Cortney

Hiker, skier, mountain biker, theatre lover, activist

Original watercolor by Cortney Williams:
Deconstructing Empire.

Art Director / Graphic Artist

Giving brands
a voice.

Creating impactful work
that matters.
Advocacy design.

Open resume ↗Download Resume (PDF) ↓

Creative Intuition. Taste. Values. Aesthetic Judgment. Those are the things a service like AI can't generate on its own. They are the human skills I bring to every brief, every brand, every campaign. Starting with empathy, not software, I understand who a brand is by listening to what the audience needs to feel, and what will actually move them. I believe conviction leads to conversion. I've spent my career translating brand strategy into visual systems, from art-directing national magazine issues, to founding and running an independent design studio, to leading in-house creative through the shift into digital, video, UGC, and AI-driven production. I've worked across print, packaging, fashion, and agency, but the thread running through all of it has been the same: taking a brand's voice, mission, and values and giving it a unique, custom solution that people can feel.

Résumé

  • Illustrator
  • Photoshop
  • InDesign
  • XD
  • Figma
  • Veed
  • Runway
  • Suno
  • ElevenLabs
  • Higgsfield
  • Claude Code
  • Lovable
  • Visual Studio Code

Point Loma Nazarene University

Graphic Arts and Communication

1994 - 1997

Art Institute of Colorado

Design studies

1997 - 1998

Experience

DMS Digital Media Solutions

Design Lead

Performance marketing

2019 - 2026

Directed creative vision for high-intent lead-gen campaigns: storyboarding, art direction, UX/UI conception and prototyping, market research. Managed external creators and casting for UGC, AI video and AI design.

Led concept development and high-volume ad production (static, UGC, motion, landing pages) for Meta and TikTok paid social, balancing brand integrity with direct-response performance.

Refreshed creative and landing pages against performance data to combat ad fatigue, partnering with media buying to align assets with audience behavior and funnel stage; applied wireframing, journey mapping and user-flow design to improve usability.

Engineered internal design resources and built AI-driven workflows and products that scaled multi-channel output.

Mindflint

Design Lead

Creative agency

2013 - 2019

Conceptualized and produced design work across the client roster, partnering with creative directors to translate brand strategy into visual solutions.

Delivered across print publishing, packaging, product design, digital branding and social media campaigns.

Served agile startups, established brands, local businesses and mission-driven non-profits.

avail design

Creative Director

Independent studio

2005 - 2013

Built and led an independent design studio delivering end-to-end creative direction, print, packaging, fashion, digital branding and social campaigns.

Served a broad client roster spanning startups, established brands, local businesses and non-profits.

PacSun

Marketing Coordinator

National fashion retailer

2001 - 2005

Directed visual design and brand strategy across physical and digital marketing, packaging, in-store displays and signage, ad campaigns and ecommerce/email assets, keeping the customer experience consistently on brand.

Owned project management for X-Games initiatives: brand launches, promotions, swag design and event marketing.

Primedia Inc.

Art Director

Publisher

1997 - 2001

Steered visual identity and design layout for premium monthly national magazine publications, including Vette Magazine.

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