Hire the Top 3% of Freelance Creative Directors

Toptal is a marketplace for top creative directors. Top companies and startups choose Toptal creative direction freelancers for their mission critical design projects.

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Clients Rate Toptal Creative Directors4.9 / 5.0on average across 1,788 reviews as of Jul 3, 2024

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Craig Willers

Freelance Creative Director

Creative DirectionSketchAdobe Creative Suite DesignFigmaZeplin DesignTypographyArt DirectionCreative StrategyBrand Identity DesignMobile UI DesigniOS DesignAndroid DesignUI Design

United Kingdom

Toptal Member Since December 2, 2021

Craig is an experienced UI/UX design leader and creative director with a 25+ year track record driving growth and fostering customer-centric cultures. Craig is skilled in leading multicultural teams, delivering creative direction, and creating effective customer journeys. He has proven expertise in user-centered design and project management and is accomplished in achieving significant results and exceeding expectations. Craig is a rare blend of design disciplines, candor, and business acumen.

Bill Greaves

Freelance Creative Director

Creative DirectionAdobe Creative Suite DesignWebflow DesignWeb DesignWeb UX DesignInfographicsBrand DesignDigital Brand DesignPhotoshopAdobe IllustratorAdobe InDesignApp UI DesignLogo Design

United Kingdom

Toptal Member Since January 19, 2017

Bill is a senior creative professional with degrees in graphic design (BA) and marketing communication (MA). With over 20 years of experience, he has worked in hands-on creative leadership roles across various disciplines, including creative direction, strategic brand development, product design (UX/UI), website design and development, graphic design, motion graphics, and marketing.

Pavel Pekanov

Freelance Creative Director

Creative DirectionVisual DesignProduct DesignUX DesignUI DesignArt DirectionUser Flow DesignAdobe Creative Suite DesignCryptocurrency DesignStorytelling DesignWireframingWeb DesignMobile App Design

Russia

Toptal Member Since July 14, 2020

Pavel's been delivering branding, UI/UX, visual/product design, and creative direction since 2004. He served as the head of design at a fintech unicorn, where he ran all of the company's creative efforts that helped settle a $100-million round. Pavel is interested in gaming, crypto-banking, internet banking, and fintech and designs with complex interfaces that are human-oriented and straightforward. Pavel is the second runner-up in Hacker Noon Contributor of the Year - Product Development 2020.

Anne Clark

Freelance Creative Director

Creative DirectionProduct DesignResponsive Web DesignUI DesignInfographicsDesign SystemsMobile App DesignApp UI DesignUX DesignWireframingSaaS DesigniOS DesignSketch

United States

Toptal Member Since March 7, 2018

Anne is a creative director and senior digital product designer with 20+ years of experience and skills in visual design and UX. She's built digital products, design systems, marketing campaigns, and mobile apps. Her work with 40+ agencies includes Frog, McCann, Publicis, Havas, Digitas, JWT, Droga5, and Razorfish. Anne's clients have included JP Morgan, Birchbox, Sony Music, BMW, and A&E. As a co-founder of Sein Analytics, she built the company's financial analytics SaaS product.

Inti Rey

Freelance Creative Director

Creative DirectionService DesignUX DesignVisual DesignUser Flow DesignWireframingDashboard DesignUI DesignInformation ArchitectureProduct DesignSaaS DesignDigital Product DesignIdeation

Croatia

Toptal Member Since May 24, 2018

With over 20 years of experience in product and UI/UX design and creative direction, including experience as a digital-agency owner, Inti has extensive experience in full-cycle product design. An entrepreneurial attitude and considerable multidisciplinary skills make him a systematic thinker and a proactive problem solver with a positive attitude and passion for creating innovative, intuitive, and delightful experiences.

Bruno Santiago

Freelance Creative Director

Creative DirectionUX StrategyCreative StrategyUI DesignUX DesignProduct DesignMVP DesignFigma

Canada

Toptal Member Since November 22, 2017

Bruno is an award-winning design-oriented product strategist with a passion for digital transformation challenges. Over the past 30 years, he has gained experience in the following industries: fintech, travel, automotive, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), and fashion. Bruno has both been part of and led creative teams for top agencies (Wunderman, JWT, Isobar) serving global clients (such as Microsoft, Unilever, Mars, and Sony).

Anna Krych

Freelance Creative Director

Creative DirectionStartup DesignWeb DesignLogo DesignInfographicsUI DesignDigital Product DesignPresentation DesignVisual DesignResponsive Web DesignMobile App DesignDesign SystemsArt Direction

United States

Toptal Member Since March 15, 2018

Anna is a creative professional with extensive hands-on experience in a broad range of industries and media. She has worked with brands like The New York Times, Harland Clarke, Shape, Victoria’s Secret, A&E, and many others. She helps organizations of all sizes realize their business goals with thoughtfully crafted design solutions.

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Nassos Kappa

Freelance Creative Director

Creative DirectionSketchInVisionAdobe XD DesignAdobe Creative Suite DesignFigmaProduct DesignDesign ConsultingUX DesignUI DesignMobile Web DesignResponsive Web DesignWeb Design

United Kingdom

Toptal Member Since January 18, 2021

Nassos is a sought-after product designer and design director with 20 years of experience in branding and interface design. He brings human-centered design from concept to validation and information architecture and from user experience to interface design and marketing, managing costs and risks. Nassos' multifaceted work is at the forefront of innovation, balancing design, technology, and digital culture to develop products and services that deliver positive social impact.

Liz Young

Freelance Creative Director

Creative DirectionAdobe IllustratorDigital DesignVisual DesignE-commerce Website DesignUI DesignBrand DesignB2B DesignMarketing DesignPresentation DesignDigital ExperienceInformation ArchitectureBrand Identity Design

United Kingdom

Toptal Member Since March 29, 2018

Elizabeth is a highly experienced creative director who has defined experiences for global brands like Universal Records and PUMA while transforming many more. With expertise in branding, social media content, digital design, and UI/UX, she has helped launch startups in Silicon Valley and create integrated brand and website designs for well-established DTC, new tech, and premium sportswear brands. Elizabeth takes a holistic and reductive approach, balancing design strategy with functionality.

Dickon Kent

Freelance Creative Director

Creative DirectionAdobe Creative Suite DesignPhotoshopVisual DesignE-commerce Website DesignResponsive Web DesignUI DesignUX DesignBrand DesignWeb DesignDesign StrategyWeb App DesignWordPress Design

United States

Toptal Member Since February 28, 2018

With 23+ years of remote experience, Dickon is a senior digital leader in UX, product design, digital strategy, and team management. He has conceived, planned, managed, designed, and built digital products for Disney, OPI, Paramount Pictures, and the Television Academy, servicing over 50 million users. Dickon's award-winning work has been twice nominated for a Webby as well as having been a Webby honoree.

Andre Gomes Mendes Sentieiro

Freelance Creative Director

Creative DirectionTypographyBrand DesignVisual DesignUI DesigniOS DesignLogo DesignArt DirectionPhotoshopAdobe IllustratorBrand Identity DesignAdobe Creative Suite DesignMarketing Design

Portugal

Toptal Member Since December 18, 2018

Andre has been a team manager for over 10 years. He embraces creative challenges and uses design as a tool for solutions. He believes that sometimes the solution can be strategic, but other times it may include designing a new identity or a platform. What matters to Andre is identifying the solution first and then choosing the right tool to implement it.

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THE TOPTAL ADVANTAGE

98% of Toptal clients choose to hire our talent after a risk-free trial.

Toptal's screening and matching process ensures exceptional talent are matched to your precise needs.

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THE TOPTAL ADVANTAGE

98% of Toptal clients choose to hire our talent after a risk-free trial.

Toptal's screening and matching process ensures exceptional talent are matched to your precise needs.

Start Hiring

Toptal in the press

... allows corporations to quickly assemble teams that have the right skills for specific projects.

Despite accelerating demand for coders, Toptal prides itself on almost Ivy League-level vetting.

Our clients

Creating an app for the game

Leading a digital transformation

Building a cross-platform app to be used worldwide

Drilling into real-time data creates an industry game changer

Testimonials

Michael is an incredible designer, and has been a great fit for our project. He just gets it in a way that can’t be taught. My goal was to pay Toptal to find me a high quality designer for my project, and that is exactly what happened. It was easy. Being able to see the portfolio work on Toptal’s platform is what gave me the infomation I needed to choose Michael. I have nothing but good things to say about Toptal and am looking forward to using Toptal for other projects in the future.

Edward Daniel

Co-Founder

I've worked very closely with Martina for over a year and have to say she is one of the best people I have ever worked with. Instead of simply following instructions blindly, she thinks through the task at hand, becoming a thought partner to help with whatever the project may be. Besides being super talented at design, she possesses specific qualities that make her exceptional to work with given the fast paced nature of being a startup. I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a talented, professional designer who doesn't need much direction to hit the ground running.

Sahil Khanna

Sr. Manager, Marketing

Darko did a great job figuring out the user architecture for our concept, which led him to produce terrific wireframes. His knowledge of usability and design was a perfect match for the outside voice we needed to help jumpstart our project. We would certainly recommend him and work with him again in the future.

Rich Danker

Founder

Carlos has the unique talent of blending both quantitative and qualitative research to keenly identify UX challenges and opportunities. He thinks methodically, emphatically, and holistically to produce data-driven strategies and well-executed designs. Over the past 8 years of working with fully or partially distributed teams, Carlos manages working remotely far better than anyone I've encountered because of his strong communication and presentation skills. He is the first on my list the next time I need a UX designer.

Michelle Krogmeier

Project Manager

Rafael is an amazing designer. His aesthetic sense is spot on, and he seems to be able to anticipate our needs before we even know what they are. He's taken the time to understand both our company and our clientele, and his solutions are consistently in-line with our values, interests, and our customers' needs. He delivers on time (if not earlier), works quickly, is well organized, and very effective. He's a pleasure to work with, and we're very happy to have found him through Toptal.

Ethan Brooks

CTO

How to Hire Creative Directors Through Toptal

Talk to One of Our Industry Experts

A Toptal director of design will work with you to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics.

Work With Hand-Selected Talent

Within days, we'll introduce you to the right creative director for your project. Average time to match is under 24 hours.

The Right Fit, Guaranteed

Work with your new creative director for a trial period (pay only if satisfied), ensuring they're the right fit before starting the engagement.

Find Experts With Related Skills

Access a vast pool of skilled designers in our talent network and hire the top 3% within just 48 hours.

Design Directors Creative Services Managers Art Direction Experts Design Leads Concept Artists Creative Design Experts Communication Designers

FAQs

How are Toptal creative directors different?
At Toptal, we thoroughly screen our creative directors to ensure we only match you with talent of the highest caliber. Of the more than 200,000 people who apply to join the Toptal network each year, fewer than 3% make the cut. You’ll work with design experts (never generalized recruiters or HR reps) to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics. The end result: expert vetted talent from our network, custom matched to fit your business needs.
Can I hire creative directors in less than 48 hours through Toptal?
Depending on availability and how fast you can progress, you could start working with a creative director within 48 hours of signing up.
What is the no-risk trial period for Toptal creative directors?
We make sure that each engagement between you and your creative director begins with a trial period of up to two weeks. This means that you have time to confirm the engagement will be successful. If you’re completely satisfied with the results, we’ll bill you for the time and continue the engagement for as long as you’d like. If you’re not completely satisfied, you won’t be billed. From there, we can either part ways, or we can provide you with another expert who may be a better fit and with whom we will begin a second, no-risk trial.

Tap Into World-Class Talent

Trusted Experts Only
All of our talent are seasoned experts who ramp up quickly, readily contribute as core team members, and work with you to minimize onboarding time.
The Right Fit
We have a knack for matching you with the right fit. Start working with your new hire on a no-risk trial period, paying only if satisfied.
Scale as Needed
Hire talent within 48 hours and scale your team up or down as needed, no strings attached.
Seamless Hiring
We handle all aspects of billing, payments, and NDA’s. Let us take care of the overhead while you focus on building great products.
Flexible Engagements
Choose the engagement type that suits your needs — hourly, part-time, or full-time — with the ability to change anytime.
Expert Talent Matching
Focus on your project and enjoy support from your dedicated account executive and expert talent matcher.