Digital Experience Design Director

About the Role

Jack Porter is looking for a Digital Experience Design Director to craft interactive digital encounters embedded within striking physical settings. This role blends strategy, storytelling, environmental design, media, and technology to create engaging experiences in sports venues, museums, visitor centers, branded environments, and other public spaces.

This position differs from conventional website or SaaS product design; it focuses on designing for touchscreens, kiosks, media walls, interactive galleries, large-format displays, and similar technology-based installations. The candidate will be a hands-on designer managing projects from initial concept through UX, UI, prototyping, development, and installation.

The director will lead digital design initiatives for assigned projects, collaborating closely with the VP of Design, Design Directors, and cross-disciplinary teams to define, guide, and execute the digital experience seamlessly integrated into the physical environment. This player-coach role requires active participation in design work while providing creative leadership across the project lifecycle.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Direct the digital creative vision in conjunction with senior design leadership.
• Translate project objectives into comprehensive digital strategies encompassing interaction, interface, content, motion, and technology.
• Lead concept development from ideation through final execution, ensuring digital touchpoints align with overall storytelling goals.
• Oversee and uphold quality and creativity of digital elements throughout projects, making key digital design decisions independently.

Design Responsibilities

• Create intuitive and visually engaging experiences for diverse digital platforms including kiosks and media walls.
• Develop user journeys, information architecture, interaction models, wireframes, prototypes, and polished interfaces tailored to audience needs.
• Build cohesive visual and interaction systems that unify multiple digital touchpoints.

Concept Development and Interaction

• Contribute to early project ideation, determining how digital elements enhance overall creative storytelling.
• Explore ideas through sketches, storyboards, user flows, prototypes, motion studies, and other design documentation.
• Advise on deliberate integration of touch, gesture, sensors, RFID/NFC, projection, mobile extensions, and emerging technologies.

Design for Public Spaces

• Apply user-centered design principles suited to varying audiences including families, fans, and first-time visitors.
• Consider variables like accessibility, dwell time, social interactions, physical reach, viewing distances, environmental conditions, and minimal user instructions.
• Design approachable, straightforward interfaces that encourage engagement and ease of use for all visitors.

Content and Storytelling Integration

• Collaborate with content and creative teams to translate intricate stories and media into meaningful digital interactions.
• Structure content hierarchy, navigation, pacing, and information disclosure effectively.
• Design the synergy between interactive content, motion, sound, video, and physical elements in one unified experience.

Prototyping and Refinement

• Produce prototypes that clarify and validate design ideas to teams, clients, and users.
• Participate in usability testing, prototype evaluation, and field observations to gather actionable feedback.
• Iterate designs to enhance clarity, accessibility, and user engagement based on insights.

Production and Collaboration

• Create organized, developer-ready design assets including component systems, detailed interaction specifications, and documentation.
• Work closely with developers and technology partners throughout implementation phases, performing reviews and quality assurance until project completion.
• Engage in content integration, testing on devices, and troubleshooting design issues through installation.
• Coordinate with Design Directors to blend physical and digital elements cohesively in the environment.
• Lead digital design presentations, internal reviews, client meetings, and creative workshops.
• Provide constructive feedback and guidance to developers, motion designers, freelancers, and other digital contributors.
• Represent digital discipline in project planning, scope discussions, and decision-making processes.
• Advocate design choices balancing user requirements, storytelling goals, technical feasibility, and project constraints.

Qualifications

• A compelling portfolio showcasing proficiency in UX, UI, interaction design, and visual execution, clearly documenting design thinking and processes.
• At least eight years of relevant experience in digital experience, UX, UI, or interaction design roles.
• Hands-on experience integrating digital elements with physical environments including large touchscreens, kiosks, media walls, and multiuser interfaces.
• Demonstrated capability to carry digital projects from concept inception through detailed design and implementation.
• Advanced skills in Figma and Adobe Creative Cloud or similar interface design and prototyping software.
• Strong foundation in typography, visual hierarchy, composition, color theory, and design systems.
• Expertise in developing user flows, information architecture, wireframes, prototypes, and interaction documentation.
• Understanding of accessibility standards and user-centered design methodologies.
• Effective communicator able to collaborate with designers, content creators, developers, project managers, clients, and technical stakeholders.
• Ability to juggle multiple projects within a dynamic, multidisciplinary environment.
• Possession of a relevant academic degree or equivalent professional experience.

Additional Preferred Skills

• Experience in designing for museums, sports venues, visitor centers, branded environments, attractions, or other public spaces.
• Proficiency in After Effects and familiarity with 3D tools such as Cinema 4D or Blender.
• Comfort with HTML/CSS/JavaScript and interactive development platforms like TouchDesigner, Unity, or Unreal Engine.
• Knowledge of audiovisual systems, sensors, RFID/NFC, projection, cameras, gesture recognition, and related installation technologies.
• Experience conducting usability testing or monitoring design implementations during development and installation stages.
• An interest in emerging technologies with the discernment to apply them effectively.

Portfolio Instructions

Applicants should provide project examples that explain the problem, target audience, environmental context, constraints, process, personal contributions, and resulting outcomes. Work related to interactive installations, public spaces, museums, sports arenas, or branded experiences is especially beneficial. Candidates from similar digital design areas exhibiting strong interaction design, visual craftsmanship, and the ability to design outside traditional websites are encouraged to apply.

Work Arrangement and Travel

This is a remote position based in the United States, requiring occasional travel to the company headquarters in Greenville, South Carolina, client sites, project locations, installations, and team interactions. Travel frequency depends on project demands.