Multidisciplinary Creative Director with 20+ years of experience building brands, teams and systems that work.
Based in Zürich, Switzerland.
Creative Impact - how I make design matter.
As a Creative Director, I’ve seen firsthand how the right vision, paired with a strong team and transparent process, can change how an organisation moves. At Web Summit, I built the design team from the ground up, setting creative direction for global events attended by thousands. We transitioned from reactive production to proactive storytelling, establishing a design language that resonated across four continents. We reduced role duplication, accelerated production timelines, and transformed design into a strategic partner for marketing, product, and leadership. In my role as an Art Director, I’ve brought stories to life through campaigns, motion, typography, and imagery. From product launches to editorial spreads, I’ve shaped visuals that resonate and drive results. It’s about craft, yes — but also about aligning people, ideas, and execution into something that feels inevitable and effortless.
As a Brand Designer, I focus on the core of what makes a brand feel true, not just visually, but experientially. I’ve developed modular identity systems that adapt across regions and platforms, helped teams establish clarity in their tone of voice, and created designs that people remember. My work has been featured in Los Logos 6 and Smashing Magazine, as well as numerous design books, not because it followed trends, but because it created art that outlasted them and helped create new ones.
As a Brand Designer, I focus on the core of what makes a brand feel true, not just visually, but experientially. I’ve developed modular identity systems that adapt across regions and platforms, helped teams establish clarity in their tone of voice, and created designs that people remember. My work has been featured in Los Logos 6 and Smashing Magazine, as well as numerous design books, not because it followed trends, but because it created art that outlasted them and helped create new ones.
DesignOps Impact - how I make creativity scale.
And then there's DesignOps — the connective tissue that binds them all together. Here, my focus shifts to building the right environment for creativity to thrive. I build operational clarity, foster internal design communities, and champion new ways of working. I explore and implement tools that reduce friction, enhance collaboration, and bring visibility to the design process. Lately, this means working hands-on with AI — from integrating generative tools into daily workflows to prototyping new creative utilities for our teams. It's not about replacing creativity, but augmenting it — making design more responsive, more strategic, and more future-ready.
Under my management, overall project delivery time has improved by over 40%, thanks to better tooling, workflows, and communication frameworks. Satisfaction scores from internal stakeholders regarding the delivered design work have increased significantly (with an average improvement of 25–30%). Even more importantly, the people I've hired are not only top performers — they stay. While the average tenure in the creative industry often falls below 2.8 years, my hires have remained in the organisation for 4 years or more, contributing long-term value and becoming core contributors to the team's culture and output. What ties all of this together is the belief that good design is never just visual; it is also functional. It's operational, emotional, and transformative. When you combine vision with structure, and creativity with the right systems, you unlock design that doesn't just look good — it moves the business forward.
Under my management, overall project delivery time has improved by over 40%, thanks to better tooling, workflows, and communication frameworks. Satisfaction scores from internal stakeholders regarding the delivered design work have increased significantly (with an average improvement of 25–30%). Even more importantly, the people I've hired are not only top performers — they stay. While the average tenure in the creative industry often falls below 2.8 years, my hires have remained in the organisation for 4 years or more, contributing long-term value and becoming core contributors to the team's culture and output. What ties all of this together is the belief that good design is never just visual; it is also functional. It's operational, emotional, and transformative. When you combine vision with structure, and creativity with the right systems, you unlock design that doesn't just look good — it moves the business forward.
Design Versatility - how I adapt, create, and connect across mediums.
Brands don’t live in one place anymore — they move across screens, streets, packaging, platforms, and passing moments. They speak in motion, type, texture, and interaction. From a billboard in a city square to a swipeable story on your phone, the brand experience is fluid, and that means design has to be just as adaptable. Multidisciplinary thinking isn’t a trend — it’s a necessity. The strongest designers today aren’t confined by a single discipline. They flow between film direction and photography, branding and editorial, interface and motion — not to chase novelty, but to ensure the message remains consistent and compelling, regardless of where it lands. Generalists bring what systems alone can’t: intuition. They connect the dots across silos, understand the nuances of different mediums, and spot opportunities that specialists might miss. They’re the bridge between strategy and craft, between vision and execution.
To design for today’s world is to understand that every brand touchpoint — physical or digital — is a chance to make meaning. That takes versatility, curiosity, and a mindset that treats every format not as a limitation, but as a canvas.
Creative Leadership - why empathy builds better teams.
Design leadership isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about creating the space where the best answers can emerge. In high-performing creative teams, what drives momentum isn’t just talent or tools, but trust. The kind that’s built through listening, sharing, and leading with empathy.
Empathetic leadership means knowing your people, not just their skills and abilities. It means understanding how individuals grow, how teams evolve, and how to build cultures where creativity can actually thrive. With years of experience mapping team structures, hiring across disciplines, and mentoring emerging designers, I’ve seen that the strongest teams aren’t just well-organised — they’re well-supported.
Both practical experience and scholarly study shape my leadership approach. Through the Executive Leadership Program at IESE Business School, I’ve deepened my understanding of human-centric leadership in complex environments. But it’s also hands-on: from building design teams at Web Summit and EF to mentoring through platforms like ADPList, where I serve as a specialist mentor. Sharing knowledge and work ethic is more than professional — it’s a responsibility. I believe mentorship isn’t a side note; it’s the engine of long-term growth. Whether guiding junior designers, supporting mid-level leads, or speaking at conferences like PDG Polish Graphic Design in Poland, I aim to pass on the mindset, not just the methods. Because the real legacy of a leader isn’t the work they sign off on — it’s the people they empower.
Both practical experience and scholarly study shape my leadership approach. Through the Executive Leadership Program at IESE Business School, I’ve deepened my understanding of human-centric leadership in complex environments. But it’s also hands-on: from building design teams at Web Summit and EF to mentoring through platforms like ADPList, where I serve as a specialist mentor. Sharing knowledge and work ethic is more than professional — it’s a responsibility. I believe mentorship isn’t a side note; it’s the engine of long-term growth. Whether guiding junior designers, supporting mid-level leads, or speaking at conferences like PDG Polish Graphic Design in Poland, I aim to pass on the mindset, not just the methods. Because the real legacy of a leader isn’t the work they sign off on — it’s the people they empower.
Let's Chat.
email: lukasz@emptypage.pl
LinkedIn: @lukaszkulakowski
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