Creative Director | Product Design | Brand Innovation | Digital Transformation
New York City · hi@acrstudio.com · +1 646 247 1144 · andrewcornellrobinson.com
Visionary creative director with two decades leading digital transformation and brand innovation for global clients in luxury, finance, technology, and culture. Equally at home in the studio and the boardroom, I bridge art, commerce, and human experience—building creative teams that craft meaningful, measurable design systems. A dual thinker fluent in aesthetics and analytics, I create brands, products, and experiences that resonate across markets and cultures.
Leadership & Strategy: New Business Development • Global Brand Transformation • Multi-Million Dollar Account Management • Interdisciplinary Team Building • Creative Direction
Design & Innovation: Design Systems & Pattern Libraries • Product and Interaction Design • UX Strategy • Digital Ecosystems • Visual Identity • Experiential Campaigns
Process & Insight: Brand Storytelling • Cultural Analysis • User Research • Multi-Channel Integration • Strategic Planning
New York · 1994 – Present
Independent design consultancy specializing in brand strategy, digital product design, and creative systems. Lead cross-functional teams through concept, prototyping, and implementation for clients in technology, luxury, and cultural sectors.
The Street (Digital Publishing Platform)
Directed brand and UX design, leading digital team to adapt Pentagram's brand identity into flexible digital standards for large-scale editorial and financial platform. Created enterprise-wide pattern library and digital identity framework spanning web and mobile.
Morgan Stanley (Financial Services)
Led interaction design for major digital platform redesign with Razorfish, balancing complex financial regulatory requirements with refined, intuitive user experience. Redefined online communications and restored brand trust in aftermath of 2007–2008 financial crisis.
American Express
Directed creative strategy for enterprise intranet and knowledge-sharing platforms through Spring Studio, developing use-case scenarios, wireframes, and interactive prototypes for global workforce.
BBDO
Interaction design consultant for FedEx, and GE, translating brand strategies into integrated digital experiences across multiple touchpoints.
Toyota / Sculture
Collaborated on an art and design commission integrating automotive engineering with Japanese craft traditions, culminating in site-specific ceramic and sculptural installation for Toyota's corporate offices in the south eastern USA.
Hoxton
Designed brand identity and digital product systems for luxury accessories brand, blending craft heritage with contemporary storytelling.
Cultural Organizations
Strategic consulting for Powerhouse Arts, Arts in Bushwick and Brickhouse Ceramics. Board service with New York Artists Equity, supporting advocacy and community-building for artists and designers.
New York · 2003 – 2009
Directed multi-disciplinary creative teams for leading global digital agency, delivering award-winning brand ecosystems and campaigns for Fortune 500 and luxury clients. Orchestrated multi-million-dollar new business pitches, driving growth and setting creative standards across global markets.
New Business Wins
Led winning global pitches for Chanel, L'Oréal, The Standard, Lowe's, Ameriprise, and New York Stock Exchange. Served as creative lead driving strategic vision and presentation.
Account Leadership
Creative Direction for Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Legg Mason, Discover, and Verizon. Integrated brand storytelling with digital innovation across web, mobile, and experiential platforms.
Creative Direction
Guided digital ecosystems and experiential campaigns for Chanel, L'Oréal, Purina, S.C. Johnson, Cablevision, and Scripps Networks. Delivered Times Square installations, museum environments, mobile interfaces, and multi-channel brand experiences.
Recognition
Cannes Silver Cyber Lion (2007) · FCS Gold Portfolio Award (2008) · FWA Site of the Day (2007)
New York · 2001 – 2003
Architected Citi's first global design system and user-experience framework. Directed redesign of Citi.com, serving millions of customers worldwide. Built internal design practice unifying global brand, content, and customer experience.
Recognition
Forbes Best of the Web (2002) · Gomez Best Financial Website (2002)
New York · 2000 – 2001
Translated complex brand strategies into intuitive digital systems for Marriott, Renaissance Hotels, American Express, T. Rowe Price, Dow Chemical, Victoria & Albert Museum, and Caterpillar.
New York · 2005 – Present
Design educator and curriculum innovator teaching across graduate and undergraduate programs. Created courses and led strategic initiatives shaping design education at institutional level.
Leadership Roles
Course Innovation
Program Leadership
Additional Faculty Appointments
Donna Karan Urban Zen Haiti Project (2015)
Visiting artist and design consultant. Led ceramic surface decoration and food-safe glaze workshops. Planned and implemented ceramic design studio supporting local artisans.
Agastya Foundation, Bangalore, India (2015)
Visiting artist collaborating on S.T.E.A.M. education program. Led educator workshops, developed program recommendations, co-wrote proposal for design-centered education.
Powerhouse Workshop, Brooklyn (2016–2020)
Design consultant collaborating with Herzog & de Meuron on ceramic studio planning and facilities design.
Narrative Architecture – Living Surfaces Conference, American Center for Design, Chicago (2000)
Assemble – Guest speaker, Crafts Council of the United Kingdom, London (2010)
Design Thinking Panel – Craft Thinking, opening up the dialogue in strategy and creativity. Brand Hackers, New York (2013)
Adobe Educators Summit – Drawing and Imaging, an integrated approach to teaching at Parsons, Portland, Oregon (2013)
CHI Conference – Peer panel judge, human-computer interaction, Atlanta (2010)
Industry
Cannes Silver Cyber Lion (2007) · FCS Gold Portfolio Award (2008) · FWA Site of the Day (2007) · Forbes Best of the Web (2002) · Gomez Best Financial Website (2002)
Creative Practice
Retrospective, Ben Shahn Center for the Visual Arts, William Paterson University (2024) · Grand Prize, Ink, Press, Repeat: National Juried Printmaking Exhibition (2023) · Queens Arts Fund Grant, NYFA (2023) · Peters Valley School of Craft Grant and Residency (2024) · Guttenberg Arts Residency and Grant (2022) · Urban Glass Scholarship (2017)
Academic & Research
Edward F. Albee Foundation Residency (2010) · Artists Summer Institute, LMCC & Creative Capital (2012) · Cross-School Grant, Design Improv, The New School (2013) · Multiple Creative Practice and Research Grants, Parsons (2014–2016)
MFA, Painting – School of Visual Arts, New York (1994)
BFA, Ceramics – Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore (1991)
Specialized Training
Glasgow School of Art, Scotland – Ceramic Sculpture (1990)
Alfred University, New York – Ceramic Glaze Chemistry (2015)
Parsons School of Design – Digital Design: Photoshop, Illustrator, Rhino, Flash, Avid, Final Cut Pro, Premier (2007–2017)
American Institute of Graphic Artists (AIGA) · The Interaction Design Group (IxDG) · National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts · College Art Association · The Foucault Society, Founding Board Member · New York Artists Equity Association, Board Chair Emeritus
"Design is both strategy and poetry—a practice that joins insight with imagination, systems with storytelling. I lead creative cultures where ideas become experiences that move people and embody brands."