August Heffner • Design & Creative Direction

I’m August Heffner. I am a designer, dad, and executive creative director living in Portland, Oregon and working across all U.S. timezones. I currently serve as Group Executive Creative director of the Brand Studio™ team at Instrument. I create and oversee product design, marketing and brand identity across all digital platforms. To learn more about projects, clients, or roles listed below please reach out.

INSTAGRAM

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SELECTED Clients

Erin Brockovich ⚿

Brand and Interactive Experience

Our work with Erin Brockovich will be public in 2026. Erin is a force. She has been working to fight corporate harm since her first case, the basis for the 20xx film. Watch the film →

OpenAI ⚿

Website and experience design

As part of a major rebrand, I lead a team that redesigned and developed OpenAi.com. We expanded the site to include research, product marketing, sales, and product integration. See the Site →

NBA / WNBA ⚿

Product Design and Vision

Our team established the product vision and new features for the NBA app. We also overhauled the WNBA iOS and Android apps to establish a new design system. Welcome to the W →

Spotify ⚿

Web experience design and brand

Across multiple projects my team has launched digital experiences, marketing tools, and brand identities for Spotify's many customer services including Ad sales, Authors, and more. Enjoy Spotify →

Philz Coffee ⚿

Product Design

At Work & Co I was lucky to concept and design the first mobile ordering app for Philz Coffee. A radically simple design that was featured in Apple’s Keynote event. The app increased sales substantially. Download the App →

SELECTED RoLES

Instrument

Executive Creative Director

I am currently at Instrument, a 20-year-old brand and design agency with roots in development and offices in Portland, OR and New York, NY. I have been with Instrument since 2017. Instrument.com →

Casper

VP Creative

In 2019 I served as VP of Creative for Casper Sleep Inc. I oversaw design, marketing, brand, and campaign creation and production. Buy a Mattress →

Work & Co

Design Director

As Design Director for Work & Co, I designed and led projects for Apple, T-Mobile, Philz Coffee, and more. Work&Co →

The Museum of Modern Art

Associate Creative Director

I served as Associate Creative Director at the Museum of Modern Art under the leadership of Julia Hoffmann. We created and produced marketing, content, and exhibition installations. See me in the Marina Abromovich Documentary →

J. Crew

Design Director

I served as Design Director of Marketing for J.Crew, under the leadership of Johanna Langford, Jenna Lyons, and Mickey Drexler. It was a blast. Buy giant fit Chinos →

RESEARCH

AI and Design ⚿

Research and Process Innovation

Since 2023 I’ve been working with my team of designers, strategists, and producers to research ways of working with Artificial Intelligence. Together we've found new ways to code, generate, and improve our human-centered workflows.

New York Times ⚿

Illustration

I’ve contributed to the New York Times Opinion Editorial pages with typography-based illustrations across a range of subject and media. Inspired by my first mentor, Stephen Doyle, who taught me everything.

MonoSpace ⚿

Art Direction

I was asked to create Illustrations for Portland's hi-fi listening gallery's 2026 Winter Season which included album listening sessions, films, and curated sets.

WRITING & TALKS

There’s No Creative Director School ⚿

Ongoing research and talk

Starting in 2022, I began interviewing Creative Directors from around the world to understand this nebulous role. From fashion to digital product, their perspective is fascinating and I share this work with those entering the industry.

Systems and Stories ⚿

Thesis and Team Vision

I’ve watched technologies come and go and I believe that the two most powerful technologies we can harness are storytelling and systems thinking. I can talk about this for hours.

Make it Work / Make me Feel Something ⚿

Writing

My perspective, built from years of agency work spanning digital product and brand marketing, is that there are two asks from all briefs. When understood together, this understanding empowers creative teams.

THANK YOU

My entire career (and all the work above) has been the result of amazing teachers, leaders, mentors, and, collaborators. This is a neverending list of the people who I've worked under, with, and for.