Design Lead

About the Role

We are looking for a creative and experienced Design Lead to lead the design and creative function within the Marketing team at Target Publications.

The role will be responsible for translating marketing objectives, campaigns, product propositions, and business requirements into high-quality, impactful visual communication across digital and offline platforms.

The Design Lead will manage the day-to-day design workflow, guide designers, maintain brand consistency, improve creative quality, and collaborate closely with Marketing, Product, Sales, Content, and other stakeholders to deliver creatives on time.

The ideal candidate should be a strong visual thinker, creative problem-solver, people manager, and hands-on designer who can balance creativity, speed, and business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

1. Creative Leadership

• Own the overall creative direction for marketing campaigns, product launches, promotions, and brand initiatives.
• Translate campaign briefs and marketing objectives into strong visual concepts.
• Develop creative approaches, visual themes, campaign identities, and communication systems.
• Ensure all creative output aligns with brand guidelines and positioning.
• Drive the team towards strategic, differentiated, and high-quality creative work beyond routine execution.

2. Team Management

• Lead and manage the design team by allocating work based on priorities, skills, and timelines.
• Conduct regular reviews of team output and provide constructive creative feedback.
• Mentor designers and improve their design thinking, execution quality, and productivity.
• Identify skill gaps and recommend training or development requirements.
• Build a culture of ownership, accountability, creativity, and timely delivery.

3. Campaign and Marketing Support

Collaborate with the Marketing Head and cross-functional teams to understand business objectives and translate them into creative requirements.

Develop and oversee creatives for:

• Social Media
• Performance Marketing
• E-commerce
• Product Campaigns
• School and Coaching Campaigns
• Retail Promotions
• Events and Activations
• Email and WhatsApp Communication
• Websites and Landing Pages
• Print and Offline Branding

Ensure visual consistency across all campaign platforms and customer touchpoints.

4. Quality and Brand Management

• Review and approve creative output before publishing or delivery.
• Maintain consistency in typography, layouts, imagery, colours, messaging hierarchy, and overall brand identity.
• Establish creative quality benchmarks for the design team.
• Ensure designs are aesthetically strong, communication-focused, and conversion-oriented.

5. Workflow and Delivery Management

• Maintain visibility of the design team's workload, priorities, and deadlines.
• Plan creative requirements in alignment with campaign calendars and business priorities.
• Ensure timely delivery of creatives without compromising quality.
• Coordinate with Content, Digital Marketing, E-commerce, Product, Sales, and external agencies/vendors wherever required.
• Identify bottlenecks in the design process and implement workflow improvements.

6. Hands-on Design

• Personally handle high-priority, complex, or strategically important design projects.
• Create key campaign creatives, master designs, presentations, product communication, and brand assets when required.
• Stay involved in concept development and execution rather than functioning only as an approval layer.

7. Innovation and Creative Development

• Stay updated with current design, advertising, social media, and visual communication trends.
• Explore new creative formats, AI tools, motion design technologies, and emerging content formats.
• Introduce innovative creative approaches to improve audience engagement and campaign performance.
• Encourage the team to test, learn, and continuously improve.