Maria Collins

I'm an Associate Creative Director, Art. For nearly 20 years, I've helped brands connect with people through integrated campaigns, digital experiences, and social-first storytelling. I love planning. I love strategy. I love dissecting the brief. I'm a structured thinker who enjoys uncovering opportunities hidden within complexity and turning them into clear, compelling creative.

I believe the best creative happens when strategy brings clarity, craft earns attention, and collaboration makes the idea stronger.

As a creative leader, I enjoy building the framework as much as crafting the work itself. Whether leading teams or refining the smallest details, I'm passionate about creating thoughtful work that's strategically grounded, beautifully crafted, and built to connect with people. I embrace AI as another creative tool—using it to accelerate ideation, enhance exploration, and make more time for the thinking, collaboration, and craft that matter most.

Throughout my career, I've partnered with global brands, startups, nonprofits, and agencies across retail, CPG, financial services, travel, and outdoor recreation. I'm passionate about creating thoughtful, culturally relevant work that's beautifully crafted, strategically grounded, and built to connect with people.

Outside of work, you'll usually find me exploring the outdoors, traveling, or chasing inspiration. 

Keurig

Procter & Gamble

Ballast Point Brewing

Corona - Constellation Brands

United Airlines

Chevron / Texaco

Allstate

Muscular Dystrophy Association

Coca-Cola

Hillshire Farm

UnitedHealth Group

MillerCoors

Butterball

Kohl’s

Intel

US Navy

Education

2006 - Present     Real Life

2004 - 2006      Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design /  BFA in Communication Design

2002 - 2004      MATC  /  Associates Degree in Graphic Design

Programs & Skills

CREATIVE & DESIGN

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Creative Suite

Adobe Lightroom

Figma

Sketch

AI & EMERGING CREATIVE TOOLS

Adobe Firefly

Gemini (Imagen & Veo)

ChatGPT

Runway

Digitas / Publicis AI Agents

Midjourney

DALL-E

CREATIVE LEADERSHIP

Creative Direction

Art Direction

Campaign Development

Social-First Creative

Integrated Marketing

Team Leadership

Creative Mentorship

New Business & Pitch Development

AI-Assisted Creative Workflows

Printable Resume

Creating order from complexity. Elevating craft. Building work people want to engage with.

View One-Page Resume (PDF) → here.