Human-centered leadership that shapes stories, strengthens teams, and delivers results.

Cassie Tangney Headshot: Woman seated in navy sweater, clear glasses and brown hair.

I'm a Creative Director and design leader with 18 years of experience leading multidisciplinary teams across brand, digital, and product design. I specialize in building high-performing creative organizations that balance strategic clarity, strong craft, and operational efficiency. Leveraging AI and emerging technology to help teams work smarter and deliver consistent, high-quality work at scale.

My background spans UX and digital experience strategy, brand systems, creative operations, and team development. I've partnered closely with executive leadership, product, marketing, and engineering teams to translate complex business goals into clear creative direction, scalable systems, and measurable outcomes.

Group of five people standout outside. (L to R) Rich, Fran, Katie, myself, and Vic.
Arrow pointing right

I believe great creative work starts with people. When teams feel safe, supported, and trusted, they take smarter risks, collaborate more openly, and produce stronger outcomes.

My leadership approach is rooted in human-centered design principles applied not just to storytelling, products, and experiences, but to teams themselves. I focus on creating clarity, fostering trust, and building environments where curiosity and experimentation are encouraged. Ultimately delivering impactful work to thrilled clients.

I’m known for bringing structure to ambiguity. Whether guiding a growing brand, evolving a digital product, or mentoring creative leaders, I focus on aligning vision with execution by clarifying priorities, improving processes, and ensuring creativity directly supports user needs and business performance.

I’ve led and mentored designers, strategists, and cross-functional partners through periods of growth and change, helping organizations strengthen collaboration, improve velocity, and raise the quality bar without burning out their teams.

The way we work matters as much as what we create. These values guide every partnership and team I lead. Collective collaboration: the best ideas come from shared ownership. Clear, honest communication: alignment builds trust and momentum. Empowerment through mentorship: confidence grows when people feel supported. Accountability with empathy: high standards and humanity can coexist.

Bold text reading 'Fail Forward' with a yellow oval outline surrounding the words.

Learning doesn’t come from getting everything right. It comes from trying, failing, adjusting, and moving forward.

Creativity requires vulnerability, trust, and the freedom to explore. When teams are encouraged to fail forward, they learn faster, adapt more effectively, and deliver stronger outcomes.

  • “Cassie creates a supportive environment that lets everyone feel excited and confident to do their best and be more creative.”

    —April Domingo, Senior Visual Designer

  • "You really understand our new brand and how to express it in this new website design."

    —Sachs Media Team

  • "I am so very grateful of you and our relationship. I appreciate your openness to collaborate and hearing out, often, my too much ideas."

    —Vic Cao, Lead Development Manager

  • "The new structure and design system has already improved our homepage conversion rate by 20% alone."

    - TrueNAS Team

Select Awards

2025 W3 Gold, Hooked on Phonics Website Design

2025 W3 Silver, Duval County Public Schools Website

2025 W3 Silver, Visit Orlando Website

2025 SunSPRA Medallion Award of Excellence, Duval County Public Schools

2024 Orlando Addy, Delta Home & Away Microsite

2024 W3 Silver, Intrepid Museum

Services

I work with organizations in a variety of leadership and strategic capacities. Engagements range from fractional leadership and advisory roles to hands-on project guidance and team development.

  • Strategic creative leadership support for organizations navigating growth, change, or complexity. I partner with executives and teams to clarify vision, align stakeholders, strengthen creative operations, and lead high-performing teams that deliver impactful, business-driven results across digital, brand, and experiential work.

  • End-to-end creative direction for digital and brand experiences that balance storytelling, usability, and execution. I guide teams through concept development, design systems, and experience design—ensuring work is cohesive, audience-centered, and aligned with strategic goals.

  • User-centered strategy across UX, brand, and digital platforms—connecting business goals with audience needs. I help organizations define experience frameworks, messaging systems, and digital strategies that create clarity, consistency, and meaningful engagement across touchpoints.

  • Hands-on mentorship and team development focused on growing skills, confidence, and creative maturity. Through coaching, feedback frameworks, and collaborative processes, I help designers and strategists strengthen craft, improve collaboration, and thrive in psychologically safe, high-trust environments.

  • Personalized coaching for creative directors, design managers, and emerging leaders navigating team growth, influence, and decision-making. I support leaders in developing confidence, communication skills, and leadership clarity—helping them lead with empathy while driving strong outcomes.

Let's Connect
Let's Connect