Product Designer

**Please include a link to your portfolio along with your resume**

Position Profile:

The Product Designer is a passionate creative who is responsible for developing products and packaging for CURiO Brands that are innovative, beautiful, safe, and sellable to end consumers. They have a strong artist hand and are confident in illustration, painting, and other traditional mediums. The Product Designer would have the opportunity to work on CURiO’s exciting brands CapriBlue, Thymes, Otherland, as well as custom work for brands such as Anthropologie and Nordstrom.

The Product Designer will leverage their unique talents, such as illustration and surface design, to create and source custom vessels (glass, metal, and ceramic) and secondary packaging (paper boxes, tubes, bags, labels, hangtags). They will collaborate across CURiO’s departments, working closely with: Project Management, Brand, R&D, Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Marketing.

Work Responsibilities:

Design & Concept: Translates creative requirements from concept through execution using a unique combination of creative and analytical talents.

• Collaborates with Art Director, Product Design team and Brand to research and concept new product ideas.
• Develops mood boards for new product collections and product formats.
• Pushes creative boundaries to drive great design and strong innovation.
• Proactively researches market trends and innovation opportunities.
• Works with vendors to source and develop new techniques and manufacturing capabilities.
• Prepares creative presentations and presents concepts to internal brand team and external customers.
• Demonstrates systematic approach in designs for varying structures, materials, sizes and product types.
• Brand steward, keen eye for detail, refines designs across selected product assortment.
• Creates 3D renderings, recommends dimensions, and determines materials for product and packaging.
• Communicates with domestic and international vendors to achieve design intent, construction, safety, and usability goals. Contributes problem-solving ideas throughout the development process.
• Participates in the approval of prototype samples for style details, construction, safety, and usability. Organizes and labels incoming samples and approved counters.
• Attends weekly Design & Innovation status meetings and other meetings as needed.
• Works closely with Brand, Project Management, Engineering, R&D, Purchasing, Quality, Production, Finance, and Sales to ensure development is on track to meet project goals, design intent and timeline.
• Develops constructive and collaborative working relationships with vendors, colleagues, and others, maintaining them over time to produce successful results for the design team.
• Requests price quotes and works with vendors to ensure target costs are achieved.
• Works closely with Project Management team and Cost Analyst on costing exercises. Contributes to product cost discussions, providing insights and ideas on how to cost engineer new developments to meet cost objectives.
• Works with production artist for execution of final printable files.
• Works closely with external vendors, helping to build strong partnerships.
• Works closely with print vendors to develop structures, reviews proofs for color/ detail accuracy and attends press checks as needed. Color advocate for the brand standards.
• Cuts and mock-ups packaging/ product samples to support marketing team with photoshoot and sample needs.
• Provides design specifics and photos of development samples for specification documents.

General Responsibilities:

• Supports CURiO Cornerstones and strives for individual leadership by using cornerstone behaviors in the workplace and in daily decision making.
• Follows all policies and procedures of the company. Works cooperatively with all departments, maintaining a positive work atmosphere by acting and communicating in a manner that promotes cooperation with co-workers, supervisors, and managers.
• Actively seek individual development through taking advantage of opportunities for skill enhancement.
• Keep up to date with the latest best practices, trends, concepts, and regulations in the specific job area.
• Manage time effectively, meet personal goals and work effectively with other members of the team to meet CURiO goals.
• Follows all safety guidelines and polices. Makes supervisor/manager immediately aware of any observed safety issue. Keeps work area clean, safe, and organized.

Position requires extended work hours as necessary to meet seasonal deadlines. Performs other work as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Fine Arts degree; emphasis in graphic or industrial design or equivalent work experience
• Two years’ experience in product or packaging development or design

Computer and/or software qualifications:

• Basic level of proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Outlook
• Intermediate level of proficiency in design software; Adobe CS (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Surface design and illustration skills
• 3D printer experience

Core Competencies:

• Brings passion for the creative work and brand storytelling
• Committed to development strong ideas and excellent execution
• Ability to work collaboratively with team members and across multiple departments, managing a large volume of projects simultaneously
• Knowledge of design techniques, ability to think creatively, with an eye for color and design
• Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Excellent attention to detail, well organized, and systematic in working
• Strong leadership and communication skills
• Ability to present concepts and ideas with exceptional presentation and writing skills
• Excellent initiative and follow-through
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with business partners
• Self-Driven, able to work independently

Travel Requirement: Less than 5%

Hybrid Working Environment and Physical Demands:

• General office or home office environment: Works at a desk in a well-lit, air-conditioned cubicle/office/home office, with moderate noise levels.
• Ability to sit for hours at a time, viewing computer monitor on a constant basis. Some walking and standing relative to interaction with other personnel.
• Occasionally required to lift and/or move items weighing 10 – 15 pounds.
• When in a facility, occasional exposure to dusty and fragrant conditions, varying temperature levels, work near moving mechanical parts, and high noise environments is possible.
• Requires in-office visits weekly for such tasks as: sample unpacking, sample review, organization needs, shipping, in-person meetings.