SENIOR Art Director

Cardinal Financial, DEC 2025–PRESENT

I lead the creative vision across brand, marketing, and digital experiences, turning strategy into compelling visual storytelling. I guide and mentor designers, ensuring work meets the highest standards, strengthens brand integrity, and delivers measurable impact. Partnering with leadership, marketing, UI/UX, and content teams, I shape campaigns, refine brand systems, and bring innovative ideas to life across channels.

Lead concept development, creative strategy, and execution across marketing initiatives
Facilitate brainstorming sessions and guide the design team with strategic direction
Translate marketing objectives into clear creative strategies and art direction
Oversee production of collateral, digital assets, presentations, and social content
Maintain and evolve brand standards while pushing the visual identity forward
Present campaign strategies, concepts, and proposals to stakeholders and leadership
Review creative work, provide feedback, and troubleshoot to ensure quality and consistency
Manage tight timelines and high-volume deliverables while motivating the team
Collaborate with copywriters, UI/UX, and digital teams for cohesive brand experiences
Drive the evolution of brand systems, templates, and visual frameworks for scalability
Implement streamlined processes for project intake, creative review, and delivery

“A gifted designer & reliable leader, KAITLIN manages teams while staying hands-on, a rare & valuable combination.”

—Erica LEE, Executive Leader, Brand Strategist, Via LinkedIN

Art Director

Cardinal Financial, Aug 2021–DEC 2025

In this role, I shaped brand strategy, developed marketing concepts, and crafted impactful digital experiences, collaborating with cross-functional teams to turn ideas into measurable results, all while staying hands-on as a designer.

As a creative leader, I directed and mentored a team of nine designers, fostering collaboration, resilience, and high creative standards during a period of organizational transition. I provided strategic art direction, guided concept development, and ensured every execution aligned with brand objectives while pushing the creative forward.

By supporting team morale and empowering designers, I helped maintain momentum and deliver solutions that consistently elevated the brand and exceeded expectations.

“Kaitlin’s attention to brand detail is unmatched. She brings accountability, passion, & positivity to everything she does.”

—Ben LAUN, Writer/ACD, Via LinkedIN

Senior Graphic Designer

Cardinal Financial Company, Aug 2019–Aug 2021

As a Senior Graphic Designer, I applied a deep understanding of brand strategy to craft compelling, user-focused design across a wide range of marketing and digital initiatives, ensuring every project aligned with business objectives and audience needs.

I collaborated closely with designers, copywriters, and developers to transform ideas into polished, visually engaging solutions for both internal and external audiences. My work spanned a diverse set of production-ready assets, from digital ads and landing pages to presentations, social graphics, environmental design, and branded collateral, while maintaining an organized, efficient workflow that consistently delivered high-quality results under tight deadlines.

I balanced multiple brand identities through a strategic, thoughtful design approach, translating low-fidelity concepts into pixel-perfect mockups in Figma and Adobe XD to support seamless UI/UX execution.

Serving as a key point of contact with external agencies, printers, and vendors, I ensured smooth, end-to-end production from initial concept through final delivery, maintaining brand integrity and elevating the overall visual experience.

“Kaitlin is a master designer & strategic creative director who keeps our brand consistent, our team aligned, & our work environment positive & collaborative.”

—BEN CLINTON, MOTION Designer, Via LinkedIN

Senior graphic designer

peoples home equity, Apr 2017–Aug 2019

Recruited for this role, I served as a Senior Graphic Designer in a brief but highly impactful capacity, guiding the organization toward a clearer, more cohesive brand identity while fostering strong cross-team relationships to drive meaningful change. Working closely with the Creative Director, I coordinated a company-wide brand overhaul and contributed to a comprehensive marketing strategy, developing foundational brand elements and messaging to modernize the company’s voice for a tech-forward market.

To ensure adoption, I educated stakeholders on new brand guidelines through online trainings and conducted ongoing audits with a distributed network of freelance designers nationwide. I also helped launch the company’s first CRM system and introduced an online office storefront, giving teams easy access to branded materials, swag, and business assets, creating scalable tools that improved consistency, efficiency, and alignment across marketing efforts.

Following this success, I was retained during the merger with Cardinal Financial, continuing to support brand strategy, design leadership, and team collaboration through a period of organizational transition.

“Kaitlin IS an expert problem solver who consistently sets her team up for success. HER work is creative, clean, & pixel-precise.”

—Kaitlin LARKE, Senior Brand Designer, Via LinkedIN

Graphics Specialist & YMCA of the USA Brand Ambassador

YMCA of San Francisco, Oct 2009–Apr 2017

As a Graphic Specialist and Brand Ambassador at the YMCA of San Francisco, I drove the organization’s rebrand by creating strategic design solutions and team resources that supported 14 branches and over 120 program sites.

I transformed marketing goals, fundraising initiatives, and seasonal campaigns into clear, compelling visual communications while championing brand standards across the association.

I collaborated with marketing teams, the Financial Development Department, and Executive Board members to execute multi-million-dollar fundraising events and led environmental branding projects with branch leaders, contractors, and vendors.

I also developed Adobe Creative Suite trainings and templates to empower marketing staff, while cultivating strong relationships across teams and community partners to ensure seamless project execution.

“Kaitlin’s clear, encouraging feedback & open leadership created an environment where I could truly flourish.”

—Athena KNIGHT, Senior Multimedia Designer, Via LinkedIN

Skills
Branding
Identity Development, Brand & Style Guides, Logo Design, Icon Design
Digital Design
Graphic & Visual, Banner & Native Ads, Websites & Landing Pages
Traditional Design
Brochures, Print Ads, Marketing Collateral, Packaging, Exhibition & Booth Design
Project Management
Asana, Vendor Relations, Agile and Waterfall Workflow
Design Software
Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign; XD, Zeplin, Figma
Communication & Marketing Tools
Zoom, GSuite, Hubspot, WordPress, MailChimp, Canva, Flipsnack

Resume