NICK SANTOS

T-mobile

Frisco, tx

Manager, Creative Director - Brand

A senior-level role within the marketing department, responsible for overseeing and leading the creative team in conceptualizing, developing, and executing various visual and creative projects. A vital role in shaping T-Mobiles brand identity. This role called for a strong blend of creative thinking, leadership skills, strategic vision, and effective communication.

My Daily Task

• Creative Vision and Strategy: Develop and communicate a clear creative vision and strategy for projects, campaigns, or brand initiatives. Ensure that all creative work aligns with the overall brand identity and business goals.

• Concept Development: Lead brainstorming sessions to generate innovative and impactful ideas for marketing campaigns, advertisements, designs, and other creative projects.

• Team Management: Supervise and mentor the creative team, including graphic designers, copywriters, art directors, and other creative professionals. Provide guidance, feedback, and support to ensure high-quality work output.

• Project Direction: Provide creative direction for projects from inception to completion. Ensure that the final output reflects the original concept and meets the company's expectations.

• Collaboration: Work closely with clients, marketing teams, account managers, and other stakeholders to understand project requirements, objectives, and target audiences.

• Collaborate to develop effective creative solutions that resonate with the audience.

• Design and Art Direction: Contribute to the design process by offering insights and expertise on visual aesthetics, layout, typography, and overall design principles.

• Brand Consistency: Maintain consistent branding across all creative materials, ensuring that the visual identity aligns with the brand guidelines.

• Quality Control: Review and approve creative work to ensure it meets high standards of quality, creativity, and relevance.

• Presentation Skills: Present creative concepts and strategies to clients, stakeholders, and internal teams in a compelling and articulate manner.

• Inspiration and Motivation: Inspire and motivate the creative team to push creative boundaries and achieve outstanding results.

2021 - Present

Raising canes

Dallas, tx

Creative Director, Design

A mid-level position within the marketing department, responsible for co-leading creative teams in conceptualizing, developing, and executing on various visual and creative projects. Shaped Raising Canes brand identity at physical and digital touch points.

My Daily Task

• Creative: Assist in developing a creative vision and strategy for projects, campaigns, or brand initiatives. Ensure that all creative work aligns with the overall brand identity.

• Concept Development: Lead brainstorming sessions to generate innovative and impactful ideas for marketing campaigns, advertisements, designs, and other creative projects.

• Team Management: Lead various creative teams, graphic designers, copywriters, art directors, and cross functioning teams. Provide guidance, feedback, and support to ensure high-quality work output.

• Project Direction: Provide creative direction for projects from inception to completion. Ensure that the final output reflects the original concept and meets the company's expectations.

• Collaboration: Work closely with clients, marketing teams, account managers, and other stakeholders to understand project requirements, objectives, and target audiences.

• Collaborate to develop effective creative solutions that resonate with the audience.

• Design and Art Direction: Contribute to the design process by offering insights and expertise on visual aesthetics, layout, typography, and overall design principles.

• Brand Consistency: Maintain consistent branding across all creative materials, ensuring that the visual identity aligns with the brand guidelines.

• Presentation Skills: Present creative concepts and strategies to clients, stakeholders, and internal teams in a compelling and articulate manner.

2020-2021

freeman

dallas,TX

Environmental Design Director

A mid-level position. Responsibilities include shaping company’s brand identity and requires a strong blend of creative thinking, leadership skills, strategic vision, and effective communication

My Daily Task

•      Design and concept immersive brand experiences.

•      Work with teams of art directors, writers, and designers to bring brand/product campaigns to life and developing strategic ideas and killer concepts.

•      Client Presentation and Client Service.

•      Manage brand campaigns from concept to completion. Translate marketing objectives into clear creative/brand strategies. Drive team, review work, troubleshoot and provide feedback to ensure client’s needs, goals, and strategies are met.

•      Work in conjunction with account teams, planners and strategists to direct the visual/verbal expression of brand/product ideas. Work closely with cross-function teams to provide strategic oversight. Ensure visual communication and brand/product standards are met.

•      Work with fabricators, detailers to transition concepts to final build out.

•      Develop client proposals, profitability/ROI, timelines and budgets. Work with clients and team members to provide analysis, manage risks, and review expectations. Provide solutions, recommendations and manage deliverables

2019-2020

may Group

fort worth, TX 

Creative Director, Design 

•      Work with, motivate, and change the culture of a team of art directors, writers, and designers to bring the brand/product campaigns to life and develop strategic ideas. Active in hiring and training team.

•      Manage product/brand campaigns from concept to completion. Translate marketing objectives into clear creative/brand strategies. Drive team, review work, troubleshoot and provide feedback to ensure client’s needs, goals, and strategies are met.

•      Work in conjunction with account teams, planners and strategists to direct the visual/verbal expression of brand/product ideas. Work closely with cross-function teams to provide strategic oversight. Ensure visual communication and brand/product standards are met.

•      Oversee client proposals, profitability/ROI, timelines and budgets. Meet with clients and team members to provide analysis, manage risks, and review expectations. Provide solutions, recommendations and manage deliverables.

Brands: Heineken, Miller/Coors, Jägermeister, Dollar General, and Castrol 

2018-2019

integer group

Dallas,Tx 

Creative Director, Design and Strategy 

•      Collaborate on significant brand campaigns to develop immersive experiences on multiple channel: traditional, physical, and digital.

•      Creative development for client brand campaigns that included; design, concepting, environmental design, merchandising, experiential and graphic design. Develop user/mobile experiences, UX consumer journeys, and landing pages. Developed brand identities and strategic goal settings for clients.  Managed large scale role outs while working closely with clients, general contractors, and vendors to maintain design intent/quality. Relationship building with new and existing clients.

•      Work closely with cross-function teams to create marketing strategies and campaigns that align with specific client goals. Work in conjunction with account teams, planners and strategists to direct the visual/verbal expression of brands.

•      Oversee client proposals, profitability/ROI, timelines and budgets. Meet with clients and team members to provide analysis, manage risks, and review expectations. Provide solutions, recommendations and manage deliverables.

•      Work closely with designers, art directors, copywriters to develop innovative concepts and ideas to align with client goals. Create compelling presentations and communicate effectively with clients. 

Brands: Cabela’s, Bank of Oklahoma, Samsung, Jack Link’s, LG, AT&T, and FedEx Office

KEY METRICS:

REVITALIZATION

Refreshing, renewing, and reimagining brand spaces.

• Concept development

• Fleet modernization

EXPANSION

Design solutions that carry brands into new territories and extension environments.

• Co-branded experiences

• Store-in-store buildouts

 SIMPLIFICATION

Design solutions aimed at expressing clear brand spaces.

• Unique pop-ups

• Engaging service kiosks

ALIGNMENT

Consulting engagements centered on consumer journeys.

• Cross-functional workshops

• CX audits

SHADOWING

Customer path illumination and intelligence gathering for spaces and events.

• Journey tracking

• Experience feedback collection

PERFORMANCE

Analysis of traffic and engagement metrics for experience benchmarking and optimization.

• Space analytics

• Experience dashboarding

FIT

Building innovative solutions that meld physical spaces and technology for seamless experiences.

• Experiential Design

• Event innovations

INTEGRATION TECHNOLOGY

Front and back-end systems that optimize consumer and staff experiences.

• Omnichannel technology

• Design touchpoints

SCALABILITY

Technology, innovation, and spaces to work across multichannels

• Expandable Design

• Integration

2014-2018

crtkl

dallas,TX 

Senior Designer  

•      Lead innovative design and development of large scale commercial retail projects. These projects have been developed from conceptual design to design development. Instrumental in creating a stress free environment while completing projects within a deadline.

•      Responsible for client relations, and design follow-ups, managed out-sourced companies. Worked on multiple projects at a time.

2009-2013