Stokes, however, started to develop an interest in interactive design. And a couple of jobs later she got the chance to put those skills to work on her first big account—legendary denim brand Levi’s. The project started out as a print campaign but eventually morphed into online work. Stokes’ efforts on that account—and for other high-profile companies like Pottery Barn—established her as a design force in e-commerce.

The next big turning point in her career was a surreal phone call from Martha Stewart’s assistant: Could Stokes meet with the legendary homemaker during a flight layover in San Francisco? She could, and soon after Stokes went to New York to visit the company’s headquarters. “It was like a playground for adults,” she says. “There were four photo studios and a huge prop closet.” It was enough to convince Stokes to pack up her stuff and move to New York in the middle of January.

Today she’s the creative director of Direct Business for clothing retailer J.Crew. Stokes oversees the look and feel of the company’s catalog and website—and makes sure the pair works in concert. “It all stems from the clothes,” she says. And recently those have become higher quality and slightly more expensive. Stokes takes that information and translates it into engaging lifestyle imagery for the catalog. Then her team tries to tell that same story on the website.

Since taking her job roughly two years ago, Stokes has made some significant changes. The catalog and site now feature richer photography that’s more location based. She’s also infused a previously white catalog with a bounty of colors and textures. Website traffic is up, and Stokes’ team produces more catalogs with more pages.

But one of the things she’s most proud of is the time she spends with her team. With her catalog designers, for example, she stresses the importance of telling a linear story with imagery and type. She strives to keep them motivated and not look at the catalog as production design. “I would love at some point to teach,” she says. “I really enjoy watching people grow and get better.”

Since joining J.CREW, Stokes has taken a previously stark white catalog and infused it with colors and textures. She's also introduced richer photography that's more location based.