At AKQA, we believe in the imaginative application of art and science to create beautiful ideas, products and services. With an entrepreneurial and collaborative approach, we design adaptive digital services and applications that capture the imagination, delivering impressive returns for our clients.
Design Leads at AKQA bring artistry, craft, and creative vision to complex digital challenges. They inspire and guide designers, champion design systems, and ensure creative excellence across all deliverables. Hands-on and deeply thoughtful, they shape the look, feel, and coherence of digital experiences from early concept through final delivery, elevating both the work and the people around them.
We are seeking an experienced Freelance Design Lead to support one of the world's most recognized travel brands, a globally admired company whose digital products and services reach millions of customers every day. In this role you will guide and inspire designers, lead the evolution of complex design systems, and ensure creative excellence across a flagship digital product experience. This is a high-visibility engagement where strong design leadership and systems-level thinking have a direct and meaningful impact on the people using these products every time they travel. This is a freelance role from August 17 through December 23, 2026.
ROLE REQUIREMENTS
- Provide hands-on leadership and creative direction, guiding a team of designers to produce world-class digital product experiences
- Oversee the creation, maintenance, and evolution of complex design systems, ensuring scalability, consistency, and craft at every level
- Shape the creative vision for digital platforms and products, aligning with client goals and the needs of a diverse, global user base
- Collaborate closely with UX, strategy, and development teams to deliver cohesive, high-quality solutions
- Present creative concepts and design solutions to clients with clarity, confidence, and strategic insight
- Actively mentor and support junior and mid-level designers, fostering collaboration, accountability, and professional growth
- Contribute to a culture of creative excellence, pushing for the most distinctive and effective solutions at every stage of the work
QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS
- 5+ years of experience in UI design, art direction, or a related field, with a strong portfolio showcasing digital platforms and products
- Proven ability to lead and inspire teams, with a track record of mentoring and elevating designers
- Deep expertise in creating and evolving design systems, with a focus on scalability, consistency, and innovation
- Strong working knowledge of user interface, application, mobile, and responsive design principles
- Expert proficiency in Figma, including advanced component and library management
- Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to present and defend creative work to clients and stakeholders
- Experience collaborating with cross-disciplinary teams, including UX and development, to deliver integrated solutions
- A proactive mindset and the ability to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of technology and design
- A strong point of view and the ability to promote and encourage conceptual thinking across the team
Location & Commitment
- Remote (United States only); Atlanta-based candidates are especially welcome and, if local, encouraged to join the team in person from time to time
- August 17, 2026 through December 23, 2026
- 40 hours/week
- Expected weekly compensation: $3,000 to $3,400
We believe great work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach including required in-office days. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.
AKQA is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.
About WPP
WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.
Skills Required
- 5+ years of experience in UI design, art direction, or related field with strong digital product portfolio
- Proven ability to lead, mentor, and inspire design teams
- Deep expertise in creating and evolving design systems for scalability and consistency
- Strong working knowledge of user interface, application, mobile, and responsive design principles
- Expert proficiency in Figma, including advanced component and library management
- Exceptional communication skills and ability to present and defend creative work to clients and stakeholders
- Experience collaborating with UX, strategy, and development teams to deliver integrated solutions
- Proactive mindset and adaptability to evolving technology and design trends
- Strong conceptual thinking and ability to promote conceptual work across the team
AKQA Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about AKQA and has not been reviewed or approved by AKQA.
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Parental & Family Support — Policies include fully paid parental leave for all parents, adoption support, and family leave for caregiving needs. Additional supports such as subsidized backup childcare and regional enhancements reinforce family care.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage offers multiple plan options with full preventive care, mental‑health resources, and dental and vision coverage. Some regions provide 24/7 virtual doctor access and supplementary healthcare budgets for services not covered by insurance.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time‑away provisions include generous paid holidays with increases over tenure and a companywide year‑end closure. Special, study, and event‑based leave (e.g., weddings, moving) broaden the range of available time off.
AKQA Insights
What We Do
AKQA is the frontier agency, uniting imagination, design, craft and technology to create new forms of value. For more than three decades, we've helped brands imagine what’s next and make what matters, from pioneering digital to defining the next era of AI. Operating across 19 countries and 30 locations, we work with organisations to build intelligent systems, digital products, connected ecosystems and immersive experiences that shape culture, deepen brand relevance and unlock growth. AKQA is a WPP agency.
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