Animation & Visual Designer (Remote)

Overview

Bayt Archive is the cultural archive of Bayt, a house for Muslim life in America. We document culture through restrained, editorial visual work — calm, intentional, and archival in tone.

We’re looking for a visual designer with strong animation skills and high-end Photoshop compositing ability to create short animations and hyperreal visual studies that feel indistinguishable from real product or studio photography, especially those familiar with Muslim American experiences—are strongly encouraged to apply.

This role prioritizes craft, realism, and restraint over trends or effects.

Core Responsibilities

- Create short visual pieces and animations based on provided direction

Execute work across the following formats:

-Abstract / Symbolic Animation
Minimal shapes, light, and motion used to establish atmosphere. No literal storytelling.

-Simple Narrative Loops
Short looping scenes depicting everyday Muslim life. No dialogue. No faces required.

- Paper / Collage Motion
Archival imagery layered with texture and subtle motion to suggest memory and continuity.

- Photoshopped Picture Shoots (High Priority)
Hyperreal, studio-quality composited images of objects, spaces, or clothing that feel like real product or editorial photography.

- Prepare visuals optimized for Instagram Reels and posts

- Revise work with attention to light, material, depth, and realism

- Photoshop Expectations (Very Important)

Applicants must be able to:

- Composite images to true product-shoot realism

- Accurately simulate: lighting direction and falloff, shadows and reflections, surface texture and material depth

- Match the visual standard of high-end product/editorial photography

- Create images that do not look “Photoshopped”

Reference quality similar to: luxury product shoots, editorial still life, hyperreal compositing ---------- instagram)

This role is not for basic photo editing or graphic design.

Required Skills

- Strong experience with motion design / animation software
(After Effects, Blender, or similar)

- Advanced Photoshop proficiency

- compositing

- lighting realism

- texture integration

- Strong sense of composition, pacing, and restraint

- Ability to work from references without copying them

- Style & Tone Expectations

All Bayt Archive visuals should feel:

-Quiet
-Editorial
-Observational
-Timeless

Avoid:

Over-stylization

Visual explanation or symbolism overload


Nice to Have (Not Required)

- Experience with product or still-life photography

- Familiarity with editorial art direction

- Comfort working with limited color palettes

- Cultural familiarity with Muslim life

Test Task

A short paid test task will be required

About Bayt

Bayt is building long-term cultural infrastructure for Muslim life in America — through archives, design, physical spaces, and systems.

Applicants with familiarity or lived experience within Muslim communities are encouraged to apply, though this role is execution-focused.

How to Apply

Please include:

- Examples of animation work

- Examples of high-realism Photoshop compositing

- Software you primarily use

- A brief note on which format you are strongest in

- Applicants who fully read this posting should include the word “Designator” in their message.