How are Toptal creative directors different?

At Toptal, we thoroughly screen our creative directors to ensure we only match you with talent of the highest caliber. Of the more than 200,000 people who apply to join the Toptal network each year, fewer than 3% make the cut. You’ll work with design experts (never generalized recruiters or HR reps) to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics. The end result: expert vetted talent from our network, custom matched to fit your business needs.

Can I hire creative directors in less than 48 hours through Toptal?

Depending on availability and how fast you can progress, you could start working with a creative director within 48 hours of signing up.

What is the no-risk trial period for Toptal creative directors?

We make sure that each engagement between you and your creative director begins with a trial period of up to two weeks. This means that you have time to confirm the engagement will be successful. If you’re completely satisfied with the results, we’ll bill you for the time and continue the engagement for as long as you’d like. If you’re not completely satisfied, you won’t be billed. From there, we can either part ways, or we can provide you with another expert who may be a better fit and with whom we will begin a second, no-risk trial.

Hire the Top 3% of Freelance Creative Directors

Name: Creative Direction Design Services
Brand: Toptal
Rating: 4.7 (45 reviews)

Toptal is a marketplace for top creative directors. Top companies and startups choose Toptal creative direction freelancers for their mission critical design projects.

Hire a Top Creative Director Now

No-Risk Trial, Pay Only If Satisfied.

Clients Rate Toptal Creative Directors4.7 / 5.0on average across 45 reviews as of Apr 21, 2024

Trusted by leading brands and startups

Watch the case study

Hire Freelance Creative Directors

View Dickon

Dickon Kent

Freelance Creative Director

Creative Direction, Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe Photoshop, Visual Design, eCommerce, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Responsive UI, User Scenarios, Brand Design, Web Design, Web App UX, Web UX Design, Strategy,

United StatesToptal Member Since February 28, 2018

With 23+ years of remote experience, Dickon is a senior digital leader in UX, product design, digital strategy, and team management. He has conceived, planned, managed, designed, and built digital products for Disney, OPI, Paramount Pictures, and the Television Academy, servicing over 50 million users. Dickon's award-winning work has been twice nominated for a Webby as well as having been a Webby honoree.

Tomass Sola

Freelance Creative Director

Creative Direction, Balsamiq, Responsive Web Design (RWD), eCommerce, Dashboard Design, Mobile UX, Mobile UI, iOS UI Design, Android UI Design, Figma, Zeplin, Balsamiq Mockups, Mobile Design,

LatviaToptal Member Since August 16, 2016

Tomass is a senior-level UI/UX designer with over a decade of experience creating functional and beautiful user experiences that drive business success. He is a dedicated professional who strives to stay up-to-date with the latest design trends and techniques and is always looking for new opportunities to learn and grow as a designer. Tomass is a seasoned UI/UX designer with a proven track record in delivering successful projects.

Liz Young

Freelance Creative Director

Creative Direction, Adobe Illustrator, Digital, Visual Design, eCommerce, eCommerce Design, eCommerce UI, Brand Books, Brand Design, B2B, UI Design, Marketing, Presentation Design,

United KingdomToptal Member Since March 29, 2018

Elizabeth is a highly experienced creative director who has defined experiences for global brands like Universal Records and PUMA while transforming many more. With expertise in branding, social media content, digital design, and UI/UX, she has helped launch startups in Silicon Valley and create integrated brand and website designs for well-established DTC, new tech, and premium sportswear brands. Elizabeth takes a holistic and reductive approach, balancing design strategy with functionality.

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Website Design for Luxury Jewelry Retailer, Sasha Primak

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View Jun

Jun Kim

Freelance Creative Director

Creative Direction, Responsive, Web Design, Mobile UX, Mobile UI, Android, iOS, Zeplin, Adobe CC, Web, Mobile, Mobile UI Design, Mobile UX Design,

South KoreaToptal Member Since April 28, 2016

With over a decade of experience in product UI/UX design and brand experience design, Kim has had the opportunity to work with a diverse range of teams and companies from Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, the UAE, Europe, and the USA. In addition, Kim is well-versed in design principles, color theory, and typography and leverages these elements to create consistent and effective design solutions.

Christina Barsan

Freelance Creative Director

Creative Direction, Zeplin, Digital Product Design, App UI, Brand Development, Icon Design, Outdoor Graphics, User Flows, Rebranding, Sitemaps, Brand Guidelines, Product Design, Web Design,

United StatesToptal Member Since August 23, 2016

Christina is a digital designer and creative director with over 15 years of experience as a visual thinker, problem solver, manager, collaborator, and technology lover. She constantly seeks to help her clients create the ideal brand for their business aligned with their big vision.

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View David

David Fotherby

Freelance Creative Director

Creative Direction, Web Design, Lean UX, UI Design, Web App Design, UX Design, Illustrator 2017, Photoshop CC, Sketch, Iconography, Logo Design, iOS App Design, Mobile Web Design,

United StatesToptal Member Since February 8, 2017

David has created exceptional, user-centered products for some of the top Fortune, healthcare, retail, and entertainment businesses worldwide. His approach of putting the user at the center of product design ensures that clients have a clear insight into their market potential and the technical requirements needed.

Mike Slone

Freelance Creative Director

Creative Direction, Websites, Pitch Decks, Website Redesign, Information Architecture (IA), MVP Design, Ideation, UI Audits, iOS UI Design, Icon Design, Iconography, User Personas, Personas,

United StatesToptal Member Since March 16, 2017

Mike is a highly experienced and successful product, UX, UI, visual, and branding designer with many years of experience creating large and small-scale designs. He has worked for global clients in many industries, including ExxonMobil, Reebok, Taco Bell, Nike, and many others. Mike has also provided his design and leadership experience to startups in healthcare, higher education, and SaaS companies.

Pierre E. Poulin

Freelance Creative Director

Creative Direction, Typography, Interactive Design, Web Design, Brand Guidelines, Mobile App Design, Webflow, Art Direction, UI Design, UI Animation, Mobile UI, High-fidelity Prototypes, Figma,

MexicoToptal Member Since August 20, 2019

With an early career woven into the rise of the internet, Pierre's experience in digital is vast. Over the last 20 years, he founded one of the first award-winning web shops in Montreal, crafting work for major accounts, such as Burger King. Pierre designed an event app used by Airbnb, Salesforce, and Cisco. He continues to serve on a jury at the prestigious FWA. Typography, smooth interactions, and a glimmer of sassy irony are the driving forces behind his elegant yet highly functional style.

Sam Flaherty

Freelance Creative Director

Creative Direction, Adobe Suite, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Web, Websites, Visual Design, Logo Design, eCommerce, eCommerce UI, Shopify Design, Logotype, Adobe,

United KingdomToptal Member Since February 4, 2016

A veteran Toptal designer with nearly 2,000 completed hours under his belt, Sam collaborates globally with like-minded clients such as Google, Citibank, Hugo Boss, YouTube, and Levi's to ensure clear and effective communication with their audiences. He has over 15 years of experience in the fields of graphic design, brand creation, digital design, and creative thinking.

Discover More Creative Directors in the Toptal Network

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THE TOPTAL ADVANTAGE

98% of Toptal clients choose to hire our talent after a risk-free trial.

Toptal's screening and matching process ensures exceptional talent are matched to your precise needs.

Start Hiring

Creative Direction Hiring Resources

Resources to Hire Creative Directors

Job Description Template Interview Questions

Trustpilot

THE TOPTAL ADVANTAGE

98% of Toptal clients choose to hire our talent after a risk-free trial.

Toptal's screening and matching process ensures exceptional talent are matched to your precise needs.

Start Hiring

Toptal in the press

... allows corporations to quickly assemble teams that have the right skills for specific projects.

Despite accelerating demand for coders, Toptal prides itself on almost Ivy League-level vetting.

Our clients

Creating an app for the game

Leading a digital transformation

Building a cross-platform app to be used worldwide

Drilling into real-time data creates an industry game changer

Testimonials

Michael is an incredible designer, and has been a great fit for our project. He just gets it in a way that can’t be taught. My goal was to pay Toptal to find me a high quality designer for my project, and that is exactly what happened. It was easy. Being able to see the portfolio work on Toptal’s platform is what gave me the infomation I needed to choose Michael. I have nothing but good things to say about Toptal and am looking forward to using Toptal for other projects in the future.

Edward Daniel

Co-Founder

I've worked very closely with Martina for over a year and have to say she is one of the best people I have ever worked with. Instead of simply following instructions blindly, she thinks through the task at hand, becoming a thought partner to help with whatever the project may be. Besides being super talented at design, she possesses specific qualities that make her exceptional to work with given the fast paced nature of being a startup. I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a talented, professional designer who doesn't need much direction to hit the ground running.

Sahil Khanna

Sr. Manager, Marketing

Darko did a great job figuring out the user architecture for our concept, which led him to produce terrific wireframes. His knowledge of usability and design was a perfect match for the outside voice we needed to help jumpstart our project. We would certainly recommend him and work with him again in the future.

Rich Danker

Founder

Carlos has the unique talent of blending both quantitative and qualitative research to keenly identify UX challenges and opportunities. He thinks methodically, emphatically, and holistically to produce data-driven strategies and well-executed designs. Over the past 8 years of working with fully or partially distributed teams, Carlos manages working remotely far better than anyone I've encountered because of his strong communication and presentation skills. He is the first on my list the next time I need a UX designer.

Michelle Krogmeier

Project Manager

Rafael is an amazing designer. His aesthetic sense is spot on, and he seems to be able to anticipate our needs before we even know what they are. He's taken the time to understand both our company and our clientele, and his solutions are consistently in-line with our values, interests, and our customers' needs. He delivers on time (if not earlier), works quickly, is well organized, and very effective. He's a pleasure to work with, and we're very happy to have found him through Toptal.

Ethan Brooks

CTO

How to Hire Creative Directors through Toptal

Talk to One of Our Industry Experts

A Toptal director of design will work with you to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics.

Work With Hand-Selected Talent

Within days, we'll introduce you to the right creative director for your project. Average time to match is under 24 hours.

The Right Fit, Guaranteed

Work with your new creative director for a trial period (pay only if satisfied), ensuring they're the right fit before starting the engagement.

Find Experts With Related Skills

Access a vast pool of skilled designers in our talent network and hire the top 3% within just 48 hours.

Design Directors Creative Services Managers Art Direction Experts Design Leads Conceptual Designers Creative Design Experts Communication Designers Ad Designers

FAQs

How are Toptal creative directors different?
At Toptal, we thoroughly screen our creative directors to ensure we only match you with talent of the highest caliber. Of the more than 200,000 people who apply to join the Toptal network each year, fewer than 3% make the cut. You’ll work with design experts (never generalized recruiters or HR reps) to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics. The end result: expert vetted talent from our network, custom matched to fit your business needs.
Can I hire creative directors in less than 48 hours through Toptal?
Depending on availability and how fast you can progress, you could start working with a creative director within 48 hours of signing up.
What is the no-risk trial period for Toptal creative directors?
We make sure that each engagement between you and your creative director begins with a trial period of up to two weeks. This means that you have time to confirm the engagement will be successful. If you’re completely satisfied with the results, we’ll bill you for the time and continue the engagement for as long as you’d like. If you’re not completely satisfied, you won’t be billed. From there, we can either part ways, or we can provide you with another expert who may be a better fit and with whom we will begin a second, no-risk trial.

Tap Into World-Class Talent

Trusted Experts Only
All of our talent are seasoned experts who ramp up quickly, readily contribute as core team members, and work with you to minimize onboarding time.
The Right Fit
We have a knack for matching you with the right fit. Start working with your new hire on a no-risk trial period, paying only if satisfied.
Scale as Needed
Hire talent within 48 hours and scale your team up or down as needed, no strings attached.
Seamless Hiring
We handle all aspects of billing, payments, and NDA’s. Let us take care of the overhead while you focus on building great products.
Flexible Engagements
Choose the engagement type that suits your needs — hourly, part-time, or full-time — with the ability to change anytime.
Expert Talent Matching
Focus on your project and enjoy support from your dedicated account executive and expert talent matcher.