Art Director / Graphic Designer

About Alda Strategic

Alda Strategic is a real estate advisory firm specializing in place identity and user experience. We work at the intersection of place branding, placemaking, and experience design to translate insights into vision and strategy.

We help shape public realm strategies that are distinctive, functional, and grounded in each site's unique context. Our work ensures that places are not only well-designed, but also memorable, marketable, and meaningful to the communities they serve.

About the Role

We're looking for a talented Art Director / Graphic Designer to join our team and help bring place identities to life. You'll work across the full spectrum of place branding, from early-stage creative research and logo exploration to polished brand guidelines and marketing assets.

This is a hands-on creative role where you'll craft sophisticated visuals for brand presentations, pitch decks, and client deliverables. You'll collaborate closely with our strategy team to translate place insights into compelling visual directions, developing inspiration boards, exploring typography and color palettes, and shaping the visual identity systems that help destinations stand out and connect with their communities.

You believe that design has the power to elevate everyday experiences. You understand that thoughtful place identity can connect people to nature, community, and each other. You care about the details because you know they add up to something meaningful.

What You'll Do

Brand Identity & Visual Design

• Develop high-quality, original designs for place branding projects: logos, brand identity systems, visual language, and applications
• Create brand guidelines that articulate visual identity standards, including typography, color palettes, imagery, and usage rules
• Design place branding assets and marketing campaign materials that convey sophistication and distinctiveness
• Ensure all visuals align with brand strategy, translating strategic positioning into compelling design executions

Creative Research, Ideation & Art Direction

• Conduct creative research and develop inspiration boards that inform brand direction and place vision
• Research artists, art installations, and cultural references that could enhance a development's identity
• Conceptualize activations, public art installations, and innovative creative thinking around places
• Understand the artist collaboration process, from concept to production 
• Provide exterior and interior design recommendations that support the overall place identity
• Experience & Journey Mapping - Translate the human experience into visual touchpoint maps and journey diagrams that inform the physical layout of a place
• Explore and present visual directions with a refined, discerning eye

Presentations & Client Deliverables

• Design polished creative decks presenting brand direction, place identity concepts, and their applications
• Craft sophisticated visuals for pitch decks and client presentations
• Produce production-ready files that meet technical specifications

Collaboration & Process

• Collaborate closely with team, contributing ideas and creative input throughout the process
• Manage multiple projects, maintaining timelines and deadlines

Who You Are

• A refined tastemaker with a strong eye for sophisticated design 
• Meticulous and efficient, you take pride in precision and can work quickly while ensuring high quality
• Organized and dependable, you manage your workload, meet deadlines, and communicate proactively about project status
• A "Swiss Army Knife" Creative: You enjoy wearing many hats, from high-level strategy and sketching to technical production.
• You are a rapid learner and can master a wide range of skills and tools quickly and efficiently. 
• You have an understanding of human centered design.
• A collaborative creative who loves to brainstorm and share ideas
• Innovative, you bring fresh ideas to the table and seek out creative solutions rather than waiting to be directed
• Adapt to feedback gracefully, embrace iteration
• Aligned with our mission — you genuinely believe in the power of design to elevate everyday experiences, and you care about connecting people to nature, community, and each other through thoughtful place identity
• Understand that great place branding extends from the perception to the full experience and journey of a place, you're interested in ideating creative for all the touchpoints
• An excellent communicator who can present ideas clearly, receive feedback constructively, and collaborate effectively with colleagues and clients

Requirements

• 3+ years of experience in a graphic design/ art director role, preferably within an agency, hospitality, lifestyle, or place branding environment
• A strong, polished portfolio showcasing brand identity work, visual storytelling, and experience design.
• Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud.
• Proficiency in AI tools, integrating support in a seamless unobvious manner
• Strong skills in Keynote and/or PowerPoint for presentation design
• Deep knowledge of design fundamentals: typography, color theory, layout, and visual hierarchy
• Placemaking, real estate, or hospitality branding experience is a strong plus

Compensation & Details

• Full-time, in-office position with flexibility for occasional travel to meet with clients 
• Applicants must reside in the Tampa, FL area
• Competitive salary commensurate with experience

If you're passionate about design that elevates places and the people who experience them, we'd love to see your work. 

To be considered please share a resume, portfolio link and intro email to noa@aldastrategic.com