I'm Vanessa Wainwright, a senior art director and brand designer with 15 years of experience building brands from concept through production. For the last six years, I've served as ACD at Voltage AD—in both full-time and contract capacity—as the primary creative lead on The Chosen, one of the most-watched independently produced series in the world. I specialize in turning strategy into scalable visual systems, from brand identity and packaging to campaign creative, and I thrive in fast-paced environments that demand systems, mentorship, and production-ready output. I excel at creating brand operating systems, developing packaging ecosystems, and building design templates that empower teams across wholesale, e-commerce, and retail. My approach blends creative leadership with hands-on design, enabling brands to move from concept to market with clarity and consistency while guiding cross-functional teams toward shared goals.

Vanessa Wainwright

I'm Vanessa Wainwright, a senior art director and brand designer with 15 years of experience building brands from concept through production. For the last six years, I've served as ACD at Voltage AD—in both full-time and contract capacity—as the primary creative lead on The Chosen, one of the most-watched independently produced series in the world. I specialize in turning strategy into scalable visual systems, from brand identity and packaging to campaign creative, and I thrive in fast-paced environments that demand systems, mentorship, and production-ready output. I excel at creating brand operating systems, developing packaging ecosystems, and building design templates that empower teams across wholesale, e-commerce, and retail. My approach blends creative leadership with hands-on design, enabling brands to move from concept to market with clarity and consistency while guiding cross-functional teams toward shared goals.

Available to hire

I’m Vanessa Wainwright, a senior art director and brand designer with 15 years of experience building brands from concept through production. For the last six years, I’ve served as ACD at Voltage AD—in both full-time and contract capacity—as the primary creative lead on The Chosen, one of the most-watched independently produced series in the world. I specialize in turning strategy into scalable visual systems, from brand identity and packaging to campaign creative, and I thrive in fast-paced environments that demand systems, mentorship, and production-ready output.

I excel at creating brand operating systems, developing packaging ecosystems, and building design templates that empower teams across wholesale, e-commerce, and retail. My approach blends creative leadership with hands-on design, enabling brands to move from concept to market with clarity and consistency while guiding cross-functional teams toward shared goals.

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Work Experience

Design Consultant & Fractional Art Director at Vanessa Wainwright Design
April 1, 2023 - Present
Continues as contract Art Director for Voltage AD, leading creative on The Chosen—designing seasonal trade catalogs distributed to wholesale vendors nationwide, developing branded product lines from concept through production, and building a 3D product mockup template system used across the brand's e-commerce presence. Delivers senior-level creative direction and production-ready design solutions for agencies and brands requiring ACD-level thinking without a full-time hire, across brand identity, packaging, and campaign creative.
Associate Creative Director at Voltage Ad + Design
October 1, 2019 - April 1, 2023
Primary creative lead on The Chosen—built the brand operating system used by designers and marketers globally, designed the retail packaging system now carried at Walmart, and directed sub-brand development for The Chosen: Unfiltered and The Chosen Adventures. Led art direction across Sierra Bullets, spanning packaging design, brand guidelines, social, email, apparel, and event materials across multiple product lines and audience segments. Managed and mentored cross-functional creative teams across 4+ concurrent accounts in a fast-paced agency environment.
Art Director at Creative Distillery
October 1, 2017 - March 1, 2019
Led brand identity and campaign development for education-focused nonprofits and government agencies, taking projects from creative brief through final production. Anchor work included the i2i Center for Integrative Health—a ground-up brand development engagement that evolved into B2B event branding and conference materials.
Senior Interactive Designer at Intelligent Demand
March 1, 2015 - May 1, 2016
Senior designer for a B2B demand generation agency, concepting and executing campaign creative across healthcare, telecom, and software clients spanning infographics, whitepapers, landing pages, emails, and ads.
Graphic Designer at Monigle Associates
June 1, 2011 - March 1, 2015
Contributed to full-spectrum brand identity engagements for nationwide organizations including Catholic Health Initiatives—developing brand architecture and design templates distributed to internal creative teams across the country. CoBiz Private Bank work earned a Printing Excellence Award for stationery and marketing collateral.

Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design at Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design
August 1, 2007 - May 1, 2011

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Professional Services, Retail, Manufacturing