resume
Owner, Designer
Sam Stuesser Creative
April 2024 –
Cross-Industry Visual Design: Create high-fidelity assets for Biotech, Industrial, Marketing/advertising and CPG sectors, translating technical concepts into compelling campaigns and deliverables, including interactive web elements, presentation decks, and brand-consistent marketing materials.
UI Design & Consultation: Execute end-to-end user interface design, providing strategic wireframing and prototyping for digital products.
Social Media Strategy: Produce and manage social content and strategy, aligning creative output with agency-level marketing goals.
Multimedia Production: Edit professional video content and motion graphics for promotional and educational use.
Full-Cycle Management: Oversee all project phases, from initial creative consultation and scoping to final delivery and client relations.
Senior Product Designer
Allen Institute for AI
April 2021 – April 2023
Owned the end-to-end design process for complex, multi-surface Al products, from user research and information architecture to interaction design, prototypes, and visual polish.
Translated complex technical and research concepts into simple, discoverable, and intuitive user experiences.
Designed interaction flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity mockups using modern tools like Figma, Adobe XD
Partnered with PMs, engineers, and researchers to align product strategy, user needs, and technical feasibility
Built and maintained reusable design systems, patterns, and components that enable fast iteration and consistent experiences.
Defined and evangelized scalable design frameworks that connect visual and interaction design to AI2's broader mission.
Developed a Design System based on the Material UI library and existing AI2 patterns and styles
Design for: allenai.org, pnw.ai (sunsetted), AllenMLI (sunsetted), Research Visualization (ReViz), Climate Modeling, AllenNLP, Unified-IO, Macaw, AI2 Delphi, Wildlands
Associate Creative Director
Microsoft
April 2020 – April 2021
Lead for global Microsoft Store campaigns, spanning holiday campaigns to Ultimate Game Sale
Tasks include ideation and research, aiding user testing, hands-on multidisciplinary design, the brand book and campaign guide, creative directing motion and static creative
Managed a mixed team of designers and a copywriter
Assisted with icons and design documentation for Microsoft Web Framework
Lead Designer + Art Director
Leafly
August 2019 – January 2020
Senior creative on a multidisciplinary in-house team for the world’s most popular cannabis app
POP design, packaging and print, digital display, and interactive installations for B2C and B2B cannabis campaigns
Production responsibilities include directing social media and video content, from pre-production, to on-shoot direction, to post-production, and ultimately using the assets in campaign creative
Role partnered with Product, Editorial, and Research teams as design lead and art direction consultant
Impacted by Covid layoffs
Senior Content Creator
Copacino + Fujikado
January 2018 – May 2019
Grew social content studio from a one-person shop to managing several content creators and an in-house production studio over 1.5 years
Managed freelancers, influencer relations and marketing, directly worked onsite and offsite with clients, and worked with external production vendors on experiential and VR creative
Produced onsite and on-location photoshoots
Acted as primary photographer and post-production lead on social assets
Managed and planned social content calendar for several brands simultaneously. Clients included: Ste Michelle Wine Estates, Holland America, Seattle Humane and Seattle Goodwill
Designer, Brand + UI
Hey Advertising
August 2016 – November 2017
Tasked with identity management and style guides, presentation design, digital and traditional campaigns, and social content strategy for regional and national clients
Vetted frontend development, motion design, and editing freelancers
Responsible for all digital client deliverables, including email, UI, digital display, interactive interstitials and social media campaign assets
Data visualization and CMS design for Mutual of Enumclaw
Other clients: Northland Communications, University of Utah Health, Everett Clinic, Car Toys, and Bobbysue’s Nuts
Social Media Art Director (Contract)
Laundry Service
April 2016 – August 2016
Creative lead for T-Mobile via Laundry Service, a social media and activation agency
Created social campaigns, evergreen social content, and experiential/social activations
Daily tasks included producing and creating social organic content, original paid social assets, gif creation, copy editing, motion graphics, mentoring and managing freelancers,
Art direction on campaigns in partnership with Wunderman-Thompson, including work with for T-Mobile Tuesdays with DJ Khaled and John Legere
Visual Designer (Contract)
Microsoft
January 2016 – March 2016
Contract marketing and visual designer on OneNote, with the Windows 360 product and design team
Create UI and visual designs for platforms including desktop and mobile web, email, and other cross-funnel marketing campaigns
Developed a suite of iconography and interaction animations for OneNote and Outlook
Process included brainstorming, collaboration, working closely with motion and development teams, translating and triaging feedback from internal Q/A, and researching user segments
Digital Designer (Contract)
Amazon
October 2015 – December 2015
Worked as a part of Amazon’s ADX (Advertising, Design, and Experience) team to partner with national brands in creating data-driven, visually seamless digital executions across Amazon owned properties
Deliverables included digital display, paid social, wake screens for Amazon Kindle, and interstitial elements
Clients included: Sodasteam, NEFF, Dockers, Brother Printers, Nintendo of America, Xbox
Designer + Print Production Manager
Potawatomi Hotel & Casino
July 2014 – September 2015
Art directed full spectrum campaigns for internal casino, fine dining and hotel clients
Managed the print production of projects by partnering with outside vendors, vetting contracts, printing and finishing in-house
Styled sets and talent wardrobe for social media video content and tv commercials
Senior Design Intern
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
June 2012 – July 2014
Produced print and digital materials for internal clients and external Harley-Davidson worldwide marketing campaigns, as well as the Harley-Davidson Museum
Worked with marketing and apparel teams on the Harley-Davidson Summer 2015 women’s apparel line
Creative production lead for ads, collateral, wayfinding/signage, digital display, and web design for the 110th Anniversary Celebration with worldwide visibility and usage
Promoted to Senior Design Intern from Design Intern in 2013