Poker Central
A dynamic digital platform built for a global entertainment brand
Senior Art Director / Pitch Lead
Verndale
As Senior Art Director at Verndale, I led the creative vision for Poker Central’s new digital experience—designing the pitch, selling the concept, and directing the UX, brand expression, and visual system that powered the final build. I partnered closely with Experience Architects, Strategists, and development teams across the U.S. and Bangalore to create a world-class streaming and media platform for poker fans worldwide.
Poker Central needed a website that felt fast, immersive, and entertainment-driven—something closer to a broadcast network than a corporate site. My goal was to translate their brand into an experience that felt cinematic, modern, and in motion.
My Role
Senior Art Director / Creative Lead
Led the creative pitch and established the visual direction
Designed the full site experience across homepage, video hub, category pages, and on-air features
Crafted a flexible design system to support PokerGO’s evolving media library
Collaborated daily with Experience Architects, Strategists, and engineers spanning Boston, Austin, and Bangalore
Directed motion, color, typography, and interaction patterns to create a premium entertainment UX
Worked with the client team to refine content strategy and prioritize high-value user journeys
The Challenge
Poker Central was transforming from a niche media brand into a global entertainment network. To support that shift, the site needed to:
Showcase live broadcasts, on-demand video, and editorial content
Deliver an elevated, streaming-platform quality UX
Support multiple content types without feeling cluttered
Introduce a brand aesthetic that felt bold, competitive, and premium
The old site wasn’t built for this level of growth—neither visually nor structurally.
The Solution
A cinematic, content-first experience.
I developed a design language that mixed high-contrast dark UI, bold neon accents, and immersive visuals to match Poker Central’s energy. The homepage hero became a stage for tournaments and marquee events, while the video library was redesigned to feel like a modern streaming service.
Key Experience Enhancements
HERO + STORYTELLING MOMENTS
Immersive full-bleed imagery & motion that promote major events and live broadcasts.STREAMING-STYLE VIDEO HUB
A modular card system built for bingeable video discovery.CATEGORY SYSTEM & CONTENT MODEL
Designed alongside Experience Architects to balance editorial, video, and tournament updates.Responsive, mobile-first UX
Ensured a seamless viewing experience for fans on the move.Flexible design system
Built a scalable UI library that the dev team could expand over time.
The Outcome
Poker Central launched with a modern, energetic platform that elevated their brand and supported the growth of PokerGO.
The redesign:
Increased user engagement with live and on-demand content
Delivered a digital presence that matched the production quality of their broadcast content
Strengthened Poker Central’s position as the home of premium poker entertainment
This project remains one of the strongest examples of my ability to combine brand storytelling, UX thinking, and collaborative digital leadership at scale.
