Ann Vargas

About Ann Vargas

I’m a Senior Designer and Senior Art Director with over a decade of experience creating digital campaigns, brand identities, and visual systems for global brands, startups, and cultural projects. My work sits at the intersection of design, storytelling, and strategy, with a focus on building visually compelling work that connects with audiences across platforms.Earlier in my career, I served as Lead Digital Designer for Redken and Pureology at L’Oréal, where I led the digital creative for both brands’ integrated marketing communications in the United States. I worked across B2C and B2B campaigns, designing brand websites, mobile experiences, social media campaigns, email marketing, and digital advertising. The work our team produced received multiple recognitions, including Interactive Media Awards, Webby Awards, Sammy Awards, and honors from the Web Marketing Association.Since then, I’ve worked both in-house and as a freelance Senior Art Director with agencies, startups, and cultural organizations. My experience includes leading creative for brands and clients such as Aquaphor, Plan B, Jardiance, Google, Ray-Ban, Bud Light, and several emerging consumer brands. At Evoke Health, I led creative work for Aquaphor USA and collaborated with creative directors on integrated television and digital campaigns while managing junior designers and cross-functional teams.I also served as Senior Art Director for Begroupd, a mobile messaging startup, where I led the visual identity and design direction for the iPhone app and all brand communications. Working closely with engineers, marketing teams, and leadership, I helped shape the product’s visual language across the app experience, marketing campaigns, and social platforms.Throughout my career, I’ve collaborated with agencies including SRW, Captura Group, Lippe Taylor, Red Fuse, Kinfolk, and Colossal Media, leading digital and social campaigns across platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok. My work spans concept development, brand identity, advertising campaigns, UI/UX design, social media design, and content creation. I approach design as both a strategic and cultural practice. Every brand has its own voice and community, and my role as a Art Director / Senior Designer is to translate that into visual systems that feel relevant, engaging, and alive within the world they exist in.

Experience

1. Senior Art Director

   212 Music

   Mar 2023 — Present · DO

   Art Director & Producer for 212 Music and Most Wanted Records, where I led creative direction on Latino music videos, album artwork, and visual campaigns. Oversaw concept development, production design, and on-set art direction for major releases, collaborating closely with artists to bring their vision to life.Other Freelance Clients212 Music, Part-Time Freelance Senior Art Director, January 2014 - PresentCaptura Group Agency, Full-Time Freelance Senior Art Director, April 2023 - June 2023Lippe Taylor, Full-Time Freelance Digital Graphic Designer, June 2022 - August 2022RedFuse Agency, Full-Time Freelance Senior Art Director, November 2018 - December 2018WeWork, Freelance Senior Art Director, February 2019Kinfolk, Freelance Senior Art Director, October 2017 - January 2020Cynthia Nixon for NY Campaign, Freelance Senior Art Director, October 2017 - September 2018Colossal Media, Freelance Senior Art Director, October 2017 - September 2018Ray-Ban Luxottica, Freelance Senior Art Director, April 2014Ulta Beauty, Freelance Senior Art Director, January 2009 - January 2013

Education

• New York Academy of Art

  Master’s Degree, Fine and Studio Arts

  2013 — 2015

• Noble Desktop | Computer Graphics Training in New York

  CSS Intensive CSS for Page Layout certified

  2013 — 2013

• LIU Post

  BFA, Digital Arts and Design

  2003 — 2007

Skills

• Graphic Design
• Branding & Identity
• Typography
• Marketing
• Indesign
• Illustration
• Social Media
• Fine Art Photography
• Layout
• Digital Media
• Microsoft Office
• Graphics
• Illustrator
• Adobe Illustrator
• Concept Development
• Web Design
• Visual Communication
• Creative Strategy
• User Experience
• Art
• Digital Marketing
• Logo Design
• Integrated Marketing
• Advertising
• Magazines
• Flash
• Adobe Creative Suite
• Interaction Design
• Image Editing
• Photography
• Brand Development
• Art Direction
• User Interface Design
• Photoshop
• Social Media Marketing
• Image Manipulation