Kara Haupt.
Brooklyn, NY.



Work with me—



I’m currently available for part-time freelance consultation.  

Please request access to my case study portfolio here, or reach out to me at hello@karahaupt.com for more information. Or, if you prefer, contact via form. 


How we can work together–

📱 Organic and paid social creative direction and design

I work directly with brands and agencies to create engaging, social-first content for TikTok and Meta. My role often includes concept development and creative oversight on trend-forward, UGC, and original content. I collaborate closely with social editors, social managers, and strategists to develop concepts, refine copy, and shape video and design that works for social.

I’ve also recruited and managed freelance designers, animators, and copy editors to support paid social campaigns.

Examples of projects I support include:
  • Fractional creative direction and campaign production for in-house or agency social or marketing teams
  • Designing static social templates
  • Production social graphic design

📘 Editorial style guide development

I have ten years of experience developing style guides for a range of brands, including news, lifestyle editorial, and content-to-commerce. I have hands-on experience transforming brand guidelines and audience research into comprehensive guidelines for illustration, photography, and brand design. 

Examples of possible projects:
  • Style guide development for brand editorial and Substack newsletters
  • Editorial content brand audits 


🎨 Illustration art direction

I have a strong network and personal relationships with hundreds of illustrators in various styles, from digital and 3D to sketchy, painterly, and collage. I have commissioned one-off article illustrations, as well as sets and series, with turnaround times as quick as one day and often within 3 to 5 days.

Examples of possible projects:
  • Commissioning and art directing editorial illustration 
  • Art directing illustration for book or magazine projects
  • Art directing book covers 


📸 Photo and art editing

I have extensive experience in photo editing for both news and lifestyle brands. I love digging through an image library and finding the right photo or image to represent a story. I’m well-versed in image licensing and copyright, and can quickly adapt to any CMS. 

Examples of possible projects:
  • Production photo editing for newsletters, magazines, and news sites 
  • Photo research for annual reports, documentaries, and book projects

👩🏼‍💻 Organizational development and team augmentation

I have experience building creative teams from the ground up—including recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and performance management. I specialize in team building, organizational structure, and optimizing production workflows. 

Examples of possible projects:
  • Workflow development and optimization for high-volume production teams
  • Consultation on creative team structure and recruitment strategy
  • Hands-on art direction guidance, shadowing, and mentorship for junior art directors


💻 Deck design

I have created pitch and sales decks for startups and editorial brands.   

Examples of possible projects:
  • Redesigning pitch decks
  • Redesigning and copyediting guides, decks, and documentation 


🙅‍♀️ What I don’t do

  • Develop branding (such as logos) from scratch
  • Web development and product design
  • Motion design
  • Illustration
I was most recently the Senior Director of Art and Photography at NBC News where I ran the editorial design, art, and photography teams for the digital platforms of NBC News, MSNBC, and TODAY. Before NBC I was at The New Yorker where I art directed the website’s illustration and photography. I was also a Design Lead on the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. 

I am the creator of Home Food TV, a home cooking YouTube channel. I film, produce, and write the show. I also write two paid newsletters, Home Food and Saltine. 

You can find me on LinkedIn.