Toy Designer at Squishable

What does this position do?

The Squishable Product Designer is responsible for creating plush, toy, and lifestyle product ideas for an active art department at Squishable, a leading designer of plush toys and accessories. Working with a small team of other designers and illustrators, this person assists with day-to-day product research, brainstorming, ideation, and implementation, including producing original artwork and specs, and critiquing and updating prototypes as they are executed at the factory. They are in charge of choosing fan-created designs for our crowdsourcing platform, Project Open Squish, and both readying designs for our voting website, as well as preparing winning fan art work for prototype. They interact with fan artists to answer questions, and critique and support their work before, during, and after the voting process. They help out with professional and internal photoshoots, and they assist with other art and design-related duties as they arise.

Is this role right for me?

To do this role, you will need to:

• Assist with product design, both in new concept ideation and implementing other people's concepts. Working digitally you will generate product idea sketches, final art, and create design and style specs for factories. You will choose colors and fur types, and create other related checklists and QC documents.
• Process prototype updates using Photoshop, tweaking and updating factory photography and design details to get each element just right.
• Use a customer service system to interact with a large number of fan artists, responding to fan questions, critiquing and judging fan artwork, and keeping fan artists updated throughout the voting process
• Process and polish fan artwork using Photoshop, import files into a large CMS, and maintain the online fan voting system during and after each round of voting.
• Brainstorm up and contribute new ideas for innovative projects.
• Be able to handle a constantly shifting role. We are a small business, where everyone does everything; our agility is our biggest strength. This is a job for someone who doesn't mind staying on their toes, who can perform under tight time constraints and isn't afraid to try new things at short notice.
• Other duties as needed.

Tell me about the qualifications!

You have a completed college degree, a professional attitude, and you like cute things. Your portfolio shows a proficiency with product design in a variety of styles, but particularly adorable ones. You are deeply organized, self-motivated, and highly detail-oriented. You have opinions and ideas about new ways things can be done, and you're not shy about voicing them.

What are the must-have skills?

• Expert-level knowledge in Photoshop.
• Experience in toy and/or lifestyle design.
• Degree in illustration, product design, or a related field.
• Digital photography and manipulation skills.
• Extremely strong English writing skills with a funny, lighthearted voice.
• Basic office technology skills (including Excel)
• Did we mention you need to appreciate cute things? If you go "Awww" at least once a day, this might be the position for you.

This is a full-time position based in our New York, NY office. Salary and benefits are commensurate with experience.

How do I apply?

Please apply via Indeed. No application will be considered without:

• Your cover letter
• Resume
• Links to portfolio
• Links to your Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and any other social media platforms you're active on

About Squishable

Squishable is a leading manufacturer of plush toys and related accessories. Since its founding in 2007 the company has since grown to become a fixture of the specialty toy industry. Squishable's namesake plush toy line is carried in thousands of toy stores across the U.S. and Canada and around the world.

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $35,000.00 to $45,000.00 /year

Experience:

• Product Design: 1 year (Preferred)

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Benefits offered:

• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Health insurance
• Other types of insurance
• Retirement benefits or accounts
• Commuting/travel assistance
• Employee discounts