the design and production process of environmental graphics, placemaking, wayfinding, and signage. You can comfortably guide a project from start to finish through all phases of development and implementation.
- You’re in your element when illustrating conceptual ideas and describing design intent in multiple mediums. From evocative three-dimensional renderings to detailed specifications, you can drive and deliver a comprehensive set of project documentation.
- You’re responsible for conducting research that leads to authentic, resonant stories that can be translated into the built environment and inform design direction.
- You’re a superhuman at blending typography, color theory, and composition with material, assembly, and form.
- You’re at ease driving client communication and facilitating stakeholder alignment.
- You’re comfortable with (and advocate for) working side-by-side with fabricators, artists, and specialized experts to solve creative challenges like assembly, medium, longevity, sustainability, cost, and schedule.
- You have fully realized technical skills with advanced proficiency in industry software and best practices. You also recognize that time and technology move quickly, and as a designer committed to your practice, you remain adaptable and open minded, staying in lock-step with new methods and resources as the industry evolves.
- You’re comfortable with both owning or supporting the management of the project scope, schedule, and planning development efforts.
- You have a keen technical eye and act as an advocate for project quality and integrity.
- You support the growth of our design practice through mentorship, advocacy, and proactive engagement.
Qualifications
- Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in graphic design or design-focused field (architecture, interior design, industrial design, landscape architecture, etc.).
- Minimum of 10-15 years of experience in experiential graphic design.
- Rigorous conceptual thinker who is also detail-oriented.
- Ability to clearly articulate and present ideas to clients, fabricators, and team members.
- Expert knowledge of spatial design, architectural drawings, and processes.
- Expert understanding of wayfinding principles, Universal Design, and ADA compliance.
- Ability to visualize, model, and render conceptual ideas.
- Ability to detail designs in construction documents and familiarity with technical writing.
- Ability to manage a variety of projects under competing deadlines
- Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and CADtools.
- Eager, open-minded, and adaptable.
- Bonus: proficiency with Autocad and Revit.
- Bonus: familiarity and some proficiency with SketchUp, Rhino, and other modeling software.
Location
This is a full-time position, located in our Portland, Oregon office where we offer a unique approach to flexible work ways. We do encourage remote applicants with qualifying experience to apply.
Why Knot?
With projects spanning the globe, our passion lies in shaping the human experience of place and reinforcing the natural systems that sustain us. We are specialists in Experiential Graphic Design, Landscape Architecture, and Spatial Analytics. Our work deepens connections to environment and place, and we believe that designed experiences must be more than the sum of their parts. This requires the application of thoughtful, anti-disciplinary problem solving. At Knot, we are committed to a cross-pollination of practice among areas of expertise, operating within a diverse, interdependent ecosystem of ideas.
Knot is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
