michael santoro

Meet Your Tutor

With over three decades of experience at the highest levels of design, Michael Santoro built a career defined by innovation, timelessness, and mentorship. From award-winning designs for Chrysler to his ground-braking creation of the Apple-specific case market with MacCase, to shaping the next generation of creatives, his work spans industries and institutions.

His breathe of experience spans product design, automotive design, interior design, graphic design, creative direction, and UX design. He brings a uniquely broad and deeply informed perspective to mentoring young creatives. His career includes both corporate and entrepreneurial ventures, and he remains closely connected to a global network of professionals in fields like animation and illustration.

This firsthand understanding of today’s creative industries is paired with a decade of teaching and mentorship including faculty roles at Pratt Institute, guest instruction at ArtCenter College of Design and the College for Creative Studies, and successful online teaching through Udemy. He’s worked one-on-one with aspiring artists and designers to help them develop their portfolios, clarify their creative voice, and gain admission, often with scholarships, to top art and design schools.

“My blend of professional insight and proven teaching experience is what allows me to meet students where they are and help them grow into the creative thinkers, makers, and leaders of tomorrow.” This page offers a glimpse into his journey, through key career highlights, notable press coverage, and the tutoring work that has helped students gain admission and scholarships to the world’s leading schools.

Experience and Expertise

Founder / Creative Director / Chief Tutor
Art College Prep

• Delivered one-on-one mentorship to aspiring artists across 10+ disciplines to fill skill gaps and meet the expectations of art colleges
• Achieved a 96% student acceptance rate into one or more top-choice art and design colleges globally
• Guided students in earning over $625,000 in scholarships to date, reducing the cost of world-class creative education for families
• Created and executed a five-pillar coaching curriculum covering Artwork Assessments, Art College Portfolio Projects, Art Portfolio Preparation, Admissions Strategy, and Interview Coaching
• Applied an award-winning professional background in product, graphic and automotive design, and creative direction to inform and elevate the technical and conceptual quality of student portfolios

Founder / President / Chief Creative Officer
MacCase

• Founded the Apple-specific case market with the launch of the first-ever iBook case
• Built a successful 27-year brand known for innovative design and world-class quality and customer service
• Reinvented the market by introducing the Premium Leather Collection growing revenue by 11% year over year
• Responsible for creative direction, product design, package design, photography, video, website/ UX design and digital content
• Devised a business model based on Kaizen principles that allowed for exceptional efficiency and revenue per employee
• Supervised a sales team that gained Tier 1 retail and international distribution with sales in 26 countries
• Utilized persona analysis and reporting working with agency partners to guide multi-channel advertising programs

Race Car Livery Design Consultant
Desert Flight Racing / Audi Sport USA

• Designed the liveries for a pair of Audi TCR race cars that captured the aspirations of the client and generated media and sponsor interest
• Directed team responsible for implementing designs to ensure flawless transition from desktop to race car
• Inspired by the new liveries, the race team went on to win the National Championship for their class

Consulting Creative Director
Angelina Hart – Adore

• Laid the brand foundation and framework for women’s accessories start-up
• Conceptualized and directed the visual design language to deliver on the brand promise
• Executed an effective brand campaign that fostered growth from online-only into a 5-store retail expansion

President / Chief Creative Officer
DesignStar, Inc

• Disrupted the art materials industry by offering products enabling creatives to carry their art supplies while living an active lifestyle
• Developed the Studiopack backpack portfolios allowing artists to carry their supplies hands-free
• Achieved national distribution and was the #1 product in it’s category within 2 years

Automotive Designer / Consulting Creative Director
Vector Corporation

• Administered all creative aspects of the Vector M12 supercar development and related materials
• Pushed creative boundaries with the design for the “American Anthem” M12 show car shown at the North American Auto show
• Collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to complete the vehicle exterior and interior designs
• Lead successful organizational rebrand to align with new marketing objectives
• Introduced, wrote copy for, and supervised photography for all communication materials
• Worked closely and strategically aligned with Program Management to develop the next generation of Vector supercars
• Reported and presented directly to the CEO to gain executive buy-in

Senior Industrial Designer
Walter Dorwin Teague

• Managed and worked within a multidisciplinary team on a broad range of product, transportation, graphic, and UX programs
• Pioneered air travel concepts for Boeing Aerospace
• Created the interior design for the Gulfstream G5 private aircraft
• Innovated a new fork-lift design for Samsung, introducing the curved roll cage, now an industry-standard

Professor of Transportation Design
Pratt Institute

• Elevated the educational experience for students while pioneering innovative teaching methods

Guest Instructor

• Art Center College of Design
• College for Creative Studies

Automotive Exterior Designer
Chrysler Corporation

• Designed the exterior for Chrysler’s multi-award-winning 1995 Car of the Year, the Cirrus sedan, along with the Dodge Stratus
• Spearheaded a team of engineers, sculptors and brand enthusiasts to create the exterior design for the Jeep Wrangler
• Invented the automotive Easter Egg as part of the Wrangler design, now used throughout the industry
• Conceptualized the first “overland” minivan for Dodge predicting the overland van culture by 20 years
• Redesigned the minivan roof rack saving the company $20 million a year receiving a patent for the idea

Awards

• 1995 North American International Auto Show – Car of the Year
• 1995 Motor Trend Car of the Year
• 1995 Automobile Magazine – Automobile of the Year
• I.D. Magazine – Consumer Product of Distinction Award
• Florida Print Award – Best Brochure, Vector M12
• Holder of 8 U.S. Patent Awards

• Vist Michael Santoro Design to view the portfolio

Press

Car and Driver Magazine: “The Dodge Sport-Utility Van”- May 2023
• WGCH Radio – The Debbie Nigro Show: Interviewed to discuss design, career, etc. – Dec 2022
• Detroit Free Press: “Passion for Creativity – Former Car Designer Took Apple Accessories to a New Level”- Sept 2020
Motor Authority: “See the Supercars That Never Made It Out Of Vectors Design Studio”- May 2020
• Authority Magazine: “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a Founder”- Nov 2020
Motor Authority: “How the Jeep Wrangler’s First Easter Egg Was Hatched”- Aug 2019
• Autoweek Magazine: “Passage by Design, The Designer Behind the Car of the Year”- Jan 1995
New York Times: “The Designers Who Saved Chrysler”- Jan 1994Press

Career Highlights

Awards and Press

A partial list of articles covering the work of Michael Santoro

A partial list of awards including 2 of 8 patents

Tutoring and Mentorship

Prior to founding Art College Prep, Michael Santoro launched 3 successful courses on the Udemy platform as well as a successful YouYube channel helping hundreds of thousands of aspiring artists and designers around the world.

This lead to the proven, one-on-one tutoring model Art College Prep is built on. Students from all over the world have benefited from working directly with Micheal on their artwork assessment, tailored art projects, art portfolio preparation, admission strategy or interview coaching.

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Now that you know about mine…

Let’s Talk About Your Child’s Creative Journey

“Every young artist has a unique voice waiting to be nurtured. I did. Every parent wants to see their child thrive. My did as well. If you’re wondering how to best support your child’s creative path, I’d love to help. Whether you’re just starting to explore art school options or looking for guidance on how to prepare a strong portfolio, I’m here to offer clarity and support.

Our model works.

Let’s start with a free conversation.

No pressure, just a chance to connect and let me show you how.”

– Michael Santoro