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I’m a Creative Director with roots in music, editorial, and brand design. Most of my career has been spent on identities, packaging, and visual systems — usually in contexts where the work needs to mean something beyond the deliverable. That background still informs how I think about creative direction. I care about clear ideas and seeing them through. The work I'm drawn to tends to live somewhere between culture and brand. Echo Designlab is my independent practice. I've worked with clients across brand and music, and it's where I've kept sharpening a point of view built around concept, and craft.…I’m a Creative Director with roots in music, editorial, and brand design. Most of my career has been spent on identities, packaging, and visual systems — usually in contexts where the work needs to mean something beyond the deliverable. That background still informs how I think about creative direction. I care about clear ideas and seeing them through. The work I'm drawn to tends to live somewhere between culture and brand. Echo Designlab is my independent practice. I've worked with clients across brand and music, and it's where I've kept sharpening a point of view built around concept, and craft.

Sean M. Smith

Art Director, Brand Designer, Creative Director

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I’m a Creative Director with roots in music, editorial, and brand design. Most of my career has been spent on identities, packaging, and visual systems — usually in contexts where the work needs to mean something beyond the deliverable. That background still informs how I think about creative direction. I care about clear ideas and seeing them through. The work I'm drawn to tends to live somewhere between culture and brand. Echo Designlab is my independent practice. I've worked with clients across brand and music, and it's where I've kept sharpening a point of view built around concept, and craft.…I’m a Creative Director with roots in music, editorial, and brand design. Most of my career has been spent on identities, packaging, and visual systems — usually in contexts where the work needs to mean something beyond the deliverable. That background still informs how I think about creative direction. I care about clear ideas and seeing them through. The work I'm drawn to tends to live somewhere between culture and brand. Echo Designlab is my independent practice. I've worked with clients across brand and music, and it's where I've kept sharpening a point of view built around concept, and craft.

Available to hire

I’m a Creative Director with roots in music, editorial, and brand design.
Most of my career has been spent on identities, packaging, and visual systems — usually in contexts where the work needs to mean something beyond the deliverable. That background still informs how I think about creative direction.
I care about clear ideas and seeing them through. The work I’m drawn to tends to live somewhere between culture and brand.
Echo Designlab is my independent practice. I’ve worked with clients across brand and music, and it’s where I’ve kept sharpening a point of view built around concept, and craft.

Skills

Branding

Brand Identity

Presentation Design

Experience Level

Branding

Expert

Brand Identity

Expert

Presentation Design

Expert

Work Experience

Partner / Chief Creative Officer at ACOMPANY Creative Lab

January 1, 2018 - Present

Lead multidisciplinary teams across branding, product design, film, social, and experiential work—scaling from focused creative groups to large cross-functional organizations as projects require. Partner with stakeholders to define objectives, translate strategy into creative direction, and lead work from concept through execution. Build brand architecture, naming, visual systems, and campaign platforms that are coherent, scalable, and distinctive. Balance creative ambition with operational reality to ensure work is imaginative, effective, and deployable at scale. Selected project: Creative director for a confidential new brand and product initiative, creating identity, iconography, sonic elements, messaging, and digital experiences; led web and app design with internal product teams and produced a unified brand/product framework adopted across internal teams and pilot markets.

Founder / Creative Director at Echo Designlab

January 1, 2007 - Present

Lead art direction across photography, film, packaging, advertising, and digital platforms while maintaining a unified creative vision from concept to delivery. Design identity systems for artists, labels, fashion, and spirits brands that translate culture into distinctive commercial language. Collaborate with clients and creative partners to meet objectives while challenging assumptions and elevating work beyond the initial brief. Selected projects: Remy Martin and Louis XIII Cognac—directed a launch built around private dinners and influencer experiences, designing a sales platform and a print-on-demand menu program for consistent brand voice across markets. ESPN X Games Brand Toolkit—led a licensing system of 600+ marks with sport-specific graphics, patterns, and wordmarks while contributing hands-on design and overseeing illustrators/designers for two consecutive years.

Vice President / Creative Director at EMI / Virgin / Capitol

January 1, 2002 - December 31, 2007

Served as creative lead for global artists including The Rolling Stones, Gorillaz, Pharrell Williams, Massive Attack, KT Tunstall, Janet Jackson, Iggy Pop, Blur, Joss Stone, and Lenny Kravitz—shaping visual identity across releases and campaigns. Directed major photo shoots, album packaging, tour visuals, merchandise, and digital content with top photographers, filmmakers, and designers. Built and led large in-house creative departments while forming agile specialist teams for high-profile, time-critical artist initiatives.

Art Director to Creative Director at The Sloan Group

January 1, 1999 - December 31, 2002

Agency focused on youth culture and emerging media for major telecom and entertainment brands. Led integrated campaigns for telecom, technology, media, and fashion clients, uniting brand strategy, design, and content across print, digital, and motion for youth and teen audiences. Directed national and international productions—overseeing creative teams, photographers, and filmmakers to deliver cohesive storytelling across channels. Partnered with clients to translate business objectives into concept-driven campaigns that increased visibility and engagement. Key clients included Verizon, MTV, Nickelodeon, Optimum, Iceland Spring, and A&E.

Designer → Senior Art Director at RCA Records

January 1, 1992 - December 31, 1999

Contributed to album campaigns and visual identity systems for major recording artists, working across packaging, advertising, and retail marketing. Assisted in art direction of photography and video shoots, liaising with photographers, stylists, and production teams. Helped establish visual standards that shaped RCA’s transition from print-led packaging to early digital and retail marketing. Managed production workflows with printers, illustrators, and designers to ensure brand consistency and release deadlines. Collaborated with A&R and marketing to translate artist positioning into compelling visual storytelling. Key artists included Christina Aguilera, ZZ Top, Elvis, Dave Matthews Band.