Design Art Direction Creative Concepting
Cronin Internship: Summer 2025
Last summer, I held a Design / Art Direction internship with Cronin, a full-service advertising and marketing agency. Alongside fellow interns and senior creatives, I developed ad campaigns across print and digital platforms.
10 Weeks (June-August)
Special thanks to Jonathan Abel, Olivia Macdonald,
Scott Higgins, Ann Robertson, Mia Moreno, and
many other Cronin Creatives!
Clients / My Impact
Three months of learning,
growth, and real impact.
At Cronin, my role surpassed traditional graphic design. I contributed to every stage of the creative process, stretching from ideation and visual development to pitching and refinement. In collaboration with copyrighting intern Mia Moreno, I worked to conceptualize and design ad campaigns built for relatability and emotional resonance. Selected outcomes:
Conceived and designed three ad concepts selected for production by Webster Five, Valio, and Best Life Brands.
Compiled moodboards, sketched mockups, and crafted detailed pitch decks, several of which I was trusted to present directly to clients.
Kicked off a revamp of Cronin’s site by designing new visual assets for the capabilities page.
01 / Best Life Brands
Project OverviewFinding home care for a loved one with dementia is an emotional decision, one that families are often forced to make quickly. Most in-home care brands blend together visually while shying away from difficult truths. Cronin was tasked with creating a campaign for ComForCare that leads with honesty, helps struggling families feel seen, and breaks through visual sameness.
Target audience: the eldest daughter, who often becomes the default decision-maker when a parent is in crisis.
Insight:
When an elderly parent is diagnosed with dementia, the family foundation shifts. She goes from daughter to caregiver almost overnight.
The Idea: Let ComForCare be the caregiver, so you can just be family.
A Gallery of Memories
Through framed photographs of sentimental moments, we remind the eldest daughter of family life before she became her mother’s caregiver. We highlight the roles she once filled, from baking buddy to garden helper, aknowledging the pain of that sudden shift towards care.
Our message: ComForCare is here with a helping hand, so she can reclaim the moments that made them a family.
In our pitch, we use ad-lobs to show how the concept comes to life, and demonstrate how the campaign can translate across social media and a video spot.
Final Adlobs
After client feedback, we expanded our target audience to include spouses, helping the campaign resonate with a wider range of families. My copywriting partner and I created an additional version centered on an elderly husband, using intimate, nostalgic photos that honored his role as the family’s road-trip navigator. Our outcomes:
Approached dementia care with sensitivity and honesty.
Created a visual identity that feels fresh, dignified, and emotionally grounded.
Built a flexible concept that is applicable to print, social, and video.
02 / Webster Five
Project Overview
Webster Five, a longtime client of Cronin, needed a fresh concept for an upcoming print ad run. As a small, community-based bank in Webster, Massachusetts, their identity is rooted in the people they serve. Our task was to highlight their commitment to the neighbors who keep their community thriving.
Target Audience: Local small business owners and homebuyers looking to put down roots.
The Idea: Dreams Made Real. Webster Five was built by people with dreams of their own, and today they’re here to help others achieve theirs.
Final Print Ads
Based on client feedback, we updated our mockups to introduce color and feature two small business owners instead of one, making the visuals feel more vibrant. Our outcomes:
Enhanced Webster Five’s existing visual style, adding a more dynamic presence while staying true to their brand.
Strengthened the bank’s connection to the community by reinforcing their commitment to local businesses and neighbors.
03 / PROFeel
Project OverviewProtein pudding is a new concept in the United States. PROFeel needed creative that introduces the category, while showing that protein can be both functional and indulgent. Cronin was tasked with developing creative concepts, moodboards, and styling suggestions to spread the word about this new snack.
Insight: When energy is low, everyday tasks feel harder. People know protein fuels them, but they don’t want to sacrifice taste. PROFeel is the perfect solution: it packs a protein punch while still feeling like a treat.
Target audience: Busy moms, students, and professionals: anyone who needs an energy boost on the go.
Opportunity: Position PROFeel across a range of occasions, showing how it fuels activity, enjoyment, and indulgence.
Showcasing Versatility
My copywriting partner and I developed two creative directions to support PROFeel’s asset library. On the visual side, I began with traditional sketches and moodboards, but shifted to AI mockups at the creative team’s recommendation.
1. PROFeel It AllUsing diorama-style scenes, we placed PROFeel pudding in a range of everyday moments to show how it fuels work, play, and everything in between. Whether you’re PROFeelin’ the vibe at the beach or PROFeelin’ the fuel at tennis practice, this pudding brings the energy you need.
2. Hard to Save the Best for LastThis direction builds playful “snacker personalities” through distinctive lunchboxes, each featuring PROFeel as the hero. With its protein punch, PROFeel breaks away from desert stereotypes and emerges as a snack you don’t have to save for last.
Final Presentation
After additional workshopping, we presented our two refined concepts. For PROFeel It All, we shifted to using miniature objects to build our scenes, adding whimsy and personality while keeping set-building cost-effective. For the Lunchbox direction, we expanded the idea with a new tagline, updated mockups, and an example of how the concept could extend into social media through influencer partnerships. The client ultimately selected the Lunchbox direction. Our outcomes:
Delivered a wide range of asset ideas that were refined over time into a cohesive set of solutions.
Preserved PROFeel’s playful, irreverent identity: an important brand goal from the start.
Positioned PROFeel as both an indulgent treat and protein boost, framing the brand as a versatile option for all snackers on the go.
04 / CT Public Health
Project Overview
Connecticut’s Department of Public Health approached Cronin to create an accessible roadmap to dementia resources. This informational guide would live in doctors’ offices across the state. I led the design of this piece, developing two print assets: an 8.5×11 flyer and a coordinating business card. My outcomes:
Applied CT Health’s existing visual identity to a new set of materials.
Maintained design continuity across both assets.
Built a legible hierarchy of information that remains readable from a distance.
Reflections
Closing thoughts on a
summer well spent.
Whether I was late-night brainstorming for a new client brief, eagerly sharing mockups with my copywriting partner, or absorbing big ideas during creative meetings, my time at Cronin was nothing short of exceptional. From day one, the team welcomed me as a fully-fledged contributer. The agency’s environment was energizing, the bar was set high, and I was able to immerse myself in the world of advertising right off the bat.
I’m so thankful I had the opportunity to work with the coolest goats in the barnyard! The team’s trust allowed me to grow rapidly as a designer and creative thinker, giving me more learning experience in 3 short months than I ever could’ve anticipated. I can’t wait to bring my new knowledge into whatever comes next!
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