I'm a senior graphic designer with 15+ years of experience across brand identity, marketing, packaging, print, digital, and motion. I lead cross-functional teams to build cohesive brand systems and high-impact campaigns. I bring a calm, dependable approach and a passion for thoughtful design solutions that boost engagement and recognition. I thrive on translating ideas into clear, scalable visual systems for clients ranging from startups to established brands.

Wil Montano

I'm a senior graphic designer with 15+ years of experience across brand identity, marketing, packaging, print, digital, and motion. I lead cross-functional teams to build cohesive brand systems and high-impact campaigns. I bring a calm, dependable approach and a passion for thoughtful design solutions that boost engagement and recognition. I thrive on translating ideas into clear, scalable visual systems for clients ranging from startups to established brands.

Available to hire

I’m a senior graphic designer with 15+ years of experience across brand identity, marketing, packaging, print, digital, and motion. I lead cross-functional teams to build cohesive brand systems and high-impact campaigns. I bring a calm, dependable approach and a passion for thoughtful design solutions that boost engagement and recognition. I thrive on translating ideas into clear, scalable visual systems for clients ranging from startups to established brands.

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Experience Level

Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Brand & Marketing Designer at Plant Sciences Genetics (Contract)
January 1, 2024 - Present
Lead global brand development to evolve existing logo into a comprehensive brand system, business suite, new product launches, and activation campaigns. Design custom assets, including trademarked berry iconography, sales collateral, investor pitch decks, advertisements, and trade show environments. Develop and execute deliverables, product marketing, and advertising strategies in the U.S., Mexico, and Europe to ensure brand consistency across global teams and subsidiaries in Latin America and Europe.
Owner / Brand Director / Chef at Coastal Cantina
January 1, 2022 - January 1, 2026
Built and scaled restaurant brand from the ground up, including name, identity, brand standards, menus, campaigns, social media content, and in-store visuals. Directed menu development and culinary execution to ensure alignment between brand and customer eating experience. As owner and chef, managed day-to-day operations including team leadership, inventory management, and financial oversight to support sustainable growth. Led and mentored a Junior Designer to execute production deliverables to align with brand strategy.
Owner / Creative Director / Chef at Coastal Kitchen
January 1, 2021 - January 1, 2022
Developed and managed coastal-inspired food truck, leading full brand identity, truck design, website, and product photography. Led menu development, culinary execution, day-to-day operations, team management and financial analysis. Managed visual direction across menus, social media, and customer touchpoints while scaling the business.
Owner / Brand Developer / Chef at Sloppy’s
January 1, 2019 - January 1, 2021
Created and led a globally-inspired food truck concept, developing the brand identity and visual system, logo, truck wrap, menu design, and social content. Led recipe development and day-to-day culinary execution, ensuring a cohesive connection between the food, brand voice, team culture, and customer experience.
Graphic Designer at Nordic Naturals
January 1, 2011 - January 1, 2019
Created marketing assets across print, web, social, retail, and events; spanning 18 countries and 12 languages. Managed quarterly design of international product catalogs, contributed to brand architecture, developed new product launch campaigns, and redesigned website. Led video and photography projects from concept through production; including directing, shooting and editing product and lifestyle assets. Developed trade show environments, executive presentations, and campaign materials while implementing cloud-based asset management systems that improved workflow efficiency and approval processes.

Education

Bachelor of Science, Graphic Design at The Art Institute of California, San Francisco
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2008
Associate of Applied Art, Illustration at The Art Institute of Seattle
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 1999

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Retail, Professional Services, Software & Internet, Manufacturing
    paper Bad Apple, Brand Identity, Packaging & Marketing

    Bad Apple was developed as a boutique sub-brand designed to appeal to a more refined, design-conscious consumer. The challenge was create an identity that felt premium and self-contained while remaining flexible across retail and marketing applications. I led the design across packaging, B2B and B2C materials, in-store signage, and merchandise. The focus was to build a cohesive system that felt intentional at every touchpoint. Care was taken to ensure consistency without over-designing any single element. The brand launched with strong reception, and all products and merchandise sold out in under a week. The result was a complete sub-brand that felt established from day one.

    paper Plant Sciences Genetics, Brand Extension & Global Marketing Assets

    Plant Sciences Genetics engaged me on contract to lead their marketing team with global brand development and new product launches, and activation campaigns. The project began with creating a series of custom berry icons to complement and extend their existing logo. From there, I translated the logo into a cohesive brand system. This included business cards, letterhead, envelopes, and a range of print and web advertisements. I also designed trade show materials such as table covers and large-format backdrops. The focus was consistency and clarity across all channels. The resulting system supported offices and events across Latin America and Europe while staying true to the original brand.

    paper Microsoft National Advertising Campaign

    This project involved designing a national print advertisement promoting the partnership between Microsoft and Teradata. Due to high-traffic placement, the design needed to communicate clearly and quickly at large scale. Microsoft had a clear vision for the campaign, and my role was to execute it with precision and attention to detail. I focused on hierarchy, clarity, and composition to ensure the message landed immediately. The layout was applied to a globally published magazine produced by Teradata. It also translated to large-format placements such as airport installations. Seeing the work installed at full scale confirmed the design performed as intended.