Brandon Reader
About Me
I’m a creative lead and brand strategist with experience across agency, enterprise, and independent consulting environments. My work brings together conceptual art direction, brand identity, campaigns, and digital design, supported by a practical understanding of how those ideas get built.
I believe strong creative work needs both a clear idea and thoughtful execution. I enjoy shaping the direction, working through the details, and collaborating with others to bring it to life.
Connecting Creative Direction and Execution
My background in UX/UI and front-end development informs how I approach design. I consider how an experience should look, how it should work, and what it will take to deliver it well.
That technical understanding helps me work closely with developers, make informed design decisions, and preserve the creative intent through production. It supports my approach to art direction rather than defining its limits.
From a campaign concept to a brand identity or website, my focus is on creating cohesive work that communicates clearly and serves a purpose.
Experience Across Brands, Campaigns, and Digital Design
My background spans nearly two decades bridging the creative-technical divide across enterprise environments, agencies, and independent consulting:
- Independent Consulting | Cohesion Studio
Through Cohesion Studio, I partner directly with business leaders on brand strategy, visual identity, website design, and front-end development. I help clients clarify their positioning and translate it into cohesive brand and digital experiences. - Agency Leadership | GMB, Formerly Up&Up AgencyAs Senior Digital Art Director, I led art direction and digital design for higher education clients, collaborating with brand, strategy, and development teams from concept through execution. My work included campaign creative that generated more than 6M impressions and 1,000+ conversions, along with a website redesign that increased primary conversions by 19.5%.
I also presented creative concepts to clients and provided direction and feedback to designers throughout production. Earlier, as Director of Development, I led front-end operations and worked with project teams to connect creative goals with technical execution.
- Enterprise and Retail Design | DISH Network & Triad Retail Media
At DISH Network, I combined UI design and front-end development across web and mobile experiences, including a redesign of the Programming Packages platform that increased conversions by 17.28%.At Triad Retail Media, I designed and developed interactive campaigns for Fortune 500 consumer brands on Walmart.com and SamsClub.com.
Across these environments, I’ve learned to balance creative ambition with business goals, production requirements, and the needs of the people using the finished work.
What I Bring to a Team:
- Conceptual art direction paired with hands-on design.
- The ability to connect brand strategy, messaging, and digital experiences.
- Practical UX/UI and front-end knowledge that supports collaboration with developers.
- Experience creating cohesive brand and design systems.
- Clear communication, constructive feedback, and a collaborative approach to creative work.
Outside of work, I enjoy hiking, biking, paddleboarding, and improving my pickleball game. I also like exploring new places and trying new recipes. Time away from the screen gives me room to recharge and return with a fresh perspective.
Lets' Connect
I am currently open to full-time leadership opportunities and select contract work. If you’re building a team or have a project in mind, let’s talk.
