Visual Merchandising jobs in Gauteng

Job Title: Visual Merchandising & Concept Specialist (AI & Trends focus)

Engagement Type: Full-Time Independent Contractor (100% Remote)

Experience Level: Junior to Early-Career (1–3 years of experience or high-potential talent with exceptional drive) - Fashion design background highly preferred

About Us

At THE/STUDIO, our vision is to empower individuals, regardless of their expertise, to unleash their creativity and bring their unique ideas to life through the production of custom products. We are committed to delivering top-quality customized products that not only exceed expectations but also provide a seamless and awe-inspiring experience via our exceptional team and AI-integrated systems. By shouldering the manufacturing burdens, we liberate our customers to focus on their true passions, driving them towards remarkable success and fulfillment. Together, we turn dreams into tangible realities and shape a world where creativity knows no bounds.

Our headquarters are in Los Angeles, California, but we are a truly global company with team-members across the U.S., Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia/Pacific. We have gone to a fully remote working platform so that we can attract the world’s best talent.

All roles at THE/STUDIO are 100% remote from anywhere in the world, as long as you have all your tools and a fast, stable internet connection!

We know that some applicants will not meet all the requirements, so we encourage you to apply anyway so we can determine if something else might be a good fit!

The Role

THE/STUDIO is looking for a Visual Merchandising & Concept Specialist to take ownership of how we continuously inspire customers throughout their relationship with us.

Our customers come to THE/STUDIO to create physical products. But inspiration shouldn't stop once the first product is completed. A major part of this role is helping customers continuously discover what they could create next: whether that means expanding an existing product line, exploring a new category, developing merchandise for an upcoming event, or seeing their brand translated into products they hadn't considered before.

In this hands-on, execution-focused role, you will be the driving force behind our client inspiration initiatives. You will seek to understand our customers, learn what we can manufacture, maintain a rich internal inspiration library, spot key engagement moments, and turn raw creative ideas into clear, visually compelling recommendations that drive customer action.

The goal is simple: give customers meaningful, commercially viable reasons to keep creating with THE/STUDIO.

What You Will Own & Execute

1. Client Inspiration & Trend Curation

You will proactively identify products, ideas, trends, and creative directions relevant to individual customers. This includes:

• Curating product concepts based on a customer's brand identity, industry, audience, previous orders, or upcoming opportunities.

• Building curated moodboards and visual style references.

• Designing polished product recommendation decks.

• Creating concepts built around seasonal moments, product launches, events, campaigns, or cultural trends.

• Brainstorming line expansion ideas (e.g., turning a single pin or patch order into a complete apparel/merch collection).

• Surfacing product categories THE/STUDIO can manufacture that the customer has not yet explored.

You should be able to look at a customer's brand and answer: "What should this brand make next?"

2. High-Impact Inspiration Presentations

You will create polished, client-facing presentation decks in Figma Slides that bring your product ideas to life.

• Curated References: Simple, fast-turn decks using curated product references, photography, visual research, and moodboards.

• Original Mockups: Detailed decks featuring bespoke product concepts tailored specifically to a customer's brand identity.

You will take ownership of deciding which format fits each situation and producing decks that feel thoughtful, premium, and easy for the customer to take action on.

3. AI-Powered Product Mockups & Visualization

You will leverage cutting-edge AI image generation tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.) alongside design tools to visualize product ideas using a customer's existing brand identity.

• Apply logos, color schemes, graphic language, patterns, mascots, packaging systems, and brand elements onto realistic physical product mockups.

• Generate high-quality, realistic product imagery, refine AI outputs, and maintain visual consistency across concepts.

• Know when AI adds true visual impact versus when curated reference imagery is sufficient.

4. Customer Understanding & Opportunities

You will develop a strong, intuitive understanding of THE/STUDIO's customer base.

• Track what customers have previously created, which product categories they favor, and where expansion opportunities exist.

• Work systematically to identify high-value customer accounts that would benefit most from proactive inspiration outreach.

5. Building & Maintaining the Inspiration Library

You will own and continuously organize THE/STUDIO's internal inspiration database to ensure it remains a dynamic, working repository for the whole team. This includes maintaining:

• Product ideas and high-quality reference imagery.

• Real customer success stories and past winning concepts.

• Seasonal trends, industry-specific ideas, and innovative manufacturing techniques.

6. Proactive Engagement & Outreach Workflows

You will take the initiative to identify key triggers for sending inspiration to customers rather than waiting passively for inbound requests. Example moments include:

• Immediately after a project is completed or delivered.

• When a customer has been inactive for a set period or has only ordered from one product category.

• Ahead of major seasonal opportunities, holidays, or industry events.

• When THE/STUDIO launches new product capabilities or manufacturing options.

You will collaborate with Design, Product, Sales, Sourcing, and Marketing teams to execute repeatable outreach workflows around these key moments.

7. Direct Client Communication

You will communicate directly with customers via concise written messages and occasionally join client calls to present creative ideas, gather brand context, and help clients discover their next product opportunity without turning every touchpoint into a formal design review.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means that inspiration consistently translates into new customer projects on our platform. Inspiration is not just decoration at THE/STUDIO. It is a core business driver for customer retention and account growth.

Key Metrics & Impact Goals:

• Project Conversion: Increasing the number of new manufacturing projects started directly as a result of shared inspiration.

• Retention & Re-engagement: Encouraging one-time buyers to explore new categories and bringing inactive customers back onto the platform.

• Speed & Output Quality: Consistently producing high-quality Figma decks and AI mockups quickly and efficiently.

• Systemic Efficiency: Continuously refining our inspiration library so great ideas can be reused across similar accounts.

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking a highly visual, curious, extremely organized, and self-motivated professional who takes complete ownership of their work.

Qualifications & Skills:

• 1–3 years of experience (or strong portfolio demonstration) in visual merchandising, product development, apparel/merchandise design, brand strategy, or e-commerce creative roles.

• Exceptional Visual Taste: Strong aesthetic judgment, keen eye for design, color, branding, and product styling.

• Figma Expertise: Strong proficiency in Figma / Figma Slides for creating polished presentations quickly.

• AI & Design Tool Fluency: Hands-on experience with AI image generation tools (Midjourney, DALL-E, etc.) and basic image editing/mockup creation.

• High Initiative & Self-Drive: Ability to work independently as a remote contractor, manage deadlines, and solve problems proactively without needing hand-holding.

• Trend Awareness: Active curiosity about modern consumer products, fashion, streetwear, corporate merch, packaging, and retail trends.

• Clear Communication: Strong written English skills and confidence communicating directly with clients.

The Profile of Someone Who Will Excel

• You naturally save interesting packaging, campaigns, apparel, and design references on Pinterest, Instagram, or Behance simply because you love discovering them.

• When you encounter a brand, you instinctively start thinking, "What else could this brand make?"

• You are equally energized by finding the perfect reference image, prompting an AI tool for a crisp product mockup, building a sleek Figma deck, and organizing the assets into a clean, reusable system.

• You take radical ownership of your work, thrive in a fast-paced full-time remote environment, and understand that great design and inspiration should ultimately drive commercial results.

THE/STUDIO’s Company Values

• Intellectually curious - possesses a natural disposition and comfort to ask questions, challenge the status quo, and a desire to ‘get to the bottom of things’ if they see something not quite right

• Self-motivated with a meaningful reason to deliver excellence

• Good communication skills that enhance collaboration, minimize misunderstandings, and at a frequency that is appropriate for a remote team

• Radical candor - Coachable, accepting of constructive negative feedback and willing to provide constructive negative feedback where applicable

• Operates with a level of urgency - values immediate action where prudent, enables quick decision-making, swift problem-solving, and seizing opportunities in a dynamic business environment

• Natural customer centricity - has an affinity to always start their train of thought or analysis with the customer’s perspective, bias towards talking to the customer to understand them

• Results-driven - focuses on achieving and exceeding measurable objectives

Our Typical Hiring Process

• Submit an application. IMPORTANT: Please submit your resume/CV in English

• Initial Chat with the Executive Assistant

• Hiring Manager Interview

• Assessment/Case Study - if applicable

• Final Interview

• Reference Check

Note that every role is different, so the process may vary depending on the requirements of the role. Please note that due to the volume of applications we receive, we may not be able to provide feedback to all applications.

At THE/STUDIO, we know that our Company's strength lies in the diversity of our team. THE/STUDIO is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. Our policy is to provide equal opportunities for all applicants and individuals regardless of protected characteristics. We prioritize and maintain a fair, inclusive and equitable workplace free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.