Ana Lage is a creative director doing bold brands, no bS
Currently based in São Paulo, Ana Lage (also known as Mako) has a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design and a master's degree in Marketing & Design Management from IFF-RJ. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in building visual languages and developing brands and products within the entertainment and consumer goods sectors.
Her client list includes Netflix, Warner Bros, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Disney, Hello Kitty, Fiat, Faber-Castell, and Mauricio de Sousa Productions.
As a designer with a visual impairment, Ana brings a unique perspective to accessibility and inclusion, ensuring that digital innovation remains human-centered and accessible to all audiences.
While working on global campaigns, she develops personal projects under her Striste Art label, uniting design and research to create guerrilla art that flips Brazilian culture into bold, independent masterpieces.
Experience
Creative Direction & Branding Consultant Freelance
*Global | 2023 – Present*
Contributed to the creative direction and development of visual language for brand activations for Warner Bros and Netflix, including projects presented at CCXP and large-scale launches.
Worked on the creation of immersive experiences, developing aesthetic direction and visual solutions applied to costume, casting, and environment design, ensuring coherence between narrative, brand, and execution.
Projects include activations for "Barbie: the Movie", "The Big Bang Theory", and “O Baile é Funk” (Netflix), created for the national launch of "Bridgerton" new season, where costumes were developed to reinterpret the Regency aesthetic in dialogue with contemporary funk culture.
Senior Art Director / Brand Designer (Freelance)
Foroni | 2016 – Present
Developing visual identities, collections, and graphic languages for editorial and consumer products
Creating scalable visual systems and guidelines for product lines
Conducting trend research and competitive analysis to inform creative decisions
Building visual concepts that strengthen brand identity and audience connection
Creative Director (Principal)
Mauricio de Sousa Produções | 2012 – 2023
Contributed to the development of creative concepts and visual solutions across projects within the Turma da Mônica universe, spanning products, live experiences, and branded environments
Played a key role in large-scale experiences such as CCXP and Bienal do Livro, helping translate narrative concepts into spatial and visual executions
Developed immersive environments integrating visual identity, costume design, scenography, and audience experience
Acted as a creative bridge across disciplines, collaborating with teams in design, production, scenography, and costume to ensure narrative and visual coherence
Worked on projects requiring high levels of coordination, adaptability, and consistency across multiple touchpoints
Awarded “Fora da Caixa MSP” (2021) for creative innovation and problem-solving
Skills
Branding
Creative Direction
Visual Identity
Art Direction
Visual Storytelling
Brand Systems
Experience Design
Concept Development
Leadership & Core Competencies
Strategic Thinking and Long-Term Planning
Innovation Leadership
Great Communication Skills
Holistic Creative Process
Self-motivated and Detail Oriented
Strong Sense of Urgency
Problem Solving and Decisiveness
Collaborative Team Player
Effective Time Management and Prioritization Commitment to Continuous Improvement
Financial Acumen
Tools
Design and Illustration
Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign), Procreate, Nomad Sculpt, Figma and Canva
Project Management Tools
Click Up, Trello, Notion
Office Suite
Excel, Word, PowerPoint
Education
Postgraduate in Management of Marketing and Design
Instituto Federal Fluminense, RJ (2012-2014)
Bachelor of Graphic Design
Instituto Federal Fluminense, RJ (2003-2007)
Professional Development & Certifications
Master Entrepreneurship Program
ICL, São Paulo (2025)
Design Thinking: Methodology and Applications
LinkedIn Learning (2024)
Agile at Work: Building Your Agile Team
LinkedIn Learning (2020)
Strategic Thinking
LinkedIn Learning (2018)
Languages
Portuguese
Native
English
Fluent
Spanish
Basic