Design Lead - Design Systems - Freelance

At AKQA, a Most Loved Workplace® certified employer in the Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations space, Design and innovation transforming ideas into world-changing impact.

<p>At AKQA (part of WPP), 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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>We are seeking an experienced Freelance Design Lead to support one of the most globally recognized consumer brands in the world, a company with an enormous and deeply loyal customer base whose digital products and services touch millions of people 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 remote freelance role from ASAP through September 30, 2026.</p>

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<p>ROLE REQUIREMENTS</p>

<ul>

<li>Provide hands-on leadership and creative direction, guiding a team of designers to produce world-class digital product experiences</li>

<li>Oversee the creation, maintenance, and evolution of complex design systems, ensuring scalability, consistency, and craft at every level</li>

<li>Shape the creative vision for digital platforms and products, aligning with client goals and the needs of a diverse, loyal user base</li>

<li>Collaborate closely with UX, strategy, and development teams to deliver cohesive, high-quality solutions</li>

<li>Present creative concepts and design solutions

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