Cristina Reina of Quality Experience on the power of uniting creativity, art direction and design

Ad Age is marking Hispanic Heritage Month 2024 with our Honoring Creative Excellence package, in which members of the Hispanic community revisit pivotal projects or turning points in their careers. (Read the introduction and all the essays here.) Today, Cristina Reina, partner and chief creative officer at Quality Experience (QX), writes about coming to the U.S. to find conceptual thinking and design to be totally separate—and how QX is bringing them together. Ad Age Creativity Bookmark our section covering the best in brand creativity every day Read more here I began my career in Spain, earning a degree in advertising and public relations, followed by a master’s degree. I set my sights on becoming an art director but quickly realized I lacked the technical skills to bring my creative ideas to life. So, I enrolled in a course to learn essential tools—Illustrator, Photoshop, etc.—and armed with those skills, I landed my first job at BBDO Madrid. There, under creative directors who were passionate about art direction and craft, I learned the fundamentals of art direction and design, though at the time we didn’t see them as independent disciplines. What truly propelled me forward was my curiosity and drive, always seeking out inspiration to elevate my creativity. Early on, I realized the importance of marrying a powerful concept with impeccable art direction—neglecting one would inevitably weaken the final product. Success required excelling at both. I realized that simply pointing to a reference and expecting someone else to execute it wasn’t enough. No one would do it for me—I had to be capable of bringing my own vision to life. The more I could do independently, the faster and more effectively ideas would come to life. So why wait? When I moved to the U.S., I quickly discovered how different things were here. You didn’t need to play every instrument in the orchestra; the degree of specialization was on another level, and the resources available to make things happen were far more abundant. Yet this shift came with a new challenge: While having dedicated designers and creatives sounded ideal, it didn’t always yield the best work. Often, there was a disconnect between the concept and the execution, as designers were brought in too late to shape the creative vision. This reduced design to a surface-level touch, and art directors lacked basic design concepts, making them unable to give proper direction to bring the ideas to life cohesively. The best work happens when concept and design are born from the same mind—or, if not, by a team working closely together. When a concept is built in fragmented parts, each managed by different people in different departments, the original vision often becomes diluted. Fortunately, many agencies are now recognizing the critical role of design and are establishing dedicated design practices. But even with that shift, functions remain siloed due to outdated structures. The ideal approach is designers trained in conceptual thinking and art directors skilled in design execution—bringing the best of both worlds together. The ADLaM project for Microsoft is a perfect example of conceptual creativity and design thinking working together. When I was global executive creative director and head of art at McCann North America, we undertook the challenge of redesigning an alphabet that would allow the entire Fulani community to access the digital world. To do that, we had to accurately represent the sounds of their language while staying visually connected to their culture. This kind of project would never have come to fruition if the components of this idea had been developed in isolation; everything had to happen simultaneously. At QX, we’re reimagining the way we approach creativity, design and art direction by integrating these disciplines into a unified creative force. Our process treats design not as a tactical afterthought but as a conceptual powerhouse, working alongside creativity and art direction from the start. Our first example of this is our own brand identity. Rather than simply creating a logo, we developed a conceptual visualization of who we are and what we offer. We collaborated with &Walsh to design a logomark that effectively communicates our deep commitment to craft and the quality of the experiences we provide. The logo reflects the meticulous care we put into every aspect of our work and our deep commitment to fostering an environment where bold ideas can flourish. Additionally, our brand design includes a dynamic system—with multiple variations of the mark—that adapts to the unique personalities and tones of each client. In an era where brands operate within broader and more diverse ecosystems than ever, this approach allows us to craft campaigns with strong frameworks, ensuring both consistency and distinction for our clients. It’s making a real difference.

Cristina Reina of Quality Experience on the power of uniting creativity, art direction and design

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