The School of Life is looking for a visionary Freelance Creative Director to lead the expansion of our retail range, focusing on merging intellectual depth with aesthetic sophistication. The chosen individual will work alongside Founder and Creative Director, Alain de Botton, and our in-house team to craft a lifestyle brand that resonates with modern, design-savvy audiences while staying true to the ethos of The School of Life. The School of Life has a very successful retail range – consisting of books, conversation card sets, psychological games, and a 15-minute timer. Our books and products are designed to contribute meaningfully to our company’s mission to help our customers ‘learn, heal and grow’ in areas including relationships, mental health, anxiety and workplace challenges. In addition, we want our products to look extraordinary: beautiful, mysterious, elegant, made with premium materials and crafted with environmental sustainability in mind. We are now looking to expand into new ranges of tools and products.

Key Requirements:

Experience in Designing for Retail:Proven track record in developing physical products, from conceptualisation to market launch.
Ability to design products that are not only functional but also imbued with meaning, beauty and emotional resonance.
Strong storytelling capabilities to translate The School of Life’s philosophy into tangible products.
Creative Leadership:Strong lateral thinking skills to inspire and lead creative ideas while navigating creative challenges.
Ability to direct and coordinate the creative team to maintain a cohesive approach across The School of Life’s identity.
Experience working in a creative environment and leading a team.
Aesthetic and Strategic Oversight:A talent for delivering a “cool” brand identity—trendy, elegant, and visually striking.
Setting aspirational benchmarks in retail design and storytelling that align with The School of Life’s values.
Vision to create a cohesive and meaningful product range spanning lifestyle categories.
Interpersonal and Operational Skills:Skilled at articulating ideas clearly and liasing with cross-functional teams and external creative partners.
Collaborative approach to design, with the ability to incorporate constructive feedback into product design.
Risk-Taking and Visionary Thinking:Willingness to push creative boundaries and explore unconventional ideas.
An entrepreneurial mindset to challenge norms and deliver bold innovations.
Design-Driven Mission:A passion for contemporary design and a finger on the pulse of global lifestyle trends.
Ability to infuse the retail range with a sense of style that appeals to fashionable, design-conscious consumers.
Ability to understand and assimilate content to create resonating consumer narratives.

Responsibilities:

Develop and execute a retail-focused design strategy aligned with The School of Life’s mission and values. / Lead the creative team in ideating and prototyping products that inspire and engage. / Ensure a seamless integration of design, branding, and marketing in collaboration with cross-functional teams. /Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure a seamless integration of design, branding, and marketing. /Stay ahead of industry trends to maintain the brand’s competitive edge and cultural relevance. / Champion innovation to create iconic, memorable products. / Work closely with Alain de Botton, The School of Life’s Founder and overall Creative Director.

Key Attributes:

Bold thinker with a track record of creative risk-taking that delivers results. / Passionate about design as a tool for emotional and intellectual connection. / A leader who thrives in a collaborative creative environment. / Trendsetter with an innate sense of style and aesthetics. / Experienced in navigating team dynamics, ensuring clarity on responsibilities and decision-making structures.

Deliverable:

A retail range that positions The School of Life as a trailblazer in the lifestyle and design space—products that are as thoughtful and meaningful as they are beautiful and covetable.

The School of Life

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