Nina Simmons in a deep plum suit against a dark background with a hot fuchsia paint splash

Visionary.
Translator.
Creative Director.

I connect the dots between vision, strategy, and creative execution, bringing clarity to the process and helping teams make work that matters.

Explore My Work

What I Do

Your vision. Translated. Directed. Delivered.

A LITTLE ABOUT ME

I create because I believe expression matters. I'm Nina, a Creative Director and artist who believes good creative work can do more than communicate an idea. It can connect people, open possibilities, and leave a lasting impact. Whether I'm leading a brand, collaborating with a team, or creating art, the intention is the same: make something meaningful and leave things better than I found them.

Meet Nina

What I Lead

Three things I’m brought in to do.

Brand Clarity

Before anything is designed, we get clear on what the brand is and why it matters.

Positioning
Brand Strategy
Messaging Direction
Brand Architecture

Creative Direction

A clear point of view for the work, so every piece feels like it came from the same place.

Campaign Direction
Visual Systems
Storytelling
Creative Standards
Experiences

Creative Leadership

The people, process, and standards behind the work: built to hold up after I leave the room.

Creative Operations
Team / Vendor Direction
Workflows
Brand Governance
AI + Innovation

Selected Work

The work, and the thinking behind it.

I don’t lead with deliverables. I lead with what I saw, the direction I set, and what changed because of it.

Featured Case Study

Atlanta Black Chambers

Creative Direction · Brand Management · Integrated Marketing

The Challenge

Atlanta Black Chambers is a chamber with more than 500 members and a small marketing team that changes event and program wording constantly. They needed a brand identity that looked established and credible, plus a marketing system the team could actually keep up with, not one-off designs that went stale the moment the copy changed.

My Role

I led the creative direction and brand management. I developed the visual identity system, built the ABC Brand Lab as the umbrella for all branding and marketing, and serve as ongoing fractional brand leadership for the organization.

The Approach

I started with the identity system, navy, gold, and teal, with clear rules for how the brand shows up. Then I connected strategy to execution by building marketing materials in Canva with editable verbiage and locked brand elements, so the team can update wording without breaking the brand. I named and structured the “Create Boldly, Brand Correctly” training to teach the team to use AI tools inside the official brand, and built supporting systems including a grants dashboard, a committee signup flow, launch email assets, and a website concept.

The Impact

The identity system is now the face of ABC marketing, and the team works from editable Canva templates instead of one-off files. Measurable outcomes to be added: membership growth, event attendance, and engagement since the rebrand.

Case Study

YE Foundation

Creative Direction · Visual Identity · Event Branding

The Challenge

YE Foundation is a nonprofit that needed a warm, credible visual identity to carry its donor events and community communications.

My Role

I developed the foundation’s visual identity and serve as a board member providing pro bono creative support.

The Approach

I built the identity to flex across everything from everyday communications to large fundraising events, including Prelude to the Garden, where the brand carried the guest experience from signage to the Cultivation Passport checkpoint journey.

The Impact

The identity is in use across the foundation’s events and communications. Fundraising and attendance numbers to be added.

Case Study

Swing Into Their Dreams

Creative Direction · Visual Identity

The Challenge

Swing Into Their Dreams, Pamela Parker’s nonprofit foundation, needed its own distinct visual identity, separate from her other businesses.

My Role

I developed the foundation’s visual identity.

The Approach

I created an identity that stands on its own while sitting comfortably alongside the Parker family of brands, giving the foundation a clear public face for its programs and events.

The Impact

The identity is delivered and in use. Program outcomes to be added.

Atlanta Black Chambers

Creative & Marketing Direction · 7+ Years

What I saw: A 500+ member organization running many programs and events, each needing to look and sound like one trusted chamber.
The direction: Unified visual standards across programs and events, with repeatable communication systems the team could run consistently, while advising executive and marketing leadership on direction.
What changed: A chamber whose communications carry one clear identity, produced with less reinvention and more confidence at every touchpoint.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties

Senior Graphic Designer · Dec 2021 – Aug 2025

What I saw: A marketing team serving 1,200+ REALTORS^®, each building a personal brand inside a national one. Quality and consistency varied widely.
The direction: Served as a strategic liaison between marketing and the agent community, raising the standard of agent personal branding within the brand’s framework.
What changed: Personal-branding improvements contributed to a reported 15% increase in lead conversion.

TK Elevator: North America HQ

Creative Consultant · Sep – Nov 2025

What I saw: An annual Sales Team Summit where executive and sales presentations had to carry real weight with senior leadership in the room.
The direction: Worked with marketing and senior leadership to shape executive and sales presentations that were clear, polished, and ready for that audience.
What changed: Summit presentations that matched the level of the conversation, delivered on a fixed, high-visibility deadline.

Williams Park

Fractional Brand & Marketing Leadership

What I saw: Two entities shared one name: a media, technology, and artist-management business, and a recording artist and ministry. Messaging, audiences, and customer journeys were tangled together, and the founders needed a structure that could support national growth.
The direction: Fractional leadership across brand architecture, positioning, audience strategy, and messaging, carried through two distinct websites, the newsletter, merchandise, artist presentation, and music-release marketing.
What changed: Two clearly differentiated brands growing under one shared vision, each with its own audience and customer journey, instead of separate efforts competing for the same people.

Organizations I’ve worked with

Experience

The short version.

15+ years

Leading brand and creative work across corporate, agency, nonprofit, and founder-led settings.

200+

Brand and campaign engagements led since founding Nina Simmons Designs, Inc. in February 2016.

M.A. + B.S.

M.A. Advertising Design, SCAD. B.S. Studio Art, Florida State University.

Certified

Elevate Creative Direction Certificate, Randy Stein, plus published design work (2014).

Download Resume (PDF)

Full timeline, roles, and references available in the resume.

Testimonials

Kind words.

“She became more than my graphic designer. She became a trusted creative and visual partner. Having Nina help turn those ideas into something people can actually see, understand, and connect with has been invaluable.”

Shirley Xavier
Founder, YE Foundation & The Xchange Agency

“Nina is more than a graphic designer. She is a valued creative partner and thought provoker who helps transform ideas into meaningful visual experiences.”

Rich Wilkins
President & CEO, Rich Speaks Now

“She gave me more than a visual direction. She gave me a framework for presenting myself with greater clarity and confidence as I step into this next chapter.”

Joy Warren
Founder & Chief Strategist, Virtual Latitude

“She shines when she’s developing a new brand, reimagining an organization’s look and feel, or developing a fresh creative direction.”

Andrea TheoJohn
President, The ADS Agency

“Nina is truly a visionary. She heard me and understood me and what I wanted for my brand. She still does.”

Zaneta James
Owner, Cheveux Vierges, LLC

Contact

Let’s talk.

Looking for creative leadership, clear brand direction, or a thoughtful collaboration? Start the conversation.

Schedule a Conversation Email Nina LinkedIn

About Nina

I believe clarity creates movement.

People rarely need more ideas. They need someone who can listen closely, see what matters, and turn possibility into a direction people can understand and act on.

Rooted inPurpose

Professional bio

Hey, I'm Nina.

I'm a Creative Director, Brand Strategist, and visual artist with more than 15 years of experience turning ideas into meaningful brand experiences.

My work sits at the intersection of business strategy, creative direction, and visual storytelling. I've led brand development, creative campaigns, and marketing initiatives, helping organizations clarify their message, strengthen their identity, and connect with the people they want to reach.

I enjoy seeing the big picture, connecting the dots, and bringing people together to move ideas forward. Whether I'm developing a brand strategy, directing a creative team, or guiding a campaign from concept to launch, I believe great work starts with understanding what matters and why.

Outside of my professional work, I'm an artist who believes self-expression creates opportunities for connection, understanding, and positive change.

At the heart of everything I do is a simple purpose: to create meaningful work, positively impact people, and leave something good behind.

My story

I started by making the work. Then I learned to lead what comes before it.

I have spent more than 15 years at the intersection of brand, design, strategy, and leadership. Over time, I became less interested in making one more thing and more interested in asking the questions that make the work matter: Who is this for? Why you? How do you help solve their problem?

That shift changed how I lead. Today, I help the people shaping the vision find the direction inside the idea, align the people around it, and give it form. The deliverable changes. The real work is clarity.

I listen first. Diagnose second. Direct third. Design last.

Where I’m from

Gainesville, by way of Atlanta.

I am based in Gainesville, Florida, after years in Atlanta. Home keeps me grounded. Atlanta sharpened my ambition, expanded my creative community, and taught me how much stronger the work becomes when different perspectives share the room.

Why I do what I do

Because a good idea deserves more than decoration.

It deserves a clear strategy, a strong creative point of view, and a team that knows where it is going. I love the moment creative chaos becomes a shared direction and people can finally see what to do next.

What makes me happy

A full life makes the work better.

CreativityPainting and design
MusicListening and getting lost in the sound
Social gatheringsHosting dinners and bringing people together
DecoratingInterior design and beautiful spaces
Puzzles and gamesThe joy of solving, playing, and discovering
Nature walksFresh air, perspective, and a slower pace
Traveling and drivingMovement, new places, and the open road
Good conversationDesign, relationships, emotional connection, what makes people tick, and entrepreneurship
Family and friendsTime with the people I love

Core values

The standards underneath everything.

Kindness
Respect
Integrity
Dependability
Loyalty

Personality

Idealistic at heart. Driven in practice.

Myers-Briggs

INFP

The Mediator: creative, empathetic, open-minded, and grounded in authenticity.

Enneagram

Type 3

The Achiever: goal-oriented, adaptable, and motivated to turn potential into meaningful accomplishment.

Strengths

How I show up with people.

Great listener
Kind
Considerate and thoughtful
Open-minded
Devoted
Loyal

Personal statement

I'm Nina Alexis, a Creative Director by trade and an artist at heart.

I've always believed creativity is about more than making things look beautiful. It's about expression, connection, and the freedom to be who we truly are.

My purpose is simple: to make a positive impact on the people I encounter and leave something meaningful behind through art and creativity.

I believe self-expression is essential to living an authentic, fulfilling life. When we have the freedom to share who we are, what we believe, and how we see the world, we create opportunities for understanding, connection, and growth.

I came into this world with nothing, but I don't intend to leave it without contributing something good.

That's what drives me. In my work, in my art, and in the way I show up for people.

Creative leadership

How I lead the work.

Clear direction. Honest questions. High standards. Enough room for talented people to do what they do best.

Start with meaning.

Before we choose a format, channel, or look, we get clear on the purpose, the people, and the outcome.

Make direction usable.

A vision only helps when people can make decisions from it. I translate the big idea into priorities, standards, and clear next steps.

Give good people room.

I set the destination, clarify the guardrails, and trust the right people to bring their expertise to the work.

Ask the question behind the request.

The first ask is not always the real need. I listen for the business problem, the audience tension, and the opportunity underneath it.

Protect the team and the standard.

I believe in candid feedback, visible priorities, sustainable pace, and removing the friction that keeps good work from getting done.

Finish what matters.

Ideas are only powerful when they move. I keep strategy, people, and execution connected until the vision becomes real.

Let’s talk

Have a big idea that needs clear direction?

Start a Conversation See the Work

Visionary.Translator.Creative Director.

Your vision. Translated. Directed. Delivered.

Three things I’m brought in to do.

Brand Clarity

Creative Direction

Creative Leadership

The work, and the thinking behind it.

Atlanta Black Chambers

The Challenge

My Role

The Approach

The Impact

YE Foundation

The Challenge

My Role

The Approach

The Impact

Swing Into Their Dreams

The Challenge

My Role

The Approach

The Impact

Atlanta Black Chambers

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties

TK Elevator: North America HQ

Williams Park

The short version.

Kind words.

Let’s talk.

I believe clarity creates movement.

Hey, I'm Nina.

I started by making the work. Then I learned to lead what comes before it.

Gainesville, by way of Atlanta.

Because a good idea deserves more than decoration.

A full life makes the work better.

The standards underneath everything.

Idealistic at heart. Driven in practice.

INFP

Type 3

How I show up with people.

How I lead the work.

Start with meaning.

Make direction usable.

Give good people room.

Ask the question behind the request.

Protect the team and the standard.

Finish what matters.

Have a big idea that needs clear direction?

Visionary.
Translator.
Creative Director.