Illustrator jobs in London

MERCHANDISE DESIGNER

Position: Full-time, office based in Islington, North London (with the opportunity for one discretionary work-from-home day per week following successful completion of probation).

Location: N1 3QP, Islington, North London

Salary: £35,000 to £45,000 per annum, depending on experience, plus discretionary performance bonus

A NOTE TO ALL APPLICANTS

We welcome candidates using AI to improve grammar and presentation. However, applications that simply mirror the wording of this advert, artificially match keywords or misrepresent skills and experience are unlikely to progress. We’re looking for authentic portfolios, genuine experience and original creative thinking, all of which become evident during our review process, interviews and design assessment.

ABOUT I WISH

I Wish is a fast-growing strategic sourcing company supplying licensed and promotional merchandise to leading entertainment brands, museums, attractions and retailers across the UK and Europe. We work with some of the world’s most recognised organisations, including Harry Potter retail stores, The Walt Disney Company, Disneyland Paris, Universal Pictures, Danone, Coca-Cola, P&G and many others.

We design, manufacture and deliver licensed, retail and promotional merchandise for some of the world’s most recognised brands. Our product ranges span drinkware, stationery, bags, homeware, collectibles, souvenirs, gifts, accessories and seasonal merchandise. Every product is thoughtfully designed to capture the essence of a brand, creating memorable experiences that delight consumers, collectors and fans around the world.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We’re looking for a “Merchandise Wizard” to join our creative team as a Merchandise Designer.

This isn’t a traditional product engineering or industrial design role, and it isn’t essential for you to have studied product engineering or 3D design at university. You might be an exceptional Graphic Designer with experience designing physical products, or a Product Designer with outstanding graphic design skills.

What matters most is your ability to interpret a creative brief, translate established brand style guides into cohesive merchandise collections, and create products that are visually compelling, commercially successful and ready for manufacture. We’re looking for designers who think beyond the individual product, creating collections that tell a story, evoke emotion and resonate with consumers.

Starting with iconic brands and their style guides, you’ll develop exciting merchandise collections across a wide range of product categories, balancing creativity with commercial thinking, technical feasibility and manufacturing requirements.

From the initial concept and client presentation through to production-ready artwork and sampling, you’ll work closely with our Creative Director, project managers and trusted manufacturing partners in China to ensure every product is beautifully designed, expertly developed and successfully brought to market.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop creative merchandise concepts from client briefs.
• Create complete product collections from existing brand style guides.
• Produce exceptional presentation visuals and concept boards.
• Prepare production-ready artwork and technical specifications.
• Develop packaging, graphics and supporting collateral.
• Work closely with manufacturing partners in China to ensure products are technically feasible and ready for production.
• Review prototypes and production samples, providing detailed artwork and product feedback.
• Understand materials, finishes, manufacturing methods and decoration techniques.
• Collaborate with project managers, clients and licensors throughout the development process.
• Ensure products meet creative, commercial and manufacturing requirements.
• Understand style guides, licensing, packaging, print, factory communication and product development

WHAT YOU'LL BE WORKING ON

You’ll be designing licensed merchandise across a diverse range of product categories, including drinkware, stationery, bags, collectibles, souvenirs, gifts, homeware, packaging, plush, accessories, promotional products and seasonal merchandise. From concept through to production, you’ll create complete merchandise collections that are commercially successful, visually engaging and beautifully executed, working closely with our trusted manufacturing partners in China.

Beyond the creative work, you’ll take ownership of your product developments, maintaining day-to-day communication with factories, project managers and high-profile clients, ensuring projects remain on schedule, meet technical and brand requirements, and are delivered to the highest standard. No two days are the same, and you’ll often be developing entire product ranges rather than individual products.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

The ideal candidate will have:

• A genuine passion for merchandise, brands and consumer products, with the ability to think creatively whilst balancing commercial and manufacturing realities.
• Proven experience designing and developing licensed, promotional or retail merchandise that has been successfully manufactured in China.
• A strong graphic design background with an exceptional eye for typography, composition, colour, branding and visual storytelling.
• Experience translating established brand style guides into commercially successful merchandise collections.
• Excellent Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop skills, with the ability to produce presentation-quality concepts and production-ready artwork.
• Experience preparing technical artwork, specifications and factory files suitable for manufacture.
• A solid understanding of product construction, manufacturing processes, materials, decoration techniques and production tolerances.
• Experience working directly with manufacturing partners in China, reviewing technical drawings, CADs, artwork, prototypes and pre-production samples, and collaborating to refine products before mass production.
• Strong commercial awareness with an understanding of retail trends, consumer appeal and what makes great merchandise.
• Excellent communication skills and confidence collaborating with project managers, overseas suppliers and clients.
• Exceptional attention to detail, organisation and the ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.

This role isn’t about creating beautiful concepts that remain on a screen. It’s about designing products that are successfully manufactured.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please submit your CV together with your portfolio.

Your portfolio is the most important part of your application and will play a significant role in our selection process.

We’re looking for portfolios that showcase merchandise and product design, not just 2D graphic design. Wherever possible, please include examples that demonstrate the full design journey, from initial concepts and presentations through to production-ready artwork and photographs of the finished manufactured products.

We’d love to see examples of merchandise collections, packaging, retail or promotional products, and how you’ve interpreted brand guidelines into commercially successful product ranges.

As we review your portfolio, we’ll be assessing not only your creativity, but also your eye for layout, composition, typography, colour, storytelling and attention to detail. We’re looking for designers who understand how great graphics translate into beautiful physical products and who can create collections that consumers genuinely want to own.

Applications without a portfolio, or portfolios consisting primarily of branding, digital or social media work, are unlikely to be considered.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview, with the final stage including a creative design exercise based on a live client brief.

BENEFITS

· Performance-related annual bonus

· 23 days holiday plus public holidays

· Company pension scheme

· Complimentary breakfast essentials in the office

· Modern office space in Islington with kitchen, breakout areas, bike room, showers, café…

· Career development opportunities within a growing business

We are looking for people who enjoy a challenge, want to learn, and are excited by the opportunity to help build a growing business while also growing with the business.

Pay: £35,000.00-£45,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company pension

Work Location: In person