# Nick Totaro > Design Director Location: San Francisco, California, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/nicktotaro • Multidisciplinary problem solver with a deep, diverse skill set developed over 15 years in startups, studios, and consulting. • Thrives in fast-paced environments, working solo or in teams. • Welcomes the challenge of ambitious or ambiguous briefs, helping to define the scope and deliver multiple effective design solutions ## Work Experience ### Design Director @ Totaro Design Jan 2003 – Present | San Francisco Bay Area Brand Manager for two upstart companies Design everything from simple business cards to full e-commerce sites and work flows Educate clients on building a brand holistically, not just with a single ad or logo ### Design Director @ Chai Jan 2015 – Jan 2023 | San Francisco Bay Area • Third hire, grown to 70+ employees • Collaborate directly with CEO to constantly improve users’ experiences and establish Chai as a leading biotechnology company • Developed cross-platform application for a device used around the world, including 19 of the top 20 biomedical research universities. • Responsible for maintaining brand identity and web presence; iterating quickly to take feedback from wireframe workflows to pixel-perfect final design • Write and design ad campaigns to increase brand awareness and sales (+20% increase in non-COVID traffic since Spring 2022) • Support Sales, R&D, and Engineering with design collateral from • Trade show materials to product use and safety manuals ### Design Director @ SmithRx Jan 2016 – Jan 2018 | San Francisco Bay Area • Second hire, grew to 40+ employees • Collaborated with founder to craft presentation to earn $10M+ in funding • Developed design system from brand identity to customer portals • Advocated for simple, transparent designs to earn customer trust and establish Smith as a "next generation" pharmacy benefit manager ### Sr. Experience Designer @ Substantial Jan 2014 – Jan 2014 ### Sr. Visual Designer @ Fjord Jan 2013 – Jan 2014 ### Sr. Visual Designer @ Punchcut Jan 2012 – Jan 2012 As a design contractor, I worked to bring the many disparate preloaded apps on a major cell provider's phones into one cohesive whole. ### Design Director @ Originate, Inc. Jan 2008 – Jan 2012 Work directly with management, partners, and lead developers through all stages of projects; from sketching, concepting, and branding to slicing Introduce user-first, cross-platform design practices to capitalize on Agile development environment Lead or contribute to over 60 projects in 4 years, usually with 3-5 projects underway simultaneously Push to build a culture of design, prove the importance of user experience, and how to treat each project as a reflection of the brand Manage Junior Designers and contractors while staying on top of own day-to-day design responsibilities Love the entrepreneurial culture and working with new companies and startups to build a brand from scratch ### Talent @ Vitamin T Jan 2012 – Jan 2012 ### Graphic Designer @ Unisys Jan 2007 – Jan 2008 Worked predominately in presentation and info-graphics. Quick turnarounds and clear, concise communications were the name of the game. ### Graphic Designer @ The Loudoun Easterner Jan 2003 – Jan 2003 • Worked primarily on in-house ads for clients (Real Estate, Car Dealership, For Sale By Owner) • Produced entire holiday special-edition with one other designer ## Education ### BFA in Advertising Design, Graphic Design Savannah College of Art and Design ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ntotaro - Website: http://www.totarodesign.com - Website: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/5763129/TotaroTakeaway.pdf --- Source: https://flows.cv/nicktotaro JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/nicktotaro/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-05