Art Director

• £75,000 + Company Benefits
• Haverhill, Suffolk

SKC Studios is a UK-based technology and creative startup building next-generation immersive experiences that blend AI avatars, spatial environments, real-world installations and digital storytelling.

Our flagship platform, 1956 Individuals, enables organisations and audiences to interact with intelligent, human-like digital individuals across physical spaces and digital channels, including OLED walls, experiential venues, retail environments, events and branded installations.

We are a small, highly focused team, operating as a startup but consistently delivering work that punches well above its weight. Our emphasis is on quality, originality and credibility, not scale for scale's sake.

We are not a game studio and not a manufacturing business.

We are a technology platform company, with long-term value driven by proprietary IP, category leadership and real-world deployment.

Role Overview
We are seeking an Art Director to own and evolve the visual language of SKC Studios and 1956 Individuals.

This role is responsible for defining, protecting and scaling the visual identity of our AI avatars, immersive environments and client experiences, ensuring they feel premium, coherent, human and emotionally credible across both physical and digital contexts.

SKC Studios operates with a lean, in-house team.

There are no freelancers or external agencies but going forward as we scale, management of those relationships will be required. The Art Director will work hands-on within a small team, shaping output directly rather than delegating at arm's length.

This is not a traditional games role, and not a large-studio management position.

It is a senior creative role in a startup environment where impact, ownership and quality matter more than hierarchy.

Key Responsibilities
Creative Direction & Visual Identity

• Define and maintain the overarching visual style of SKC Studios and the 1956 Individuals platform.
• Set a clear creative bar that ensures our work consistently outperforms expectations for a team of our size.
• Ensure visual coherence across live installations, digital outputs, brand materials and demonstrations.

AI Avatar & Character Direction

• Lead the artistic direction of AI-driven human representations (2D, video, 3D and hybrid).
• Shape appearance, clothing, expression, movement and presence to ensure authenticity and emotional credibility.
• Collaborate closely with in-house technical teams to translate creative intent into functioning systems.

Immersive & Spatial Experiences

• Direct the visual design of immersive environments built around OLED walls and large-format displays.
• Translate narrative and brand intent into spatial, physical visual experiences.
• Maintain artistic integrity from concept through to live deployment.

Brand & Platform Design

• Develop and maintain practical, scalable visual guidelines and style systems.
• Support investor demonstrations, showcases and storytelling around the platform.
• Ensure all visual output reinforces trust, sophistication and long-term value.

In-House Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor and raise the standard of a small internal creative team.
• Set workflows and expectations appropriate for a startup environment.
• Remain hands-on while providing clear creative direction and feedback.

What We're Looking For

• A senior visual creative who is comfortable working in small teams with big responsibility.
• Someone who enjoys building and refining creative IP rather than inheriting it.
• Experience delivering high-quality work in environments where resources are limited but expectations are high.
• A clear communicator who can explain visual choices to non-creative stakeholders.
• Comfortable with ambiguity, iteration and startup pace.

Essential Skills & Experience
Proven experience in art direction, visual direction or senior creative roles.
Strong hands-on capability with modern creative tools (e.g. Adobe Creative Suite; relevant 3D/motion tools).
Experience defining and maintaining visual systems or creative standards.
Excellent eye for detail, proportion, tone and emotional impact.
Willingness to operate both strategically and practically as needed.

Desirable (but Not Essential)
Exposure to AI assisted creative workflows.
Experience with immersive environments, exhibitions or experiential design.
Familiarity with character-driven or human-centric digital experiences.
Experience contributing creatively to investor or stakeholder facing materials.

Why Join SKC Studios
You will help shape a new category of human AI interaction.
You will have real ownership and creative influence, not a small slice of a large machine.
Your work will exist in real-world environments, viewed by real audiences.
You will help define visual IP at an early stage, with long-term impact.