Hi, I’m Tom. I’ve built a design career working in brand and product studios, advertising agencies, creative think tanks, outdoor industry in-house creative teams, music industry start-ups and enterprise consulting. And a lot of that time my role was serving as the creative right hand to the founder in the room.
I bring deep experiential knowledge to every phase of the work. Front-end thinking, creative insights, design skills and executive-level producer leadership applied to real business decisions, products and services.
Before design gets moving and AI gets prompted, critical conversations can save weeks of downstream work. I bring design thinking and rapid visualization skills to conversations on Zoom, in a boardroom, or at a coffee shop. Smart thinking, solid foundations.
Do you need people to see what you’re thinking? →
The best way to know if an idea works is to see it. I move fast from sketch to visual concept in whatever form the decision needs: brand systems, product prototypes, marketing concepts. Sometimes from scratch, sometimes expanding what you already have. Always tied to the business goal.
Every production is different. When I'm leading, I set the priorities and keep the team lean. When I'm embedded, I sharpen your team's output without stepping on toes. AI in the workflow keeps one head moving at the pace of a small studio.
Some case studies from over the years. All built on the same approach: deep exploration up front, curated clarity in the middle, needle-moving products and experiences delivered at the end.
Creative right-hand to founder Daniel Kushner. Evolved the brand system beyond the products, created an artist network and the cultural moat that made MONO's musician luggage safe from simple factory knock-offs and other market competitors.
From an initial design project to in-house VP of Brand working hand-in-hand with the founder. A seven-year run that landed the brand as REI's #1 bike brand and positioned the company for its long-sought sale.
On both the enterprise consulting and creative agency sides, I worked on over 20 accounts and teams, bringing my strategy, direction and design skills to pitch and win work, problem solve and deliver growth to both the firm and the clients.
After years of main-stage creative success, John McGuire wanted to expand his revered boutique live experience agency into something bigger. His COO knew my work from MONO, I was down and working in LA a few days later.
What do brands, bands, user experience and sci-fi action thrillers have in common? I wasn’t sure but I had a hunch it would all work out.
I walk into a room, listen, converse and draw. My goal is to capture what your team is thinking and feeling, to make the intangible tangible and the complex appear simple, in real-time on a whiteboard. People leave the room aligned on where they're actually starting from. Then the real work can begin.
I’ve been around, I’ve done a lot and I’m still thoroughly curious and relentlessly creative. Yes, even during these rapidly changing and questionable times. My key to survival? Creative diversity and an enjoyably honed way of being. The b-side of the record is where the deep tracks get cut!
Strategy, direction, design and all the creative things in between. Reach out, I'd love to chat about the gaps, hills and ideas you might be pondering.
Get in touch