Hi, I’m Scott Thompson
I’m a designer, creative thinker, and team leader with over 20 years’ experience in advertising and digital marketing. I’ve partnered with global brands, local businesses, and everything in between, helping shape stories and bring great ideas to life across just about every channel imaginable. I’m also a husband and father of two, a big believer in empathy, and always up for a laugh… even if it’s a pity one (#dadjokes).
Throughout my career, I’ve led talented design teams and played a key role in building cultures rooted in collaboration, curiosity, and care. I truly believe that great creative work starts with the right environment, one where people feel supported, challenged, and encouraged to grow. Whether mentoring juniors, refining process, or jumping on the tools myself, I lead by example to help teams do their best thinking.
At the heart of everything I do is a belief in authentic storytelling. It’s not just about looking good, it’s about connecting with people in ways that are honest, intentional, and effective. I approach every brief with a strategic lens, thinking beyond the deliverable to craft ideas that work across an entire ecosystem. From brand identity and motion graphics to web design, UX, and social content, I combine creativity with execution to make sure every piece fits into the bigger picture.
I’m fluent in the Adobe suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, XD, After Effects, and Premiere Pro), and experienced in managing timelines, estimates, and end-to-end process development.
If you’re looking for a creative leader who can think big, lead with heart, and bring a wide skill set to the table, let’s talk.
Expertise & experience
Team Leadership
Led a distributed team of designers across international markets, balancing creative direction with individual support and development.
Mentored junior and mid-weight designers, fostering growth through regular feedback, design reviews, and career development support.
Managed team capacity, prioritisation, and deadlines to ensure consistent delivery across campaigns and long-term projects.
Developed and refined creative workflows to improve efficiency, collaboration, and clarity, evolving them through COVID and into a hybrid working model.
Responsible for recruitment and team structure including hiring, onboarding, and when necessary, conflict management or the difficult process of letting staff go.
Liaising with internal stakeholders, department heads, freelancers, suppliers, and directly with clients, ensuring alignment from concept to delivery.
Scoping projects, developing timelines, and creating accurate quotes and estimates.
Creative & Design
Art direction and execution of work across brand, digital, and traditional media, from social campaigns to TVCs, direct mail, OOH, and muti-channel ecosystems.
Conduct UX audits and ecosystem reviews, identifying opportunities from ad impression through to user conversion.
Design websites from early research and wireframes through to high-fidelity prototypes and developer delivery.
Lead creative development of TVCs and photoshoots from concept through to storyboarding, supplier coordination, and on-set direction.
Create best practice content for social and digital platforms, including motion graphics and editing video footage.
Develop and evolve brand identity systems including logos, visual language, brand guidelines, and tone of voice.
Confidently presenting creative to stakeholders and clients, and communicating the strategic rationale behind every idea.
Industry experience
Director of Design 2019 - 2025
Zib Digital – Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Senior Art Director 2012 - 2019
Leap Agency – Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Freelance Art Director/Senior Designer 2009 - 2011
JWT, Grey, RPM, Elvis, Hogarth Worldwide – London, UK
Graphic Designer 2004 - 2009
Creative Brew – Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Senior Designer 2002 - 2004
Travelindex Group Ltd – Christchurch, NEW ZEALAND
Applications
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Xd
Adobe Premier Pro
Adobe After Effects
Adobe Illustrator