Hello
As a Creative Director with over 18 years of experience in Art Direction and Design, I believe the best ideas are disarmingly simple and strategically sharp. I take a hands-on approach to everything from brand design and ad campaigns to immersive digital experiences. I push creative boundaries, lead by example, and focus on delivering work that actually matters.
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Sam’s Club
ADP
Progressive
Walmart
Planet Fitness
American Express
Google
BMW
Nutrish
Café Bustelo
Volvo
Boar’s Head
Marriott
Homegoods
Monster
Red Lobster
Capital One Bank
Goldman Sach
NetJets
Wendy’s
Hewlett-Packard
Stanley Black & Decker
DeWalt
Humana
RadioShack
Staples
Mohegan Sun Casino
History
Arnold Boston // VP Creative Director / Art & Design
2023 - 2025
Clients: Sam’s Club / ADP / Progressive
Publicis Groupe // VP, Creative Director / Design
2017 - 2023
Clients: Walmart / Planet Fitness / Google / Red Lobster / Smucker’s
Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners // Associate Creative Director
2014 - 2017
Clients: American Express / Boar's Head / Monster.com / BMW / Stanley Black & Decker
Grey Group // Senior Art Director
2012 - 2014
Clients: RadioShack / Marriott Hotels / Volvo
Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners // Art Director / Designer
2007 - 2012
Clients: Capital One Bank / Netjets / Don Julio Tequila / Wendy’s / Mohegan Sun / Vanguard / BMW
People are talking.
“Ian is an outstanding designer - a true tour de force!
He works incredibly fast and pays attention to every little detail, creating brands that will leave a lasting impression. He's a team leader, but he's also hands-on when necessary. With his vast knowledge of design history and pop culture, he brings a fresh perspective to every project.
I highly recommend Ian to anyone looking for an effective designer to add to their team.”
— Daniel Arenas // EVP Design Director at Publicis
“Ian is an absolute pro capable of turning any project into a shining example of what “above and beyond” means. He cares about as much about craft as he does his coworkers and his clients. There should be more Ian’s in this business.”
— James Bray // ECD at Arnold Boston
“Ian is a truly remarkable Art Director with a tremendous eye. Having come from a pure design background, Ian is able to take his ideas and his layouts to a visual level far above most other ADs of his level. What’s more he’s self-taught, so he comes at problems with a unique and entrepreneurial approach. It was wonderful to have Ian as part of my creative team at KB for so long. I can directly attribute many of my successes - both large and small - on Ian’s hard work and ideas. I would absolutely work with him again.”
— Damion Sammarco // ECD at Taxi
“Ian has one (well, two) of those creative eyes that come around once every so often. The kind that sees things others don't with persistent perfection. The kind you wished your entire team had. Over a series of months, Ian helped us elevate Volvo's visual presence to a more premium space through type, graphic and layout development. Ian's dedication to the craft is an irreplaceable asset, and with it, we've been able to move this Swedish needle in the much needed right direction.”
— Ryan O’Keefe // Group Creative Director at R/GA
“Ian D. McAlister. I can only assume that the “D” stands for “damn that guy is good”. In my time working with Ian, I was always sure of three things: the work was going to be great, Ian would be the driving force behind it, and we were going to have a good time making it. He has the ability to transition from hashing out big, ambitious ideas to perfecting the most exacting details to bring those ideas to life. More impressively, he can make that gear shift in a matter of minutes, obliterating the stereotype of the laborious creative process. Ian is a smart, fascinating guy who draws on his passion for art, photography, film and music to deliver the type of work that not only serves a marketing purpose but also naturally infuses itself into pop culture. His talent is immeasurable. His work ethic is unquestionable.”
— Paul Guidry // Creative Director
“I worked with Ian for 3+ years on the most demanding, largest company in the world, Walmart. As a Creative Director, he leads his team with autonomy, and pushes them to reach the best outcome for the client. He consistently puts in 100% effort and never settles for mediocre. The strength in his work lies heavily in his thoughtfulness and innovative conceptualization. If you ask him for 1 idea, he’ll give you 20 every time.”
— Rachel Doyon // Creative Director
“I’ve been on some tough projects with Ian, projects that a lot of people wouldn’t see potential in, projects that most couldn’t deliver on, Ian did and wonderfully at that. Ian is an artist, he has the eye, the creative thinking and he approaches advertising with an artist’s mentality. It’s a rarity to have Ian’s kind of talent working along side us, simply because those who have it typically choose to use it in other ways. I’m so glad we haven’t lost Ian to another industry, knowing that he’s out there working with us gives me a little hope that some day all of our work will be as good as his.”
— Daniel Shapiro // Creative Director
“Creatives come up with ideas that the rest of us wouldn't - Ian does that.
But he also comes up with questions, thoughts, connections that the rest of us would never think of. Ian's brain works differently than most people's - it's on a different wavelength and comes at both strategy and creative from unexpected angles...but it takes the work to better places it wouldn't have gone otherwise. As a strategist, I can't recommend that enough!”
— Kathleen Diamantakis // Chief Strategy Officer
“Ian & I worked together on a project to rebrand KBS+P, to create a new brand identity and a belief system for the agency. It was a high visibility project with lots of people looking over our shoulder and Ian delivered a beautiful, smart solution to a challenging problem.
In addition, Ian worked on a variety of accounts within the agency and always delivered high caliber work. His demeanor and his unflappable dedication was reassuring and he's a great guy to have around.
Ian's work should speak for itself, but if you do need to know more, feel free to reach out.”