Hi! I’m Naoko.

As an award-winning art director with over ten years of successful experience at creative agencies and solid UX/UI expertise, I possess an extensive background in conceptualizing and designing websites, mobile apps, emails, banner ads, print ads, videos, and outdoor displays with a focus on the customer/user experience. My proficiency extends to the realm of human-computer interaction, ensuring seamless and intuitive digital interfaces that enhance user engagement and satisfaction.

I have a natural eye for design, and I strive to create innovative and delightful product experiences through the user interface, layout, visual design, copy, and interactions that people love to use. I’m a perpetual learner, evidenced by my diverse experiences, including a detour into the culinary industry in 2016 to pursue my lifelong passion for becoming a master vegan chef. This creative challenge became my culinary canvas, allowing me to infuse my artistic sensibilities into the realm of food.

My customer service experience at a local food coop has provided valuable insights into people’s logic and human psychology, enriching my ability to understand and connect with diverse audiences. As a strong team player with a can-do attitude, my fine art background and curiosity for human behavior make me an invaluable asset on any creative team. My commitment to human-computer interaction ensures that my designs not only captivate aesthetically but also deliver seamless and user-friendly digital experiences.

Accomplishments

Designed a JP Morgan Chase ad that won an American Advertising Award.
I brainstormed with a copywriter and researched to find the right visual to appeal to the visionary aspect of the ad to readers.

Single-handedly rebranded and redesigned the existing ad campaign for Northwest Airlines achieving a quick turnaround of new ads, the clients’ happiness, and the creative team’s stress relief. Awarded and given a spot bonus by the company.


Designed responsive web designs, mobile interfaces, banner ads, and Emails for Merck and Pfizer with user-centered design and accessibility in mind, collaborating with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

Selected Projects

Recreated, and redesigned the templates and improved the features to build beautiful innovative cohesive website, mobile, and iPad designs for Varquevo (Merck) that the field reps would love to use by simplifying the layout, adding more white space, larger graphs and charts, and reorganizing user flows to make the navigation system more user friendly.

By constantly brainstorming, flipping through magazines and design books, and walking around the park, I conceived several new concepts for SunCom (an AT&T wireless company) weekly. I searched and found the right visuals, and successfully executed layouts that satisfied the clients’ appetite and brought new customers in and increased sales week after week.

Worked on accounts including JP Morgan Chase, Fairmont Hotels, AT&T, Nabisco, Godiva, Clairol, L’Oréal, Island Records, Jamaica Tourism, Northwest Airlines, Starbucks, Tropicana, Dunkin’ Donuts, Organon, Merck, Novartis, Bristol-Myers, Pfizer, Bacardi, and Nissan.

Professional History

  • Harrison & Star

    Art Supervisor 4/2022—12/2022

    Owned and designed beautiful innovative responsive web designs, mobiles, iPad, and web banners with user-centered design in mind by collaborating with and listening to copywriters, a senior product designer, a marketing strategist, clients and other stakeholders for Varquevo and Steglatro (Merck) sales reps that resulted in happy clients and users.

    Completely redesigned and developed existing iPad page layouts and improved their features for Varquevo still following the brand guidelines and presented a fresh look that surprised the clients.

    Designed and crafted web and mobile wireframes, prototypes, and style guides for Merck, Pfizer, and Eisai with an awareness of technical constraints and limitations.

    Thought out story lines for promotional videos, and designed and created video storyboards to present to the clients. Followed through to develop completion by art-directing video editors to make the perfect cut.

    Collaborated with copywriters to conceive new concepts to convey ideas visually and precisely to launch a new campaign that retained clients for the agency.

    Facilitated presentations to clients that focused on project details such as new user flows, new page layouts, new photos, and new graphs and chart styles for Merck and Pfizer..

  • Cline Davis & Mann, New York

    Art Supervisor 2004—2016

    Successfully designed and executed ads, responsive websites, mobile ads, direct mail kits, packaging, PPT presentations, logos, infographics, icons, and maps for accounts including Sensipar (Amgen), Xarelto (Janssen), Exelon (Novartis),

    Nasacort (Sanofi), and Celerex and Viagra (Pfizer). My dynamic yet modern clean design sense, eye for details, and humor were always appreciated.

    By flipping through design books and award winning ads and searching the right swipes online for hours, I brainstormed and collaborated with copywriters to conceive concepts and pitches, and designed layouts for new Pfizer products to win the accounts.

    Created and effectively developed website and mobile wireframes, prototypes, and mock-ups for Sensipar and Celerex.

    Thought out story lines for promotional videos, and crafted video storyboards, Created and provided necessary visuals for video editors to use. Art-directed video editors to cut them in perfection.

    Art-directed photographers for product shoots. Art-directed developers to build proper websites.

  • Margeotes|Fertitta+Partners, New York

    Senior Art Director 2002-2004

    Led and supervised a team of art directors, graphic designers, production artists, and developers for a difficult account, SunCom—a job that called for a gentle touch.

    Provided start to finish accountability for creating and presenting strategies and layouts to clients including SunCom. Conceived and executed new weekly ads to satisfy the clients. This work brought in new customers on a weekly basis.

    Brainstormed and partnered with copywriters to come up with new concepts for AT&T, Godiva. Collaborated with developers, animators, and video editors to create playful and intuitive kiosk experiences effectively for AT&T, Godiva and Independent Bank.

    Independently conceived and designed logos, stationeries, in-store posters, and other branding materials for Fabricant and IntersectPartners.

  • UI/UX skills

    User Research
    Competitive Analysis
    User Flows
    Personas
    Usability Testing
    Wireframing
    Prototyping
    Animation
    Storyboarding

  • Software

    Adobe XD
    Figma
    After Effects
    InDesign
    Photoshop
    Illustrator
    UsabilityHub
    Acrobat

  • Education

    California College of the Arts, MFA, Fine Arts
    San Francisco, CA

    Career Foundry
    UI/UX Design Intensive

    United Digital Artists, Web Design
    New York

    Parsons, Computer Graphic Design
    New York