Cameron Rennacker

Cameron Rennacker is an entrepreneur, educator, creative director, and researcher whose work focuses on design strategy, human-centered design systems, and creative storytelling.

He grew up moving between the small towns of Barstow and Crestline in Southern California, graduating from Rim of the World High School in 2014. Cameron borrowed cameras from his yearbook teachers on weekends, where he first fell in love with landscape photography—hiking the creeks near his home and capturing the terrain that would later shape his creative practice. A first-place win in the Mountain Artists Guild's student landscape photography competition in 2014 affirmed what he already knew: he was going to build a life around his passions.

That early work became Cameron James Photography, a portrait and fine art studio that eventually evolved into Rennacker Studio. It later split into two distinct ventures: Rennacker Studio (design strategy and creative direction) and Range & Focus (fine art landscape photography, formerly Rennacker Art).

Before pursuing design full-time, Cameron worked his way through young adulthood, juggling up to four jobs at once—portrait photographer at Lifetouch, attractions host and crowd control lead at Disneyland, store manager at Sunglass Hut, barista at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and sales rep at Ted Baker London. Recognizing the unsustainability of his work/life balance and Orange County's cost of living, he returned to school in 2015, enrolling at The Art Institutes of California, Orange County. He chose Graphic and Web Design over photography, driven by a desire to do more with the medium. That decision unlocked a new passion in branding, packaging, digital product design, and large-scale creative systems.

Cameron was among the last students to graduate from The Art Institutes before the school permanently closed in 2018. During his time there, he led high-visibility projects including a spec Patagonia campaign, a large-scale installation in the school’s foyer, and the annual student fashion show. He also met his now-husband, Josh Rennacker, PE, in 2016. Around that same time, Cameron discovered his love for National Parks, a passion that has since become a lifelong mission. He's visited more than half of the 63 U.S. National Parks and is committed to photographing them all.

Cameron's professional design career began in 2016 as an interior designer at La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries, followed by roles at Yamaha Motors (graphic and communications designer), PetSmart (packaging designer for multi-million-dollar household brands including All Living Things, Arcadia Trail, Authority, Dentley's, Thrive, and Top Fin), and New Age Wholesale (art director and marketing manager, where he developed brands like New Age Naturals, Bolt, and Well! Vitamins). He then moved into UX and product strategy at DriveTime, where his team successfully built the company's first fully online car-buying experience—a first-of-its-kind innovation at the time.

After leaving DriveTime due to ethical misalignment with its lending practices, Cameron made a pivotal career shift into education. He joined Flatiron School as an instructor in the Product Design program, teaching 254 students across multiple cohorts and restructuring the school's asynchronous online learning model. That experience solidified his love for teaching.

In 2022, Cameron returned to school to earn his Master's in Graphic Information Technology (GIT) from Arizona State University, focusing on UX and product design. He was twice selected for the GIT Creative Agency, a competitive group of top students working on real-world projects for nonprofits and public-sector clients. He graduated in 2024 with the GIT Outstanding Graduate Award, the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering Impact Award, and the University Outstanding Graduate Award.

Shortly after graduation, ASU invited Cameron to teach in the very program he had just completed. He accepted, and now serves as an Assistant Teaching Professor in Graphic Information Technology at ASU's Polytechnic School, where he teaches Cross-Media Design, Design Team and Project Management, Packaging Design, and more. His pedagogy is grounded in real-world process, ethical design practice, and team-based learning. He intentionally draws on his years of industry experience to prepare students for the realities of the design profession.

In Fall 2025, Cameron returned to ASU as a doctoral student, pursuing a PhD in Human Systems Engineering. His research explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and flawed design systems—particularly in data ethics, privacy, and algorithmic decision-making—can cause societal harm. He's interested in the quiet failures of design: the moments when systems built without oversight create unintended consequences at scale.

As co-founder and creative director of Rennacker Studio, Cameron leads cross-disciplinary brand and product work rooted in narrative clarity, strategic rigor, and long-term growth for his clients. His client roster includes early-stage startups, established institutions, and multi-million- and even multi-billion-dollar household brands. Rennacker Studio's approach is collaborative, story-first, and grounded in the belief that great design emerges from a strategic, scientific approach.

In 2025, Cameron and Josh co-founded Nevari Development, a land and home development company where Cameron serves as an executive partner and leads brand strategy, creative direction, and operational systems. While the company was born from Josh's long-held vision to build thoughtful, well-designed residential spaces, Cameron brings his expertise in design thinking, project management, and strategic planning to shape how Nevari operates. His role ensures that every development project is intentionally designed and uses sustainable business practices.

Through Range & Focus, Cameron continues his landscape photography practice—documenting the beauty, rarity, and responsibility of exploring wild places. This ongoing art project is a natural extension of his early work in the San Bernardino Mountains. His goal is still to visit and photograph all 63 U.S. National Parks.

Whether teaching, designing, researching, or hiking with a camera in hand, Cameron brings a sharp eye, grounded presence, and deep curiosity to everything he does. He believes the best creative work lives at the intersection of purpose and passion—and that design, at its core, is about making life more meaningful.