Designer for Personalized Books & Gifts
iseeme.com bookofus.com planetart.com
We are:
I See Me!, a leader in the personalized children’s book space, 25+ years in business with millions of products sold through our direct e-commerce site, online marketplaces, and retail partnerships.
Our mission: bring smiles of joy & delight with uniquely personalized books & gifts!
We are a Twin-Cities based group of designers, developers, marketers, account managers, customer service pros, and number crunchers. We work strategically with measurable goals, but also have fun while getting it all done!
Our parent company, PlanetART LLC, owns several other brands in the personalized gift space.
PlanetART’s core values:
We are curious. We are committed to growth. We are passionate.
We believe details matter. We have a make-it-happen mindset.
The role:
We have expanded into books for adults to give to their friends and loved ones with the launch of our micro-site, BookOfUs.com.
Fueled by the success of this expansion, we are excited to further develop the new brand and product line.
We are looking for a designer to join our in-house creative team to help define the brand(s) and produce our roadmaps of personalized books and gifts (stationery, games, puzzles, etc).
Full-time, hybrid: 2 days (Mon & Wed) on-site in Plymouth/Minneapolis, MN and 3 days WFH
Reports to: Creative Director
What the day-to-day might look like:
At first…
• Getting up to speed with our specialized processes and workflow
• Immersing yourself in our current product offering and the competitive landscape
• Working closely with our other designers and production team to learn the complexities of designing for personalized products
• Identifying potential illustrators to commission for upcoming projects
• Art directing various illustrators on multiple projects in tandem
• Book design/layouts
• New product specs and design
• Helping to create and maintain brand guidelines, style guide, assets
• Designing packaging solutions
• Supporting creative director in product concepting and pitching as needed
• Assist in the development/brainstorming of unique and innovative concepts based on pre-determined business objectives
• Assisting in identifying potential authors/writers for projects
Fun to note:
- Weekly design team check-ins and “Show & Tell Fridays”
- Monthly “Lunch & Learns” where we come together to discuss BIG ideas and innovation
- Monthly product sales performance reviews hosted by VP of Sales
- Bi-monthly “huddles” with VP of Marketing and team
- Quarterly company meetings with transparent updates on performance of the business
- “Give-back” partnerships and company volunteer opportunities
- Passionate founder/president who started the business 25+ years ago as a new mom from her living room
- Periodic tradeshow and field trips
- Beautiful new office space
- Fun, kind, hard-working group of co-workers!
Requirements
You are:
• A mid-senior level creative with 3-5 years of experience in a related design field and a BA or equivalent
• Driven by a high standard of design
• Strongly skilled in layout, typography, (physical) product design, print production
• Experienced in art directing illustrators and artists
• Proficient in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign
• A self-motivator, possessing the ability to work effectively with little supervision who proactively seeks necessary information on project requirements to ensure clarity and alignment on timelines and project scope
• Someone who thrives working on multiple projects with overlapping deadlines in a fast-paced environment with the ability to pivot and shift focus when strategy or priorities change
• Comfortable working collaboratively with a team to accomplish complex projects
• An effective communicator online and in person
• Process driven, always striving to establish best practices and efficiencies
• Passionate about presenting unique ideas (you may be the type to say, “yes, but what if we….”)
• Proud to share a portfolio that demonstrates all-of-the-above!
Bonus Points If You…
• Have prior book design, publishing, e-commerce or personalized products experience
• Are enthusiastic about and/or experienced in designing children’s books, giftable books for adults, clever gift products, etc
• Have photoshoot/styling experience
• Enjoy dabbling in witty copywriting and/or working with writers and authors
• Have experience or interest in UX/UI and the customer journey (Figma)
• Love nerding out about design-centric places, people, things!
• Have and/or LOVE pets
Benefits
Compensation & Benefits:
- Health, Dental, Vision Insurance
- Life Insurance
- 401(k) with matching
- Company HSA Contributions
- PTO, Sick Days, Paid Holidays, and Floating Holidays
- Hybrid Office Schedule: 2 days in-office, 3 Days WFH
- Bonus Incentive
- Paid maternity leave
- Quarterly goal settings
- Regular check-ins and mid-year feedback/dialogues with manager
- Employee Product Discounts
The compensation range for this position is approximately $62,000 – $68,000 annual salary based on experience.