ELLIOT SALAZAR ☺︎
Designer, Illustrator & Art Director
+ elliot.e.salazar{at]gmail.com +
A quiet yet witty, perfectionist originally from West Texas. He now lives and works in New York City where most recently he was helping shape design, branding, and creative strategy at TikTok. He also doesn’t drink coffee or eat avocados – weird, right?
→ Portrait by Simone Noronha
CV ↘︎
Education
School of Visual Arts
MFA – Designer as Author and Entrepreneur Program
New York, New York
Texas Tech University
BFA – Communication Design
Lubbock, Texas
Experience
TikTok
Senior Creative Lead
2023 – 2025
Focused on design, creative strategy and art direction for marketing projects, events, social content and in-app e-commerce campaigns for the launch of TikTok Shop in the US.
⎯
Instagram
Brand Designer [2021-2022]
On the Brand Design team, I helped shape a variety of brand touch-points across product, editorial, and experiential. I was the lead designer for @design, including the #BlackDesignVisionaires grant program and art directed Instagram cultural moment stickers.
⎯
Virtue Worldwide
Senior Designer [2019-2021]
Virtue is the creative agency born from VICE, and I worked on some exciting projects with clients like Urban Decay, Beats by Dre and Cholula Hot Sauce, new business pitches, and internal projects for the agency.
⎯
Refinery29
Senior Designer
Social Media [2014-2018]
Sitting on both the Design and Social Media teams, I oversaw editorial and branded content for all social media channels. If you’ve liked, double tapped, or retweeted an @R29 social post then you’ve probably seen some of my work!
• Designer [2015-2017]
• Freelance Designer [2014-2015]
• Editorial Design Intern
[2014-2015]
⎯
Warby Parker
Graphic Design Intern [2013-2014]
As a bespectacled intern by day and graduate student by night (I was pretty busy then)I worked on design assets for collectionsand other special collabs.
⎯
Texas Tech University
Graphic Designer [2011-2012]
Worked with faculty, staff, and students in developing new projects for the School of Art and Landmark Arts Galleries – brochures, exhibitions designs, and recruitment materials.
• La Ventana Managing Editor
[2008-2011]
• Rec Sports Marketing Designer
[2009-2010]
Organizations
AIGA NY Board of Directors
Communications and Social Media
[2017-2020]
Awards & Honors
Society of Illustrators 66th Annual: Advertising & Institutional Jury [2023]
AICP Next Awards Judge,
Category: Influencer [2023]
#ArtOnLink World Pride Featured Artist [2019]
Chandelier Creative – Mermaid Ranch Artist In Residence [2018]
The Young Ones: Advertising & Design Student Competition Juror [2017]
Print Magazine Regional Design Award [2017]
Ace Hotel: New York Artist in Residency Program (#AceAIR)
AIGA Command X Competition [2016]
Speaking Engagements
SVA MFA Design Guest Lecturer
New York, NY
Laguna College of Art + Design
Guest Lecturer
Laguna Beach, CA
Shillington School Of Design
Guest Lecturer
New York, NY
Press
AIGA Eye on Design
Planoly
Newspaper Club
Brand Therapy Podcast
Last Updated 25.02.13