Designer, Visual Storytelling

Job Description

Responsibilities

• Create daily editorial designs and illustrations, often completing multiple assignments in a day: Produce story art, original illustrations and social graphics for breaking news and planned coverage. Match the complexity of the work to the deadline, platform and editorial importance of the assignment.
• Develop thoughtful visual approaches for core coverage areas: Find original, specific ways to visualize reporting on gender and sexuality, reproductive health, caregiving, disability, economic inequality and political representation, particularly when stories are sensitive or lack an obvious visual solution. Avoid clichés, stereotypes and repetitive visual shorthand.
• Translate reporting into clear and accurate visual concepts: Read story drafts, identify the central idea the visual(s) should communicate and collaborate with reporters, editors and audience producers to confirm framing and factual details.
• Collaborate with Audience on visual strategy: Partner with the Audience team in an ongoing feedback loop — bringing audience insights, visual expertise, editorial judgment and the needs of the story together to shape and refine visual approaches over time.
• Manage projects and communicate clearly from assignment through publication: Track timelines, deliverables and feedback across multiple concurrent projects. Keep the Editorial Director of Visuals and project stakeholders informed about progress and raise questions about deadlines, scope or blockers early.
• Develop visual identities for major editorial projects: Create visual systems for series, features, elections and other special coverage in partnership with the Brand Designer. Build approaches that feel distinct to the project while remaining connected to broader visual identity.
• Assign and art-direct freelance illustrators: Identify appropriate artists, review portfolios, write creative briefs and guide commissioned work from initial sketches through final delivery. Coordinate artist selection, scope, schedule and budget with the Editorial Director of Visuals.
• Collaborate across the newsroom to develop and refine visual storytelling: Work closely with the Editorial Director of Visuals and other members of the Creative team, as well as audience producers, reporters and editors, to brainstorm concepts, identify the strongest visual approach and incorporate editorial and creative feedback from assignment through publication.
• Adapt and prepare work for publication across platforms: Create versions of the work adapted to website, newsletters and social channels, as well as other channels or platforms we experiment with as the digital media landscape evolves, accounting for mobile presentation, cropping, accessibility and platform requirements.
• Manage assignments from brief through final delivery: Confirm deliverables and deadlines, communicate progress, incorporate feedback, maintain organized files and flag when competing priorities require a reduced scope, adjusted timeline or outside support.
• Maintain editorial, brand and accessibility standards: Review final work for accuracy, spelling, sourcing, licensing, legibility and technical quality. Avoid visual framing that misrepresents the reporting, reinforces harmful stereotypes or implies facts that have not been established.
• Contribute to editorial and creative planning: Participate in relevant meetings and visual critiques, surface upcoming design needs and recommend when a story should use an existing template, an original illustration, a new visual system or a freelance collaborator.

Non-essential functions (as capacity permits): 

• Participate in culture building and inclusive decision making, as well as bringing ideas to different parts of our work to help us improve as an organization, such as hiring and onboarding new staff members
• Contribute to cross-team learning, leadership development and organizational planning
• Participate in team, organizational and individual relationship building and professional development throughout the year
• Other responsibilities as needed

Relevant skills and experienceWho you are

• A visual storyteller who understands the power of design in journalism and audience engagement.
• An independent problem-solver who can bring creative ideas to life while balancing multiple priorities.
• A team player who thrives in cross-functional collaboration and can work seamlessly with both creative and editorial teams.
• Passionate about The 19th’s mission and committed to making journalism more inclusive, accessible and impactful.

Are you interested in this position?
Apply by clicking on the “Apply Now” button below!
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