Design Lead

Position Summary

Creative & Artistic Leadership

• Define and lead the visual identity of MAP, ensuring its creative output is globally relevant and locally resonant, across exhibitions, communications, educational materials and digital platforms.
• Develop innovative approaches to visual storytelling, blending art, design, and technology.
• Collaborate with curators, artists, and educators to translate artistic and educational themes into compelling spatial, editorial, and digital experiences.
• Experiment with new materials, formats, and digital interfaces to push creative boundaries.

Strategic Institutional Impact

• Align MAP's design strategy with its broader institutional vision, ensuring all visual elements reinforce the museum's identity and mission.
• Work closely with leadership to shape the role of design in the museum's programming and audience engagement.
• Represent MAP's creative vision in conversations with partners, patrons, and cultural institutions worldwide.
• Stay ahead of international trends in exhibition design, editorial publishing, digital communication, and immersive storytelling to position MAP as a leader in the cultural space.

Leadership & Team Development

• Build, mentor, and inspire a team of designers.
• Establish clear processes, design standards, and collaborative workflows to support the team's growth and productivity.
• Partner with leaders across curation, education, marketing, and digital teams to ensure cross-disciplinary synergy.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and future-focused design culture within MAP.

Hands-on Creative Execution

• Directly contribute to the design of key exhibitions, publications, campaigns, and multimedia projects.
• Oversee visual composition, typography, editorial layout, and spatial design, maintaining the highest artistic standards.
• Lead collaborations with external artists, filmmakers, animators, and production teams to elevate MAP's creative output.

Skills & Experience Required

• Degree in Design.
• 8+ years of experience in design, including at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Experience working with museums, cultural institutions, publishing, or creative agencies.
• Strong understanding of branding, editorial design, and digital storytelling.
• Experience building and leading design teams, setting creative direction, and managing projects within timelines and budgets.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere Pro).
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across departments.

What We Offer:

• Opportunity to work in a dynamic and innovative museum environment.
• Professional development opportunities to grow within the field.
• Competitive salary.

About MAP

The Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) is one of India's first major museums of South Asian visual culture. The museum is housed in a state-of-the-art, 44,000 square foot building, designed by the acclaimed Indian architectural practice Matthew & Ghosh, on a landmark site at the heart of Bengaluru's museum district.

MAP's five-story building on Kasturba Road includes multiple galleries where the collection is displayed, an auditorium, an art and research library, an education centre, a specialised research and conservation facility, as well as a café.

MAP's collection includes more than 60,000 works predominantly from South Asian: Modern and contemporary art, living traditions, textiles, craft and design, pop culture, pre modern art and photography, dating from the tenth century to contemporary times. With a focus on accessibility for people with disabilities, and technological tools to make the museum relevant and exciting, MAP ensures a holistic experience for visitors of all ages.

Having launched online in December 2020, at the height of the pandemic, as India's only digital-first museum, MAP has been bringing its collection to life through multiple pathways, from online exhibitions to a range of articles and essays, collaborations with museums around the world, engaging talks by leading industry figures, and educational resources for kids and adults.

Equality & Diversity

MAP is an equal opportunities employer. We oppose all forms of discrimination and believe that all people, regardless of their identity or membership of any group deserve to be treated equally, consistently and fairly. We welcome creativity, excellence and different perspectives that individuals of all backgrounds and abilities bring to our work.