Ariel Investments

Ariel Investments is a pioneering mutual fund firm founded by John Rogers, with Mellody Hobson serving as President. Both leaders are prominent advocates for financial literacy, inclusion, and long-term value investing—values that are deeply embedded in the firm’s culture. Headquartered in Chicago, Ariel has long been recognized for its commitment to diversity and representation across its team, leadership, and investor base.

As the firm looked to expand its reach beyond institutional investors, Ariel set its sights on a new goal: engaging individual investors—particularly younger audiences and those new to financial planning. This strategic shift required a modern, approachable, and educational brand presence across digital channels.

Brought on as Design Director, Art Director, Producer, and Lead Designer, I led a collaborative effort to evolve Ariel’s brand identity and develop a robust visual system for its new social media presence. Working closely with my internal design team and Ariel’s marketing leads, we crafted a visual and content strategy that translated the firm’s rich legacy into an accessible, contemporary format.

My contributions focused on leading creative direction and art direction across all visual assets, as well as hands-on design work. I developed flexible templates and visual guidelines that allowed Ariel’s team to maintain consistency while scaling content creation. Our approach emphasized clarity, trustworthiness, and relatability—critical for audiences new to investing.

With our support, Ariel successfully launched Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter profiles for its brand and leadership. This marked the firm’s first significant step into social media marketing, creating new avenues to educate and inspire the next generation of investors—while staying true to Ariel’s long-standing values of inclusion, community, and long-term growth.


Key deliverables included:

A refreshed Brand Identity System tailored for digital / web platforms

A scalable Social Media Content System for Ariel Investments, John Rogers, and Mellody Hobson

Creative Direction and Marketing Design Support for campaign rollout and ongoing content.