Design Strategist

About Almost Always

Almost Always (previously known as Boundary) is a creative studio based in El Segundo, California. Since 2017, we've partnered with founders and operators at pivotal moments such as rebrands, funding rounds, and new launches, helping companies redefine themselves. Our core team includes brand strategists, designers, and technologists working closely to make decisions firsthand. Our clients include Red Bull, Remedy Place, MUD\WTR, Milani, KAST, and numerous startups.

Role Purpose

This position is crucial for ensuring projects truly address client needs beyond initial requests. The goal is not just to create visually appealing work but to ensure these solutions solve the genuine challenges clients face. This strategist role serves as a guiding beacon, maintaining alignment between creative efforts and the client’s fundamental business goals throughout the project lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

The role evolves alongside each project and requires adaptability. Early stages focus on strategic discovery and direction-setting by running the kickoff meeting effectively, uncovering core business problems, and distilling insights into actionable content strategies, brand messaging, sitemaps, website copy, marketing materials, and wireframes to guide designers.

While UX expertise or building component libraries isn’t required, proficiency in Figma is necessary to visualize content strategies at a professional standard for client presentation. Following strategy establishment, the role involves overseeing project timelines and scopes, ensuring coordination between design and development teams, monitoring deliverables against strategy, and proactively addressing deviations. Contributions to creative aspects throughout the project remain important.

Candidate Profile

• Strong curiosity-driven mindset, with an instinct to continually ask "why."
• Capability to handle ambiguous or complex business problems and translate them into effective content and user experience solutions.
• Clear, precise writing skills with comfort using AI as an aid but not a substitute.
• Attention to detail, including language nuances such as sentence endings and headline casing.
• A passion for brand strategy, copywriting, and marketing campaign development.
• Comfortable managing projects from start to finish and open to constructive challenges within collaborative environments.
• A minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience, preferably within creative agency settings.

Work Environment

Our studio is located in El Segundo, near LA's South Bay, known for its vibrant creative and technology community. The location is close to beaches, dining, and entertainment. We operate a hybrid work model with in-office days on Tuesdays and Thursdays but are flexible for remote arrangements for suitable candidates.

Compensation & Benefits

• Annual salary between $90,000 and $120,000, dependent on experience.
• Unlimited paid time off.
• Health insurance coverage and 401(k) retirement plan.
• Opportunity to fully own projects end-to-end.
• Growth potential as the studio expands.
• Regular company social events and a welcoming office atmosphere.

Application Instructions

• Submit documentation such as copy docs or wireframes from a website where you led strategy and messaging, explaining your approach.
• Describe a project you are particularly proud of.
• Share how you nurture your own curiosity.
• Mention your current favorite podcast or book.