Resume

Stephen Cooke

856-870-7375 | stephen.r.cooke@gmail.com

Design leader with 15+ years of experience specializing in design and communication systems for in-house teams 

Proven expertise in creating and evolving large-scale environmental and visual design systems for global workplaces and retail environments. Skilled in aligning cross-functional teams and translating complex user journeys into intuitive, human-centered solutions. 

Core competencies

Environmental & Retail Communication | Design Systems Thinking | Brand & Visual Identity | UX/UI Design | Typography | Creative & Art Direction | Stakeholder Engagement | Cross-Functional Collaboration | Project & Team Leadership Prototyping & Visualization | 3D Modeling | Print Production & Fabrication 

Software & tools

Adobe Creative Cloud (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop) | SketchUp | AutoCAD | Revit | KeyShot | Figma | Miro | Wrike | Canva | AI tools (Google Imagen and Veo, Runway, KLING) 

Work experience

TerraCycle | Trenton, NJ
Senior Design Manager (April 2025 – present) 
Senior Graphic Design Manager (June 2021 – April 2025)
Lead a global team of six designers across environmental design, digital marketing, and UX/UI for TerraCycle and its reuse platform, Loop. 

  • Led creative strategy and system design for Loop’s in-store retail experience, ensuring intuitive navigation, clear instructional signage, and a seamless customer journey across multiple retail formats and international markets. 

  • Partnered with product, sales, and operations teams to develop signage and fixture toolkits used by retail partners like Kroger, Walmart, Carrefour, and Tesco, balancing sustainability, usability, and brand cohesion. 

  • Directed branded collection box and recycling station designs at point-of-sale across retail environments, enhancing public understanding through effective visual cues and instructional graphics. 

  • Drove successful creative execution for the National Park Service Recycling Station, generating $150K in revenue and enhancing TerraCycle’s public land partnerships. 

  • Led creative strategy for Zero Waste Box product line, supporting ~$20M in annual revenue (24% of company total). 

  • Directed branded collection box designs for retail partners, contributing over $600K in incremental revenue and expanding TerraCycle’s retail footprint. 


IKEA | Conshohocken, PA
Art Director (September 2015 – September 2020)
Directed a team of three designers in developing branding, sustainability campaigns, product/ service marketing, and customer wayfinding. 

  • Oversaw the implementation, maintenance, and continuous evolution of IKEA's in-store wayfinding and communication systems, partnering with 50+ store teams to adapt the global framework to local needs. 

  • Provided national-level guidance on graphic standards and spatial communication across showroom, self-serve warehouse, and checkout touchpoints. 

  • Spearheaded a cost-benefit analysis for IKEA’s global typography transition, leading to a phased signage update strategy projected to save $90M+ globally. 

  • Developed and launched in-store communication system for the IKEA credit card, driving an average of 5,000 new accounts per month and $13.8M in additional monthly sales. 

  • Implemented a digital shopping tool that reduced the need for paper lists and pencils; estimated to save ~$810K annually in materials and printing costs, elevating sustainability efforts and customer experience. 

  • Redesigned digital display strategy, projected to save each store ~$18K annually while improving customer engagement. 

  • Led development of sustainability communication strategy, increasing positive brand impressions from 44% (2015) to 51% (2019). 


    IKEA | Philadelphia, PA
    Junior Designer     → Visual Merchandiser → Senior Designer  (October 2007 – September 2015 )

  • Planned and implemented large-format store signage, showroom labeling, category identifiers, and directional graphics supporting thousands of daily customer journeys. 

  • Collaborated with store planning and interior design teams to integrate messaging and orientation signage into physical environments. 

  • Redesigned the local implementation of customer wayfinding system, resulting in a 3% increase in navigation satisfaction scores and improvements in dwell time and product discovery. 

Education

University of the Arts | Philadelphia, PA
B. S. Industrial Design (Graduated with Honors, 3.7 GPA)

  • First place, Philadelphia Museum of Art Collab Design Competition (2004)

  • Chair, IDSA Student Chapter

Interaction Design Foundation
UX Design (October 2020 – May 2021)
Earned certificates in:

  • User Experience Design (UX)

  • Design Thinking

  • Human-Computer Interaction

  • Web Design for Usability

  • Interaction Design for Usability

Community Involvement

  • Co-Founder, Pitman Grove Community Garden (2016–Present) | Supporting local sustainability and food justice efforts

  • Corporate Volunteer, Junior Achievement (2016–2019) | Teaching business acumen and design thinking to students