WHAT DOES A DESIGN ASSISTANT DO?

Published: October 11, 2024 - The Design Assistant ensures a warm and welcoming environment by greeting customers, fielding calls, and preparing Welcome packets diligently. Coordinates meticulously with Design Consultants to schedule selection appointments and facilitates buyer previews, enhancing the customer experience with informational tours and detailed discussions about design features. Manages and updates systems and templates, oversees Design Center events and vendor installations, and maintains a well-organized file system to uphold the highest standards of service and efficiency.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Design Assistant

1. Design Assistant Duties

  • Presentation Board Creation: Assist in creating presentation boards.
  • Board Maintenance: Keep all boards constantly clean and updated.
  • Conceptual Development: Contribute to the research and conceptual development of the design process.
  • Idea Contribution: Contribute ideas by researching photos, shops, styling details, etc.
  • Meeting Preparation: Prepare and update presentation boards for sketch and product review meetings.
  • Mock-Up Creation: Research and create mock-ups, etc.
  • Color Mock-Up Development: Prepare color mock-ups in Photoshop and propose color/material combinations.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Develop partnerships with Tech Design, Product Development & Production to build on integrated working relationships.
  • Style Archiving: Create a seasonal archive of styles, swatches, and development.

2. Design Assistant Details

  • Seasonal Range Development: Develop seasonal ranges working closely with the creative directors.
  • Technical Design Translation: Translate sketches into detailed technical CADs clearly proposing proportion, detail, and fit.
  • Range Planning: Ensure that the team is up to date with range plans.
  • Tech Pack Creation: Create tech packs ready for sampling, giving clear instructions on construction and finishings, revising and finalizing for production.
  • Fittings Participation: Participate in fittings, able to contribute ideas on finishings, fabric, and fit.
  • Technical Communication: Work fully factored and able to communicate using the right terms, especially when creating technical tech packs.
  • Print Development Management: Solely manage the whole print development process and strike-offs/lab dips approvals.
  • Seasonal Research Assistance: Assist in researching seasonal themes, inspiration, fabric, and color concepts.
  • Design Presentation: Work out scale, color, and repeats, presenting ideas/designs to the creative directors as the season develops, ensuring prints coordinate with the rest of the collection.
  • Print Development: Develop prints by hand and digitally, showing a range of different illustration styles.
  • Print Design Process Adherence: Follow the complete print design process and critical path, ensuring all print deadlines are respected and strictly adhered to.

3. Design Assistant Responsibilities

  • Data Entry: Enter/process client-specific data and portfolio holdings into firm proprietary software.
  • Client Analysis Support: Assist with initial analysis of prospective client statements.
  • Presentation Preparation: Create and prepare customized presentations for specific advisor and client meetings.
  • Print Coordination: Print and bind client presentations.
  • Relationship Building: Develop relationships with sales investment consultants.
  • Clerical Support: Perform clerical and support tasks.
  • Quality Assurance: Maintain defined quality standards and expectations.
  • Pattern Creation: Create placement prints as well as patterns.
  • Seamless File Preparation: Ensure that all artwork is put into seamless repeat files on Adobe Suite programs, ready to be sent out to factories by set deadlines.
  • Print Specification: Ensure print spec sheets are filled in for each print/solid color for the collection.
  • Embroidery Pattern Development: Develop embroidery patterns and translate them into a tech pack for factories.
  • Production Process Management: Manage and support the development and production process.

4. Design Assistant Job Summary

  • CAD Design Assistance: Assist the Design Director in creating CAD and vector format complex shapes and drawings.
  • International Communication: Communicate files and articulate ideas to overseas factories.
  • Graphic Design & Print Preparation: Provide in-house graphic design, print preparation, and archiving of marketing collateral including but not limited to brochures, direct mail, advertising, website materials, posters, packaging, and logos for all products and services.
  • Project Management: Assist projects from conceptualization to production, including consulting with clients and management to determine scope of project with Design Director, developing sample layouts for approval, interfacing with outside vendors, presenting samples for approval, and preparing final layout for production.
  • Design Recommendation: Recommend selection of colors, materials, furnishings, lighting, and accessories.
  • Cost-Effective Design Strategies: Interface with appropriate departments to determine the most cost-effective methods for creating new products.
  • Design Library Reorganization: Assist with reorganization of existing and future design and image library.
  • Software Proficiency: Maintain a high level of knowledge and skill with all computer software related to the design and production of print materials.
  • Trend Analysis: Understand future trends in the home/building design and interiors industry and develop designs based on these trends.

5. Design Assistant Accountabilities

  • Independent Work: Work with minimal supervision, independently at times and collaboratively as part of a larger team at other times.
  • Project Management: Participate in multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines.
  • Deadline Adherence: Deliver work on time and with consistent attention to detail, relying on own experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals.
  • Social Media Support: Assist with Social Media Marketing.
  • Brainstorming Participation: Participate in brainstorming sessions.
  • Client Presentation Support: Support preparation for client presentations.
  • Event Attendance: Attend conventions, conferences, and trade shows.
  • Sample Coordination: Help with tracking and coordinating samples for review.
  • Problem Solving: Offer problem-solving strategy and creative options/solutions to designers and production artists.
  • Team Collaboration: Interact and collaborate effectively with internal and external team members to ensure creative needs of the company are met.

6. Design Assistant Functions

  • Digital Sketching: Sketch collections on Illustrator.
  • Quality Assurance: Assure quality of the final product before release.
  • Project Organization: Assist with project organization.
  • Design Assistance: Assist the Creative Designer/Owner in the development process.
  • Trend Research: Research and identify emerging trends and select fabrics, colors, or styles for each relevant garment.
  • Design Creation: Create design flats and tech packs using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, and present design ideas.
  • Presentation Preparation: Build and update design presentation boards and assist in the preparation of meetings.
  • Design Tracking: Maintain and track all designs in the Product Lifecycle Management system.
  • Seasonal Design Support: Support in creating a seasonal design menu of fabrics, details, colors, and shapes.

7. Design Assistant Job Description

  • CAD Support: Supporting designers with CAD-based design development.
  • Trend Research: Researching and identifying key trends, assisting the design team with creative ideas.
  • Tech Pack Creation: Creating and amending factory-ready technical packs for samples and production.
  • Artwork Development: Assisting with the development of artworks and prints for embroideries, motifs, and printed fabrics.
  • Supplier Correspondence: Corresponding with suppliers and recording up-to-date sample information.
  • Information Sharing: Frequent communication and information sharing with the pre-production team to relay key information per garment/style.
  • Deadline Management: Working to very tight deadlines, sometimes requiring work outside designated hours.
  • Organization Skills: Remaining organized while working over different brands/projects.
  • Record Keeping: Keeping a thorough record of the entire design & development process.
  • Patternmaker Communication: Communication with patternmakers and contractors.
  • Logistics Coordination: Driving to various locations such as mills, contractors, and dye houses.

8. Design Assistant Overview

  • Fabric Sourcing: Collaborate with the Design Manager on fabric and component sourcing requirements.
  • Asset Maintenance: Maintain the accuracy of internal visual range plans and style creation assets.
  • Design Research: Handle research tasks and create product-specific design briefs.
  • Adobe Skills: Clearly interpret and communicate style specifics through Adobe Creative Suite.
  • Sample Coordination: Coordinate the development & sampling process from concept to final sample.
  • Fitting Participation: Participate in garment fittings and maintain internal tech packs and critical style information.
  • Supplier Communication: Liaise with suppliers maintaining clear communication through all stages of product development.
  • Garment Construction Knowledge: Proven a sound understanding of garment construction, fitting, and grading with knit and woven fabrics for leading cycling or activewear brands.
  • Supplier Relationship Management: Created functional and enduring relationships with premium international garment suppliers.
  • Attention to Detail: Demonstrated borderline obsessive attention to detail during the product development process.

9. Design Assistant Details and Accountabilities

  • Customer Service: Maintain a welcoming environment by greeting customers, answering calls, and preparing Welcome packets.
  • Appointment Scheduling: Schedule selection appointments for Design Consultants.
  • Buyer Assistance: Conduct buyer previews and assist walk-in buyers with general informational tours, answering questions regarding included features and design.
  • Event Coordination: Coordinate Design Center events.
  • Vendor Coordination: Coordinate with vendor installations and updated offerings in the Design Center.
  • Information Management: Update systems and selection templates with accurate information and assist with maintaining Design Center reports.
  • Supply Management: Order and maintain office and refreshment supplies.
  • File Organization: Create and maintain organization of active and closed files.
  • Customer Service Excellence: Continually strive to provide and improve excellent service to customers.
  • Inventory Tracking: Track and organize development fabric.

10. Marketing and Design Assistant Tasks

  • Design Asset Creation: Deliver entirely fabulous design assets for websites, social media feeds, and advertising that align with brand guidelines and directly drive engagement/conversion.
  • Multimedia Editing: Work on video editing, social media, marketing data reporting, PR assistance, among others.
  • Team Support & Adaptability: Prioritize, identify where can help, focus, pivot, adapt, jump in and 'figure it out', assisting and helping the Marketing team drive forward and deliver brand message and content.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with the whole Marketing team, as well as with the Operations and Technical teams.
  • Project Coordination: Report to, and agree on priorities and delivery with, the Content Creation Manager and ultimately are responsible to the CEO.
  • Brand Consistency: Ensure that design output is on brand, on time, and on point.
  • Brand Guideline Adherence: Follow brand guidelines and keep all visuals cohesive and 'on brand'.
  • Content Development: Create branded PDFs.
  • Social Media Management: Schedule content and write copy for social channels, demonstrating an acute understanding of what works and engages with the audience.
  • Community Engagement: Encourage content from followers, seeing opportunities, building relationships with other content creators/relevant influencers.
  • Social Media Interaction: Reply to comments on social media.
  • Content Optimization: Post, update, and 'SEO' blog posts on Wordpress.
  • Video Content Creation: Create and edit video content for social media, PPC, and membership site.
  • Task Management: Keep Trello up to date with task statuses and identify where can assist other team members.
  • Time Management: Accurate time tracking within Toggl.