BLAKE MARTIN

Creative director · AI product builder

I make complicatedthings simple.Then I build them.

I've been designing since 2007 and lead creative at AR Marketing as Executive Creative Director. I've directed work for clients like Samsung, and I build and ship AI products on the side. You get the strategy, the message, the design and the system behind it from one person.

Start a conversation See what I've built
BasedFindlay, Ohio
WorksRemote-first
DesigningSince 2007
EducationBFA, Graphic Design
Fig. 1Carton · folded
Reverse tuck end · 120 × 60 × 180 mmScroll to unfold ↓
247%Year-over-year revenue increase after I led a rebrand for an automotive component company
SamsungRebranded the internal safety messaging program at Samsung Austin Semiconductor, including its visual identity. It supported a measurable improvement in workplace safety.
200+Retail partners nationwide for Sparkvites, the stationery brand I founded and ran for ten years

What's in the box

Three product lines. One director.

Most teams hire for these separately and spend months getting them to talk. I've worked across all three, so the brand, the funnel and the tools are designed together from the start.

BM / Line 01Core

Brand & Creative

Direction for brands, campaigns and the people who make them.

Contents
  • Brand strategy and identity
  • Messaging and positioning
  • Campaign and creative direction
  • Product and packaging design
  • Leading creative teams
Net: 19 yrs design
8 yrs leading teams
BM / Line 02Wired

Marketing Systems

The plumbing behind the campaign, so leads don't leak.

Contents
  • HubSpot CRM architecture
  • Make.com automation
  • Pipelines and intake forms
  • Email delivery setup
Net: 1 pipeline
that runs itself
BM / Line 03New

AI Product Building

Small, focused tools that ship and get used.

Contents
  • AI assistant products
  • Claude API integration
  • Supabase + Stripe backends
  • Design to deploy, end to end
Net: 1 live product
with paying users

Fig. 2 · Exploded view

How this director was assembled.

Each layer sits on the one below it. After a BFA in Graphic Design, I drew production schematics for a manufacturer, ran my own product brand for ten years, then grew from designer to Executive Creative Director at AR Marketing. The AI layer is the newest part, and I built it myself.

Findlay, Ohio · 2007 to present

07 · Now

AI product builder

Self-taught automation, CRM architecture, and Ask Irene.

06 · 2025–now

Executive Creative Director

Leads creative direction for AR Marketing and its clients.

05 · 2021–2025

Creative Director

Led brand and campaign work, including Samsung. Grew the team.

04 · 2015–2021

Senior Designer → Art Director

Joined AR Marketing. Promoted to lead designers and vendors.

03 · 2012–2022

Founder, Sparkvites

A greeting card and stationery line in 200+ retail stores.

02 · 2007–2014

Designer

Newspaper ads, then production schematics at Pukka Headwear.

01 · 2008

BFA, Graphic Design

Bowling Green State University.

How it works

Four steps, every time.

The order matters. Most broken marketing skips the first step and goes straight to the third.

Untangle

Find the one thing that matters to the customer. Cut the rest.

Say it plainly

Write the message so a busy person gets it in one read.

Make it right

Design the brand and the work so it looks the way it should feel.

Wire it to work

Connect the CRM, automation and AI so the system runs without babysitting.

Case study

Built and shipped, start to finish.

I designed, wrote, coded and launched this product myself. It's the clearest proof of how I work: start with a real problem, tell the story plainly, then build the system that does the job.

Case 01 · AI productLive

Ask Irene

An AI medical bill advisor for patients and families.

After my wife Irene finished cancer treatment, the bills started arriving and we had no idea what we were looking at. So I built a tool to help. It's named after her.

  • Explains what you owe in plain language
  • Makes sense of insurance EOBs
  • Helps you push back on denials
  • Finds financial assistance programs you qualify for
Role
Concept, brand, design, copy, code, launch
Stack
Claude API, Supabase, Stripe, Netlify
Status
Live, with a free tier, a paid tier and paying users. Launched on Product Hunt.
Link
askirene.ai
BILL + EOB CLAUDE API PLAIN ANSWER FIG. 3 · INPUT → ANSWER Not to scale

Directions for use

Where I help most.

I'm open to leadership roles in creative, marketing operations and AI-enabled marketing, and to select projects. I prefer remote, and I'm open to hybrid in Northwest Ohio. Here's an honest read on fit.

Good fit

  • You need a creative leader who also understands the systems behind the work.
  • Your marketing has good ideas and messy plumbing.
  • You want AI put to practical use, with clear jobs and measurable results.
  • Your team works remote, or hybrid in Northwest Ohio, and values plain communication.

Probably not a fit

  • Roles that require relocating or commuting outside Northwest Ohio.
  • Work where the goal is hype instead of results.

Order form

Let's talk.

Tell me what you're working on and where it's stuck. I'll reply with a straight answer on whether I can help.

blakemartin20@gmail.com
askirene.ai LinkedIn