A creative visionary with 15+ years of working in CPG, fashion and beauty industry. Expert leader of large teams who create high-quality creative solutions from concept to execution. 

I believe success is not defined by my own talents, but how I inspire those around me to make the vision their own.

I have an entrepreneurial spirit with passion, energy and enthusiasm for story telling that pro-actively takes on new initiatives all with the ability to organize a team to help prioritize and manage multiple projects under strict deadlines. 

Creative Direction for Thrive Market

Thrive Market is an online membership-based marketplace for healthy living, offering access to a strictly vetted lineup of household essentials — from fair trade coffee to organic toothpaste. 

Thrive is a mission-based company—every order is shipped carbon-neutral in 100% recyclable packaging from a zero-waste warehouse powered by green energy. Every paid membership sponsors one for a family, student, teacher, veteran, or first responder in need, helping to provide access for all, one member at a time.

Thrive’s 1 Million+ Members are 80% female and deeply care not only for their own health, but also for that of the planet.

Creative Direction featuring updated brand colors, fonts, imagery and a sampling of the 350+ icons exclusive to the brand.

Iconography Illustrations: Julie Tran. Photography: Matthew Schulert

I joined as Head of Creative at the beginning of 2020 to overhaul the existing look and feel to match the brand DNA.

I currently oversee the full in-house creative team of 25+ that supports CRM, Brand, Member Acquisition (Paid Social - Instagram + Facebook, YouTube), Channel Expansion (TV, CTV, OTT, Streaming + OHH) and Content + Community (Organic Social + Blog).

Spotlight

The Thrive Market Cookbook : Healthy Living Made Easy

In 2020, Thrive Market launched its first cookbook, Healthy Living Made Easy, with 60+ delicious meals that can be cooked in 30 minutes or less. All the recipes, created by the team and Thrive's trusted partners – including Mark Hyman, Amanda Chantal Bacon and Melissa Urban – including dietary icons that are personalized to our members' diet and lifestyle.

I drove the creative direction and strategy with the help of Brains on Fire, a distruptive and talented Los Angeles agency. Our goal:

Bring Thrive Market’s brand to life with irresistible recipes, sourcing stories and product highlights to drive engagement and community.

 

Food Photography by Teri Lyn Fisher. Food styling by Marian Cooper Cairns. Environmental Photography by Elisha Knight.

Photography Art Direction

The 170 page cookbook featured rich imagery unique to the Thrive Market brand. The images ranged from Southern California sunsets to farmers who source from around the globe. I art directed the week long shoot with renowned food photographer Teri Lyn Fisher and food stylist Marian Cooper Cairns.

Almost every recipe intentionally had an accompanied image and the warm, dappled lighting was an ode to the brand’s California roots. Thrive is an inclusive and expressive brand, therefore it was important that the imagery felt aspirational, lived in, but accessible. Props and textures were thoughtfully chosen, such as colorful cement counters, natural fabrics and linens, unique mixed metals and handmade ceramics.

 

The iconography is used both in the cookbook and across Thrive Market’s site as a way to personalize products for each members diet and lifestyle.

Each recipe features a QR code that goes to an onsite shopping list when members can add all of the items directly to their cart.

Award-Winning Packaging Designs

Reinvigorating Thrive Market Goods

Designers: Savannah McAnally, Anat Erez-Fellner, Kellie O’Hara + Julie Tran. Copywriter: Shira Karsen

Recipe for Iconic Packaging

Thrive Market Goods is one of Thrive Market's 5 owned-brands, comprised of 700+ skus of pantry essentials and responsible for 25% of annual product revenue (2021). The previous private label's identity did little to differentiate it from competitor private label brands and did not evoke the superior quality or value of the products. Nor was it best suited for an e-commerce platform.

As Creative Director, I led the vision and creative strategy for reimagining Thrive's successful owned-brand with a wide ranging team including Art Directors, Designers, Copywriters, Brand Managers, Project Managers and Production Artists.

I started by identifing the visual philosophy and simplifying the 20+ fonts and color palette- drawing inspiration from classic, vintage Italian packaged goods of the past.

Before: Thrive Market Goods brand identity

 

After: Cohesive, unique and iconic designs

 
 

Design Philosophy:

Irresistible - Consumers should want to buy it as soon as they see it, which has been successful for e-comm and drove higher click thru rates and repeat purchases.

Bold - The designs and patterns stand out with graphic, solid shapes and colors. The vibrant palette nods to Thrive Market’s California heritage, and champions healthy living through expressive designs.

Counter-Worthy - The designs rely on principles that have stood the test of time. Think less is more - clean san serifs and simple but thoughtful shapes and patterns that are worthy of being displayed on any counter.

The rebrand won 3 Vertex awards, including gold in Publisher’s Choice, against names like Target, Walmart and Whole Foods.

The competition had 650 entries from 52 countries.

Editorial Creative Direction

 
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Digital marketing For Beautycounter

I worked as the Art Director for Beautycounter’s organic social channels - Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. Leading the creative strategy to blend commerce and content as a unique revenue driver. Under my leadership, the channels increased engagement and grossed multi-millions annually.

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I created a unique point of view by varying content that led up to brand pillars and created a clear identity. As well as, implemented processes, a style guide; all while staying up to date on competitor trends in a quickly involving landscape.

I worked closely with a strategist to inform creative decisions and calendarize monthly story telling. This has resulted in a healthier than average growth to our followers (highest amongst our direct competitors) and increased brand awareness. 

 

Visual Art DirectioN

Photographer: Teri Lynn Fisher Stylists: Laurie Raab + Amy Lipnis

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digital marketing cont. : for anthropologie

My role with Anthropolgie included wireframing, concepting layouts, pulling swipe, art directing, and executing final design for all beauty. I was the lead designer for women's fashion including apparel, shoes and accessories. While there, I developed a visual style guide (textures, fonts, colors) and enhanced the user experience, all while leading a team of talented designers to assist in carrying out the vision.

 

Digital Beauty Experience for anthropologie

The Process

While at Anthro, I led all beauty initiatives - concepting, art directing and executing full 360 digital campaigns.

The process began with a conversation with beauty leads on the needs of the business; then I worked closely with the ECD to creatively meet those objectives. The campaigns were either brand focused (Albeit, Darphin) or instructional (How to Use Oils, Mask Bar). They utilized UI shopping features such as product trays, marrying content and commerce seamlessly that resulted in higher conversions and increased sales.

After the strategy was cemented, I began to develop a creative identity and determine if additional asks were needed; i.e. illustrations, animation, video, etc.. I pulled swipe and created a shot list that was passed to illustrator or creative director.

For Darphin (see above), I sought out Brazilian illustrator, Willian Santiago, to illustrate ingredients in their signature essential oils. This gave the campaign a unique presence and worked well across all channels, such as social.

 
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Content + Ecommerce

One of my successes at Anthro was exploring the way commerce and content lived on a page. It's important that the experience was not just beautiful, but functional as a shopping tool. Below is an example of an instructional page that highlighted products in a coversational manner while showing a breath of other relatable products. Users could shop categories or through the shopping tray at the bottom. The shopping tray allowed them to read short bios and quick shop which resulted in one less click thru and increased sales due to simplfying the UI experience through design.

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More Beauty Examples

E-Commerce

Rue La La is a destination for top brands at at Members-only prices. The e-commerce, flash sale site daily curates Boutiques filled with the best of the best in women's and men's fashion, home, travel, kids, and more.

I led a team responsible for designing enticing and innovative fashion marketing collateral such as brand spotlight pages that supported both fashion, beauty, shoes and accessories. 

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RUE'S FALL CAPSULE CLOSET

This project was one where I saw it through from concept to execution, art directing, location scouting and designing. 

Branding

Nebo opened in June of 2005 in chef/owners Carla and Christine Pallotta’s childhood neighborhood of Boston’s North End. The sisters were inspired by their mother and grandmother’s classic Italian recipes; everything about their restaurant has strong ties to family.

Early in 2013, the Pallotta sisters decided to make the move from Boston’s Italian hub in the North End to the Waterfront. In order to do so, almost everything about the restaurant’s previous identify needed to change.

Their new restaurant on Atlantic Ave features industrial decor with original structural beams, brick vaulted ceilings, Venetian plaster walls and marble counter tops, as well as an outdoor patio. Their personal family photos are the centerpiece of their new brand identity capturing the true essence of dining in an Italian home.

my involvement with the project included : re-branding, logo design, menus, coasters, matchbook, business cards, postcards, stickers and website