Senior Visual Designer

Full-time / Part-time
· Utrecht

Join our team
CLEVER°FRANKE is an enthusiastic, multi-disciplinary team of 40+ people with 15 different nationalities from across the world and we use English as a primary language to communicate and collaborate. We are interaction designers, visual designers, developers, project managers, data analysts and others. All with a passion for what we do. We are curious about the world around us and apply the same curiosity to our work and projects.

We have been growing and we are looking for an experienced Visual Designer who brings creative energy, taste, curiosity, and who can turn complex topics into work that is distinctive and precise.

As a Senior Visual Designer, you set the visual direction of our projects and refine it in detail over multiple iterations. Our projects span a wide range, including products, dashboards, (physical) data experiences, design systems, AI interfaces and brand identities. What they have in common is that they often deal with uncommon, complex topics and have data as a central component.

In your role, you get up to speed quickly and translate these topics into compelling visuals. Much of this work happens inside an existing corporate identity, and the craft is in producing something unmistakably yours within those limits.

Projects range from short concept sprints to extended, complex, and iterative programs, and as a visual designer, you are involved from start to finish. What you deliver depends on what the project needs: visual concepts, brand identities, detailed interface styles, and data visualizations.

Depending on the project, you work alongside project managers, data analysts, developers, and other designers. We typically follow an agile process, which means your work develops in continuous collaboration with the rest of the team.

A project manager or product owner leads the client relationship, and you work closely with them. You help understand what the client actually needs, present concepts, handle the feedback we receive, explain design decisions, and guide clients along in our process.

Another dimension of the senior role is aiding the development of other designers in the creative process. On a regular basis, you help out when someone is stuck, share feedback and inspiration, present in our weekly Design Meet-ups, and sketch together with others.

Next to client work, you contribute to internal studio projects and experiments, pitches, and conference and meet-up talks.

What you bring
We anticipate you will have 5+ years of relevant professional experience. You have excellent communication skills in English, written and verbal (Dutch fluency is a big plus). Your portfolio contains visually creative and interesting projects with strong concepts for a diverse set of clients, showing how you worked within and outside of the confines of a (corporate) identity. It includes unconventional topics and examples that show you can get up to speed on something new quickly and translate these into unique work.

Around that work, you tell a strong story, with creative energy and clarity.

Branding, identity, typography, and design history interest you. You keep a finger on the pulse of design trends, and you know when to ignore them. AI tools have a place in your process where they extend what you can do, but you stay opinionated enough to go your own way when the tools don’t deliver. You care about the small decisions that together define the look and feel of a project, and you can explain how a design fits the project, its goals, and the client.

We expect you to be familiar with Figma or similar tools and to be able to pick up something new quickly. We are looking for ambition, a growth mindset, and strong communication and interpersonal skills. You work well with others and take the lead when a project needs it, but also create ample space for others to contribute.

It would be great (but not required) if you have experience with one or more of the following:

SCRUM or Agile projects;

Mentoring students or designers;

Data visualization design;

Animation / Motion design;

Creative coding. You’re welcome at CLEVER°FRANKE regardless of your appearance,…