About + RESUME | LILALILALILA

about

I am a dynamic and accomplished design professional with a proven track record in brand building, content creation, and digital strategy. Skilled at overseeing project lifecycles to ensure on-time and budget-conscious delivery across diverse platforms, I bring a cross-functional, adaptable approach to leadership. As a transformational leader, I excel at seamlessly integrating into organizations to drive meaningful business impact.

Passionate about helping people bring their vision to life, I draw inspiration from my love of the ocean, interior design, and the joy of discovering new places—all while finding humor and lightness in everyday moments.

email: lilakydd@gmail.com

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CLIENTS

I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with a diverse range of clients — from global corporations to passionate start-ups. Some partnerships have spanned years, others just a season, but each has left its mark on my creative journey.

Lila Kydd RESUME

LILA KYDD SCHLOMKOWITZ

Director | Designer | Mentor

Dynamic and accomplished professional in digital strategy and brand building. A visionary leader who makes independent, strategic decisions while fostering a collaborative environment that drives meaningful business growth.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY: KEY ROLES & ACHIEVEMENTS

CareerFoundry, UI Design Mentor & Creative Lead

April 2020 – Present

• Share real-world industry knowledge, bridging the gap between theoretical learning and practical application.

• Teach best practices in design software, such as Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and prototyping tools, to enhance

technical skills.

SARANKCO, Digital Art Director

September 2021 – November 2024

Creative Lead for major campaigns with American Express, Sephora, Leading Hotels of the World, Goldman Sachs, and One Main Financial, overseeing the research, design, production and deployment of emails, landing pages, and print collateral.
Drove an increase in customer engagement and improved conversion rates through compelling design strategies, research, and optimized user experiences across all platforms. Specifically boosting engagement and bookings on AmexTravel.
Piloted teams of 5-9 through project life cycles, from kickoff, concept and design rounds, to production and development and deployment, delivering impactful presentations to clients and translating creative strategies into actionable solutions.
Cultivated a pipeline of emerging design professionals by recruiting and interviewing talent for the internship program. Directed interns who successfully transitioned into full-time roles, strengthening team capabilities and elevating design quality.
Collaborated closely with American Express' compliance and legal teams to ensure marketing materials adhere to regulatory standards, accurately represented card benefits, branding language, and mitigated potential legal risks.

Bed Bath & Beyond, Art Director

Managed with a hands-on approach to align creative direction, concepts, and product strategies, ensuring brand cohesion and market relevance.
Nurtured seamless collaboration between merchandisers, project managers, marketers, developers and designers, reducing bottlenecks and improving workflow efficiency.

Newell Rubbermaid, Art Director May 2017 – October 2018

Developed high-impact creative collateral that contributed to a 200% revenue growth for two top-performing Newell brands, Calphalon and Crock-Pot.
Created and managed the top-performing holiday email campaign, generating $75K in revenue from a single email.
Led the implementation of the Calphalon brand redesign across all digital channels, including web, Amazon.com, and key retailer platforms, ensuring consistent and cohesive brand presence.

The Guardian News & Media, Senior Designer April 2015 – April 2017

Led the creative direction and execution of a distinctive branded content series sponsored by Edward Jones Financial, generating $1.5M in revenue. The series leveraged strategic storytelling and high-profile influencer collaborations to spotlight philanthropic initiatives, amplifying awareness of critical social issues in underprivileged communities.
Spearheaded the brand identity for The Guardian’s Digiday Award-winning series, Side Hustle, developing a logo that visually encapsulated the essence of entrepreneurship and innovation, strengthening audience recognition and engagement.
Designed and structured wireframe modules and templates for Amazon’s 2016 series, The Grand Tour, establishing a scalable digital framework that optimized user experience and streamlined content delivery across platforms.

Citi, Senior Designer October 2018 – June 2019

Partnered cross-functionally with internal teams to strategize and develop high-performing email campaigns through UI enhancements and creative embedded animations to drive audience engagement and conversions.
Conceptualized, developed and delivered compelling presentations to clients while continuously supporting brand alignment, messaging and marketing and brief objectives.

Contract Design, Art Direction & Design

October 2014 – April 2015

Gained diverse design experience by contracting with top studios across various specialties, including infographics, photo retouching, luxury real estate advertising, packaging design, print collateral, presentation templates, and logo creation.

Adprime Health, Design Director August 2013 – October 2014

Recruited by the COO to spearhead a brand new video design department at AdPrime Health. I hired a leading a team of designers, writers, and video editors.
Produced, directed and created custom info-graphics, animations, and still graphics for a comprehensive medical and health video library, taking often times extremely intricate topics and ideas and formulating them into digestible, informative graphics and animations.

Lovesac, Senior Designer

May 2013 – August 2013

Worked side by side with the CEO of Lovesac and my creative director to create the impactful re-design and re-branding of Lovesac.
Conducted UX research, including A/B Testing, to refine web functionality, styles, and colors to enhance the brand.
Directed email campaigns, logo designs, and marketing banners targeting a subscriber base of 200,000.

Neighborhoodies, Art Director

January 2012 – May 2013

Defined and developed the visual identity of the brand, ensuring consistency across all touch points.
Directed and orchestrated photo shoots in DUMBO, creating high-quality assets for web and email marketing campaigns.

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Fine Arts | Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA | Illustration | 2006

CERTIFICATIONS

School of Visual Arts: Certificate, Javascript, 2010

LinkedIn: Certificate, Coaching for Leaders & Managers, 2020

Coursera: Certificate, Brand Identity, 2020

Google AI Essentials from Coursera: Google Certificate, 2025

LinkedIn: Figma: Using Auto Layout, 2025

LinkedIn: Google AI Essentials from Coursera, 2025

VOLUNTEER

In It Together: NYC Volunteer Organization, 2020

Fort Green Park Conservancy NYC Volunteer Organization, 2024

SKILLS

Leadership & Mentorship: Creative Direction, Team Management

Design & Branding: Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Sketch, Gemini, Midjourney

Digital Strategy & UX: UI/UX, Brand Identity, Wireframing

INTERESTS

Community involvement, Artificial Intelligence, interior design, oversized coffee table books, blank pages, novels, travel, food hard copies of cook books, learning about different cultures, volunteering, photo- realism, the ocean, scuba diving, getting lost, finding the darkest and oldest bar or cafe in a hidden alleyway, finding a

common thread, collaboration & mentorship.

I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with a diverse range of clients — from global corporations to passionate start-ups. Some partnerships have spanned years, others just a season, but each has left its mark on my creative journey.

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