photo by Edwin Hammond

photo by Edwin Hammond

WHAT I DO

Creative Strategy
Brand Management
Art Direction
Branding & Identity
Design Systems
Content Creation
Print Design
Event Activation
Creative Operations

HOW I DO IT

Humanity-Centered Design
Organizing the Chaos
Team Building & Culture
Cross-functional Leadership
Not Boring

BRAND GUARDIAN, TEAM BUILDER, CREATIVE NOODLER

Did you know Nelly rapped about me once? Ok, he didn’t, but it sounded like he did. Actually, do you even know who Nelly is? Is my millennial showing? Back when musicians loved their Cadillac DeVilles (specifically the coupe, because who needs four doors, right?), I swear I heard my name in the lyrics. Qubty is pronounced Coop-D, like coupe DeVille. And voilà! Now you know how to pronounce Qubty ☺︎

I’m a creative leader who believes good design starts with curiosity, collaboration, and a sense of fun — not buzzwords or endless meetings. My background spans higher education, athletics, marketing, publishing, experiential, and environmental design, but what really drives me is helping ideas take shape in ways that feel human, intentional, and lasting.

I’m big on connecting dots and building relationships, on teaching teams why accessibility and brand integrity matter, and on helping people see design as more than decoration — it’s strategy, empathy, and storytelling. Whether it's guiding a team through a new brand system or turning a complex project into something cohesive and clear, I'm always building for what lasts — not just what lands.

Someone recently called me a brand guardian with empathy, and I was like, hell yea.

As a visual creative with a forever-evolving toolkit, I love projects that blend the authentic with the digital, the kind of work that makes you stop and feel something. I thrive in teams that take their work seriously but not themselves, where creativity is collaborative, a little messy, and a lot of fun.

My goal is to build, inspire, and champion creative teams that support each other, experiment often, and bring fresh ideas to the table. I’m here to push past the “we’ve always done it this way” mindset and replace it with curiosity, trust, and a good sense of humor. We’ve all had shitty bosses…I’m working to make sure none of us ever have to again.

If you want to get a sense of who I am beyond the work, check out my Instagram. It’s not my portfolio. It’s just a taste of my personality: a little smart, a little weird, a little funny, always real.

*Em dashes are mine, not AI. I’ve been em dashing my thoughts for like 20 years, but admittedly, used to exclusively use the hyphen because it was quicker to get to. Look at me maturing into longer lines.

In the words of others

  • “I found her to be the rare person who simultaneously possesses great leadership ability, visionary design thinking and execution, and a deep commitment to building and maintaining a positive team culture. Her contributions to our team, division and university can't be overstated. She steadily took on greater and greater responsibilities on our team, and she consistently raised the bar — and encouraged others to do the same — every step of her UGA journey. She is 1 of 1!”

    —Clarke S.

  • "In creative work, there is an elusive balance between consistency and newness, bold and reliable choices, the vanguard and the old faithful. This is where true, practical, innovation lives. Each time Amanda begins a project, I see all the heads at the table turn toward her, knowing that she’s going to deliver something that both delights and meets needs at every level, because she is an innovator. Ask around and find the projects Amanda has worked on. She won’t brag, as she knows as we all do that each great piece of work is truly collaborative; however, I have nominated her for this award to put the grateful spotlight on her just a little bit, because she’s not going to step into it herself - she’s too busy innovating for DAR’s next award-winning project."

    —Excerpt from award nomination

  • “Amanda is an incredible designer and creative team leader! She has a natural ability to always see the bigger picture, help others see it, and make the process of achieving it fun and enjoyable along the way.”

    —Justin P.

  • “I can say that joining [the team] was one of the best decisions of my life for a lot of reasons, but the ones that mean the most are all about the personal things: the people, the trips, the get togethers, the laughs. And I can say without hesitation that you were a major, major part of that. Thanks for being so welcoming, for being real about the work and the people, for being open with your expertise and advice, … for being you and sharing that with all of us.”

    —Former Colleague

  • “I admire how intentional you are with creating space for others to be heard.”

    —Genevieve A.

  • “…working together has been the most impactful time of my vocational life. You are a great leader, fantastic teacher, and even better friend. I hope you know how much people love being on your team. Here are just a few things I’ve learned from you that will always stick with me: Creativity is too precious to be shy. Always consider the other person’s experience (in design and in general). Growth happens when we say ‘yes’ to it.”

    —Former Colleague

  • “Amanda’s ability to think outside the box and inspire creativity is unmatched. Amanda fosters a supportive and inclusive environment; she's a joy to work with and brings contagious energy to any project.”

    —Brenna S.

  • “Amanda is super knowledgeable about production and design and always more than willing to take some time out to make sure I understood and learned. I am still putting into practice the knowledge she shared with me more than 5 years ago. Orderly and organized every day. No matter what adversities and challenges came our way she always worked to find a solution. Amanda is an excellent leader that allows those under her to have a voice as well. I am thankful for the support, patience and knowledge that she showed me. Amanda has helped shape me into a successful professional and I am thankful to have worked under her.”

    —Brooke B.

  • "We are super excited about this new logo because it is versatile when it comes to branding, décor, and print. We think Amanda and [team] hit it out of the park with this one and are excited to spotlight this new wordmark for this year’s 40 Under 40 celebration and for years to come."

    —Kate L.

  • “Amanda is a creative problem solver. As a designer tasked with creating everything from financial reports to invitations, she inspires our team to think beyond two dimensions. Her mock-ups remind us that our printed pieces and events can be a true experience, and her finished products keep our donors smiling! I love that she’s always willing to push boundaries, and she has found a great way to do that, incrementally, at such a traditional organization. Little by little, she’s taken the look of stewardship at UGA into this century and beyond. My team wouldn’t function like it does without her.”

    —Melissa L.

Anyway, here's some of what I've made, led, and left better than I found it.

Here's what a decade of "what if we..." looks like.

Anyway, here's some of what I've made, led, and left better than I found it. Here's what a decade of "what if we..." looks like.

SPECS

EXPERIENCE

Emory University Communications & Marketing
Senior Creative Director March 2024 - present

Emory brought me in to help land a brand refresh that was already in flight — and then kept handing me bigger things. Since I’ve begun, I've gone from finalizing a visual identity system to rebuilding the entire university logo architecture, training stakeholders across campus, and quietly transforming how a creative division thinks about its own work.

  • Brand guardian for an entire university system

  • Turned reactive task execution into a strategic in-house agency model

  • Building a logo system that will last

  • The creative bridge between designers, marketers, and the C-suite

University of Georgia Development & Alumni Relations
Interim Creative Director July 2023 - March 2024
Associate Creative Director November 2021 - July 2023
Senior Creative Design Specialist December 2019 - November 2021
Creative Design Specialist June 2017 - December 2019

Six years. Four titles. A lot of growth — mine and the team's. UGA is where I found my creative leadership voice, built programs that people still talk about, and learned that the best work happens when you trust people and give them room to surprise you.

  • Rebranded 40 Under 40 and Bulldog 100 — logos still in use, experiences raved about

  • Creative direction behind $1.5M in donations for Beat Week, $758K for the Dawg Bowl, and 75 commitments of $25,000+

  • Grew from executing design to leading strategy, teams, and creative culture

Louisiana State University Athletics
Creative Services Coordinator March 2016 - June 2017

One year in collegiate athletics taught me more about fast, high-stakes, high-energy design than anything before or since. Game days are not for the faint of heart — and I loved every second of it.

  • CoSIDA Best in Nation, Best Cover (x2), Second in Nation

  • Silver ADDY, American Advertising Award

  • The role that showed me what school spirit looks like when it's designed well — and how quickly it spreads.

Earlier Chapters
Jumpstart Publishing, Creative Manager | 2013–2015
Big Frog, Graphic Designer | 2012–2013
Student Teaching, Visual Arts + Graphic Design | 2012

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

CASE (Council for the Advancement and Support of Education)
UGA Mentor Program, Mentor 2022-present
AIGA, Atlanta chapter
Creative Athenians, active member

EDUCATION

University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication
MA Emerging Media 2025

University of Georgia Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
BFA Art Education 2012

MENTORSHIP

Something I believe pretty hard: the best thing you can do with what you've learned is give it away. Creativity is too good to hoard. I mentor through UGA's Mentor Program and stay in regular contact with past teammates and colleagues who are figuring out their own creative paths. Because the "what if we..." conversations don't have to stop just because the project did.

CERTIFICATIONS

AWARDS + ACCOLADES

DAR Star, February 2024

SIC ‘Em nomination, Commitment2022
UGA Development & Alumni Relations

SIC ‘Em nomination, Innovation2020
UGA Development & Alumni Relations

PIAG Print Excellence Competition, Award of Excellence (x3)2020
Award of Excellence for Invitations with 4+ Colors: 40 Under 40 invitation
Award of Excellence for Programs 4+ Colors: 40 Under 40 program
Award of Excellence for Invitations with 4+ Colors: Alumni Tailgate invitation

SIC ‘Em nomination, Innovation2019
UGA Development & Alumni Relations

PIAG Print Excellence Competition, Print Excellence Award (x2)2019
Print Excellence Award: Sic ‘Em posters
Print Excellence Award: Athletic Development Event invitations

American Advertising Award, Silver ADDY, OOH, Site-Interior2017
AAF Baton Rouge

2017 College Softball Posters, Ranked #12 of Top 252017
Poster Swag

CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America), 2016-17 Publications & Digital Design Results2017
Best in Nation, LSU Women's Soccer Guide - University Division
Best Cover, LSU Women's Soccer Guide - University Division
Second in Nation, LSU Volleyball Guide - University Division
Best Cover, LSU Volleyball Guide - University Division

SkullSparks FBS/P5 Visual Top 25, LSU Creative Voted #8 of 20172017
SkullSparks (link and link)

Lost? Confused? Curious? So am I. Let's solve life's mysteries together.