Portfolio — Creative Direction & UX Strategy

Seema Rao

A creative director and UX strategist turning rigorous research into content that grows audiences and moves them to act.

Things I do

Twenty years of content, research, and creative direction across culture, media, and tech.

About

I help cultural institutions, startups, and media brands unify design, content, and digital engagement into work that grows audiences and strengthens identity — as both a hands-on maker with millions of monthly views and a director of cross-functional teams.

Featured in

The New York Times Hyperallergic WWD Daily Mail Jing Daily blooloop

Selected Work

View all work →
PlayAbly play-and-win games across partner brands
01 / Branding · Stewardship

PlayAbly Brand System

As Creative Director, I steward PlayAbly's brand across every product and campaign — a flexible identity, voice, and play-and-win design language that partner brands plug into without losing their own.

30+
brands on one system
Advent calendar play-and-win game
02 / Game Design

Advent Calendar Game

A 24-day play-and-win calendar built into checkout — daily reveals and streak mechanics that turn December shopping into a habit.

+41%December revenue · partner stores
Overtime spin-to-win refund game
03 / Game Design

Overtime Win-Back

A spin-to-win refund game tied to live sports triggers — if the big game goes to overtime, the order's on us. Real stakes, full margin.

18.25XROAS · 57% higher AOV
TikTok Launch Strategy
04 / Social

TikTok Launch Strategy

Built a brand's presence on TikTok from zero — formats, voice, and a calendar tuned for discovery. A Top-5 museum account per Hyperallergic.

12Mviews · 645K likes in a year
Safety Communication
05 / Comms · Award

Safety Communication

Clear, helpful, on-brand communication of updated COVID-19 safety procedures — onsite signage and online, designed for calm and clarity.

SilverVisual Comms Award, OMA 2020
Multimodal Centennial
06 / Campaign

Multimodal Centennial

A centennial told through education — a branded vehicle, an original game, and a free publication working as one campaign.

EveryZIP code reached · broad press
Website Relaunch
07 / Website · UX

Website Relaunch

Balanced what the museum wanted with what audiences needed — rebuilt the information architecture and content around usability, research, and brand.

+200%site views in a year

Selected Games

See them live →

Play-and-win mini-games I art-direct at PlayAbly — each tuned to a brand’s voice and a real reason to play. A few from the shelf:

The Sak style-finder quiz
The Sak — Style FinderA tap-through quiz: pick the finish that speaks to you, then unwrap your matched bag.
Skout Organic snack race
Skout Organic — Snack DashA quick collector race — grab bars or cookies, never both — and win a discount.
Replacements match-3 game
Replacements, Ltd. — Pattern MatchA match-3 built from real china patterns: connect three to clear the board and earn a prize.
Bellzi arcade game
Bellzi — Animal FusionAn endless arcade tap: time the drop to land your plushie and chase a high score.
Friends Central Perk trivia game
Central Perk — Coffee Break TriviaThree Friends questions in fifteen seconds to earn a Coffee Break. Nostalgia, timed.
Schuller design-under-budget game
Schüller — Design Under BudgetRead the brief, then build the best kitchen under budget. A considered purchase, turned into play.
Figure skating rhythm game
Figure Skating — Rhythm TapTap in time as the skater lands each element. Simple to learn, hard to perfect.

“Research tells you what's true. Story is what makes people care.”

— How I approach every project

Impact

12M
TikTok views
645K
likes earned
30M
monthly views · Artlust
+143%
YouTube growth
100+
videos / year

Two decades across culture, media, and technology.

Now
Creative Director & Head of ContentPlayAbly · 2022–Present
Founder & CreatorArtlust · 1M+ followers
Studio & Leadership
Principal & Creative DirectorBrilliant Idea Studio · 2017–Now
Chief Experience OfficerAkron Art Museum · 2019–2022
Director, Intergen. LearningCleveland Museum of Art · 2007–2017
Recognition
  • Webby-nominated AR game
  • NYT-covered chatbot strategy
  • Visual Comms Silver, OMA 2020
  • Top-5 museum TikTok, Hyperallergic
Education
  • MLIS, UX Design — Kent State
  • MA, Art History — Case Western
  • BA, Biological Sciences & South Asian Studies — University of Chicago
Curriculum Vitae UX & Brand → Museums & Art History →

Selected Speaking

2024
Keynote — Western Museums Association
2020
Keynote — Making Museums AccessibleVisitor Experience Conference
2020
Keynote — Self-Care in MuseumsCalifornia Museums Association
2018
Talk — Hack the MuseumMuseumNEXT, London
2017
Keynote — Trust the RevolutionMuseumNEXT, Portland

Selected Publications

Inclusive Interpretation TipsAASLH · 2018
Change at Work: Not Just Surviving and ThrivingCreateSpace Publishing · 2018
To Journey in Twitter CanoesMuseums and the Web · 2018

Let's work together

Tell me about your project.