The intern will support the creative team by developing and maintaining the KQED brand visual system and creating graphic assets for various programs. They will also collaborate with the team to produce digital and print collateral while adhering to established brand guidelines.
Requirements overview
Candidates should be working towards a BFA in Graphic Design or possess equivalent experience with a strong portfolio. Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, specifically Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, is required.
Your Northern California NPR and PBS stations, offering a community-supported, non-profit alternative to commercial media.
Through Public Television, Public Radio, Interactive, and Education, KQED provides citizens with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions; convene community dialogue; bring the arts to everyone; and engage audiences to share their stories.
KQED helps students and teachers thrive in 21st century classrooms, and takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration—exposing them to new people, places and ideas.
KQED celebrates diversity, embraces innovation, values lifelong learning and partners with those who share our passion for public service.
Deadline to apply for KQED Internships is Friday, October 30, 2026. Please state which internship(s) you are applying for in your cover letter and apply to each internship individually.
This is a paid internship, working 16 hours per week from Tuesday, January 19, 2027, through Friday, June 25, 2027. The current hourly rate is $19.61 per hour.
Position Summary:
Are you a graphic design student looking to build design experience in a non-profit media organization? We are looking for a passionate and self-driven designer with the desire to gain real-world experience by collaborating with and learning from KQED’s internal design team.
Through this design internship, you will gain graphic design experience as a part of the KQED Creative team, a small internal creative agency that collaborates to amplify the KQED brand experience and elevate audience engagement by promoting our content, services and community partnerships. You will play an essential role in supporting the design team by developing and maintaining the KQED brand visual system and voice and creating graphic assets to support KQED’s many programs and services.
KQED envisions a public media organization with a culture that centers on human dignity, equity, and belonging. This will enable us to better serve and reflect the Bay Area through diverse and inclusive storytelling.
We value the contributions of marginalized people in society — including Black, Indigenous, and all people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people — and we believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do, and we strongly encourage members of these communities to apply.
KQED Code of Ethics https://www.kqed.org/about/code-ethics
The mission that drives us:
KQED provide citizens of Northern California with a community-supported alternative to commercial media. We provide citizens with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions; convene community dialogue; bring the arts to everyone and engage audiences to share their stories. We help students and teachers thrive in 21st-century classrooms, and take people of all ages on journeys of exploration- exposing them to new people, places and ideas.
This role will work hybrid between working in KQED's newly renovated headquarters and working remotely.
Essential Functions:
Design and produce digital and print collateral within established branding
Understand and adhere to brand guidelines and complete projects according to deadline
Retouch and edit photographs in Photoshop
Design with Adobe Creative Suite (specifically Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign) and work with a wide variety of media
Collaborate with the design team to develop design concepts for internal clients across departments
Work with the design team to articulate and synthesize feedback to make appropriate changes and refinements
Assist with managing projects and production timelines
Other Job Functions:
Articulate design intention when presenting work both internally among the team and with clients
Source/search for photos and graphics
Get estimates and coordinate print orders with external vendors
Set up print-ready files for print vendors
Knowledge/Experience Required:
Working towards a BFA in Graphic Design or equivalent experience
Knowledge of graphic design fundamentals (layout, typography, color, composition etc.)
Familiarity with the Adobe Creative Suite (particularly Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign)
Familiarity with the Microsoft Office Suite (particularly Word and Powerpoint) and Google applications (particularly Docs and Slides)
Strong creative and analytical skills
Detail-oriented and able to self-initiate
Compelling portfolio of graphic design work
Knowledge/Experience Desired:
Knowledge of public media (love/nerdiness is a plus!)
Motion graphics and animation skills
Illustration and/or lettering skills
Familiarity with Adobe AfterEffects or Premiere Pro
Experience with creating animated banner ads in HTML5
Growth & Development Opportunities:
Gain experience working on a wide range of digital and print design projects
Receive mentorship, guidance and feedback from knowledgeable and experienced design professionals
Attend weekly meetings and network cross-departmentally at KQED internal events
Design for a well-renowned, leading non-profit public media organization