PATRICE HOWARD
Chief Creative Officer
Patrice Kelly serves as Chief Creative Officer for Snappy Kraken, providing creative direction and graphic design for the company and clients. Anything that needs to be presented visually to the world goes through Patrice’s lens. She navigates a diverse range of styles–from clean and sophisticated, to trendy and edgy–yet she manages to produce a body of work that is unmistakable. Her work earned her an American Graphic Design Award in 2015.
“Everything about us at Snappy Kraken is so different. The best thing about the team we have is that there are no egos. We all respect each other’s talents and contributions. I can’t emphasize how important it is for me to be in an environment that supports me and enables me to create the best work I can produce.”
She graduated from The Art Institute of Charlotte with her Associate of Applied Science degree in Graphic Design. Patrice has over 12 years of experience in marketing, graphic design and interactive creative direction. She’s served in numerous corporate roles ranging from Art Director of a successful statewide publication to Web Designer at an interactive agency and Creative Director for a marketing firm. She has also worked extensively in the freelance market, helping many small businesses, startups and individuals with branding, and event and marketing design.
“Your message can be clear, it can be powerful, and it can even be great, but if it is not wrapped around something visual with a high impact, you lose your connection and effectiveness with your clients. As a designer, you have to mold yourself to every project you work on. You have to exude the same passion and commitment to modern, clean designs as you do to trendy and hip ones. I pride myself in staying fluid, adapting to new styles and being able to easily cross over those lines to produce quality designs in a wide range of styles and disciplines. I love helping clients define their own style and approach to business. I love what I do.”
Patrice lives in North Carolina with her three children, whom she adores, ranging in ages from 4 to 13. Patrice has a hearty appetite for life, loves to be active and work out, plays numerous instruments and enjoys cooking. She stays true to her nature by adding a creative twist to everything she does, and carries this forward with her own family.