STEVEN POWELL

The Early Years

“Since launching my own creative firm in the Hudson Valley in 2002, I’ve helped achieve goals and increase revenues for a number of regional and national businesses. Smart strategic planning, meticulous branding and memorable creative communication vehicles, have resulted in numerous successes and they’re illustrated throughout this web site.

Still, I’m grateful for the lessons learned and proud of the work produced in my earlier career as well. What’s more, I’m confident they helped shape not just my career, but the work my teams and I produce to this very day.”

— Steve Powell

Museum Signage, Exhibits and Graphics

I relocated to New York City after graduating from art school in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. After months of freelance production and storyboard gigs, I formally launched my creative career as the Art Director for The New York Hall of Science in Queens, NY. Designing promotional print, museum signage and interactive exhibit graphics to introduce thousands of children to the marvels of science was an amazing opportunity. And, servicing several departments at once taught valuable lessons in scheduling and diplomacy.

Magazine & Book Publishing

Transitioning from the academic environment, I became immersed in money-saving processes and direct-to-plate printing technologies while doing a 9-year stint in the magazine publishing industry. While a Design Director, I also established formal training programs and taught hundreds of creatives to work digitally with postscript and bitmap graphics software. Eventually I was named Group Creative Director for the early internet presences of national magazine titles such as Unique Homes, Viewpoint Policies, Business Traveler, Travel Agent and Playgirl Magazine. The websites generated $13 million dollars in new revenues their first 18 months of operation introducing me to the business side of creative communications.

Internet Marketing & Promotions

By the late ’90s the internet entertainment market had exploded — increasing its exposure to ‘the masses’ exponentially in numbers never before achievable.  As Creative Director for an early digital agency my teams and I built innovative interactive promotions, web sites, animations and on-line games. Through web sites, e-mail promotions and data-acquiring software, we motivated millions of internet shoppers to buy, buy, buy for national brands such as Kraft Foods, AutoBytel, Pop Secret and Wrigley’s Gum — collecting seven national awards in the process. (List available on request.)

Internet Sales Portals

The last ’employee gig’ prior to founding a creative firm in The Hudson Valley, found me overseeing a small but talented creative team for a well-funded startup shopping portal. Designing and overseeing the e-commerce portal web site and its e-mail marketing arm, our team unified over 60 national mail order companies such as J.Jill, Panache and Chiasso through one sales and data-driven shopping experience. A common practice today, but virtually unheard of at the time. The company was purchased by a large data holding company after only 2 years.

Could your organization benefit from a proven, solutions-driven creative director that builds sizzle into every project he champions?
You bring the steak; I’ll create the sizzle.