Jaclyn Merk

About

I'm a hands-on Creative Director with a background in design, a passion for storytelling, and a proven track record leading creative for high-growth DTC brands. With extensive experience directing campaign and ecomm photoshoots, I bring concepts to life from moodboards to final assets—always with a strategic lens to ensure creative not only looks beautiful, but drives results. From brand launches to rebrands, I’ve built and scaled visual identities, developed high-performing ad creative, and led multi-disciplinary teams that bridge brand and performance. I thrive at the intersection of aesthetics and strategy, and I love collaborating with savvy, ambitious teams to create work that resonates and converts.

Experience

• Creative Director & Founder · J. Merk Studio2025-08-01 –

  J. Merk Studio is a creative direction studio crafting bold, cohesive brand worlds for DTC fashion, wellness, and home goods brands. We partner with startups and legacy companies to deliver strategy-driven creative—spanning campaign ideation, art direction, branding, and production. Our work blends vision with execution, helping brands stand out, connect deeply with their audience, and drive growth.

• Vice President of Creative · Coop Sleep Goods2024-06-01 – 2025-06-01

  Led all brand and performance creative across DTC, retail, and B2B channels—including campaigns, paid and organic social, influencer, packaging, and in-store. Scaled the creative team from 3 to 7, hiring across design, copy, brand, social, and project management to build an integrated in-house studio. Drove a turnaround in DTC revenue: from -8% YoY before my tenure to +110% growth within one year. Partnered closely with Growth and Media teams to scale Meta ad creative from 35 to 180+ assets—doubling ad spend while improving ROAS and efficiency. Directed creative strategy and execution for major retail launches (Target, Kohl’s, Sam’s Club), crafting go-to-market positioning tailored to each channel. Successfully led a full brand refresh—from strategy through execution—in collaboration with senior leadership and an external agency. Oversaw all photo and video production, managing budgets, teams, and end-to-end execution—from concept to post-production.

• Art Director, Ecommerce · FIGS2023-03-01 – 2024-07-01

  Led art direction across 10–12 high-volume photo and video shoots per month, overseeing an average of 32 SKUs per day—driving a best-in-class ecomm experience. Directed on-set talent and crew—including photographers, videographers, stylists, HMU, and models—to consistently deliver premium, on-brand visuals. Elevated the visual standard for PDP imagery, positioning FIGS as an industry leader in ecomm photography and conversion-optimized storytelling. Partnered with marketing, merchandising, and growth teams to launch high-profile collections and collaborations, including New Balance, Star Wars, Paris 2024 Olympics, and Eko Stethoscopes—contributing to record-breaking DTC sales. Introduced production efficiencies that streamlined studio operations, reduced costs, and improved shoot throughput without compromising creative quality.

• Associate Art Director, Ecommerce · FIGS2021-11-01 – 2023-03-01
• Design Director · Freelance2021-07-01 – 2021-11-01
• Digital Art Director · Brooklinen2020-01-01 – 2021-07-01

  Owned creative strategy and execution across all digital channels—including paid social, email/retention, organic, and brooklinen.com—ensuring brand consistency and performance alignment. Managed and mentored a team of 3 designers, scaling digital creative across product launches, promos, evergreen content, and seasonal campaigns. Led art direction for photo and video shoots in collaboration with Brooklinen’s in-house production team, supporting high-impact campaigns and holiday initiatives. Spearheaded the creative rebrand of Brooklinen’s loyalty program—developing a new identity, UX design for web pages, and triggered email flows to support retention. Provided design direction and visual refreshes for the relaunch of Brooklinen’s website, enhancing the customer journey with elevated photography and improved UX.

• Design Director · AEDIT2019-06-01 – 2020-01-01

  Led a full-scale rebrand in preparation for AEDIT’s official launch—developing a new identity system, editorial and app redesign, printed collateral, and defining photography/video art direction. Collaborated directly with the CEO to ensure creative aligned with business goals and investor-facing needs, serving as a strategic partner across brand touchpoints. Directed the hiring and creative oversight of an interior design firm to build out the brand’s NYC headquarters, leading both spatial design and operational logistics. Built scalable design systems and a cohesive visual language that laid the foundation for AEDIT’s digital and physical brand experience.

• Associate Art Director · Mack Weldon2018-08-01 – 2019-05-01

  Led end-to-end design and campaign development across digital, print, and retail—including the successful launch of Mack Weldon’s first brick-and-mortar store at Hudson Yards. Worked closely with the CEO to align creative execution with high-level brand and business objectives—playing a key role in shaping the early identity of the brand. Directed all brand photoshoots from concept through execution—managing budgets, collaborating with producers and photographers, and overseeing styling and visual storytelling. Managed one in-house designer and led external design resources (freelancers and agencies), ensuring consistent creative output across all touchpoints.

• Digital Designer · Mack Weldon2016-11-01 – 2018-08-01
• Visual Designer · ShopStyle, Inc.2015-07-01 – 2016-09-01

  Designed digital marketing assets across web, email, social, and on-site—supporting brand, UX, and growth teams with visually cohesive creative. Led design for key brand initiatives including global Fashion Week and influencer activations in Paris, London, and NYC—creating collateral that elevated brand presence across international markets. Collaborated cross-functionally to ensure all creative aligned with campaign goals, user experience standards, and evolving brand guidelines.

Education

• Temple UniversityBachelor's Degree, Graphic and Interactive Design

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