Hey there! This is Alyssa Lee.
I’m a hybrid designer and illustrator living, working, and over-caffeinating in the Chicago area.
In 2009, I began freelancing independently, creating pieces for local bands and companies. I found work through a creative agency as well, leading me to work with some awesome companies, such as Redbox, XSport Fitness, United Airlines, and a handful of boutique agencies. Eventually, I landed at Reverb, where I wore a few hats, first as a Senior Brand Designer and Brand Design Manager in Marketing, and then as a Product Designer until December 2025.
When I’m not designing, I’m probably kissing my chihuahuas gently on the head, baking loaf after loaf after loaf of sourdough (it’s a lot!), or rediscovering my art practice. Lately, that’s meant inking landscapes and painting portraits of–you guessed it–my chihuahuas.
I am currently on the hunt for the next adventure to fill my 9-to-5, though I’m still happy to chat freelance work over coffee. Feel free to reach out via LinkedIn or slide into my DMs on social media—I’d love to connect!
Where I've Been
Reverb | see portfolio
Product Designer
July 2023-December 2025 (workforce reduction)
- Collaborate with Product Managers, Engineers, and Design leadership to develop a user-centered solution for all parties
- Own projects in my pillar from concept to completion, occasionally tagged into other pillar team’s work for a deeper perspective on customer problem statements and company goals
- Open communication with partner teams through all stages of design, from research and brainstorming to concepting, critiques, and final files
- Consider design implications and interactions for all areas design touches: desktop, mobile web, iOS, Android, logged-in and logged-out, and dark mode
- Evaluate design work for potential to reach company Affordability and Engagement goals, pitching improvements where appropriate
- Develop engineering-ready Figma files for handoff
- Drive projects forward through frequent check-ins, quick turnarounds, straight-forward asks
- Assist with QA and with light code development to keep projects moving forward at reasonable pace
- Lead with curiosity, question feedback when appropriate and encourage fruitful conversations with Design Leadership
Brand Design Manager
October 2022-July 2023
- Manage two junior designers directly, giving them feedback on work, encouraging learning opportunities, developing plans for career growth, leading them to their own solutions rather than directing
- Translate difficult or unclear feedback from project stakeholders into actionable feedback for designers, keeping them motivated and morale high
- High attention to detail to encourage the same from my juniors, but also a realistic perspective on when to approve work
- Contribute art direction to small- to medium-sized projects, managing those projects through to completion, prioritizing design involvement based on potential project impact
- Coordinate between designers, copywriters, and marketing coordinators
- Present large-scale company initiatives to leadership (Q4 Holiday creative planning, Kevin Shields Fender Blender launch)
- Championed the Brand Design team’s work in company Design Lightning and Department meetings whenever possible
- Successfully advocated for one employee receive a promotion from IC1 to IC2
- Continued contribution as a Brand Designer
Senior Brand Designer
October 2017-October 2022
- Worked on design projects from concept to completion, including sales, promotions, product campaigns
- Implemented all aspects of promotions, including email development, landing page development
- Collaborated with copywriters and marketing managers to deliver final assets
- Served as illustration and motion graphics resource
- Designed both for clarity and aesthetics
- Contributed to department projects to develop rules around the Brand and drive forward movement
- Easily adapted to quick turnarounds and communicated the reprioritization of other projects
- Contributed towards company goals through developing user-centric campaigns
- Readily accepted feedback, pushed back when discussion could help define brand rules, and offered friendly feedback to other designers
Mac & Mia
Senior Designer
April 2017-October 2017
- Designed across print and digital channels, including email campaigns, blog, social media, promotional materials, and packaging
- Utilized project management software to manage projects and workflows to prioritize tasks, secure approvals, and ensure timely delivery
- Produced bespoke flat lay photography for clothing and product campaigns, supporting email, web, and social media marketing
- Contributed to a brand guidelines book to standardize visual identity across channels
United Airlines | see portfolio
Senior Designer
April 2016–April 2017
- Completed projects for our creative department’s many clients, including Food Services, Global Services, and United Club, among others
- Adapted visual styles to match each Client’s individual sub brand and to meet that Client’s goals
- Worked on a variety of mediums, including infographics, apparel, long-form print media, and e-publishing
- Presented work to project stakeholders, explaining visual choices and expanding on strategy
- Accepted and incorporated feedback from project stakeholders, brand, and legal teams
- Worked on projects from concept to completion with little oversight
Chicago Music Exchange | see portfolio
Marketing Manager and Designer
March 2015–April 2016
- Led cross-channel campaign strategy and design, ensuring consistency across email, web, print, and in-store experiences
- Directed development of promotional calendars, audience segmentation, and send timing for email campaigns to drive traffic and sales
- Managed paid digital channels including Google Ads, Bing PPC, Facebook, and Twitter advertising, optimizing spend and performance
- Oversaw website content, functionality, and development to maintain and improve the e-commerce experience
- Planned and executed in-store events and coordinated promotional materials across retail and digital channels
- Provided creative direction to the photography team through mood boards and project briefs to ensure efficient, on-brand production
- Coordinated with sales, video, and shipping teams to align resources and ensure seamless campaign execution
- Managed monthly marketing budgets and performance reporting to track ROI and inform strategy
- Hired and managed two direct reports, a junior designer and a marketing coordinator
Junior Designer
February 2014–March 2015
- Served as sole in-house designer, creating all marketing assets across print, email, web merchandising, and promotional campaigns
- Owned website updates, content management, and website functionality, including a Shopify redesign using Liquid coding language
- Assisted with email calendars and performance tracking to increase site traffic and engagement
Redbox
Junior Designer
September 2012–February 2014
- With Redbox Tickets, produced branded maps for display on kiosks in the ticketing flow
- Developed some Redbox Tickets promotional banners to be placed in Redbox emails
- With Redbox proper, altered provided box art from Clients into kiosk stickers and cardboard displays (specifically Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Just Dance)
- Expanded key art from Senior designer into assets to fill out campaigns and fit multiple channels
- Developed one-off social media graphics that worked within brand and sub-brand guidelines
- Developed logos and type lockups for promotions; expanded the campaigns to print, kiosk, and web deliverables
- Collaborated with two senior designers, art director, and an outside agency on the beginning of the Redbox rebrand
XSport Fitness
Junior Designer
March 2011–March 2012
- Designed signage to be displayed inside gyms like sandwich boards and promotional posters
- Designed monthly 4×6 promotional mailers
- Designed large-scale window clings for new gyms on East Coast
- Helped with physically assembling monthly print packages for different gyms
- Sourced imagery from stock photo resource
Selected Experiences
Women at Reverb ERG: “Circles” Group Leader
2024
AIGA member
2009-2020
IPRA Agency Showcase: Judge
January 2019
PechaKucha: Batavia Presentor
Side Hustles: Being Creative After 5PM
May 2018
Ink Wars Competitor
Weapon of Mass Creation Fest
August 2017
