Freelance Accessories & Gift Product Designer
Spring/Summer 2028 Collection Development
Location: Remote (U.S. preferred)
Project Type: Freelance / Hourly Contract
Brand: Katydid
About Katydid
Katydid is a fast-growing women's lifestyle brand carried by over 8,000 retailers nationwide. We create fun, colorful, trend-forward apparel, accessories, gifts, drinkware, and headwear that bring personality and excitement to everyday life.
We're looking for a highly creative, trend-driven Freelance Accessories & Gift Product Designer to help develop our Spring/Summer 2028 collection.
We want someone who loves bright colors, bold prints, playful details, and discovering the next big thing in accessories and gifts.
From bags and cosmetic cases to journals, hair accessories, travel essentials, and unique gifts, we're looking for a designer who can bring fresh ideas to the table and turn creative concepts into exciting, commercially successful products.
What You'll Do
Trend Forecasting & Product Development
- Research Spring/Summer 2028 trends in accessories, gifts, colors, prints, materials, and lifestyle products.
- Identify emerging product categories and opportunities to expand our collections.
- Develop seasonal mood boards, color palettes, and original product concepts.
- Design a variety of accessories and gifts, including:
- Tote bags, weekender bags, crossbody bags, and travel accessories
- Cosmetic bags, pouches, and organizers
- Hair accessories, claw clips, headbands, and scrunchies
- Journals, notebooks, stationery, and paper goods
- Novelty gifts, seasonal items, and impulse-buy products
- New and unexpected product categories that fit the Katydid customer
Print, Pattern & Collection Design
- Create original seamless repeating patterns, illustrations, and graphics for use across multiple product categories.
- Develop coordinating prints, colorways, and complementary designs.
- Build cohesive collections with a consistent look and feel across different products.
- Create product stories around seasonal themes, trends, and lifestyles.
- Design products that merchandise beautifully together while maintaining Katydid's fun, colorful, feminine aesthetic.
Product Design & Production
- Turn creative concepts into detailed product mockups and renderings.
- Create technical drawings, specifications, and production-ready artwork.
- Recommend materials, fabrics, trims, hardware, and construction details.
- Develop tech packs and design files for overseas manufacturers.
- Collaborate with the Katydid team to refine designs and prepare products for production.
- Design with target retail pricing, manufacturing costs, and commercial appeal in mind.
Qualifications
- 3+ years of experience in accessories, gifts, lifestyle product design, or surface pattern design.
- Strong portfolio showcasing original product designs, prints, and patterns.
- Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.
- Experience creating seamless repeating patterns and production-ready artwork.
- Strong understanding of color, trends, materials, and product development.
- Ability to create realistic product mockups, technical drawings, and tech packs.
- Experience developing coordinated collections across multiple product categories.
- Understanding of manufacturing processes and commercial retail products.
- Ability to work independently, manage projects, and meet deadlines.
Preferred Experience
- Designing women's fashion accessories, handbags, travel products, stationery, or novelty gifts.
- Surface pattern design and textile print development.
- Experience with boutique, specialty retail, or trend-driven lifestyle brands.
- Overseas manufacturing and product development.
- Experience bringing original product concepts from design through production.
What We're Really Looking For
We're not looking for someone who simply follows a design brief. We want someone who brings the ideas!
The ideal designer has a strong creative eye, understands what's trending, and knows how to turn inspiration into products customers want to buy.
We want someone who can take a fun print or creative concept and build an entire coordinated collection around it—from bags and accessories to stationery and gifts.
Most importantly, we're looking for someone who can bring products to life, combining creativity with a practical understanding of product development, manufacturing, and what sells in retail.
To Apply
Please submit:
- Resume
- Portfolio (required)
- Examples of original seamless patterns and surface designs
- Examples of accessories, gifts, or lifestyle products you've designed
- Examples of cohesive product collections, if available
- Your hourly freelance rate
- Availability for Spring/Summer 2028 collection development
We strongly prefer candidates who have designed physical products that have gone into production, rather than graphic design work alone.
We're excited to find a creative partner who can help bring fresh ideas, fun products, and standout designs to Katydid's Spring/Summer 2028 collection!
