Company DescriptionFlowkade is a technology partner creating thoughtful digital solutions and publishing workflows for education. We combine educational expertise, design, and modern web technology to make high-quality learning materials easier to create, maintain, and use.Together with an educational publishing partner, we are developing an automated workflow for transforming structured reading content into beautifully designed print and digital booklets. We are looking for a freelance educational editorial designer to create the visual design system behind those publications.
The AssignmentYou will define how the reading booklets should look and behave across different ages or reading profiles. You will translate research, educational requirements, and the publishing partner’s visual identity into a clear editorial system covering typography, colour, spacing, page grids, imagery, hierarchy, and pagination.
You will work closely with Flowkade’s design and development team and with Dutch-speaking educational and editorial specialists from our publishing partner. The technical team will implement the system in an automated HTML/CSS-to-PDF rendering workflow. You are not expected to build that workflow yourself, but your designs and specifications must be suitable for consistent technical implementation.
What You Will Work OnResearch relevant principles for children’s typography, readability, accessibility, and educational publication designDevelop a coherent visual direction for the reading bookletsDefine typography, colour, spacing, grids, margins, and visual hierarchyCreate two or three related design profiles for different developmental or reading levelsDesign reusable components for informational texts, stories, dialogue, poetry, highlighted vocabulary, images, captions, sources, covers, contents pages, and colophonsEstablish rules for variable text lengths, image placement, page breaks, headings, widows and orphans, and other pagination challengesCreate representative sample booklets using real Dutch educational textsTranslate the design into a Figma component library and clear, machine-readable design tokens or specificationsCollaborate with developers during implementation and review generated print and screen PDFsRefine the system based on feedback from educators, pupils, and the project team
Expected DeliverablesA concise research and design rationaleA complete visual and typographic systemDefined design profiles for different reader groupsA reusable Figma component librarySpecifications for typography, spacing, colour, layout, imagery, and paginationDesign tokens or an equivalent structured handoff for HTML/CSS implementationRepresentative print and digital templatesReview of the first automatically generated booklet proofsPractical documentation that enables the system to be extended consistently
What We Are Looking For
EssentialDemonstrable professional experience designing educational publications for primary or elementary-school childrenExcellent typographic judgement and a portfolio demonstrating substantial text-led publicationsExperience designing reusable systems rather than only individual pagesUnderstanding of print production and print-ready PDF requirementsAbility to design for variable content and unpredictable text lengthsProficiency in Figma or comparable professional design toolsAbility to communicate design decisions clearly and collaborate closely with developersProfessional working proficiency in EnglishAvailability for a project-based freelance assignment
Helpful, but not requiredExperience designing for children or educational audiencesKnowledge of readability, accessibility, and inclusive designExperience with design tokens, design systems, HTML/CSS, or automated publishingExperience conducting or interpreting user research with children and educatorsFamiliarity with Dutch educational materials or the Dutch primary-school contextProfessional proficiency in Dutch
PortfolioPlease share examples that demonstrate your approach to typography and editorial systems. Your portfolio must include at least one educational publication designed for primary or elementary-school children. We are especially interested in:Books, magazines, reports, or educational publications with substantial textSystems that work across multiple page types or audiencesDesigns that combine text, illustrations, captions, and other structured elementsProjects implemented in collaboration with developers or automated publishing systemsExamples showing how you handled variable content, pagination, or production constraints
For relevant examples, please briefly explain your role, the design problem, the system you created, and how the final publication was produced.
What We OfferA meaningful assignment with a direct connection to children’s reading and educationCollaboration with educational specialists, editors, designers, and software developersReal content and representative edge cases to design and test withSubstantial influence over both the visual direction and the underlying publishing principlesA remote-friendly collaboration with a team based in the NetherlandsA clearly scoped freelance engagement with milestones and deliverables agreed together
Please send us:A short introduction and explanation of your interest in the assignmentYour portfolio or selected relevant projectsA brief description of your experience with editorial systems, children’s publications, or automated publishingYour availability and location
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