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Caroline Kustu

As a brand enthusiast, passionate storytelling through visual design and collaboration is at the core of what I do, especially in a world where brands are ever-evolving. I love fostering an environment where creativity and strategic thinking thrive, celebrating teamwork, and valuing every voice to make great ideas come to life.

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Click the button below to download my resume.

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Experience

Education

Brand Creative (August 2016 - Present)
Caroline Kustu Design, LLC —Dallas, TX  Business Owner
 

  • Lead branding and creative development for small businesses and startups across industries including wellness, lifestyle, real estate, and consumer products.

  • Concept, design, and deliver cohesive brand systems including logos, visual identities, messaging frameworks, and style guides to ensure consistent brand execution across all touchpoints.

  • Develop and execute multi-channel creative campaigns including social content, email design, landing pages, retail packaging, and presentation decks.

  • Provide creative direction and design execution for influencer partnerships, product launches, and content rollouts, ensuring on-brand visuals and performance-driven storytelling.

  • Collaborate with clients and cross-functional partners to translate business goals into compelling creative strategies and deliverables.

  • Guide clients through brand discovery, audience segmentation, and content strategy to ensure authentic, engaging, and scalable brand communications.

  • Manage all creative workflows from concept through production, including art direction, asset creation, vendor communication, and digital asset organization.

  • Deliver high-quality design work across digital and print media under tight timelines and evolving brand goals.

National Creative Director (July 2018 - July 2024)
Willow Bridge Property Company — Dallas, TX  Multifamily
(Formerly Lincoln Property Company - Residential)

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  • Directed creative strategy and execution across 190+ multifamily communities, overseeing brand identity, marketing campaigns, and digital experiences.

  • Led 360° creative campaigns across digital, print, social media, events, and internal communications, aligning all deliverables with business goals and brand consistency.

  • Spearheaded the corporate rebrand from Lincoln Property Company to Willow Bridge, managing visual identity rollout across web, social, signage, and marketing materials.

  • Built and managed a high-performing in-house creative team and implemented efficient project workflows via Monday.com, increasing team productivity by 44%.

  • Implemented and managed Canto, the company’s first Digital Asset Management (DAM) system, improving asset organization, brand consistency, and access across departments.

  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams—including marketing, UX/UI, sales, and leadership, to develop compelling creative for pitches, conferences, and internal culture campaigns.

  • Directed influencer campaigns and social content, growing Instagram engagement by 35% during peak periods.

  • Provided creative direction for video and photo shoots, ensuring alignment with brand tone and target audience.

Senior Designer (June 2016 - July 2018)
Somnomed  — Plano, TX  Medical Device

  • Led creative strategy and execution across national and global marketing initiatives for a portfolio of Class II medical devices, ensuring alignment with FDA compliance and healthcare industry standards.

  • Directed the redesign of brand identity and visual language, refining tone and voice to position the brand as more empathetic, patient-friendly, and modern.

  • Developed integrated B2B and B2C campaigns across digital, print, trade shows, and educational channels, including brochures, instructional videos, email campaigns, and in-office patient materials.

  • Created sales enablement tools and visual assets tailored for healthcare professionals, sleep specialists, and dentists, increasing practitioner engagement and partner retention.

  • Collaborated with product, marketing, and clinical teams to ensure accurate, regulatory-compliant representation of medical products in all marketing materials.

  • Produced creative assets for global tradeshows, including booth designs, product banners, and multimedia presentations that enhanced brand visibility and thought leadership presence.

  • Managed print production vendors, provided art direction for photography, and maintained quality control for all branded assets.

  • Played a key role in transitioning SomnoMed’s digital presence by introducing more modern UI/UX design principles and mobile-optimized visuals.

Copywriter (June 2015- Feb 2016)
Rapp — Irving,Tx  Advertising Agency

  • Developed creative concepts and messaging for multi-channel campaigns targeting B2C audiences in entertainment and insurance sectors.

  • Executed cross-channel content for American Family Insurance, delivering copy for direct mail, display ads, email campaigns, and microsite messaging — aligning tone with brand values and performance objectives.

  • Partnered with art directors, strategists, and account teams to ideate and refine campaign themes, working within tight deadlines and evolving briefs.

  • Participated in new business pitches by contributing creative strategies and original content to win new client opportunities.

  • Maintained brand voice consistency across platforms and collaborated with compliance teams to ensure messaging accuracy within regulated sectors.

Graphic Designer/Copywriter (Jan 2015 - Jun 2015)
AIS Media
— Atlanta, Ga - Remote
Digital Marketing

  • Designed and wrote digital content for clients in technology and education, focusing on web graphics, email marketing, social campaigns, and infographic storytelling.

  • Created a branded, data-driven infographic for Mgage, simplifying the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) trend for presentation at Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona — increasing industry visibility.

  • Designed campaign assets and educational outreach materials for DeKalb County School District, promoting digital literacy and community engagement.

Skills

Creative Direction
Art Direction
Brand Identity
Campaign Development
Digital Asset Management (DAM)
Team Leadership
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Social Content Strategy
Typography & Layout
Event Branding
Photo & Video Direction

Tools

Photoshop
InDesign
Illustrator
Lightroom
Premiere Pro
Adobe XD
Power Point
Canva
Monday.com
Visual Storytelling
Mailchimp

Languages

English

Korean

ArtCenter College of Design
Pasadena, CA

Bachelor of Arts, Advertising Design
September 2008 - April 2013

Junior Creative (June 2013 - June 2014)
Disney’s Yellow Shoes —
Glendale, Ca  In-House Creative Agency

  • Collaborated with senior art directors and copywriters to develop integrated creative concepts and seasonal campaigns for Aulani Resort, Disneyland Resort, and Adventures by Disney.

  • Designed and executed print and digital marketing materials, including promotional brochures, infographics, social content, and in-park collateral, tailored to domestic and international audiences.

  • Concepted and created a collectible, gamified infographic newspaper for the Canadian market to boost trip planning engagement and storytelling for Disneyland Resort.

  • Participated in photo and video production for commercial shoots, assisting in art direction to ensure brand alignment across visual outputs.

  • Translated brand messaging into compelling visual stories that adhered to Disney’s high standards for creativity, character, and consistency.

  • Worked cross-functionally with marketing, production, and legal teams to ensure timely and compliant delivery of creative assets.
     

 

Contact: carolinekustu@gmail.com                                                                                                      *References provided upon request

© 2025 by Caroline Ahn Kustu. All rights reserved.

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