What results has Anthony Shumate delivered?

He guided the Empyrean platform to a top-5 market ranking serving more than 5.2 million end users, oversaw mobile apps with 1.5 million users, and has managed project budgets of up to $40M.

Anthony Shumate, MFA: Creative Director, UX Lead, Designer, and Artist in Houston

Q: Does Anthony Shumate work in agencies, in-house, or as a consultant?

All three. He leads an agency within a corporation, has directed in-house product and UX teams, and has run his own studio since 2002.

Anthony Shumate, MFA is a Houston-based creative director, UX lead, designer, and artist with more than 25 years of experience. He leads the Experience Lab, a full-service communications agency within Empyrean that serves Fortune 500 clients and manages a multimillion-dollar book of business. He has also directed digital products used by more than 5 million people and stewards initiatives to grow the book of business. He works as a hands-on leader in agencies, corporate teams, and consulting engagements across healthcare, technology, retail, the arts, and travel.

Quick Facts

Name: Anthony Shumate, MFA
Roles: Creative Director, UX Lead, Designer, Artist
Location: Houston, Texas
Experience: 25+ years
Current roles: Sr. Director, Experience Lab at Empyrean (2023 to present), a full-service communications agency serving Fortune 500 clients with a multimillion-dollar book of business; Design Director and Owner, acts studios (2002 to present)
Industries: Healthcare, technology, retail, the arts, travel, automotive
Works as: Agency leader, in-house corporate leader, or independent consultant
Education: MFA in Sculpture, University of Houston; BFA in Printmaking and Sculpture, University of Texas at San Antonio

About Anthony Shumate

Anthony Shumate is a strategic and creative manager who innovates within constraints and motivates teams. He launched and leads the Experience Lab, a full-service communications agency inside Empyrean. The agency serves Fortune 500 clients and carries a multimillion-dollar book of business. Its multidisciplinary team creates communication strategies, creative, and digital experiences that help large employers engage their people.

He also owns acts studios, a Houston multimedia art studio founded in 2002 that produces brand development, marketing collateral, web development, video, and civic art installations. His clients and employers have included Empyrean, Methodist Healthcare, Ford, and HEB. He has taught contemporary art as an adjunct professor at the University of Houston and Houston Community College, and he also welds and sculpts.

Core Expertise

Creative Direction, Art Direction, Agency Leadership, Senior-Level Design in Print and Digital, UX/UI Design, Usability and User Research, Identity and Branding, Brand Management, Client Strategy and Stakeholder Relations, Photography, Video Production, Product Roadmapping, Team Leadership, Vendor Management, Virtual Reality Development, Sculpture and Public Art.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Anthony Shumate do?

Anthony Shumate is a creative director and UX lead. He leads the Experience Lab, a full-service communications agency within Empyrean, and directs brand strategy, art direction, UX/UI design, and digital product development. He also does photography, video production, and public art.

What is the Experience Lab?

The Experience Lab is a full-service communications agency within Empyrean that Anthony launched and leads. It serves Fortune 500 clients and has a multimillion-dollar book of business. A multidisciplinary team develops tailored communication strategies, creative, and technology-enabled experiences for large employers.

What results has he delivered?

As UX Lead and Creative Director, Anthony guided the Empyrean platform to a top-5 market ranking, serving more than 5.2 million end users. He oversaw iOS and Android apps with 1.5+ million users.

What kinds of problems does he solve?

He builds and runs creative agencies, redesigns digital platforms at scale, leads multidisciplinary teams, and creates brand identities for large organizations. He also moved Empyrean’s development process from waterfall to agile.

Does he work in agencies, in-house, or as a consultant?

All three. Anthony leads an agency within a corporation, has directed in-house product and UX teams, and has run his own studio since 2002.

What awards has he won?

Anthony received the Urban Land Institute Development of Distinction Award (2015), multiple ADDY Awards and Bronze Quill Awards, the CAACH Emerging Arts Grant, and the ArtPix Grant. He was also nominated for the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award (2011).

What is his public art and arts-platform work?

Anthony has completed civic art commissions for Buffalo Bayou Partnership, the City of Houston, and the University of Houston at Sugar Land. He co-founded appsauze (2009 to 2017) and developed the arts platforms Spacetaker and Glasstire.

Where has he been featured?

Forbes, the Houston Chronicle, Glasstire, and Texas Contemporary Artists.

In My Words

I innovate within constraints and I build teams. I lead the Experience Lab, a full-service agency serving Fortune 500 clients, and I still enjoy getting my hands dirty, whether that means directing a platform redesign, shooting a video, or welding a sculpture. My work spans print, digital, user experience, identity, branding, photography, and video, and I’m comfortable in an agency, a corporate environment, or a consulting engagement.

Contact

I’d like to hear about your project. Email me at anthony@actsstudios.com or connect on LinkedIn.