Production Designer - Freelance

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.

Production Designers at AKQA are essential to the craft and integrity of our work. Meticulous and deeply skilled, they bring ideas to life with precision and care, ensuring every deliverable meets the highest standard of quality before it reaches the world. They work in close partnership with creative, design, and account teams, translating vision into production-ready assets across a wide range of formats and channels.

We are seeking a Freelance Print Production Designer to support active client work across a range of print and large-format deliverables. You will bring deep production expertise and a practiced eye to a collaborative, fast-moving environment, ensuring files are flawless, on-brand, and built to spec. Out-of-home production is a meaningful part of what you do, and you bring a fluency with large-format specifications, vendor requirements, and the nuances of preparing work that performs at scale and in the real world.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

• Prepare and manage print-ready files across a range of formats, including large-format and out-of-home applications, with meticulous attention to specs, color, and production standards
• Work from existing design concepts and brand guidelines to produce accurate, production-ready mechanicals across multiple deliverable types
• Demonstrate fluency in out-of-home production requirements, including billboard, transit, and large-format specifications, bleed, resolution, and vendor submission standards
• Manage color accurately across print workflows, including CMYK, Pantone, and spot color considerations
• Coordinate with print vendors and production partners as needed, ensuring files are delivered correctly and on time
• Maintain organized, clearly labeled file systems and documentation that are easy for teammates and partners to navigate
• Support creative and design teams throughout the production lifecycle, from initial file setup through final delivery
• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teammates including designers, art directors, and account managers in a fast-paced environment

QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS

• Deep production craft with a practiced eye for detail across typography, color, spacing, and layout accuracy
• Significant out-of-home production experience is an important part of your background, alongside broader print expertise
• Fluent in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop, with a highly organized approach to file management
• Understands the full arc of print production and brings both technical precision and sound creative judgment to the work
• Clear communicator who collaborates constructively, responds well to feedback, and keeps work moving with minimal friction
• Adaptable and composed in a high-velocity environment, comfortable managing multiple deliverables with shifting timelines
• Proactive about catching errors, closing gaps, and ensuring nothing goes to production without being truly ready

Location & Commitment

• Remote (United States only)
• $2,600-$3,000/week
• Runs from 6.10 to 7.17