I’m a Creative Director and BA Graphic Designer with over 26 years of hands-on experience across print, digital, and corporate design. When you work with me, you work directly with a senior creative — no intermediaries, no hand-offs, no noise. I’ve led creative teams, partnered closely with clients and stakeholders, and helped brands translate complex business and marketing goals into clear, effective, and visually compelling solutions. What I bring to the table: End-to-end creative direction, from concept to execution Turning marketing objectives into smart, innovative design strategies Close collaboration with multidisciplinary teams (UX, strategy, development, marketing) Leadership and guidance for creative teams producing high-quality marketing collateral A calm, focused, and collaborative creative process that reduces stress and keeps projects moving forward I care deeply about how work gets done. I believe great ideas come from clarity, trust, and a positive working environment — and that shows in both the process and the final result. When you hire me, you get personalized attention, honest communication, and thoughtful creative direction backed by decades of real-world experience. I’ll challenge ideas when needed, listen carefully, and always keep your goals front and center. And yes — I’ll communicate clearly, directly, and in your native language when needed. If you’re looking for a seasoned creative partner who’s fully invested in your project, you’re in the right place. Read what our clients are saying about my work: "Paola is a wonderful business partner. Over the last five years i have engaged her and her company FileZ to create four different websites for our portfolio companies and referred her approximately 6-7 web projects. In all cases we found Paola very professional, timely and creative in the solutions she presented to our business and media needs. I wholeheartedly recommend working with Paola and her team. She is my one safe bet on a service provider that never failed to deliver." May 12, 2011 Ranan Lachman, Managing Director, GreenCrest Capital LLC "I love working with Paola. She is creative, efficient and a great communicator. Her team's design work has built our companies brand!" Aaron Tait, Director of Innovation at EC, Co-Founder Spark* International Accelerator, Global Acceleration Team at YGAP, Education Changemakers "You will find that the team at FileZ is a pleasure to work with! They have quality designs and a good turn-around time for project completion. I had the pleasure of working with the people of FileZ (Paola, Diego & Jonathan) for about 4 years and could see that they truly had a team approach to business and have strong talents in graphic designs and web development. I would very much enjoy the opportunity to work with them again and would proudly recommend their services to others. While we have never met in person, I considered Paola to be a very genuine and hard working person and enjoyed the opportunity I had to get to know her and her family. The internet has helped create a global community and Paola, with her strong written communication skills, has done an great job of creating a good international network and in my case friendship." Christine (Blue) Stein Community Relations Director at Leeds & Son Leeds & Son Fine Jewelers, Baron & Leeds (Hawaii), Rolex Boutique @ South Coast Plaza

You are on a quest. And your Holy Grail? A successful brand in a competitive market. For such a fight you need a keen lance as well as a strong shield. You need a champion. A Lancelot to your Arthur, ready to slay dragons and conquer any challenge. I’m ready to pledge my sword. I am a seasoned veteran of many campaigns, wily and battle-hardened. I work with my clients to build bold and strategic brands. My weapons are insight, creativity and experience. Should you have need, I’m ready to serve. I have 34 years of experience battling in the trenches. I've worked extensively for Fortune 500 companies and global brands like Procter & Gamble, as well as mom and pop startups. I have a proven and highly effective process for forging competitive brands. Whether you need a simple logo design or an exhaustive brand identity with many deliverables, I have the skills and the creativity to deliver success. Send me a message so we can schedule a free consultation.

- Expert Graphic Designer & Art Director - 6+ years of professional experience - Over 400 successful projects completed - Extensive experience with global brands like Universal Studios, Island Records, Porsche and more. I’m a full-time freelance creative Art Director and Graphic Designer specializing in branding, album cover design, movie posters and visual storytelling. With over 6 years of experience, I’ve consistently delivered impactful and memorable designs that not only stand out but drive results. My Expertise Includes: • BRANDING: Logo Design, Brand Identity, Brand Guidelines, Art Direction • MOVIE POSTER DESIGN: Key art design and movie-related materials • ALBUM COVER DESIGN: Platinum and Gold-certified covers that have topped charts • WEB DESIGN: UX/UI, Website Design, and Digital Marketing • PRESENTATION DESIGN: Pitch Decks, Corporate Presentations, and Marketing Materials I’ve collaborated with industry giants like Universal Studios, Porsche, Island Records, Cupra, and more; creating designs that resonate with global audiences. My work is driven by a passion for visual excellence and a commitment to helping brands and artists express their unique stories through design. I’d love the opportunity to bring your next project to life. Let’s connect and create something extraordinary together. anellsamardzic.com

⭐ TOP Rated on Upwork | 50+ Projects Completed | Clients across 10+ Countries 💎 My work ships to Urban Outfitters shelves. My emails hit 45%+ open rates. My content grows brands to 50K+ followers. If you're looking for a Creative Director and Full-Stack Brand Partner who treats your brand like a business with senses, you're in the right place. I don't just deliver files. I build complete brand packages. Logo design and brand style guides to social media templates and email campaigns = that work together to make your brand impossible to ignore. 🚀 Why Clients Choose Me I act as your external Creative Director. Before opening a single file, I study your brand positioning, target audience psychology, and competitor landscape. Then I build visual systems that are both aesthetically elevated and strategically engineered to convert. I specialize in fashion, lifestyle, wellness, and female-focused DTC brands — the niches where design is the product. 📊 Proven Results ✅ Serpenti Apparel — product packaging design now sold at Urban Outfitters & Moth ✅ Email open rates lifted from 12% to 45%+ (140% increase) via Klaviyo email design ✅ Grew brand Instagram to 50K followers through social media content design ✅ 6+ brand social media accounts managed with consistent cross-platform content ✅ 50+ completed Upwork projects | TOP Rated status maintained 🛠️ Core Services & Expertise 📌 Creative Direction & Brand Identity Design Complete brand packages including logo design, color palette, brand fonts, brand style guide, and brand guidelines. Built for fashion labels, lifestyle brands, DTC Shopify stores, and personal brands targeting female audiences. If someone searches for brand identity designer, logo designer, or brand style guide — this is what I do. 📌 Social Media Content Design Instagram posts, carousel design, Reels covers, Stories templates, TikTok videos, and LinkedIn content. Full social media template kits for brands that need consistent, on-brand content every week. 📌 Email Marketing Design (Klaviyo) Klaviyo email templates, email campaign design, and newsletter design that blends editorial aesthetics with ecommerce conversion strategy. High open rates are designed, not accidental. 📌 Product Packaging Design Print-ready packaging design for premium product lines. From DTC unboxing experience to retail shelf presence. Designed for where your brand is going, not just where it is now. 📌 AI Content Creation & Visual Systems On-brand AI image generation using Midjourney, Runway, Krea and Nano Banana an for unique visual assets at scale. AI prompt engineering that amplifies your brand identity rather than replacing it. ✨ My Creative Process (How We Work) Phase 1: Brand Audit & Discovery (Days 1 to 3) I review your existing brand identity, competitor brands, and target audience. Deliverable: Creative Brief and visual direction strategy. Phase 2: Brand Style Guide & Visual Foundation (Days 4 to 10) Logo design, color palette, brand fonts, mood board, and brand guidelines locked in. Every decision justified strategically, not just aesthetically. Phase 3: Content & Design Ecosystem (Weeks 2 to 4) Social media templates, Klaviyo email templates, packaging design, and content systems — all aligned to your brand guidelines. Phase 4: Ongoing Creative Partnership (Month 2 onwards) Consistent social media content, email campaign design, and brand evolution as your business grows. 🏆 Experience & Edge 🔹 5+ years in Creative Direction and Brand Identity Design 🔹 TOP Rated Upwork Freelancer | 50+ completed projects 🔹 Clients in 10+ countries across fashion, lifestyle, wellness and DTC 🔹 Retail-level packaging design (Urban Outfitters, Moth) 🔹 AI-augmented workflow for faster delivery without quality compromise 🔹 Fluent English | Ukrainian and Russian native | Indonesian basics Industries Served 👗 Fashion | Lifestyle | Wellness | Beauty | Skincare | Sustainable Fashion | Personal Brands | Female-Founded Businesses | DTC Shopify Stores | Retreat and Hospitality | Mental Health Platforms | Apparel Brands 💻 Tools & Tech Stack Design: Adobe Photoshop | Adobe Illustrator | Adobe After Effects | Figma | Canva AI Tools: Midjourney | Nano Banana Pro | Higgsfield | Runway | ChatGPT Video: CapCut | After Effects | Final Cut Pro Email and eCommerce: Klaviyo | Shopify 📅 Message me today. Let's build a brand that belongs in the room it's trying to enter.

I design experiences people don't forget. Whether that's virtually or IRL. My work sits at the intersection of creative direction, storytelling, and spatial thinking — bringing immersive concepts to life across hospitality and resort experiences, branded retail environments, live events, theme park and entertainment contexts, and museum and exhibition design. I specialize in taking a space, a story, or a brand and turning it into something guests actually feel. With 20+ years of marketing, content production, and creative direction behind me — plus a degree in Digital Cinematography and New Media Journalism — I approach every project as both a strategist and a maker. I think about the guest journey, the emotional arc, the wow moment, and how the whole thing holds together from entry to exit. My background also covers copywriting, podcast and video production, SEO, social media, and voice work (native English American), which means I can carry a concept from the big idea all the way through to the words on the wall. And if you're not working at resort scale? I genuinely love advising on smaller creative projects too — a pop-up, a branded moment, a content series that needs a sharper point of view. Good creative thinking doesn't require a big budget. Where I work best: Immersive experience concept & design Guest journey mapping & storytelling Hospitality, resort & entertainment activations Branded retail & exhibition environments Creative direction for live events Copywriting, content production & voice Social Media and Marketing Creative Direction If you're building something that needs to be felt, not just seen — I'd love to be part of it.

I’m a very Cinematic High-End Video Editor with 18 years of experience creating elegant, refined, and impactful videos for brands like Volkswagen, Universal Music, and more. I am passionate about editing and turn ordinary concepts into cinematic stories that captivate audiences and leave a lasting impression. I am highly versatile, working across social media, documentaries, promos, trailers, teasers, music videos, corporate content, events, and artistic projects, crafting visually striking storytelling that elevates your brand. I am fluent in 7 languages, allowing me to edit and localize projects for global audiences seamlessly, making sure your content resonates across markets. As a Top Rated Plus freelancer with 35 five-star reviews, I combine commercial expertise and cinematic creativity, delivering work that not only looks amazing but also embodies your brand’s vision. Clients hire me when they want something extraordinary — the “crazy creative” edge that big brands need. If you’re looking for a visionary, cinematic creative who can transform your ideas into elegant, refined, and impactful video content, let’s connect — I’d love to bring your next project to life.

BRINGING YOUR VISION TO LIFE WITH DESIGN THAT SPEAKS. You have a vision for your brand, product, or project—but translating that into compelling ideas can be challenging. That’s where I come in. As a prestigious award-winning designer and former Creative Director at global agencies like Publicis and Wunderman, I don’t just create designs; I craft solutions that resonate with your audience and meet your specific goals. ⭐ WHY CHOOSE ME OVER OTHER FREELANCERS? ⭐ ✅ Proven Track Record of Success – My designs don’t just look good; they drive engagement, conversions, and brand loyalty. Businesses with strong branding can see revenue growth of up to 33%, and I ensure your visuals work toward that goal. ✅ Global Expertise, Personalized Approach – Having worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, I bring agency-level strategy and execution to your project—without the overhead costs. ✅ Award-Winning Creativity – My work has been recognized at top industry awards, meaning you’re not just hiring a freelancer; you’re partnering with a designer whose work meets the highest standards. ✅ Full-Service Design & Branding – Whether you need a logo that increases brand recognition by 80%, packaging that influences buying decisions (72% of consumers consider packaging design before purchasing), or digital assets that drive engagement, I offer a complete solution tailored to your business. ✅ Brands I have worked with: Adidas Bugatti Burger King Chrysler Emirates Garnier HSBC Hugo Boss Lacoste Siemens Snickers Sony Vodafone Volvo + MANY MORE I don’t just design; I solve problems. I take the time to understand your audience, your goals, and your unique brand voice—ensuring that every project maximizes impact and return on investment. ⭐ Let’s create something amazing together. Get in touch today! ⭐ Here’s how I can help you: ⭐ ART DIRECTION ⭐ Art direction services offer comprehensive guidance on visual aesthetics, ensuring projects align with brand identities and desired themes. Either managing creative teams, or working alone, I set standards, and make design decisions to achieve cohesive and impactful outcomes across various media. Creative Direction Design Leadership Project Management Visual Storytelling ⭐ BRANDING ⭐ Crafting distinctive brand identities is a forte. Developing logos, colour schemes, and visual elements that resonate with audiences, creating memorable brand experiences across all touchpoints and mediums. Brand Identity Development Logo Design Visual Brand Consistency ⭐ GRAPHIC DESIGN ⭐ With meticulous attention to detail, I bring ideas to life through captivating visuals. From concept to execution, my graphic design services cover a professional understanding of colour theory, layout design, typography and visual hierarchy to create beautiful graphic designs. Book Cover Design Brochures Posters Retouching T-Shirts Web Design/Apps UI/UX ⭐ ILLUSTRATION ⭐ My illustration services add depth and personality to visual communications. Whether for editorial purposes, branding, or digital media, my illustrations captivate audiences and convey messages with creativity and flair. Concept Art Digital Illustrations Hand Drawings Matte Paintings Traditional Media Storyboarding Vector Illustrations ⭐ MOTION GRAPHICS ⭐ Dynamic and engaging motion graphics elevate storytelling and brand experiences. I specialise in creating captivating animations that bring concepts to life. 2D Animation 3D Animation Visual Effects Compositing ⭐ PRINT DESIGN ⭐ From business cards to billboards, my print design services cater to diverse needs. I blend creativity with practicality to deliver visually stunning collateral that leaves a lasting impression. Print Production Processes Publication Layout Typography For Print ⭐ UI/UX ⭐ Seamless user experiences are at the heart of my UI/UX design service. I combine user-centric design principles with aesthetic appeal to create interfaces that are intuitive and engaging. Interaction Design Web & App Design Wireframing ⭐ 3D VISUALISATION ⭐ My 3D visualization services transform concepts into immersive experiences. Whether for advertising key-visuals, product visualisation, or animation, I harness cutting-edge technology to create stunning three-dimensional renderings that captivate and impress. 3D Modelling | Sub-D, Sculpting, NURBS Lighting and Rendering Texturing/UVing Animation Fluid Dynamics ⭐ READ MORE OF MY CLIENT REVIEWS AT THE BOTTOM⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Ross is a consumate professional and amazingly gifted graphic designer. Nailed the concept right out the gate. Will be using him for future projects." PAUL YOON - CO-FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | OUTPOUR ⭐ PLEASE NOTE ⭐ Job Success Score (JSS) reflects a candidate’s recent engagement and commission generation on Upwork, not the total number or quality of jobs completed. Periods of inactivity may reduce JSS regardless of past earnings, completion rates, or client ratings.

$12K → $72K in 20 days. Not by making more ads, by finding the right angles first. Creative strategist with 8 years in marketing, 50+ projects, $12M+ managed Meta spend, and 96% Job Success on Upwork. 🔹 Research-first creative strategy, 80 pages of research before a single script 🔹 The Creative Angle Engine: angles ranked by evidence, not gut instinct 🔹 Contribution margin grows while ad spend stays flat You're spending $30K–$300K/month on Meta. Your ROAS looks acceptable, maybe a 2.1. But your contribution margin is shrinking. Every month you're producing more creative, briefing more UGC creators, running more tests, and nothing moves the needle. Here's what's actually happening: you're stuck in the Production-First Trap. Your agency makes ads. Tests them. Most fail. You pay for all of it. Then they make more. Nobody asks the question that actually matters: why would a cold stranger pick your brand over three competitors in the 1.7 seconds before they scroll past? That's not a production problem. That's an angle problem, and solving it is exactly what a research-first creative strategist does differently. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀: As a creative strategist, I built a 3-phase research protocol that identifies your highest-probability creative angles before a single dollar goes into production: Phase 1: Research: Competitor creative audit, audience psychology mapping, platform trend analysis. 80-page deep dive. Phase 2: Angle Generation: 6–8 hypotheses ranked by probability of resonance. Evidence-based, not gut instinct. Phase 3: Brief Production: Full production-ready briefs, hook, script, visual direction, CTA. Zero additional work from you. The result: higher creative hit rate, less wasted production budget, faster path to your control ad, and contribution margin that grows while ad spend stays flat. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀: - DTC Health Brand: 6X ROAS, -80% CAC using creative strategist-led angle identification - DTC Nutrition Brand: CPA down 32% in 60 days, ad revenue up 72% - Coaching Brand: 41% revenue increase through landing page + angle alignment - DTC Pet Brand: $4.7 ROAS with systematic UGC angle testing - SaaS Launch: $22K → $100K in 30 days, 239 trial starts from 4 winning angles "Martin's creative strategist approach eliminated our creative lottery completely." ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗚𝗲𝘁: 🔹 80-page research document, competitors, audience psychology, platform trends 🔹 6–8 ranked angle hypotheses with evidence and rationale 🔹 Production-ready briefs, hook, script, visual direction, CTA 🔹 UGC scripts and creator briefs with scroll-stopping openers 🔹 Angle scoring matrix, so you know exactly what to test first 🔹 Landing page alignment, your pages match the winning angles ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁: 1. Quick Audit ($497), I pull up your ad account, show you what's working, what's broken, and give you 3 specific angle recommendations you can test this week. Loom walkthrough + written report. 48 hours. Credits 100% toward the Full Research. 2. Full Creative Intelligence Research ($1,300), Creative strategist-led teardown: ad account, competitors, audience psychology, awareness mapping. 80-page research doc + 3–5 production-ready briefs. Credits 100% toward any retainer. Every dollar you spend on the way in reduces the cost of the next step. No wasted investment. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ I don't do free strategy samples. Not because I'm guarding secrets, because any creative strategist worth hiring requires deep research into your specific audience, competitors, and cost structure. The Quick Audit is how you see the real thing. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Tools / Skills : Meta Ads Manager, TikTok Ads Manager, Triple Whale, Foreplay, Figma, Frame, Creative Strategy, Creative Direction, Creative Brief, Creative Direction Deliverables, Content Strategy, Video Strategy, Design Thinking, Digital Strategy, Creative Direction Skills, Art Direction Focus Perfect for: DTC e-commerce brands spending $30K–$300K/mo on Meta, ready to stop guessing and start finding angles that convert cold traffic. Industries: Health & Wellness, Supplements, Beauty & Skincare, Fitness & Nutrition, DTC E-commerce Serving brands in the US, NL, and DACH markets. Martin Lostak 🙂

Most of the businesses I work with know something isn't working: growth has slowed, customers have drifted, and they're not sure where to start. With 25+ years spanning design, marketing, and strategy across startups and Fortune 500 companies, I can lead brand and creative direction, build and run marketing programs, and work directly with dev teams. Most engagements start with an audit so we know exactly what's broken before we fix it.

I help DTC and eCommerce brands scale with Full-Cycle Production (Static & Video Ads) and strategic Meta Ads testing. I handle all ad account operations hands-on, ensuring direct control over execution and performance. Focused on ROAS, CTR, and CPA. +++ Facebook Ad Account Audit available 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 “𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘀.” 𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗮 𝗮𝗱𝘀: • High-converting hooks & emotional angles • Systematic creative testing frameworks • Deep understanding of how creatives impact CPC, CPA, etc. With years of experience creating ad content for brands and hands-on experience launching campaigns in Meta and Google Ads, I understand paid traffic from a founder’s perspective. Having built and managed brands on the Shopify platform, I know that in DTC, we don’t just sell products, we sell emotions, and creatives are the core of that auction." 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵: • Creative Strategy for Meta / Facebook Ads • Copywriting that sells • High-Performing Static & Video Ads • Systematic Creative Testing & Iterations • Ad Account Audits (Identifying why your ads aren't scaling) • Hands-on Meta Ads Launch & Optimization (I execute all ad account operations myself with a clear testing roadmap) 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵: ⬆️ Hook rate ⬆️ Hold rate ⬆️ Average watch time ⬆️ CTR ⬆️ ROAS 🔻 CPA 🔻 CPM 🔻 CPC 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 (𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲): 1. Deep Research: I study competitors, customer reviews, and pain points to find the "winning" angle. 2. Creative Strategy: I turn research into strong hooks and scripts for UGC and static ads. 3. Full-Cycle Production: I personally design high-converting static ads and edit performance-driven video ads. 4. Data-Driven Iteration: I analyze performance metrics (CPC, CTR, hook rate, hold rate, CPA, ROAS) to double down on what scales. * I’m not here to “make pretty ads.” I’m here to be the brain behind the ad angles that scale your account. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗻: 💎 Beauty & Skincare ⌚️ Accessories 🍏 Health & Wellness 💍 Jewelry & Watches 👠 Fashion 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘁: ✔ DTC / eCommerce brands with a testing mindset ✔ Brands with monthly ad budgets of $5k+ ✔ Founders who care about performance and ROI, not vanity metrics If you’re looking for a creative-led, performance-focused approach to scale your brand — let’s talk.