András Szabó, Creative Director & Brand Strategist

András Szabó.

Creative Director & Brand Strategist.

verified
Available for new projects

BRAND ARCHITECTURE WITH SYSTEM AND ATTITUDE

I combine strategic brand management with uncompromising design precision and industrial execution discipline. As an experienced lead, I bridge the gap between business objectives and visible market impact – from laying the foundation to large-scale rollout.

CORE PHILOSOPHY

Precision, systematic approach, and operational reality

Brand management is not created through superficial decor, but through functional clarity, mathematical scalability, and industrial execution discipline.

layers

Substance over cosmetics

Design is not an end in itself, but the functional tool of corporate strategy. Every visual decision, every color palette, and every typographic detail must measurably contribute to business differentiation and market impact.

grid_view

Deterministic systems

I construct proportional grid systems and deterministic design rules. They eliminate friction in production and ensure that brands scale losslessly across media, formats, and national markets.

verified

Operational Discipline

Strategic concepts are worthless without flawless execution. With over two decades of experience in large-scale campaigns, final artwork, and vendor management, I ensure that complex projects hit the market on schedule.

Professional Experience

hub

Senior Brand Strategist & Consultant

Da Vinci Consulting

Sep 2024 – Present

Strategic consulting for technology and B2B companies on brand architecture, visual realignment, and the standardization of communication workflows. Conception of modular design systems and self-service templates that empower in-house teams for autonomous, error-free execution. Targeted integration of deterministic AI workflows, prompt architectures, and structured process hygiene to increase operational delivery speed.

Brand ArchitectureDesign OperationsAI Workflow IntegrationIn-House Enablement
architecture

Art Director & Senior Creative Lead

essence Mediengestaltungs GmbH

Feb 2017 – Sep 2024

Overall responsibility for strategic brand architectures, multinational multichannel campaigns, and design operations across B2B, MedTech, and public sector accounts. Construction of mathematically determined grid systems (including the PREFA 57-unit grid for 16 country markets) and modular vector toolkits (MADx) for error-free scaling across complex product portfolios. Leadership of interdisciplinary creative and production teams from the initial briefing to the industrial prepress stage for seven-figure total print runs.

Brand ArchitectureDeterministic Grid SystemsArt DirectionIndustrial Production
public

Marketing Manager & Concept Designer

Lyoness Group AG

May 2012 – Jun 2015

Operational management and establishment of a pan-European direct mail production pipeline on an industrial scale. Development of a location-based matching engine and consolidation of multilateral address databases for the on-time, automated delivery of over 1.3 million personalized mailings within a fixed 10-week window. Strategic contribution to the global repositioning and functional leadership of the design team for the international 40-country network.

Marketing OperationsDirect Mail PipelineGeo-MarketingMulti-Market Rollout
campaign

Marketing Manager

Co-Libri Books / by Schwarz Arts Agency

March 2008 - March 2012

Development of brand, positioning, and communication strategies for publishers, authors, and cultural institutions. Conception and operational management of cross-media campaigns, publications, and events to increase reach and frequency in the sophisticated cultural and educational segment.

Brand StrategyCampaign ConceptionCommunication DesignCultural Marketing
design_services

Freelance Designer & Marketer

Freelance Mandates & Agency Partnerships

Sep 2003 – Mar 2012

Holistic development of corporate identity systems, brand marks, business stationery, and marketing materials for mid-sized clients and agency partners. Building the craft and technical foundation from concept through typography to error-free prepress.

Corporate IdentityTypography & LogosPrepressBrand Design

psychology Core Competencies

DESIGN & BRAND ARCHITECTURE

Brand ArchitectureDeterministic Grid SystemsCorporate Design SystemsModular Vector LibrariesTypography & Brand NomenclatureResponsive Print ArchitectureIcon Systems & Signets

MARKETING OPERATIONS & STRATEGY

Strategic PositioningMultichannel Rollouts (16 Markets)Geo-Targeting & Matching EnginesProgrammatic Data PrintingB2B Go-to-Market FrameworksTarget Audience Segmentation

DESIGN OPERATIONS & GOVERNANCE

Design Operations (DesignOps)Workflow StandardizationBrand Governance & Quality AssuranceMulti-Vendor & Prepress ManagementIn-House Team EnablementReview Cycle Reduction

PROJECT & CRISIS MANAGEMENT

Rapid Turnaround RecoveriesNon-Negotiable Deadline DeliveryScoping & Risk ManagementCompensation for Leadership BottlenecksInterdisciplinary Team LeadershipStakeholder Alignment

AI WORKFLOWS & TOOLING

Generative AI IntegrationPrompt ArchitectureAI-Assisted PrototypingAdvanced PowerPoint ToolingAdobe Creative Cloud & Figma

school Education

Bachelor of Arts in Business Studies

Oxford Brookes University

2000 – 2004

verified_user Certifications

check_circle

Marketing Communication (IAA Diploma)

International Advertising Association • 2004

check_circle

Political Management

Delta PI Political School • 2006

check_circle

Project Management

University of Graz • 2025

translate Languages

Hungarian

Native

German

Bilingual Proficiency

English

Business Fluent



Ready for something extraordinary?

Whether you need a full brand overhaul or a strategic marketing partner, drop me a line. Let's start the conversation and see how we can elevate your project.

András Szabó illustration