I believe everything in life is a hyperlink.

Great creative comes from paying attention, asking better questions, and caring a little more than required. That's been my approach across 10+ years of leading brand, campaign, and experience design; from Fortune 500s to global universities to a startup I co-founded.

I'm equal parts big-picture thinker and detail obsessive. I love shaping ideas — but I care more about making them work. That means clear strategy, strong craft, and building teams that understand why they're making what they're making.

When I'm not in the work, I'm usually on a trail, birding somewhere unexpected, traveling with my wife, or rewatching Lord of the Rings.

Portrait of a man with short brown hair and a small goatee, smiling, wearing a black shirt, standing in front of a dark background with a large circular spot of light behind him.

I love shaping ideas.

I care more about making them work.

  • Line drawing of three interconnected cubes arranged around a central point in a triangular formation.

    Education


    B.A. Visual Communications
    Northern Arizona University, AZ

    Graphic Design
    Massey University, NZ

  • Diagram of interconnected circles forming a molecular structure

    Certifications


    UX/UI Certification
    Nielsen Norman Group

    Creative Leadership Certification
    IDEO

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    Awards


    Judge’s Choice — 1st Place
    Adobe Creative Jam

    People’s Choice — 1st Place
    Adobe Creative Jam

What People Say

“Toby is hands down one of the best creative directors I have ever worked with. He is passionate about design and storytelling, bringing skill and a keen eye to everything he does. While his skill and knowledge of design best practices is top-notch, what really impressed me about Toby was his leadership. During the time we worked together, Toby managed a large, global team of designers and production artists through times of massive change and disruption. Through it all, he kept his team invested not only in their work, but in one another. He promotes an atmosphere of real joy, inspiring collaboration and curiosity even through the toughest of challenges. Toby's levity and sense of humor, along with his people-first management style, inspires those around him to keep moving forward, growing as creatives and as colleagues. Working with Toby is a genuine pleasure, and given the chance, I recommend you take it.”

— Betsy Plowman
Sr Director, Creative Services at Covista

“I've been fortunate to work with Toby at three different companies. He has exemplified consummate conceptual ability, visual aesthetics, and brand savvy at each. At National University, Toby supervised the design team and led in a friendly, collegial manner that invited a high degree of collaboration. The result? A mutually respectful and fun working environment that ran like a well-oiled machine.

At the university, he was also instrumental in successfully rebranding a 50-year-old educational institution, leading the design efforts for all platforms. I would love to work with Toby again and strongly recommend him for any visual creative director position.”

— Diana Dunaj-Kullman
Creative Director, Copy That Clicks

“Toby navigated a period of significant disruption, stabilizing his team, integrating new managers and designers, and supporting major partner launches while continuing to advance the creative, operational, and technical capabilities needed for future growth.

He demonstrated ownership and accountability, addressing gaps directly and responding with thoughtful problem-solving. He made meaningful improvements in structure, clarity, and consistency through stronger systems thinking, clearer expectations, and more intentional coaching.

Toby consistently connects design work to broader business goals while investing in scalable systems and fostering a more engaged and inclusive team culture. His leadership reflects strong judgment, accountability, and follow-through.”

— Courtney Lausch
VP Creative Director, 2U

Experience

  • 2023 - Present

    Lead a global creative team of 20 across the U.S. and South Africa, delivering campaigns for 100+ university partners — including Harvard, Yale, MIT, and Oxford.

    Directed creative strategy that increased Executive Education and Degree program application rates by 17% in 2025. Built and launched multi-channel campaigns across email, paid media, and brand channels that expanded 2U and edX's global enrollment reach.

    Refined the existing design system, streamlined production workflows, and improved brand accuracy across campaigns — raising both output quality and team efficiency. Fostered a high-performing creative culture grounded in strategic clarity and craft.

  • 2023 - Present

    Co-founded Winable, a win-tracking app on iOS and Google Play, and led design, brand, and UX/UI strategy from concept to launch in 12 months.

    Directed in-app experience design, marketing campaigns, and brand identity. Integrated AI-driven features like personalized metrics and user journey insights, increasing session frequency by 3x and driving a 40% monthly active user rate. 500+ users since launching in January 2024.

  • 2022 - 2023

    Directed the full rebrand of National University, a 50-year-old institution, leading the creative team through a large-scale transformation in 7 months. Developed a new logo, brand identity, website, and integrated national campaign from the ground up.

    Produced 1,000+ digital ad assets, nationwide commercials, and out-of-home campaigns alongside student documentaries and success stories. Overhauled the website with hundreds of new pages, driving a measurable increase in student leads within 3 months of launch.

    Partnered with video, copy, and third-party agencies to deliver a cohesive brand system and sustained enrollment growth.

  • 2018 - 2022

    Led UX/UI strategy and design for digital and experiential projects across clients including Twitter, Google, FedEx, David Yurman, and the American Lung and Heart Associations.

    Designed gamified learning and onboarding platforms that improved user engagement and retention. Key projects included Twitter's #TwitterTips in-app onboarding built around micro-tweets and GIFs, Google-branded "Let's Jam" educational tools, and interactive FedEx brand training resources.

  • 2016 - 2021

    Independently directed creative development across 40+ healthcare brands, with over half undergoing full brand transformations. Delivered custom websites, social campaigns, and integrated marketing assets for agency clients.

  • 2016 - 2018

    Increased lead captures by 36% through bootcamp marketing campaigns and reduced website bounce rate by 27% through UX/UI improvements. Developed targeted micro-campaigns with the marketing team to drive student acquisition.

  • 2014 - 2016

    Created nationwide ad campaigns and brand collateral for clients including Goodwill and McDonald's. Designed websites, digital ads, and print assets for regional brands, delivering award-winning creative across channels.

Every day carry.
Every day curious.

OFF THE CLOCK

Trails, birds, loud music, and the things I keep close. The same curiosity that drives the work shows up everywhere else too.

Got a brand challenge worth solving?

Let's Talk