Job Description
Designer - DK Life

London (Hybrid) | Permanent contract

Join DK Life, home to our award-winning lifestyle publishing, and help shape the future of our Lifestyle list through thoughtful, impactful design. We are looking for a creative and skilled mid-weight Designer with a keen eye for detail, a passion for storytelling through design, and the ability to bring bold visual ideas to life.

Working primarily on DK RED, our narrative non-fiction imprint, you will be responsible for running titles such as How to Make Your Brain Your Best Friend by Rachel Barr, Still Beautiful by Katie Piper, and Lessons from a Default Parent by Lou Beckett. You will contribute to the visual direction of the list, creating covers that inspire and engage readers. Experience working on four-colour lifestyle books would be an advantage.

Reporting to the Design Manager and working from the office a minimum of three days a week, you will manage multiple projects simultaneously, adapting your style to suit each title while maintaining a consistently high standard of quality.

Your key responsibilities will include:

In this varied and fast-paced role, you will take ownership of titles from concept through to final files, ensuring every page is visually striking and aligned to the brief.

 

  • Creating moodboards and developing visual styling for books.

  • Designing, running and overseeing your own titles.

  • Organising and attending photoshoots.

  • Briefing freelancers and commissioning illustrations.

  • Experimenting with new styles and techniques to push our design forward.

 

What we are looking for:

 

  • Proven design experience, ideally on narrative non-fiction and  lifestyle titles.

  • Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

  • Clear and confident communication, both with colleagues and external contributors.

  • A collaborative approach and willingness to explore new ideas.

  • A portfolio that demonstrates breadth, creativity and attention to detail.

 

At DK, you will join a genuinely supportive and creative environment where your ideas can make a real impact. You will also play your part in supporting DK’s sustainability objectives and in building a culture of representation, belonging and celebration.

 

If you have a portfolio brimming with breadth and imagination, we would love to see it. Please upload your portfolio and most recent CV to be considered.

Salary: starting from £37,000 depending on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits.

 

Closing date for applications: 27th January 2026

 

We have a range of benefits to reflect our commitment to our people, some of which are:

  • 25 days paid holiday entitlement in year one, plus bank holidays

  • Generous pension scheme

  • Volunteering policy and charity matching

  • Employee assistance programme

  • Cycle to work scheme and discounted gym membership

  • Shopping discounts 

  • Flex Fridays (1pm Finish*)

  • Up to 30 days remote working from abroad*

 

*Subject to certain criteria being met.

 

And we plant a tree for every new employee to our business

 

DK is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the varied communities that read our books across the world. We encourage applications from all individuals, regardless of age, religion, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or social background. DK is proud to announce that we have adopted The Halo Code.

 

DK is a member of the disability confident scheme. We guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies.

 

DK supports flexible working and has introduced a new ‘smart-working’ policy with a hybrid approach of working weekly from home and in DK’s office. This is a hybrid role requiring a minimum of 3 days per week in our Pimlico office. As this is non-negotiable, please ensure you are within a reasonable commuting distance of London before applying.

 

The Book Trade Charity offers financial support to people looking to enter the book trade, but who may struggle to afford the costs of attending interviews or undertaking internships. For more information, visit www.booktradeentrysupport.org

 

About our Company: 

We believe in the power of discovery. That's why we create books for everyone that explore ideas and nurture curiosity about the world we live in. From first words to the Big Bang, from the wonders of nature to city adventures, you will find expert knowledge, hours of fun and endless inspiration in the pages of our books. 

We are the world's leading illustrated publisher and a member of the Penguin Random House division of Bertelsmann, creating cutting-edge design and stunning visual books for the whole family. We are passionate about inspiring curiosity and bring people to books through their thirst for knowledge. With a global book loving community of over 800 colleagues in the UK, US, Germany, India, China, Spain and Australia, we produce books in over 100 countries and over 60 languages. Find out more on dk.com.

 

Company: Dorling Kindersley Limited | Job ID: 285588