Design Strategist

Join our client, Google a global leader in technology innovation, at the forefront of redefining industry standards and prioritizing the user experience. Our mission is to showcase how groundbreaking technology addresses real-world challenges, from the everyday to the monumental. Aquent is seeking a visionary and dynamic professional to shape the future of physical retail experiences for our client’s cutting-edge hardware portfolio. This is an extraordinary opportunity to be at the heart of a transformative project, leading the strategic conceptualization and design execution for high-impact physical environments. You will play a pivotal role in creating magical connections between innovative technology and the user, influencing every touchpoint of a groundbreaking new retail space, and leaving an indelible mark on how people interact with technology. The Opportunity You will be instrumental in launching a significant new retail experience, overseeing the strategic direction and holistic visual expression from concept to opening. This ambitious project involves strategic conceptualization and design, with execution extending into the future to support a grand opening. Your expertise will define the customer journey, craft immersive physical environments, and bring innovative designs to life across 2D and 3D platforms, including hands-on prototyping at our dedicated facility. You will partner closely with creative leadership, cross-functional stakeholders, and external production partners to establish a compelling experience that encompasses a diverse hardware portfolio. This role requires orchestrating complex design frameworks, maintaining pristine brand stewardship across diverse physical footprints, and managing high-fidelity production oversight from ideation to final physical proofing. Key Responsibilities Define and map end-to-end customer journeys within physical footprints, optimizing traffic flow, discovery zones, and high-engagement touchpoints. Author experience briefs and interaction frameworks that seamlessly integrate digital demos, interactive displays, and physical product storytelling. Analyze consumer data, regional retail trends, and post-occupancy studies to uncover insights that inform layout optimizations and upcoming creative campaigns. Translate strategic frameworks into clear directives for Spatial Designers, Graphic Designers, and Prototypers, ensuring design execution aligns with core user goals. Establish engagement KPIs and evaluation frameworks to measure the effectiveness of retail experiences, interactive storytelling, and product trials. Package complex strategic concepts into clear, narrative-driven presentations for senior leadership to drive alignment and secure program backing. Develop comprehensive 3D spatial concepts, floor plans, and fixture designs for flagship retail locations and scaled footprints. Create high-fidelity 3D models, architectural renderings, and fly-through visualizations to communicate spatial intent and material finishes to stakeholders. Select and specify physical materials, lighting elements, and fabrication finishes that align with our sustainability and premium design standards. Author detailed design intent packages, elevation drawings, and plan views for hand-off to external fabrication and build vendors. Review physical prototypes, material samples, and on-site mockups to ensure execution matches the intended design quality and spatial dimensions. Drive overarching design concepts, vision decks, and comprehensive mood boards for large-scale retail initiatives, ensuring alignment with global brand directives. Establish robust, scalable 2D design systems, typographic guidelines, and color frameworks that seamlessly translate across varied physical dimensions and architectural constraints. Oversee the visual strategy and creative direction for flagship window displays and key visual merchandising (VM) touchpoints, balancing storytelling with commercial impact. Direct the print production and proofing process for complex materials, setting engineering and color standards to ensure flawless physical execution. Confidently present design strategies and creative solutions to senior leadership and key regional stakeholders to secure buy-in. Execute production-ready 2D graphic assets, typographic layouts, and artwork for retail displays, localized signage, and promotional fixtures. Implement global brand guidelines with meticulous consistency, ensuring typography, color palettes, and imagery are pixel-perfect across all physical touchpoints. Prepare clean, accurate mechanical files for vendor hand-off, factoring in bleed lines, resolution requirements, and color profiles (CMYK/Pantone). Collaborate with the creative production team to review physical material samples, print proofs, and color draw-downs to ensure maximum execution quality. Lead rapid creative ideation, prototyping retail fixtures, and executing light construction inside our dedicated prototyping facility. Manage digital and physical look-and-feel iterations, construct scale mock-ups, handle large format printing, manage 3D printing execution, and offer comping support for presentations to stakeholders. Required Skills & Experience Proven experience in strategic conceptualization, spatial design, and execution for high-impact physical retail environments. Expertise in defining customer journeys, traffic flow, and engagement touchpoints. Strong background in developing phygital strategies and interaction frameworks. Ability to translate consumer data and retail trends into actionable design insights. Demonstrated experience in orchestrating complex design frameworks and leading cross-functional teams (Spatial Designers, Graphic Designers, Prototypers). Proficiency in 3D spatial concepts, floor plans, and fixture design. Experience with 3D visualization, rendering, and material specification. Hands-on prototyping experience, including light construction, scale mock-ups, large format printing, and 3D printing. Excellent stakeholder communication and presentation skills, capable of securing buy-in from senior leadership. Meticulous brand stewardship and quality oversight from ideation to physical proofing. Software Proficiency: Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Acrobat), Figma, SketchUp, SolidWorks, Rhino, Miro, and cloud-based productivity software. Technical Prototyping Skills: Experience with 3D printers, various 2D printers/cutters (e.g., 60” inkjet, vinyl cutter), fabrication equipment (e.g., CNC, Laser Cutter), woodworking tools (e.g., table saw, bandsaw), and general hand tools. Familiarity with visual display technologies (e.g., digital projectors, LED panels, touchscreens). The target hiring compensation for this role is $190-210K. Compensation is based on several factors including, but not limited to education, relevant work experience, relevant certifications, and location. Additional benefits offered may include: medical health insurance and dental insurance, life insurance, and eligibility to participate in 401k plan with company match (if applicable). Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time. Client Description Aquent Studios is a global creative studio that delivers scale, speed and efficiency to the world’s most recognized brands. We create the work that matters the most to them—work that has a real impact on their business. As an Aquent Studio team member, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with the largest and most influential companies in the world, solving design challenges and extending their brands across tactic types and platforms, including digital design, UI/UX, video, motion, content, print design, web development, and more. If you want to do work that matters in a collaborative setting that values ingenuity and personal growth, you have found the right place! #J-18808-Ljbffr