ELLIOT SALAZAR ☺︎





Designer, Illustrator & Art Director
A quiet yet witty, perfectionist originally from West Texas. He now lives and works in New York City where he is helping shape design, branding, and creative strategy at TikTok. He also doesn’t drink coffee or eat avocados – weird, right?.

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+ elliot.e.salazar{at]gmail.com +
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 – Present

Currently 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.

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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.

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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. 

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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]

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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.

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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
SELECTED WORK [WIP]





AIGA NY
Update in progress – more coming soon! 

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AIGA NY Membership Pin

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AIGA NY is the New York Chapter of AIGA – established in 1982 – and is the largest of 70 chapters with 3,000 members to date. AIGA NY elevate designers and the role of design  in NYC and beyond. AIGA does this by: Advocating for issues impacting our professional context; educating and empowering designers at every level; community-building and defining the future of our craft.

I served on the Board of Directors on the Communications Committee, where I am a chair person helping to manage and oversee the outwards facing communication for the organization, including all social media channels. For the 2018 AIGA Awards Gala, I designed this enamel pin (from a set of three pins) for friends, donors, and board members at the event.


AIGA NY Social Design System

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I was on the Board of Director for AIGA NY from 2017-2020, serving on the communication committee. I was in charge of managing all social accounts which resulted in a complete redesign of AIGA NY’s social visual system.

“AIGA NY… facilitates conversations, creates spaces and builds platforms for the New York City design community,” through speaker series, events and mixers. Taking inspiration from the events themselves and social trends, I created visuals and content that helped double our followers – including AIGA NY’s first ever Pride series and event.


Creative, Design, AND PHOTOGRAPHY: Stacey Panousopoulos, Elliot Salazar, Julia Parris.


AIGA NY Holiday Card

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I have contributed an illustration for the annual AIGA NY holiday card set that was given to all attendees at the holiday party. My design referenced the pixel party theme and architecture of New York City with an abstract “NY” pattern.

Design and illustration: George Michael Brower, Isabel Castillo Guijarro, Hyperakt, Jonathan Lee, Elliot Salazar, and Small Stuff NYC.

AIGA NY Pride Campaign + Event

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“AIGA NY… facilitates conversations, creates spaces
and builds platforms for the New York City design community,” through speaker series, events and mixers. Taking inspiration from the events themselves and social trends, I created visuals and content that helped double our followers – including AIGA NY’s first ever Pride series and event.

Creative, Design: Elliot Salazar
Photography: Julia Parris
© Elliot Salazar 2024-2025