Website:
kaakor.com
Job details:
Kaakor is India's first paper engineering company.
We use engineered paper, cardboard and other sustainable materials to create furniture, installations, retail displays, exhibition structures, brand experiences, custom products and large-scale objects.
- We are building a new category around Paper Engineering — and we're looking for a designer who wants to help us build things that haven't been built before.
The Role
We are looking for a Senior Product Designer with strong experience in cardboard, paper, sustainable materials, furniture, exhibition design, installations or structural product design.
This is a hands-on role.
You will receive a client requirement such as:
"We need a 10-foot branded installation for an event next week."
And your job will be to quickly turn that idea into:
Concept → 3D Model → Engineering → Prototype → Production-ready Design
Speed is extremely important.
We need someone who can take an idea from a conversation to a visual 3D concept within a very short time, while keeping manufacturing, material usage, strength, assembly and cost in mind.
What You'll Be DoingProduct & Installation Design
Design and develop:
- Custom furniture
- Brand installations
- Exhibition structures
- Retail displays
- POP displays
- Event installations
- Product-launch installations
- Life-size objects
- Sculptures and structures
- Custom packaging/product concepts
- Sustainable alternatives to conventional products
- Completely new products based on client requirements
3D Design & Visualization
You will be expected to:
- Create accurate 3D models quickly.
- Convert client ideas, sketches or references into 3D concepts.
- Create presentation-ready renders/visuals.
- Develop multiple design options when required.
- Create production-ready drawings/files.
- Prepare files suitable for CNC cutting and manufacturing.
- Understand dimensions, tolerances, joints, folds and assembly.
- Create designs that can actually be manufactured — not just look good in a render.
Paper Engineering
A strong understanding of cardboard and paper-based structures is highly preferred.
You should understand concepts such as:
- Material thickness
- Layering
- Structural strength
- Folding
- Scoring
- Slotting
- Interlocking
- Load distribution
- Flat-pack design
- Tool-free assembly
- Material optimization
- CNC cutting
- Manufacturing tolerances
Experience with other sustainable materials such as kraft board, honeycomb board, recycled materials, plywood, bamboo or bio-based materials will also be valuable.
Client Requirement → Design
You will work directly with the founder and sales team to understand client requirements.
For example:
Client:
"We need something unique for our exhibition."
You should be able to quickly think:
Concept → Dimensions → Material → Structure → 3D Model → Manufacturing Method
You will also participate in client presentations when required and explain why a particular design works.
Skills We're Looking ForMust Have
- Strong product/industrial design background.
- Experience designing physical products.
- Strong 3D modelling skills.
- Excellent understanding of manufacturing.
- Ability to work extremely fast without compromising design quality.
- Strong visualisation and presentation skills.
- Ability to work from rough ideas, references and incomplete briefs.
- Strong problem-solving ability.
- Attention to dimensions and production details.
Software
Strong proficiency in relevant software such as:
- Rhino
- SolidWorks
- Fusion 360
- AutoCAD
- Blender
- SketchUp
- KeyShot
- Adobe Illustrator / Photoshop
You don't need to know all of these, but you should be highly proficient in the tools you use.
The Ideal Candidate
We would love to find someone who thinks:
"Give me the requirement. I'll figure out how to build it."You should be:
- Creative
- Fast
- Practical
- Curious
- Comfortable experimenting
- Comfortable working with unusual materials
- Good at solving structural problems
- Comfortable working under tight deadlines
- Comfortable taking ownership of a project from concept to production
Most importantly, you should enjoy building things.
Experience
4–8 years of relevant experience preferred.
Experience in any of the following will be a strong advantage:
- Paper/cardboard product design
- Sustainable product design
- Furniture design
- Exhibition design
- Retail display design
- Set design
- Event installations
- Architectural installations
- POP/display design
- Packaging engineering
- Industrial design
- CNC-based manufacturing
We care more about your portfolio and ability to solve real-world design problems than your degree or job title.
What Success Looks Like
You should be able to receive a client brief in the morning and have a strong, presentable 3D concept ready quickly.
You will help Kaakor move from:
"Can we make this?"
to:
"Yes. Here's the design."
Your work will directly become physical products and installations used by brands, events, exhibitions, retailers and customers.
Work Model
Hybrid / Remote
You will work remotely for much of the time, with regular coordination with the Kaakor team.
Depending on the project, you may need to visit our facility in Agra for:
- Prototyping
- Material testing
- Production trials
- Design validation
- Client projects
- New product development
The role may also involve occasional travel for important projects and installations.
Why Join Kaakor?
At Kaakor, you won't be designing another chair or table from a fixed catalogue.
One day you could be designing:
A branded furniture collection.
The next day:
A 15-foot exhibition installation.
And the next:
A life-size object made entirely from engineered paper.
We are trying to answer one question:
"What can we build from paper?"And we're looking for a designer who wants to help us find the answer.
How to Apply
Send us:
- Your CV
- Portfolio / Behance / website
- Software expertise
- Examples of products, installations or structures you have designed
- A short answer to:
"What is the most difficult physical product or structure you have designed, and how did you solve the engineering problem?"Location: India | Hybrid / Remote
Company: Kaakor
Role: Senior Product Designer — Paper Engineering & Sustainable Materials
Click on Apply to know more.
