Mazzei was born on Yonkers, New York and raised in Pine Plains, New York by Construction company owner and hairstylist parents. She studied at The School of Visual Arts, New York. After meeting Seymour Chwast at the School of Visual Arts portfolio review Seymour suggested she “leave here and go meet my friend Tibor” Mazzei upon meeting with Tibor at his “Number 17” offices, was given advice by Tibor to “start you own studio, you have a unique vision.”
In 1991, she founded the design studio Smokebomb in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Smokebomb specialised in graphics for music, print, television media, with clients including Matador Records, Roadrunner Records, Gargae Fonts, Emigre Fonts, and Raygun Magazine and Electra Records.
In 1998 Smokebomb closed it doors and Mazzei joined Showtime Networks New York Office as a Sr. Art Director. This joining of the corporate design work lead to career working for Pittard-Sullivan New York, VH1, Logo, The Weather Channel, Atlanta, WWE and NBC Universal.
Nancy Mazzei’s key to success was building highly functional teams inside corporate structures with teams as big as 65 to 18 people. Ms. Mazzei had carefully honed this approach over the past 25 years, training up and hiring appropriate team members developing social teams, shoot teams, photo department teams, and production teams, her approach doesn’t just sit with design and creative but rather the business needs inside a creative team to serve her clients.
Mazzie’s work has been recognised by AIGA, The Type Directors Club, and the Art Director’s Club. In 2013 she was Emmy Nominated for a Black History Campaign geared towards kids while working at NBC. Her font “Gladys” was included in the Cooper Hewitt show “mixing Messages” and remains in the museums permeate collection. Her font “Backspacer” designed for emigre fonts remains in the Emigre’s permanent font archive.
With numerous awards and successful brand launches and repositions to her credit, working in a diverse span of entertainment genera’s kids, crime, weather, wrestling, scripted, reality and music; among them, Ms. Mazzei has a thorough understanding of the unique sensitivities and issues involved in creating and maintaining a brand’s image – and how to best position both the brand and the team for longevity and growth.
Mazzei taught Basic Typography at The School of Visual Arts for 3 years.
Work Experience
WWE
Creative Director, Creative Services
2014 - 2015