PAUL ZDANOWICZ | Executive Creative Director | paul@pzcreative.com | Linkedin

I’m an accomplished, multi-faceted creative director & interactive media designer who is incredibly fortunate to love what I do for a living! My expertise is at the crossroads of children’s television & interactive media production & design. I’m a hands-on creative leader who loves making things alongside my teams. I build and mentor high-functioning, collaborative, creative teams who understand business goals and deliver unique products that sell, and authentic experiences that connect with users!

THINGS I DO WELL

Creative Direction • Art Direction • Building Brand Identity Systems • Interactive Media & App Design • Building & Leading High-Functioning Creative Teams • Cross-Team Collaboration • Storytelling • Strong Communication • Project Management • UI/UX Design • Product Design • Packaging Design • Illustration & Typography Design • Marketing Campaigns • Working with Software Development Teams • Time Management • Creating Fun Work Environments • Adobe Suite • Making Things Not Boring •

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Unruly Studios – Boston, MA
Creative Advisor // 2022 -
Chief Creative Officer // 2018-2021

• Executive leadership team member

• Helped bring the first coding + physically active play product to market by designing our block-based coding software that interacts with our core physical product

• Managed and directed the software team in building the app from proof-of-concept through release 

• Directed the product and software team through a business model shift from a retail focus to focusing exclusively on education sales, making the necessary product changes to accommodate the needs of the education market, and generating more business opportunities for the sales team

• Designed and managed the Unruly brand identity system that defined our company culture, established creative best practices, and helped define our unique positioning in the EdTech space

• Built and managed a creative department where we executed a wide variety of projects ranging from UI/UX design, to print, to video, to packaging, to interactive products, and more

• Conceived and designed an interactive leaderboard that allows us to host national competitions between our schools in real time, leading to increased product usage and higher retention

Tiggly – New York, NY
Chief Creative Officer // 2013-2017

• Executive leadership team member

• Designed brand identity system 

• Built and directed a world-class creative team of programmers, animators, and designers and established creative best practices

• Created, designed, and directed 12 award-winning apps across three product lines, including a partnership with Sesame Workshop that led to increased sales opportunities with our retail partners 

• Created custom interactive in-store displays featured in Apple, Target, and Best Buy retail stores leading to increased sales opportunities

• Created retail packaging for each product, including a unique bundle packaging for Apple retail stores 

• Built brand equity that helped Tiggly raise a $4m Series A round with Haba 

Nickelodeon / Curious Pictures – New York, NY
Lead Designer // 2009-2013

• Directed a team of designers for hit preschool series Team Umizoomi

• Designed key backgrounds and characters

• Managed the series design production schedule to assure all assets were delivered on time

Nickelodeon / Disney Junior / Little Airplane Productions – New York, NY
Lead Designer & Art Department // 2005-2009

• Directed a team of designers for hit preschool series The Wonder Pets (Nickelodeon)!

• Directed a team of designers for preschool series Go, Baby! (Disney Junior)!

• Designed key backgrounds and characters

• Managed the series design production schedule to assure all assets were delivered on time

Sesame Workshop / Noggin – New York, NY
Art Director // 2004-2005

• Developed the visual style for the series Pinky Dinky Doo in collaboration with the series creator, Jim Jinkins

• Staffed and directed a traditional and digital team of designers and animators

• Managed the series design production schedule to assure all assets were delivered on time

(Additional Series Production Work) Disney / MTV – New York, NY
Art Department & Supervision // 1997-2003

• Disney’s Stanley // 2001-2003

• MTV’s Spy Groove // 2000-2001

• MTV’s Daria // 1999-2000

• MTV’s Head Trip // 1999-1999

• Disney’s Doug’s First Movie (theatrical release) // 1998-1998

• Disney’s Brand Spanking New Doug // 1998-1998

• Disney’s 101 Dalmatians (television series) // 1997-1997

EDUCATION

School Of Visual Arts – New York, NY

BFA Illustration // 1995-1999