Mid-Senior Designer (CMF)

£50,000
London Hybrid

Advertised by:

Sarah Walsh

Recruitment Director

Sarah Walsh

Connect with Sarah Walsh

An award-winning design studio pushing the boundaries of industrial design, innovation, and brand experience. From reimagining the future of mobility to shaping tactile brand moments across product and space, the studio is known for fusing creativity with emerging technologies to create meaningful, forward-thinking design.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Own and develop CMF strategies that align with brand identity and project goals, ensuring consistency across physical touchpoints (product, interior, surface) for clients.

  • Research and trend-forecast colour palettes, materials and finishes relevant to our sectors (aviation, rail, automotive, mobility) and translate insights into actionable design proposals.

  • Collaborate with industrial designers, UX/service designers, engineers, supply-chain and manufacturing partners to ensure CMF intent is realised from concept through production.

  • Create compelling visual tools — mood boards, material libraries, finish samples, specification documentation — and present to internal teams and external stakeholders.

  • Lead hands-on prototyping, finish trials and test material behaviour (durability, ageing, texture, colour fastness) to validate CMF solutions before full production.

  • Assist in supplier engagement: source materials, negotiate finishes, and oversee sample approvals and quality control so the final deliverable meets brand and production standards.

  • Contribute to studio thinking: help maintain and grow our in-house material library, share CMF knowledge across projects, and keep the studio informed of emerging material innovations and sustainability trends.

Key Skills: 

  • 3-5 years’ relevant experience in industrial design or CMF design — ideally within one or more of the sectors we serve (mobility, transportation interior systems, consumer goods).
  • Strong understanding of colour theory, texture, surface treatment, manufacturing processes and how materials behave in differing environments (e.g., aviation interiors, vehicle cabins).
  • Proven ability to translate brand/experience intent into tangible CMF outcomes, backed by a portfolio of executed work showing strategy, material decisions, and finished product or interior surfaces.
  • Proficiency with design and visualisation tools (Adobe Creative Suite, KeyShot or equivalent rendering software), plus familiarity with CAD workflows (SolidWorks, Rhino or similar) for industrial design collaboration.
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills: capable of articulating CMF decisions, influencing cross-discipline teams, and representing CMF direction visually and verbally.
  • Supplier/manufacturing liaison experience: sourcing materials/finishes, collaborating on production samples, working to cost, durability and production constraints.
  • A self-starter who thrives in a dynamic studio environment: flexible, curious, detail-oriented and excited by combining craft, aesthetics and industrial rigour.
  • Bonus if: you have experience of sustainable materials, composite finishes, or specialised surface treatments (e.g., aviation-grade materials, automative interiors, high-durability fabrics).