Communication Designer

About 18MR

18MR builds Asian American political power that contributes to movements for racial and immigrant justice, abolition, anti-militarism, and democracy through political education, base building, and strengthening movements that address these issues head on. Our commitment is to dismantle systems of oppression, fight white supremacy, and work towards a liberated future for Asian Americans and all people. 18MR organizes online and offline using digital platforms and tools to empower people and build movements that shift the current political moment. We see the internet as a place to gather, a place to build community, and a place to organize on a mass scale.

Read more about 18MR here.

Summary

The Communication Designer will collaborate with the 18MR team to create graphics for social media content, campaign emails, website assets, and additional internal and external materials. As the Communications Designer at 18MR, you will lead the creation of culturally resonant visual content that advances racial and immigrant justice, abolition, and Asian American political power. This role merges design excellence with cultural organizing, mobilizing communities through digital-first campaigns, social media, and movement-building initiatives. You will collaborate closely with the Organizing Team to plan, build, and execute compelling campaigns and experiences for our members.

Ideal candidates have experience in organizing or social justice work with a background in graphic design, visual / digital arts, and/or strategic communications. 18MR team members have a healthy curiosity and capacity to engage with people across various social movement sectors.

Responsibilities

Create Culturally Relevant Content 50%

• Design and format graphics for social media content, campaign emails, website assets, presentations, and additional internal / external materials consistent with 18MR’s digital branding and visual style.
• Craft powerful, culturally rooted graphics and illustrations, including zines and multimedia, that amplify campaigns on racial and immigrant justice, abolition, and community mobilization.
• Develop motion graphics and videos for rapid-response and long-term projects, ensuring accessibility for multilingual and low-bandwidth audiences.
• Integrate contemporary and audience-specific design trends, prioritizing usability, legibility, and accessibility.
• Create moodboards, templates, and style guides that reflect 18MR’s brand and values.
• Maintain project workflow processes to ensure on-time delivery of designs.
• Prioritize usability, findability, legibility, and accessibility in digital designs.

Collaborate for Movement Impact

• Partner with members, organizers, and artists to translate movement goals (e.g., abolition, anti-militarism, climate justice) into accessible, engaging visual content that bridges online and offline organizing.
• Attend brainstorm sessions and design meetings to co-create content that uplifts community voices and supports leadership development.
• Provide technical design support for campaigns and projects, ensuring alignment with organizing strategies and community needs.
• Manage and archive design assets for both internal and external use, maintaining organization and security.

Build Digital Engagement Platforms

• Create and manage 18MR’s website content,, and interactive tools (such as advocacy maps and petitions) to boost community engagement and uplift the voices of our community.
• Optimize digital design for social media algorithms to combat shadowbanning and amplify marginalized voices.
• Ensure all designs prioritize accessibility, including alt-text, color contrast, and multilingual support.
• Maintain project workflow processes to ensure timely delivery and high-quality output across all digital channels.

Required Skills and Work Experience

• 3–5 years of professional experience in graphic design, motion graphics, video editing, or digital arts, ideally in social justice contexts.
• 2-3 years of experience overseeing production processes through final delivery for digital channels.
• 2-3 years of experience in social justice movements, either support or leading campaigns.
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere), Canva, and basic HTML/CSS for WordPress website management.
• Deep knowledge of Asian American histories, intersectional justice frameworks, and decolonial design principles.
• Training in strategic visual messaging, content concepts, information hierarchy, and planning.
• Confidence advocating for ideas in a collaborative, diverse team; ability to approach conflict with compassion.
• Ability to self-direct, work independently, and adapt to changing conditions with initiative and attention to detail.
• Exceptional visual, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Commitment to abolition, anti-racism, and building power for queer/trans, immigrant, and working-class communities.
• Adaptability in a rapidly evolving digital landscape and curiosity about new platforms.

Nice-to-Have Skills & Work Experience

• Multi-disciplinary design portfolio demonstrating work across art, activism, and cultural storytelling.
• Video production skills (After Effects, Final Cut Pro) and familiarity with coding workflows (GitHub, Bitbucket, HTML, PHP, CSS, JavaScript).
• Fluency in one or more Asian languages (East, Southeast, or South Asian).
• Experience designing for diaspora communities
• Familiarity with digital organizing tools (Action Network, peer-to-peer texting).
• Passion for clear, emotionally resonant storytelling and concept-driven design strategy.
• Familiarity with abolitionist frameworks and an understanding of Asian American social movements, both historical and current.

Salary and Benefits

This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position. The 18MR team works a four-day 32-hour work week, although hours can be flexible based on the demands of current events and the campaign cycle. The salary range for this position is between $70,000 and $80,000 annually, commensurate with experience and your local cost of living.

As we are a distributed team, your primary residence may be located anywhere in the United States. 18MR’s current staff are based in Philadelphia, Twin Cities Minnesota, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Occasional organization-sponsored travel for conferences and face-to-face staff gatherings will be required.

Through our fiscal sponsor, Allied Media Projects, we offer a competitive benefits package including generous vacation; full health, dental, vision and flex benefits; 403b program with employer match; short and long term disability; provided life insurance with the option for additional coverage; ongoing training opportunities; and allowances for co-working space in your area and other incidental costs.

We are an equal opportunity employer that values diversity as central to our work serving underrepresented communities, and we encourage candidates from a wide range of backgrounds to apply.