We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Steph Spiegel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Steph below.

Steph, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear from you about what you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry and why it matters.

Working in the corporate environment, design often felt like being a cog in a profit-driven machine. Rigid processes and one-size-fits-all solutions stifled creativity instead of solving real problems. It showed me how ineffective design becomes when it ignores the needs of its users.

For years, I worked with agencies on major website redesigns and management projects. Time and again, I saw the same problem: overwhelmed, frustrated clients. They needed a simple update to their website or brand but were locked out—unable to make even minor changes without going through the agency. A quick fix would become a drawn-out task, keeping the client dependent on the agency.

The frustration was clear in every email and call. But it wasn’t malice—just the standard recurring revenue model. On paper, it made sense. In practice, it ignored the human side—the passion for the brand, the connection to its audience, and the creativity lost when control trumped collaboration. Unfortunately, this is super common in design. Agencies hoard tools and access to keep clients tethered. It’s less of a guiding partnership and more of an exercise in power and control over the client.

When I started Intervyx, I vowed not to play that game. Every project, file, style guide, and editable layer gets handed over—no strings, no hidden fees, no “we’ll need to look into that for you.” Clients leave with everything they need to make updates or even fully overhaul their design without me. Good design should be intuitive and accessible—something clients can run with, not something that feels like diffusing a bomb. Design isn’t about control. It’s about connection, creativity, and empowerment.

And then there’s the obsession with impossible deadlines. Deadlines aren’t the issue, per se, it’s the strange pride some workplaces take in making them insurmountable. “Crunch mode” might sound cool in tech circles, but in reality, it’s anxious teams cutting corners and making bad decisions under pressure.

Corporate design lacks trust—trust in its users and in the people creating it. Everyone deserves processes and products that adapt to them, not a rigid grind. When you race deadlines instead of chasing impact, good design gets lost. When you trap clients in systems only you can control, they become dependent, not empowered. With Intervyx, I flipped the script. I get to know my clients, their users, and their goals inside out. Together, we co-create brands or websites they not only love but can actually use.

The truth is, I don’t want my clients stuck with me—they shouldn’t NEED me long-term. I want them to WANT to work with me long-term. Big difference. Corporate America may never get this, but I’ll never go back to designing under invisible clocks or rigid policies. I design with my clients, for their users, focused on creativity over convenience.

Design isn’t just about logos or layouts. It’s about trust. To me, trust between a creative, their vision, and their client is a deliverable in itself.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I design bespoke brands and websites for creatives, misfits, and adventurers. Together, we use research into your dream client to create a custom plan to attract a tribe that sees your worth.

Research powers everything I do. I’m talking laser-focused, detail-obsessed, dialed-into-your-dream-client research. I don’t just design an aesthetic—I tailor your brand and website to hit that perfect sweet spot of strategy and style. Think of it as matchmaking for businesses. My role? Making sure your business looks and feels like it’s exactly where your people want to be.

There was a time when I truly thought I wasn’t creative. I spent years slogging through corporate grind culture, trying to convince myself I didn’t hate it—until one day, I hit my limit. That whole “work until burnout so you can buy things to distract yourself from burnout” cycle wasn’t it. I wanted to combine my love for logic puzzles and pretty things.

My business isn’t just about cool logos and catchy taglines. I solve problems. Your website shouldn’t just sit there looking nice; it should mirror the vibe you want to bring to your work. Every design element, every word, and every tweak I make is intentional. The goal is to make your brand unforgettable to the right people and to make sure they’re sold by the first impression they get of your business—your website.

What I’m most proud of is the community my work helps foster. I design with intention, but it’s always with my clients (aka badass small business owners) at the heart of it all. Whether it’s through collaborative design workshops or helping transform their vision into real-world magic, I get to play a small part in empowering corporate misfits and creative rebels who are ready to do business their own way. Together, we create brands and websites that absolutely refuse to be ignored.

If there’s one thing I want you to take away, it’s this: You deserve a business that fits your vibe—not some outdated corporate ideal.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was the belief that I needed to constantly prove myself to be valuable or successful. Growing up, my home oddly resembled a corporate office—formal, high-pressure, and focused on performance metrics I didn’t fully understand. Dinner felt less like a family meal and more like a tense board meeting where I reviewed my day’s “progress” and prepared for the next day. That rigid energy followed me into the early stages of my career.

When I started my business, I stuck to a stiff, corporate tone in all my branding and communications. Why? Because I thought that’s what success looked like—buttoned-up emails, generic website copy, and “safe” designs meant to appeal to everyone. But I hated it.

Everything changed when I asked myself, “Why am I trying so hard to attract people whose lives I wanted to escape from?” My dream clients weren’t sitting in boardrooms, loving performance reviews. They were like me—people who hated corporate life and wanted something real.

Unlearning that rigid, corporate voice didn’t happen overnight. It took time to peel back the layers and find a tone that felt like me: honest, imperfect, a little irreverent, but thoughtful. When I made that shift, it felt like finally exhaling after years of holding my breath. My clients didn’t just want design or strategy—they wanted someone who understood what it’s like to leave behind the grind and build something meaningful.

I’ve learned that when you show up as yourself, you attract the people you’re meant to work with. It’s not about being polished—it’s about being human. Sometimes that means unlearning who you thought you had to be.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Your vibe attracts your tribe—so why not focus on working with those who truly align with your values and creativity? Too often, creative business owners find themselves stuck catering to clients who don’t value their work or vision.

My mission is to help creative small biz owners craft an environment that reflects their unique strengths and attract clients who genuinely appreciate their talent. Through research-driven design, I craft strategies that bring clarity and focus to brands, ensuring they resonate with the people who made the leap into small business worth the risk.

My goal is to empower my clients to create businesses that supports their creativity, aligns with their visions, and celebrates their unique worth. It’s not about reaching everyone—it’s about connecting with the right people who share common passion and values. When your brand speaks to the right audience, everything starts to click. That’s the foundation of what I do, and I want to help my clients get there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.intervyx.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intervyx/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/intervyx
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intervyx
• Other: Threads: https://www.threads.net/@intervyx
  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@intervyx
  Book a Website Walkthrough: https://intervyx.com/web-walkthrough
  Trigger Your Transformation: https://intervyx.com/trigger-your-transformation

Image Credits

Amanda Ghobadi
Haley June
Grace Perry