Felt waves, clay rocks and light that feels like early morning. In every frame it looks like one world, and that is your job.
Tatako is hiring its first Art Director to bring our series, song videos and covers under one look that families recognize in a second. You lead the character, set and storyboard artists, set the palette and the light, and guard the handmade feeling from the opening sketch to the last frame.
About Tatako
Tatako is a first-words app for families raising a child with two languages. A lesson takes about five minutes, there is nothing to read, and a small round octopus keeps everyone company. He has eight arms, no socks, and usually loses count at seven.
The language of home stays the language of home. Tatako adds a second one on top, at a toddler’s pace, from the very first words. A guide voice can explain what to do, and you can switch it off whenever you like. Every lesson has three small steps: Hear it, say it. Touch it. Name it. In the last step the picture comes back without the word, and the child names it first.
We started with English: first words and phrases, from “hello” and “mommy” to colors, animals and what the teacher says at preschool. More languages are on the way. Tatako works in the browser on any phone or tablet.
The role
- Remote and full-time, open to candidates anywhere in the world
- Fluent English
- You report directly to the founders
By day 90, the series has a visual bible and a palette and lighting guide the whole team uses, and a weekly review catches a wrong color before it reaches an episode.
What you will do
- Set the look: palette, materials, light and scale for a small handmade world, all written down in one visual bible.
- Lead the character, set and storyboard artists with clear briefs, paintovers and honest reviews.
- Decide how felt, clay and wool should look on a phone, and how much texture a small frame can hold.
- Keep one look across every format: long episodes, vertical shorts, song videos, thumbnails, stickers and the app.
- Review frames every week and catch drift in color, proportion and light before it spreads.
- Work the brand into the world: the octopus’s tomato color, the logo on a prop, the small Tatako mark on every video.
- Set the visual rules for young eyes: no flashes, no harsh contrast and calm evening light as an episode comes to rest.
What you bring
- 6+ years in animation, illustration or stop-motion, including time leading other artists.
- A portfolio that shows one coherent world, not only single images.
- Deep command of color and light, proven on real sets or in production.
- A feel for material: you know why wool looks warm and plastic does not.
- Direction that works remotely: your written notes and paintovers get the result in one round.
- Production sense: you protect the look without stopping the schedule.
Bonus points
- You have designed for preschool television or picture books.
- You have built miniature sets with your own hands.
Why you will love it
- A brand-new world, with no old style to inherit.
- You shape what a child pictures when someone says the word Tatako.
- At this scale every detail counts, and a single stitch can be a joke.
How to apply
Meet the octopus at tatako.com, then email join@tatako.com with your LinkedIn profile or portfolio. Make sure it shows a world or series whose look you led.
If your experience matches the role, our team will get in touch to discuss next steps.