Editorial Designer (1-Month Contract)

Location: Remote (India) Contract Duration: 1 Month (Potential for extension based on project needs and mutual fit) Compensation: Competitive; based on depth of professional experience and portfolio caliber.

About the Project

Mastering Matrix is creating a premium, limited-edition print publication positioned at the intersection of science, spirituality, philosophy, psychology, and human potential.

We are seeking an experienced Editorial Designer to collaborate with the Creative Director in building a world-class print publication.

Important: This is a professional editorial and print publication role. It is not a social media, marketing, or general graphic design position. We are looking for a designer with genuine expertise in editorial systems, typography, long-form publications, and commercial print production.

Core Responsibilities

Editorial Architecture & Design Systems

• Develop a cohesive editorial design system using Adobe InDesign.

• Design master pages, recurring layouts, and reusable page templates.

• Create the publication's cover design.

• Build a scalable layout framework capable of supporting future issues while maintaining visual consistency.

• Develop typography hierarchies, spacing systems, and editorial grids.

Editorial Layout & Visual Integration

• Design elegant layouts for long-form articles, essays, interviews, and editorial features.

• Design internal brand advertisements that integrate naturally within the publication.

• Collaborate with the Creative Director to explore visual directions, typography, pacing, and overall editorial presentation.

• Integrate supplied visual assets into layouts while maintaining exceptional editorial quality.

Print Production

• Prepare professional print-ready files.

• Ensure proper bleed, margins, typography, image quality, and commercial print standards.

• Package final production files for commercial printing.

Technical Requirements & Skill Stack

Editorial Design

• Minimum 5 years of professional editorial or publication design experience.

• Expert-level Adobe InDesign proficiency.

• Advanced Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator skills.

• Extensive experience designing magazines, books, annual reports, or comparable multi-page print publications.

• Strong understanding of publication flatplans, master pages, paragraph styles, character styles, and baseline grids.

• Exceptional typography, grid systems, and editorial pacing.

Print Production

• Practical experience preparing files for professional commercial printing.

• Strong understanding of CMYK workflows, bleed, margins, image preparation, and pre-flight checks.

Professional Skills

• Excellent attention to detail.

• Strong organizational skills.

• Fluent written and spoken English.

• Ability to work independently while collaborating closely with the Creative Director.

Preferred (Strong Asset)

Experience using AI creative tools such as Midjourney, Adobe Firefly, Flux, ChatGPT image generation, or similar platforms is considered a strong asset but is not required.

Candidates with AI experience are encouraged to include relevant examples within their portfolio.

The Ideal Candidate

• You appreciate premium editorial design, thoughtful typography, and exceptional print craftsmanship.

• You enjoy solving the complex challenges of long-form editorial layouts and building systems that remain visually consistent across an entire publication.

• You are comfortable collaborating with a Creative Director, contributing your technical expertise while refining ideas through an iterative design process.

Application Requirements

Please include:

• Professional resume.

• Portfolio.

• Links to at least two completed editorial or publication projects (complete publications preferred).

• A brief explanation of your role in each project.

• Expected monthly compensation.

• Earliest available start date.

Applications without relevant editorial portfolio work will not be considered.

Initial Contract Objective

The initial engagement is a focused one-month contract.

The objective is to establish the publication's visual foundation through the development of a professional editorial design system while completing as much of the first issue as the available content allows.

Primary deliverables include:

• Editorial design system.

• Typography system.

• Master pages and reusable templates.

• Magazine cover.

• Internal brand advertisements.

• Layout of completed editorial content.

• Print-ready production files.

Project Kickoff

The engagement will begin with a collaborative exploration phase before full production.

The successful candidate will be expected to present initial creative directions, including:

• Mood boards.

• Typography pairings.

• Editorial layout concepts.

• Cover concepts.

• Overall visual direction for the publication.

Following review and refinement with the Creative Director, the approved direction will form the foundation for the remainder of the publication.