Hi,
I'm Amber.

Me, speaking in front of a room full of people at Creative Mornings PHX.

I’m Amber Aultman, Head of Design at Tuft & Needle. I lead strategy and manage teams to shape our brand while creating the best possible experience for our customers. Leading the visual design and UX of the brand, I’ve been responsible for everything from our ecommerce platform and internal apps to our advertising campaigns and product packaging. I’m passionate about mentoring, ensuring the customer experience is paramount, and finding the source of problems rather than treating symptoms. I’m also the past President of AIGA Jacksonville and a former teacher at Bloc.io.

I’m currently accepting speaking and workshop facilitation engagements, as well as open to job opportunities.

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Work

Writing

Speaking

Experiences

I led a 2-day ideation session for a cross-functional team at T&N. I love using this sketching exercise to break the ice and make a point about building on others' ideas.

Four sheets of paper with sketches of various forms of apples.

I love mentoring my team and watching them grow. Meaghan, one of my younger designers, did a great job brainstorming and presenting in the fast-paced workshop.

A young designer shares her brainstorming concepts to a room full of colleagues.

Behind the scenes at our last studio shoot before COVID. Art direction for photoshoots is something that I've only started doing in the last 2 years, but I really enjoy it.

A mattress and bed frame sits on a cyclorama on top of yellow seamless paper.

Gives Back Day! This is one of my favorite annual traditions. Here, the team and I help build a house for Habitat for Humanity.

The team and I put up drywall for a new house construction.

Every December we do a design team retreat. It's a time for strengthening bonds, building memories, and retroing the past year and making plans for the next.

The designers stand in a snowy field for a team picture.

"Start, stop, continue" is one of the my favorite ways to relect on a past project or time period and talk about ways we can grow and be better moving forward.

The team stands in a circle discussing post-it notes on the wall.

Each year Tuft & Needle throws a holiday dinner event. It's a great time for the whole team — which is spread out actoss the country — to come together and celebrate.

Photobooth shot of the design team all looking off to the left, except our project manager who stares the camera down over her wine.

It was fun getting to lead the creative direction for Serta's new photoshoot. Here the Head of Brand for Serta Simmons Bedding and I celebrate wrapping the shoot with some champagne.

Matt and I stand in the kitchen of our shoot location smiling with our champagne.

I loved getting to work with Neal Brennan for our 2019 end of year campaign. This was my first time working with 72&Sunny and I really enjoyed learning from such an accomplished agency.

Neal, a famous comedian, sits in bed on set for our end of year video campaign.

My favorite moment at the office on Halloween was when I happened to walk by a coworker on a video call. It looked like she was having a serious conversation with the baby doll next to her.

A coworker and creepy baby doll sit in a meeting room looking like they are having a normal conversation.

A mini-ideation session to flesh out the content for a new campaign. I'm a firm believer that multidisciplinary collaboration always produces the best work.

Two people at a white board ideate on a new campaign.

Bonding with teammates in nature is one of my favorite things to do. T&N makes this happen each year at the company retreat.

Climbing down a boulder in Zion National Park.

A zombie on set for our Halloween campaign.

A man stands in zombie makeup on set.

While we were in New York for a lifestyle shoot, I took the opportunity to pull together some other team members who work remotely from the city.

Teammates get together for some drinks in an art deco alcove.

A design team dinner while in New York for the 99U Conference.

The design team sitting around a table at a restaurant.

As a way to bring more collaboration between the design, product, architecture, and writing teams, I created a monthly All-Creatives Show and Tell. This is a screenshot from our first Zoom call.

The whole creative team sits around a table for a Zoom call.

The creative team at our annual Spring Dinner. Love these people so much!

The team poses for a photo with suspended foam cubes and an umbrella.

I was honored to get to be a design mentor at SXSW this year. I loved getting to explore all the experiences and talks at the festival.

Me, sitting in a pink bathtub at an installation at SXSW.

Ran into an old AIGA friend at SXSW. The connections I've made through that organization have given me and my career so much!

My friend and I having a beer backstage at SXSW.

Love getting to spend time with my team at our annual design retreat.

A designer sits blindfolded assembling a pen.

It was awesome getting to visit the Google Mountain View campus with the Tuft & Needle leadership team.

The team stands in the entryway of the Google Partnerplex.

Another amazing R&R on the books! I love getting to explore nature and hang with the team.

The team stands in front a jeep about to go canyoneering for the first time.

I adore getting to work with such amazing women! At the end of each lifestyle shoot, we grab a customary photo on set.

My producers and I sit for a photo at the end of another lifestyle shoot.

I loved getting to the take the team to Awwwards Conf in San Fracisco. Such great learning and inspiration.

3 musicians sit on stage playing music for the opening of the conference.

While in San Francisco, I made sure to meet up with my old coworkers and introduce them to my new team.

My coworkers and I group hug at a bar in San Francisco.

I'm such an animal lover. I was thrilled to get to play with all the animals that were the attraction for Spring Dinner this year.

I smile at the camera next to a donkey in a matching flower crown.

We've put together such a great crew for our lifestyle shoots. Now that we have it locked in, it makes the work so much easier (and fun).

The photoshoot crew stands together for a photo after the shoot.

It takes a village. Behind the scenes at one of our lifestyle shoots.

The view from behind the camera: talent waits in bed while lighting is adjusted.

The star of the show. We try to work with foster pups on set to help spead the word about animal adoption.

A foster dog lays waiting for his time on camera.

I was honored to speak at Creative Mornings PHX on the topic of commitment. The photographer came to work to shoot some images for promoting the event.

I ride a bike around the T&N office.

I love participating in our annual Gives Back day. This year, I helped wrap donated gifts for moms and kids escaping abusive men.

The team and I wrap Christmas gifts for the non-profit Umom.

Thanks for visiting.