Stephen Smith

About Stephen Smith

As a seasoned creative lead, I’ve had the honor of enhancing the brand and culture at top global companies. During this time, the projects that brought me the most joy were those where I was able to leverage creativity to truly help people and communities. As I look to the future, I aspire to use my talents to drive success at companies that are actively working toward greater levels of social responsibility.STRENGTHSA continual desire to learn and evolve. Critical thinking and problem solving. Objective reasoning and connecting dots. Teamwork and collaboration. Skilled at navigating complex environments and aligning artistic ambitions with key business objectives.SELECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS> BUILDING INCLUSION WITH MICROSOFT PHOTOGRAPHYAuthored the strategy/brand guidelines, and led diverse teams of agencies, designers, photographers, producers, videographers, and writers, to create a global photo library that addressed gaps in authentic representation of marginalized people. Images supported Microsoft business priorities such as AI, Cloud Services, STEM education, and sustainability initiatives. Locations targeted geographical growth areas such as Africa, India, South America, and Southeast Asia. More than 25K unique visitors spanning 105 countries access this photo library per quarter. With well over a million downloads—this library was used to build credibility and inspire audiences all around the world.> MICROSOFT 2019 PRIDE INITIATIVEOutlined framework for visual identity toolkit to support LGBTQIA+ employee-led Pride month activations. This open-sourced campaign blended community outreach, product integrations, owned and earned media, and retail events. Engagements generated 150M+ impressions with participation from more than employees from 61 cities and 30 countries.> SPECIAL OLYMPICS + XBOX PARTNERSHIPLed team to propose esports as a new competition for Special Olympics, and to leverage Microsoft technologies to make gaming more inclusive. A multi-year roadmap was developed to create an accessible platform for athletes of all abilities, expand fundraising, reach new audiences, and change perceptions of people with intellectual disabilities. We then partnered with internal and external stakeholders on program assessment and logistics for a national tournament. The first-ever championship demonstration was held at the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games, broadcast on ESPN, and received positive coverage in publications including Forbes and across social media.

Experience

1. Associate Creative Director

   Brabendercox

   Jul 2024 — Present · US

Education

• The Art Institutes

  Visual Communications + Photography

Skills

• Logo Design
• Style Guides
• Advertising
• Creative Vision
• Brochures
• Adobe Creative Suite
• Graphics
• Creative Strategy
• Creative Development
• Photography
• Brand Development
• Visual
• Corporate Branding
• Ideation
• Graphic Design
• Retouching
• Branding & Identity
• Icons
• Experience Design
• Retail Design
• Image Manipulation
• Collateral
• Concept Design
• Visuals
• Corporate Identity
• Typography
• Press Checks
• Concept Development
• Outdoor Advertising
• Posters
• Design Direction
• Photo Art Direction
• Art Direction
• Outdoors
• Photo Shoots
• Promotions
• Packaging
• Sportswear
• Identity Development
• Creative Direction