Careers at Inkfield Creative Studio
A studio in Carolina Beach. Your work meets real people before it launches, which is confronting and makes you better fast.
Why work with us
Your work gets tested
Every route you make is put in front of real customers. It is rare in creative work and it sharpens judgement quickly.
Failing a test is fine
Routes that test badly are information, not a performance issue. Nobody is penalised for it.
No speculative work
You will never produce unpaid concepts for a pitch, which removes most of the unpaid overtime in this industry.
Published salary
Every advertisement carries the real range. No exposure arrangements of any kind.
Current vacancies
All roles are based at our Carolina Beach, NC office unless stated otherwise. Salary ranges are published with every advertisement and we do not negotiate candidates against one another.
Creative Strategy Manager
Designs and runs the audience testing behind every route, and reports findings to clients including the ones that contradict the studio's own recommendation.
What you will do
- Define client audiences tightly enough that a representative sample can be drawn
- Design and run audience tests measuring comprehension and recall rather than preference
- Test in realistic conditions: packaging at shelf distance, digital on a phone, signage at real size
- Separate visitor and resident audience samples where the client serves both
- Report findings in full, including where the studio's favoured route performed badly
- State sample sizes and their limitations plainly rather than presenting small numbers as conclusive
- Write the reasoning accompanying each creative route, including where it is likely to be weak
- Decline speculative pitch requests and explain the studio position to prospective clients
What we are looking for
- Four or more years in brand strategy, creative strategy or research
- Practical experience designing and fielding audience research
- Willingness to present findings that contradict your own creative preference
- Strong written work; the reasoning document is a deliverable
- Comfortable telling a prospective client we will not pitch for free
Design Director
Leads creative output across brand, packaging and campaign work, with routes that must survive audience testing.
What you will do
- Lead creative development across projects
- Set craft and production standards
- Specify materials for coastal conditions
- Mentor designers and review all outgoing work
What we are looking for
- Eight or more years in design with brand and packaging depth
- Comfortable having work tested and sometimes rejected on evidence
- Strong production and print knowledge
- Portfolio of work that shipped
Senior Designer
Develops brand, campaign and digital routes that go in front of real audiences before they are recommended.
What you will do
- Develop creative routes from written briefs
- Document design decisions as they are made
- Prepare production-ready artwork
- Attend and observe audience testing sessions
What we are looking for
- Five or more years in design
- Comfortable designing from a brief rather than a mood board
- Strong typographic craft
- Accessibility awareness at design stage
Research Assistant
Supports audience testing through recruitment, fielding and analysis, alongside studio project work.
What you will do
- Recruit and schedule test participants
- Field tests and record responses accurately
- Analyse and summarise findings
- Maintain test instruments for consistency
What we are looking for
- Careful, methodical approach to data
- Comfortable talking to members of the public
- Interest in why creative works or fails
- Open to graduates and career changers
How we hire
Application reviewed
Every applicant receives a reply within two weeks of the closing date. Portfolio for creative roles, writing sample for strategy.
Portfolio conversation
A discussion of work you have made, including a piece that did not land and what you learned from it.
Paid exercise
Four hours, paid at your day rate, on a real but non-urgent brief. You keep the work and we do not use it.
Offer
Two stages then a decision, in writing, with the full compensation structure stated.