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Zach Hill

@zachhill

I work at the intersection of both brand strategy & design. Ten years of brand strategy with a design mindset that never switched off.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I'm looking for a role where I can lead brand and experience work from strategy through execution, building the kind of coherent, systems-level thinking that makes brands hold together everywhere they show up.

I work where brand strategy and experience design meet, shaping what a brand means and building the systems that make that meaning show up everywhere it should.

With over a decade of experience across franchise, enterprise, healthcare, and NGO organizations, I bring both the strategic foundations and the design direction to move a brand from intent to felt experience. My work spans brand positioning, identity systems, experience frameworks, and executive alignment — the full arc from "what should this brand stand for" to "what should it feel like to encounter it in the world."

I've built strategy practices from the ground up, directed creative work across distributed teams, and facilitated the kinds of executive conversations that turn organizational ambiguity into coherent brand direction. I believe design systems should go beyond buttons and fields and that the most interesting creative problems live at the intersection of brand, experience, and the environments a brand inhabits.

Currently pursuing a Master's in Design & Innovation at CSUN while continuing to lead brand strategy and creative direction at Scorpion.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Senior Brand & Design Strategist

Current

Scorpion

Nov 2019 - Present (6 years 6 months)

Led brand strategy and design direction for enterprise healthcare, franchise, and private equity clients, directing identity systems and experience improvements across 20+ organizations and building brand frameworks and governance models. As Interim Strategy Director, shaped sales and delivery strategy to close the gap between how brand work was sold and delivered.

Brand Strategy Brand Governance design methodology Identity systems Executive alignment Experience Design Stakeholder Management

Brand Design Director

College of the Canyons (Intersect)

Dec 2021 - May 2023 (1 year 5 months)

Served as creative director and mentor for emerging designers in Intersect GMD, leading 20+ designers through end-to-end brand projects from strategic framing to creative execution. Ran critiques and facilitated brand/strategy workshops that gave students practical tools for problem framing, stakeholder alignment, and clear presentation of work.

Design Critiques Brand Strategy Stakeholder Alignment Design mentoring UX visual craft Workshop Facilitation Creative Direction

Design Strategy Director

Toi

Mar 2017 - Oct 2019 (2 years 7 months)

Built and led Toi’s brand strategy and design sprint practice from scratch, repositioning the agency from a website studio into a strategic creative partner. Led 20+ end-to-end engagements, created repeatable sprint/workshop and research protocols, and partnered with founders to refocus clients on the strategic problems being solved.

Brand Strategy Research Protocols Design Sprints Workshop Design Facilitation Service repositioning Stakeholder Management Innovation Strategy Research protocols

Strategist & Designer

ActiveColor

Nov 2015 - Mar 2017 (1 year 4 months)

Expanded from UX/UI designer into strategy-led healthcare work at ActiveColor, leading the agency’s first healthcare engagement. Introduced UX frameworks and design workshops, managed 20+ client engagements end-to-end, and helped shift the agency from visual-first delivery to research-informed, decision-driven brand and UX work.

UX UI Design Strategic Design User Flows UX frameworks Research informed design Client engagement management Healthcare Branding Workshop Facilitation

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

California State University, Northridge

Master’s in Design & Innovation, Design & Innovation

Currently pursuing a Master's in Design & Innovation, focusing on advanced design strategies and innovative practices. This program is enhancing my expertise in design-led problem-solving and strategic thinking.

IDEO

Certification, Human Centred Service Design

Completed a certification in Human Centred Service Design. This program focused on designing services with a strong emphasis on user needs and experiences.

Nielsen Norman Group

Certification, User Research & Management

Completed a certification in User Research & Management. This program provided comprehensive training in conducting and managing user research to inform design decisions.

University of Sydney

Certification, Design Thinking for Business & Entrepreneurship

Completed a certification in Design Led Strategy: Design Thinking for Business & Entrepreneurship. This program provided insights into applying design thinking methodologies to business challenges and entrepreneurial ventures.

Cal State University Channel Islands

Bachelor’s of Art, Design

Completed a Bachelor's of Art with a focus on Design. This program provided a foundational understanding of design principles and practices, preparing me for a career in the design field.

AJ & Smart

Certification, Design Sprint Mastery

Achieved Design Sprint Mastery certification. This program provided in-depth knowledge and practical skills in facilitating and executing design sprints.