AdCamo addressed the need for more engaging and less intrusive online advertising by developing the first background ad unit as a service. The patent-pending platform enabled advertisers, publishers, and agencies to create, deploy, and accurately measure campaigns that boosted brand effectiveness and click-through rates.

I founded AdCamo based on an idea I had during my freelance work and secured seed funding to build an MVP. Although AdCamo showed strong potential, the 2008 economic downturn created significant challenges. We continued to operate for several years, seeking further investment and exploring a potential sale of our IP, but ultimately had to close down in 2010.

My Role

Branding & Identity Design, Research, Product Strategy, Prototyping, UX/UI Design, Sales Mockups/Presentations, Company Leadership

Lessons in Entrepreneurship & Design

Founding AdCamo provided invaluable lessons that have shaped my approach to design and product development. We created a pioneering, patent-pending ad platform and secured partnerships with leading online publishers. However, the experience taught me that innovation alone isn't always enough. I learned to hustle, to pivot our initial plans based on market feedback, and to foster strong cross-functional relationships. Leading brainstorming sessions and quickly producing sales mockups for presentations became crucial skills.

Designing the UI/UX for AdCamo's advertising platform involved several key considerations. I learned that a successful ad platform requires a deep understanding of the diverse needs of advertisers, publishers, and ad networks. For advertisers, we needed to design intuitive interfaces for campaign creation, targeting, and performance tracking. Publishers required dashboards to manage ad inventory, analyze revenue, and optimize placements.

From Partnership to Founding Team at Mashable

AdCamo's partnership with a then-small blog, Mashable, provided a unique opportunity. This connection opened the door for me to contribute freelance design work, starting with t-shirt designs after the 2008 downturn. My contributions quickly expanded, and I was fortunate to join Mashable as one of its earliest employees, eventually becoming the founding Art Director.