About Stephen
For over 25 years, Stephen H. Drowne Jr. has been a creative professional who enjoys helping businesses improve their creative output. Stephen started his career with agency experience and continued with both freelance work and leading in-house creative for two organizations. The opportunities that these experiences provided paved the way for Wooden Image to become a reality, where Stephen could bring his expertise to a wide range of business and personal creative needs.
Agency & In-House Creative Experience
Hill, Holliday
An Agency Start
Stephen started his career at Hill, Holliday (HHCC) as a production artist and quickly grew into design roles. Although he primarily worked on John Hancock's business he got a chance to work across many other brands including Liberty Mutual, Covidien, Mass General Hospital for Children, Cardinal Cushing Center, Harvard Pilgrim, Partner's Healthcare, and more. HHCC is also where Stephen first got a chance to work with the Community Relations department to deliver creative for numerous deserving charities in the Boston area.
Syniti | BackOffice Associates
In-House Powerhouse
After a short break from agency work, Stephen found his way into BackOffice Associates where he started the in-house creative for the business. For over 13 years Stephen built and consistently improved the businesses designs across all media including, websites, product launches, UI creative, hundreds of tradeshows, sales materials, board meetings, and much more. Stephen supported the business through 8+ M&As, 2 brand redesigns (the second one being a change to Syniti), and 2 ownership changes. During several times of transition, Stephen stepped in to oversee the Marketing team as a whole which allowed him to learn the broader needs for the business and how to measure marketing's impact. In addition, Stephen helped to implement new technologies to improve how the Marketing department operated and delivered content. In late 2021, along with support from iMarc, Stephen helped build the company’s highest performing new website experience from the ground up. Stephen worked directly with all departments in the organization, including the C-Suite, Sales, Board, Partners, Product, and more, and managed employees who delivered social media, web, and creative.
SecurityScorecard
In-House Growth
Looking to take on the next challenge, Stephen was excited to join the team at SecurityScorecard. During his time there he enhanced the company’s creative development from a single designer into a respected and sought after team known for consistently delivering a wide range of high-performing creative. Stephen led the team to improve their skills in templating, video assets, social media, website improvements, and more. Always looking to do more, Stephen expanded his initial role to take over a website revamp and brand revisiting. In 2024, Stephen successfully launched a vastly improved website, with the support of BlueText, a sales kickoff, and a customer event in the same week. Stephen worked cross-functionally to connect the experience across first touch all the way through the product itself as well as customer success. Along with the company's CMO, Stephen helped prove to leadership the benefit of quality creative and how it improves Marketing efforts.
A Family History of Creatives
Stephen follows in the footsteps of notable Drowne creatives who have worked with different mediums.
Why
Wooden Image?
For a long time, Stephen wanted to find a business name that meant something to him. It wasn't until the early 2000's that he learned of a book written by Nathaniel Hawthorne that gave way to the perfect name. His short story, Drowne's Wooden Image, was a great representation of what Stephen does to this day, working with clients to deliver high-quality designs.
About the Book
Nathaniel Hawthorne credited Shem Drowne for being the inspiration for his retelling of Pygmalion (mythology), Drowne's Wooden Image, in his collection of shorts in Mosses from an Old Manse. His short story, first published in 1844, recasts "Deacon Drowne" as a woodcarver who made trade signs and wooden figures for various shops and a notable statue of Admiral Edward Vernon in Boston. In the story "Deacon Drowne" is approached by a ship-captain to produce a figurehead for his brig, claiming "nothing like the brig ever swam the ocean, so I am determined she shall have such a figurehead as old Neptune never saw in his life" and giving secret instructions for its completion. During the story, Drowne is visited by contemporary Bostonian artist John Singleton Copley who is impressed by his craftsmanship and inquires about his unfinished work and returns daily to check on the progress of the figurehead. There is no evidence that the real Shem Drowne did any carving, but the story clearly references him as the creator of the American Indian Archer weathervane.
