Hybrid | Boulder, CO

Art Director

WHO WE ARE

Standard Practice is an independent creative agency founded by five industry veterans with a shared belief in doing the hard, responsible work of creating ideas people actually care about.

WHAT WE DO IS NOTHING NEW

We listen and learn about our clients’ businesses. We generate powerful ideas for brands that feel true and we hold ourselves responsible to make work that actually works.

None of this is groundbreaking, but it’s really hard to do. And, around here, it’s Standard Practice.

We are small by design, collaborative by nature, and independent in both structure and spirit. Round tables beat rigid hierarchy every time, and good ideas can come from anyone. Everyone here is expected to contribute to the thinking, shape the work, and help build the kind of company they want to be part of.

This is a place where you can have real impact. To work on national brands across a range of categories, alongside talented people who care. Not a cog in a big machine – an opportunity to build something different.


THE ROLE

You are an Art Director early in their career who cares deeply about how things look, feel, and come together. This role sits at the intersection of concepting and design – someone who can help generate concepts, make a client presentation come to life, bring visual clarity to a messy idea, and help turn good thinking into work people actually want to pay attention to.

You might come from a design background or have a few years at an agency under your belt. Either way, you know how to work, take feedback, and keep things moving. You’ll help us execute quickly and thoughtfully across client work while growing your conceptual muscles along the way. We don’t expect you to have all the answers yet – just taste, curiosity, reliability, and the drive to learn and grow.

You’ll work on real assignments for interesting brands, contribute to the creative process, and shape the visual voice of the work alongside a small, experienced team that cares about making things well.


WHAT YOU’LL DO

  • Contribute to creative concepts and campaign ideas alongside writers and creative directors

  • Help translate ideas into strong visual directions, references, and executions

  • Contribute visual references, mood boards, and inspiration during the creative process

  • Design client decks, presentations, and visual systems that are clear, compelling, aand on-brand

  • Bring strong visual taste to everyday creative needs – image research, layout, typography, and composition

  • Manage multiple projects and deadlines, incorporating feedback quickly and thoughtfully through multiple rounds of revision

  • Contribute and collaborate with a small hands-on team where everyone helps shape the work, regardless of discipline


WHAT MAKES YOU A GREAT FIT

People who do well at Standard Practice share a few traits:

You care about whether the work actually works. You believe creativity carries responsibility. It’s not about what you like, what you think the client will like, but about what their audience likes – and what will get them to engage with the brand and generate real outcomes.

You’re a collaborator at heart. You know a good idea can come from anywhere, so you always remain open – to sharing your ideas, helping to strengthen someone else’s, and being a great listener.

You’re comfortable building as you go. The clear path forward at Standard Practice isn’t laid out for anyone – it requires flexibility, ownership, and a “let’s figure this out together” attitude. You don’t wait for things to be perfect. You help intuit and create what’s needed.

You value clarity over complexity. The best ideas are often the simplest ones. You know how to get there through clear thinking, exceptional craft, and hard-working execution.

You leave your ego at the door. Sometimes the job is big creative thinking, sometimes it’s fixing a deck at the last minute. You’re good with both because the work matters more than anything else.


EXPERIENCE WE’RE SEEKING

  • 1-4 years of experience in design, art direction, or a related creative role (agency, studio, in-house, or strong portfolio school experience)

  • A portfolio that shows strong visual taste and attention to detail

  • Experience creating presentations, campaign assets, or brand materials in a professional setting

  • Comfort working through feedback and iterating on creative work

  • Ability to manage deadlines and multiple projects without heavy oversight

  • Curiosity about concepting and a desire to grow as a creative thinker

  • Familiarity with creative tools like Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Keynote

SALARY & BENEFITS

The salary range for this role is $65,000 - $85,000.

We’re still in the early stages of building the agency, which means we don’t offer healthcare benefits yet. We are working toward that. What we can offer today is:

  • Flexible hybrid schedule with three in-office days

  • Unlimited PTO

  • More to come as we grow


HOW TO APPLY

Email your resume and any relevant links (portfolio, LinkedIn, personal site, etc.) to jobs@standardpractice.us.

In your note, tell us a bit about yourself and share something that reflects how you think about the work – a project you’ve worked on, a piece of work you admire, or something you’ve seen recently that stuck with you.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Apply Now

Standard Practice is an equal opportunity employer.