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I'm Chris Cowans, a design and creative direction professional with 15+ years of experience working with startups, Fortune 500 companies, and non-profits. I partner with award-winning teams around the world—from San Francisco to New York, Los Angeles, Hawaii, and Europe—to craft thoughtful, well-crafted work that clarifies a brand’s story and drives meaningful results. I believe the best outcomes come from strategic thinking and human-centered design. I specialize in identifying unique connections, transforming complex challenges into clear direction, and building scalable systems that drive measurable results. I foster collaborative environments that blend creative rigor with diverse perspectives to create impactful work.…I'm Chris Cowans, a design and creative direction professional with 15+ years of experience working with startups, Fortune 500 companies, and non-profits. I partner with award-winning teams around the world—from San Francisco to New York, Los Angeles, Hawaii, and Europe—to craft thoughtful, well-crafted work that clarifies a brand’s story and drives meaningful results. I believe the best outcomes come from strategic thinking and human-centered design. I specialize in identifying unique connections, transforming complex challenges into clear direction, and building scalable systems that drive measurable results. I foster collaborative environments that blend creative rigor with diverse perspectives to create impactful work.

Chris Cowans

Creative Director, Art Director, Graphic Designer, +2

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I'm Chris Cowans, a design and creative direction professional with 15+ years of experience working with startups, Fortune 500 companies, and non-profits. I partner with award-winning teams around the world—from San Francisco to New York, Los Angeles, Hawaii, and Europe—to craft thoughtful, well-crafted work that clarifies a brand’s story and drives meaningful results. I believe the best outcomes come from strategic thinking and human-centered design. I specialize in identifying unique connections, transforming complex challenges into clear direction, and building scalable systems that drive measurable results. I foster collaborative environments that blend creative rigor with diverse perspectives to create impactful work.…I'm Chris Cowans, a design and creative direction professional with 15+ years of experience working with startups, Fortune 500 companies, and non-profits. I partner with award-winning teams around the world—from San Francisco to New York, Los Angeles, Hawaii, and Europe—to craft thoughtful, well-crafted work that clarifies a brand’s story and drives meaningful results. I believe the best outcomes come from strategic thinking and human-centered design. I specialize in identifying unique connections, transforming complex challenges into clear direction, and building scalable systems that drive measurable results. I foster collaborative environments that blend creative rigor with diverse perspectives to create impactful work.

Available to hire

I’m Chris Cowans, a design and creative direction professional with 15+ years of experience working with startups, Fortune 500 companies, and non-profits. I partner with award-winning teams around the world—from San Francisco to New York, Los Angeles, Hawaii, and Europe—to craft thoughtful, well-crafted work that clarifies a brand’s story and drives meaningful results.

I believe the best outcomes come from strategic thinking and human-centered design. I specialize in identifying unique connections, transforming complex challenges into clear direction, and building scalable systems that drive measurable results. I foster collaborative environments that blend creative rigor with diverse perspectives to create impactful work.

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Language

English

Fluent

Work Experience

Senior Creative at Adobe

July 1, 2025 - November 1, 2025

Contracted to concept, craft, and refine creative systems that support Adobe’s new initiatives for Firefly and Photoshop. Producing high-quality, detailed work in a fast-moving collaborative environment, while refining in-app educational experiences and helping to define the evolving creative landscape with Adobe’s new generative AI tools. Finding ways to elevate creativity, clarity, and consistency, while maximizing opportunities for unique visual storytelling and impact.

Art Director at Godfrey Dadich Partners

April 1, 2021 - January 1, 2025

Provided direction and design support for cross-functional teams to create successful campaigns, custom animations, and bespoke videos for some of the largest accounts at the company—while optimizing creative workflows to improve consistency, elevating standards for brand guidelines, and ensuring clients could confidently implement their brands across all touchpoints successfully.

Art Director at Emotive Brand

June 1, 2019 - March 1, 2020

Supported the design team on comprehensive branding projects, led presentations, and worked closely with developers to create innovative UI/UX solutions that exceeded client expectations.

Senior Design Lead at Rapt Studio

April 1, 2016 - January 1, 2019

Participated as a crucial member of a multidisciplinary team—collaborating with strategists, interior designers, and architects. Contributed to thoughtful and unique award-winning design solutions.

Design Lead at Airbnb

October 1, 2014 - May 1, 2015

Led the design of a robust custom microsite that created an intuitive UI/UX experience, which measurably increased internal departmental connection and spread external brand awareness.

Senior Designer at Red Antler

June 1, 2014 - October 1, 2014

Worked with the award-winning design team to create unique brand identities and help develop a motivational campaign for a low income neighborhood in the City of New Orleans.

Teaching Assistant at School of Visual Arts

September 1, 2013 - May 1, 2014

Assisted Paul Sahre, owner and creative director at O.O.P.S., with teaching, critiquing, guiding, and mentoring the design students in his Senior Project class at SVA.

Founder & Creative Director at Chris Cowans Design & Creative Direction

November 1, 2009 - Present

Founder and Creative Director for a global freelance practice, overseeing client engagements across San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Hawaii, and Europe. I manage, direct, mentor, and collaborate with award-winning teams to craft and deliver thoughtful, well-crafted work, helping clients articulate their unique story and achieve measurable results through strategic creative direction, branding, UI/UX, and multimedia campaigns.

Freelance Designer & Creative Director at Chris Cowans Design & Creative Direction

November 1, 2009 - Present

Managing, directing, mentoring, and collaborating with a wide variety of award-winning teams to produce thoughtful and well-crafted work for clients around the world—including those in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Hawaii, and Europe. Successfully leading projects and teams through rapidly evolving creative landscapes, helping clients identify what makes them unique, telling their stories in meaningful ways, and delivering positive results with clarity and creativity.