Ben Verlinde · Creative Direction
Stories people stay for.
Twenty years designing digital experiences for HBO, Rolling Stone, USA Today, and global healthcare brands.
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Editorial & media
Design that makes long-form feel inevitable.
Rolling Stone · HBO · USA Today
Enter →Creative direction
Big ideas, built end to end.
HBO · Boehringer Ingelheim · Rolling Stone
Enter →Product & UX
Complex products, made simple to use.
USA Today · Rolling Stone · Boehringer Ingelheim
Enter →Selected Work
Case Studies
Game of Thrones Viewer's Guide
Bringing viewers into the world of Westeros — immediately and completely.
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Rolling Stone Mobile
Modernizing an American institution without losing what made it one.
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Boehringer Ingelheim Educational Platform
Building clarity, engagement, and trust in one of the most demanding creative categories.
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Revolver Magazine Website Redesign
I led the redesign as creative director, directing two designers and a developer. The design is still in use eight years later.
View Case Study →Expertise
Services
Creative Direction
I lead creative with a point of view shaped by two decades of cross-industry experience — bringing cultural awareness, visual literacy, and historical context to every brief. Whether working solo as a senior creative voice or directing collaborative teams, I align stakeholders around ideas that are strategically grounded and executed with intention.
Brand Identity & Design Systems
I build visual languages with depth — drawing on cultural history, design heritage, and contemporary context to create identities that feel both inevitable and fresh. From logo and typography systems to comprehensive design languages, I give organizations the tools to communicate with consistency, character, and meaning across every touchpoint.
Digital Product & UX
I design digital experiences grounded in user behavior and business outcomes. My practice is rooted in evidence-driven design: conducting user research, synthesizing behavioral insights, and translating findings directly into product decisions. I bring deep expertise in WCAG accessibility standards, incorporating inclusive design as a baseline practice across every platform.
Editorial & Narrative Design
Communication is the goal — design is in service of the story. I bring an unusually broad frame of reference to editorial work, connecting cultural, visual, and historical threads to shape how information is structured, paced, and experienced. My role is to find the story first, then build the visual and experiential language that gives it the weight and resonance it deserves.
Campaign & Motion
I concept and direct integrated creative across digital, broadcast, and moving image — bringing narrative coherence, cultural awareness, and visual impact to campaigns that need to work across every screen and format. I think in stories first, then executions — ensuring that every element of a campaign connects back to a central idea with staying power.
About
Design is in service of the story.
I'm a Creative Director with over two decades of experience leading design at the intersection of brand, product, and storytelling. I've contributed to Emmy-nominated experiences for HBO — including leading design on “Welcome to Banshee” — modernized iconic media brands like Rolling Stone, and led award-winning campaign work for global healthcare leaders like Boehringer Ingelheim.
I bring strategic thinking and hands-on craft to every engagement — translating complex briefs into work that moves people and moves metrics. I'm looking to bring that full range of thinking in-house, contributing at the highest level within an organization where design has a seat at the table.
Recognition
Selected Clients
I'm selectively exploring senior creative opportunities.
If you're building something worth talking about, I'd love to hear about it.