Color Designer Job Description

Performance apparel and footwear are sold season by season, and every seasonal palette has to be approved by merchandising, design, and a color committee before any sample production begins. That approval process gave rise to the Color Designer. The Color Designer owns the seasonal palette for one product category, judged by how faithfully finished products carry the approved direction, and answers to color design management. Order minimums, factory restrictions, and material limits decide which shades survive into the final line each season, so palette decisions are made under real production constraints.

Success as a Color Designer means giving each seasonal line a palette that suits its target consumer and still reads as one brand across every product category. The work sits within an apparel or footwear design organization, next to merchandising and materials teams, with a color design manager as the reporting line.

Career Impact: Shipped seasonal palettes from a portfolio that apparel and footwear design leaders read as proof of color judgment.

Business Impact: Accurate color direction cuts sample corrections at factories and keeps merchandising buys tied to an on-calendar line.

Growth Opportunity: Mentoring junior designers and shaping seasonal color strategy leads toward an apparel color design and styling manager role.

Company Value: Two trips a year, domestic and international, are built in for color and trend research.

• Research color, lifestyle, and market trends for a product category and translate the findings into seasonal direction.
• Build seasonal color palettes by product category and apply them across styles to complete a cohesive line.
• Collaborate with design, merchandising, product marketing, development, and materials teams to align color solutions with market needs.
• Present color direction and trend findings on concept boards so merchandising teams can plan buys around each palette.
• Review seasonal sales samples against approved color direction, and document changes where samples fall short.
• Maintain the color calendar and product deadlines so each style and collection completes on schedule.
• Communicate color changes clearly to colorists and development teams for final confirmation.
• Create visual line pages and product imagery showing each style in its approved colorways.

• Bachelor's degree in design or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• 5 or more years of color design experience, with progressively more technically challenging product work.
• Strong understanding of color theory, color composition, and color placement, with a trained eye for materials.
• Working knowledge of product design, development, and manufacturing processes, including how fabrics and materials affect color outcomes.
• Proficiency in digital design and graphics software used to develop and present color concepts for product.
• Excellent verbal, written, and visual communication skills for explaining color decisions to audiences at every level.
• Solid awareness of consumer needs, competitor products, and retail habits that shape which colors succeed in a category.
• Ability to influence decisions across functions while staying accountable for both the outcome and the process.

• Understanding of 3D design and how it can be applied to visualize product color before physical samples are produced.
• Knowledge of digital color processing from RGB through CMYK to LAB, for consistent color from screen to finished product.
• Experience mentoring junior designers and sharing color and material knowledge across a design team.
• Experience shaping color direction for gender-specific or category-specific lines within a seasonal assortment.

• Color milestones met on time (percent), showing adherence to the seasonal calendar.
• First-pass sample color approval rate (percent), reflecting how closely samples match approved direction.
• Color revisions per style before final confirmation (count), reflecting how settled each palette is.
• Styles in approved colorways at line review (percent), showing palette completeness.
• Sell-through rate by colorway (percent), showing how well palette choices match consumer demand.
• Typical tools: Digital design software (commonly the Adobe suite).

• Base Salary Range: $80,000 to $115,000 per year, depending on city and company size
• Bonus: Annual performance bonus of 5 to 10% of base salary is common
• Equity: Restricted stock units are occasionally offered at senior levels in public companies
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage, with employers usually covering most premiums
• PTO: 15 to 20 days of paid time off plus company holidays
• Common Perks: Employee product discounts, 401(k) matching, flexible schedules, and wellness stipends

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States, and employment is contingent on the successful completion of a background check. Reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act are available to qualified applicants on request. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

The Color Designer shapes color trends and palettes by activity, applying color across an apparel assortment so each class delivers a complete head-to-toe look for guests. Reporting to the concept department, the Color Designer partners with design and merchandising teams, helping protect base volume while supporting growth in each product class.

Key Responsibilities

• Research and apply colour to product to elevate the business and support class growth.
• Partner with design and merch teams to drive design forward whilst protecting the base volume business.
• Be the expert in the product category, aware of competition and market leads, to help drive the category business forward with a global reach.
• Provide a visual line plan by colour to help guide and inform merch buys.
• Bring design work to life by applying colour that is right for its class and fit for product material.
• Complete the head-to-toe look so that guests can create their own capsule outfit relevant to the palette in apparel.
• Produce colour vision to assortment, ensuring head-to-toe is completed.
• Manage workflows within the concept department.
• Deliver expert knowledge and insights to their craft and product class.

Required Qualifications

• BA, BFA, or BS in Design required (or equivalent).
• 5 or more years of industry experience is required.
• Familiarity with 3D design would be a benefit.
• Proficiency in Adobe Suite, Excel, Word, and the Mac platform.
• Ability to communicate with honesty and kindness and create the space for others to do the same.
• Ability to foster connection by putting people first and building trusting relationships.

Embedded within the color and material design team, the Color and Material Designer shapes the direction of interior and exterior color, texture, gloss, and finish for concept and production vehicles through digital presentations and renderings. Working closely with cross-functional teams, fellow designers, and suppliers, the Color and Material Designer keeps program deliverables within program targets and gives each vehicle program a color and material direction that holds up in production.

Core Functions

• Develop and guide color and material designs through digital presentations and renderings for concept and production vehicles.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive successful global relationships with both internal and external partners, and suppliers.
• Work with other Color and Material Designers to strategize in the development of textiles, forecast trends, and research.
• Create and validate color, texture, gloss, and finish as necessary.
• Support all program timing, ensuring program and project deliverables are met within the program targets.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Design, Fine Arts, or equivalent degree with specialization in fashion, textiles, or related field.
• 1 or more years of experience required in automotive/industrial/mobility color and material design or development, including work in product design or textile design and internship and/or co-op experience.
• Working-level knowledge of fabrics and trims associated with the development process.
• Expert knowledge of 3D prototyping, property builds, etc.
• Strong, demonstrated understanding of color theory (hue, value, chroma, etc.).
• Proficiency in Adobe Suite tools (i.e., Photoshop, Illustrator, VRED) and Microsoft Suite tools (i.e., PowerPoint, Excel).
• Ability to effectively communicate designs and strategy direction with cross-functional teams.
• Ability to be self-motivated, adaptable, and flexible, and to multi-task.

Reporting to the Apparel Color Design and Styling Manager, the Color Designer builds seasonal color palettes for the apparel product creation team, keeping each palette true to the brand. Partnering with design, product marketing, development, materials, and the apparel colorist, the Color Designer helps deliver merchandisable performance apparel lines that reflect trends and meet a premium standard.

Primary Duties

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Design, Product Marketing, Development, and Materials, to create a merchandisable line from concept to commercialization and to focus color solutions for market success.
• Successfully influence decisions across the functions with full accountability and ownership for the outcome as well as the process.
• Research and deliver color, design, market, and lifestyle trends that influence and impact the product, and continuously shop market and trend resources for color and trend inspiration.
• Finalize product details and proactively follow through on the execution of color on each product.
• Maintain calendar/timelines/deadlines that result in a timely completion of each product and/or collection.
• Co-present color trends and palettes at internal product meetings.
• Provide color/concept boards to communicate research findings on color, trend, and consumer needs for performance apparel through a runner lens to offer new design ideas.
• Reflect the aesthetic of the brand and use the seasonal color palette to create and apply color to product that reflects trend and aligns with the product-specific market.
• Work closely with Apparel Color Design and Styling Manager through concept, design, and presentation to execute color palettes and seasonal concepts.
• Make decisions on color changes and communicate updates to the Apparel Colorist for lab dipping.
• Review seasonal sales samples for adherence to color direction, and identify, document, and recommend changes when samples do not align with color direction.
• Understand minimums, factory restrictions, and material limitations to determine colors for styles.
• Create, maintain, and update visual product line pages and ensure consistency with the PLM system, including adding seasonal CAD imagery to the Bill of Materials (BOMS).
• Input and maintain color information per style in the PLM system BOMS to ensure accuracy for sales samples.

Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Design or related field required, and education may be substituted for relevant experience.
• 5 or more years of experience in a related role preferred.
• Solid design education and training in vector-based graphics programs is a must.
• Working knowledge of color composition and theory with a quick, learned eye for color and materials.
• Working knowledge of color processing, from RGB to CMYK to LAB digital color.
• Proficient in vector-based graphics software applications as a power user, including Adobe Illustrator.
• Familiarity with Photoshop is useful.
• Comfort working in a Mac environment for design, with some need to work in a PC environment and with spectrophotometer hardware.
• Ability to interact effectively and professionally with all levels of the organization.
• Strong presentation, written, and communication skills.
• Available for international and domestic travel twice a year for color and trend.

Sitting at the intersection of client aesthetic direction and manufacturing capability, the Color Designer delivers clear CMF specifications and design solutions that reflect market needs. Operating across client projects, supplier and manufacturing sites, and a multidisciplinary project team that includes the Design Manager and the Internal Design Team, the Color Designer takes CMF work from concept to commercialization and expands what the company can offer to customers.

Duties

• Develop clear and concise CMF specifications in collaboration with the Design Manager and the Internal Design Team for the benefit of all key stakeholders across the organization.
• Employ strong conceptual skills and persuasive articulation of creative ideas that support the aesthetic direction of various client projects.
• Provide fresh, leading, relevant, and feasible CMF design solutions that reflect market needs.
• Interpret and incorporate abstract concepts and translate them into designs based on visual and verbal information provided.
• Maintain key customer relationships, networks, and trend resources.
• Provide CMF support to all manufacturing and supplier sites as needed.
• Manage CMF from concept to commercialization.
• Provide project administrative support to include precise and accurate record-keeping and review project PDT's for design accuracy.
• Assist in managing client expectations and communications, and proactively follow up to expedite program work for color match requests.
• Synthesize multiple and/or conflicting requirements and problem-solve to create outstanding design solutions that expand capabilities.
• Work independently and/or as an active member of a multi-disciplinary project team, which may include dedication to a single large project or to multiple smaller projects simultaneously.
• Stay abreast of the latest aesthetic trends and how trends can contribute to the company's capability and library of designs.

Requirements

• BA/BS in Design or related discipline; an Associate Degree may be considered with 5 years of pertinent experience.
• 3 to 5 years of relevant design experience, ideally in one or more of the following fields: Color and Trim, Graphic Design, and Textile Design.
• Experience working with global brands and clients across different categories.
• Experience in trend analysis, storyboarding, and surface pattern making.
• Working knowledge of printing processes and texture offerings in design development, with preferred knowledge of flat-bed, continuous, and digital print processes.
• Proficiency in creating repeats of digital patterns.
• Strong skill set in techniques for manipulation of digital files.
• Proven trends and materials development skills, primarily in the manufacturing industry.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite programs, particularly Photoshop and Illustrator.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office with emphasis on Word and PowerPoint.
• Strong verbal, written, and visual communication skills, and can clearly communicate design intent, inspire creative solutions, and negotiate key metrics.
• Ability to fluently speak and understand English.
• Fluency in Mandarin and Chinese for employees in Asia, and fluency in French for SARL employees.

A key member of the color design organization, the Color Designer leads seasonal color direction for a category or gender-specific line, from trend research through the color merchandising story. Collaborating across design, marketing, and development teams, the Color Designer works with the Category and Design Director to support market success and timely completion of each product.

Functions

• Plan and execute color designs.
• Collaborate with design, product marketing, development, and material consultants to focus on color solutions for market success.
• Review all samples to achieve marketable solution review with design, marketing, and development.
• Clearly communicate all changes for final confirmation.
• Maintain color calendar/timelines/deadlines for category/division resulting in the timely completion of each product.
• Develop line art, color design server, GPIN, merchandising line, cutting samples and work with a material consultant to coordinate materials for products.
• Use advanced knowledge and practices in all phases of product execution, and train and mentor more junior designers on knowledge and advancements.
• Research and deliver color, design, market, and lifestyle trends that influence and impact the product category process from product briefing to product concept to samples.
• Contribute to seasonal color strategy for products, line segments, and initiatives, and create seasonal category-specific direction of color, materials, and graphics.
• Create and lead color merchandising strategies and stories seasonally in partnership with the Category and Design Director.
• Know the consumer and apply insights from a consumer perspective into color solutions.
• Present and communicate category-specific color direction and color merchandising direction of the seasonal line to appropriate groups.
• Work with design/category to produce presentation materials that effectively communicate color direction related to the consumer, product concepts, and creative strategy to internal and external audiences.
• Participate in and deliver bi-annual category/divisional specific color needs for incorporation into footwear color committee preparation.

Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree is required.
• 6 or more years of progressively technically challenging color design experience.
• Familiarity with product manufacturing processes, including materials/fabrics, plastics, and pigments, and with the product design and development process.
• Deep understanding of consumer and brand-positioning needs as it relates to category/division.
• Working knowledge of category/division consumers and their culture to improve product performance and appearance.
• Strong knowledge of competitor products, consumer retail habits, color, and market trends.
• Working knowledge of color trends, color mixing, color compatibility, and color placement.
• Advanced design skills to create original, innovative, retainable color solutions for the category or gender-specific line.
• Working knowledge of Macintosh computers using Photoshop, Freehand, and/or Illustrator, and of CAD programs, preferably in a Mac environment.
• Strong verbal, written, visual, and high-profile communication skills in local market language, including meeting facilitation and presentations.
• Ability to understand challenges or underlying concerns, share ideas, and develop effective responses or elevate to higher management.
• Ability to work independently and cooperatively in a diverse group.
• Capacity to network, influence, and use internal and external resources.
• Ability to articulate how color can affect product and sales.