Graphic Designer - Dikan

ROLE OVERVIEW

Dikan is not building a media team. Dikan is building an institution. The Graphic Designer at Dikan is not a production artist.

This role is a Visual Systems Architect responsible for shaping how Africa sees itself — through exhibitions, archives, education systems, publications, digital platforms, donor communications, and institutional storytelling. This role requires intellectual depth, strategic thinking, discipline, and high design taste.

MANDATE

You are responsible for:

• Building and protecting Dikan’s visual identity
• Translating complex African histories into compelling visual systems
• Designing exhibition ecosystems (not just posters)
• Creating coherent institutional communication across departments
• Elevating Dikan and Dikan’s clients to global visual standards while rooted in Africa

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Institutional Brand Architecture

• Develop and maintain Dikan’s comprehensive brand system
• Create and enforce brand guidelines across all departments
• Build scalable templates for presentations, reports, proposals, fellowship materials, donor decks
• Design visual frameworks for long-term institutional use
• Ensure visual consistency across Dikan and its subsidiaries

2. Exhibition & Curatorial Design

• Lead exhibition visual design (wall text systems, typography hierarchies, spatial graphics, object labels, wayfinding)
• Develop visual narratives aligned with curatorial intent
• Design catalogues, exhibition books, and print materials
• Oversee installation graphics production and quality control
• Work closely with curators and production teams

3. Archive & Research Visualization

• Design infographics and visual storytelling tools from archival data
• Create systems for digitization outputs, metadata displays, and archive interfaces
• Develop visual models for repository presentations and public engagement
• Translate research outputs into compelling visual formats

4. Education & Public Programs

• Design curriculum materials for youth programs and fellowships
• Create visual identity systems for training programs and conferences
• Develop workshop kits, handbooks, and branded educational materials

5. Development & Donor Communications

• Design high-level donor proposals and impact reports
• Create visual pitch decks for international partners
• Develop fundraising campaign assets
• Produce annual reports and institutional brochures

6. Digital Presence & Content Systems

• Design for website, social platforms, and digital storytelling
• Create motion graphics and short visual narratives (where capable)
• Develop content templates for internal teams
• Ensure Dikan’s digital presence reflects global cultural standards

7. Merchandise & Retail

• Design merchandise collections aligned with Dikan’s intellectual identity
• Create limited edition exhibition merchandise
• Develop packaging systems and in-store visual assets

8. Client Work (External)

Dikan operates as a creative partner to select clients through its ecosystem.

You will:

• Lead visual identity development for institutional clients
• Design exhibition systems and publications for partners
• Produce campaign visuals and communication materials
• Maintain premium standards across all client outputs

IDEAL PROFILE

• 6+ years professional design experience
• Portfolio demonstrating institutional or agency work
• Strong typography discipline
• Experience in editorial design and large-format design
• Understanding of African aesthetics and global visual standards
• Ability to work across print, digital, spatial, and publication formats
• High attention to detail
• Strong file discipline and workflow management

Preferred:

• Experience working with agency, cultural institutions and educational
• Motion design capability
• UI/UX exposure
• Experience managing junior designers or interns
• Photography skills
• Agency experience

PERSONAL QUALITIES

• Strategic thinker, not just executor
• Calm under pressure
• Intellectually curious
• Deep respect for African heritage
• Systems-oriented
• High standards without ego

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