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Steve Merola is a Creative Director who specializes in bringing strategic vision, clarity, leadership, problem solving and execution to projects for companies and brands such as Simon Pearce, KPGM, Design Within Reach, PepsiCo, Diageo, Mastercard, and Condé Nast — and is a self-afflicted sufferer of RBF (Resting Beard Face). He started out by providing creative and editorial direction for a food and lifestyle magazine for A&P, then transitioned to the forefront of digital publishing and now brings that editorial storytelling approach to full multi-channel brand content. He also finds it entertaining writing in the first person, but is equally troubled by it.

While studying sculpture and art education in college, he was fully integrated in the NYC art/music/literary scene of the 80’s and 90’s — and the visceral pull of gig posters, album and book covers, street art, video games and music videos took hold of his heart, so he left college and started a 30 year vagabond journey of discovery, exploration (i.e., mistakes), and learning from some truly incredible people. His design education consisted of the selfless commitment of Prismacolor marker and vellum pad wielding mentors, hours spent sitting at bookstores with exceptional quantities of coffee and stacks of design magazines he couldn’t afford.

All throughout, he been honored and privileged to have worked with truly selfless designers, directors and agencies on incredible projects. He has spent his career working towards keeping that sharing, collaborating and growth environment cultivated so our trade continues to flourish and provide clarity, insight and engagement to the visual systems in our world.