SWEET SPARKMAN ARCHITECTS, INC.
Design Storyteller
Sarasota, FL - Full time
OVERVIEW
Sweet Sparkman is seeking a Design Storyteller responsible for documenting our firm’s iterative creative process from concept through construction. Our current marketing output is weighted heavily toward final project photography, and we are looking to increase documentation surrounding the process that leads to that outcome, including design development, client discussions, and technical problem-solving, which is where much of our firm's differentiation actually lives. This role is responsible for closing that gap and building a consistent body of content around it. This is a production role within the marketing department. You will be making the work - shooting, writing, designing, and editing, and reporting to leadership and marketing.
HOW WE THINK ABOUT THIS ROLE
Sweet Sparkman prides itself on elevated design across all practice areas, yet our prospective clients often aren’t exposed to the process that leads to interesting and unique projects.
This role exists to close that gap: documenting the reasoning and problem-solving behind the work, not just the result. It requires someone genuinely curious about process — who notices when a half-finished idea, an offhand comment in a meeting, or an unresolved detail is actually the more interesting story, and who can explain it clearly to people who don't necessarily read architectural drawings.
The audience spans prospective clients, civic boards, design press, students, and the general public across Florida's Gulf Coast and beyond. That means writing and shooting in a way that holds up for all of them, without reducing the work to one flat pitch.
ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES
Documentation
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Identify and visually document process moments across active projects - design meetings, model iterations, key technical decisions, and on-site construction milestones - as they occur
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Maintain a working documentation schedule tied to real project milestones, so that the right moments get captured before they pass
Production
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Develop project narratives that combine photography, graphics, and writing to communicate both the finished work and the process behind it
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Produce supporting graphics - diagrams, renderings, timelines, before/after comparisons - in coordination with project teams to support each narrative
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Translate technical and design decisions for non-specialist audiences without oversimplifying the thinking behind them
Collaboration
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Work alongside project architects, designers, and firm leadership to identify which projects and moments carry the most narrative weight
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Build the internal habits that make documentation routine rather than an interruption
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Coordinate with marketing on production schedules and how the output can be leveraged across all marketing channels (website, social media, printed copy)
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Recommend new content formats, channels, or storytelling approaches, rather than only executing within existing ones
QUALIFICATIONS
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4+ years producing content in marketing, communications, editorial, or documentary settings. Experience in architecture, design, or construction is a plus but not required
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Strong writing ability
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Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) or equivalent tools for content and graphic production
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Photo and video capability, including basic shooting and editing
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Demonstrated ability to work independently and set direction with minimal oversight
Preferred
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Experience with motion graphics and design/rendering software (Enscape, Twinmotion, SketchUp, Rhino, After Effects)
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Existing relationships with regional media or design publications
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
We are less interested in a checklist of tools than in how someone works. The person who does well here will:
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Listen for opportunities to capture the creative process
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Ask good questions of people who are busy, and know when a half-finished idea is worth documenting
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Prioritize and carry several projects at once in a detail-oriented environment
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Propose subjects and angles rather than waiting to be assigned them
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Write, edit, and proofread cleanly across formats, from a caption to a long-form project story
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Hold a consistent point of view about how the work should look and read
WHY JOIN US?
This is a unique opportunity to establish a content program inside our firm. The role is newly created, and you will have real creative latitude over the content itself - what gets documented, how it gets told, and what it looks like.
You will have direct access to firm leadership and a substantial archive of project work spanning more than two decades of civic, residential, and interior projects across Florida's Gulf Coast, most of which has never been developed into content. Sweet Sparkman is an established, respected firm at a point where we are actively investing in this function, giving you the chance to shape how we present our work going forward.
BENEFITS
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Flexible work option: up to 12 work-from-home days per calendar year
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Health, Dental, and Vision insurance, and other ancillary benefits
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Paid Time Off
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Parental Leave
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401(k) with profit sharing
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Annual Bonus
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$75,000 - $85,000 annually, commensurate with experience and qualifications
HOW TO APPLY
Send a resume and a short portfolio to [email protected]. We care more about the portfolio than the resume. If you have work that shows process rather than only finished results, lead with it.
Disclaimer: The information contained herein is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the duties and responsibilities of the job, nor are they intended to be an all-inclusive list of the skills and abilities required to do the job. Management may, at its discretion, assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.
