We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ayesha Santos. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ayesha below.
Ayesha , appreciate you joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.
Absolutely. One of the biggest ways I diverge from the industry standard as a brand and website designer is by prioritizing creative intuition as much as strategy—and actually building that into my process in a way that gets results.
Most design agencies and branding studios lean heavily into either:
A rigid, templated strategy where everything follows a formula, leaving little room for personality, OR
A purely aesthetic-first approach that looks stunning but lacks the substance to drive sales and growth.
I do things differently. I’ve built a layered design process that blends strategy and intuition seamlessly. I believe that a brand’s magic lies in the things that don’t fit neatly into a formula—the quirks, the unexpected details, the gut-level creative decisions that make a brand feel human and magnetic. That’s why I don’t just ask my clients about their business goals; I dig into the emotions behind why they started, the tiny obsessions that fuel their product or service, and the unspoken reasons their dream customers will be drawn to them.
A great example of this was when I worked with Jenny Lemons- a hair accessories brand. Instead of just designing a beautiful, conversion-optimized Shopify site (which I did), I also wove in design details that reflected the brand’s personality BOLDLY— unexpected playful elements in the layout, and features like a clip size chart that directly tied in with questions they got ALL the time from customers.
The result? A brand and website that didn’t just look good but felt deeply connected to their audience- and immediately began converting better and upped their customer reviews.
At the end of the day, the best brands aren’t built by blindly following industry formulas. They’re built by embracing what makes them unique—and that’s exactly what I help my clients do.
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?
Hey, I’m Ayesha! I’m a brand strategist, designer, and Shopify expert, and I run Ayesha Santos Design Co., a boutique studio that helps playful, bold service and e commerce brands create bold, personality-driven branding and websites that don’t just look good—they work (as in, they actually make sales).
At the heart of everything I do is this belief: Your brand should feel like YOU—but dialed up, refined, and built to sell.
How I Got Started & My Journey Into Design-
I didn’t take the traditional path into design. My journey started in the creative world, but I quickly realized that so much of the industry felt… formulaic. Branding agencies churned out cookie-cutter work, designers focused purely on aesthetics, and small business owners were left trying to DIY their way through branding without a clear plan for growth.
I knew there had to be a better way. I built my business on the idea that strategy and creativity should go hand in hand. The right design isn’t just about looking good—it’s about making the right people stop scrolling, pay attention, and buy. That’s where I come in.
What I Do & Who I Work With-
I work with creative, indie, and food-adjacent brands—think quirky, colorful e-commerce shops, playful CPG brands, and creative solopreneurs who want to stand out and scale their business.
My core services include:
1.Brand Strategy & Identity Design – Because your logo and colors mean nothing without a clear, intentional foundation.
2.Shopify Website Design & Strategy – For product brands ready to scale their online presence and increase sales with a high-converting, visually stunning site.
3.Squarespace & Showit Web Design – Perfect for service-based businesses and creatives who want an easy-to-manage but highly impactful website.
4.Education & Courses for Designers – I teach up-and-coming designers how to create brands that attract dream clients, charge more, and stand out in a crowded market.
What Sets Me Apart?
There are a million designers out there, but here’s what makes working with me different:
I prioritize Bold, personality-driven design. Your brand should feel like YOU, not like a template that could belong to anyone else. I go deep into what makes you different and turn that into a brand identity that’s impossible to ignore.
I blend strategy with creative intuition. The best brands are built with both structure and gut feeling. I don’t just follow trends—I create brands and websites that feel timeless and impactful.
I work fast & efficiently. My Launchpad Package builds brands + websites in just 10 days. Because not everyone has 6 months to wait for a website when they need to start selling NOW.
I believe business should be FUN. I work with playful, quirky brands because I believe branding and web design shouldn’t be stiff or boring. Whether it’s a website for a hot sauce brand or a food-themed hair accessory brand, I find ways to inject joy into the process.
What I Want Potential Clients & Followers to Know
If you’re a creative, indie, or food-adjacent brand that’s ready to stop blending in and start attracting the right people, I’m here to help.
For business owners: You don’t need a “perfect” brand—you need one that works. My approach is about bringing out what makes your business irresistible and translating that into branding and a website that sells without you having to push so hard.
For designers: You can build a creative business that pays you well and feels aligned. You don’t have to play small, undercharge, or burn yourself out. I love mentoring designers who are ready to level up, attract better clients, and create work that stands out.
At the end of the day, my mission is simple: To help you show up fully in your brand, attract the right people, and grow in a way that feels fun and sustainable.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life and business, it’s this: Pivoting isn’t failure—it’s the fastest way to find what truly fits.
I’ve pivoted many times in my career. I’ve chased different creative passions, switched industries, and redefined what success looks like more times than I can count. And honestly? Every single shift brought me closer to the business I was meant to build.
I started out in culinary school, deeply passionate about pastry. I worked as a chef for a while, thinking I had found my dream career—only to realize that the reality of restaurant life was nothing like what I imagined. The long hours, the relentless pace, the nonexistent work-life balance… it all sucked the joy out of something I once loved. And the pay? Let’s just say that passion doesn’t exactly cover the bills. It was heartbreaking to admit that the dream I had worked so hard for wasn’t sustainable. But I knew I had to pivot.
So I did.
I moved into sales and business development, which, on the surface, was the opposite of pastry. But what I learned in those roles stuck with me. I figured out how to sell without feeling salesy, how to build relationships, and how to think strategically about what actually makes a business grow. I was good at it, and I liked the challenge, but something was still missing: creativity.
Even while working those jobs, I always had some kind of creative side hustle running in the background. I couldn’t help it. It was part of who I was. That’s how I ended up starting a small handmade brand on Etsy, thinking I had finally found the perfect way to merge creativity with business. But as I started building my own website, something unexpected happened—I became obsessed with the process of branding and design. I loved creating the identity of the brand even more than making the actual product.
That tiny realization turned into something bigger. I started designing brands and websites for other small businesses. What started as a side project grew into a full-time business. And suddenly, it all made sense—my love of aesthetics, my strategic brain, my experience in sales and business—it all came together in a way that felt completely natural.
That’s how I built Ayesha Santos Design Co., a boutique branding and web design studio where I now get to work with clients I literally fangirl over!
Every pivot, every detour, every so-called “wrong turn” gave me the skills I use today. If I had been too scared to pivot, I wouldn’t be here. And that’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned—changing directions doesn’t mean you’re lost. It means you’re willing to find what truly fits.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Seeing an Idea Turn Into Something That Works—and Changes Someone’s Life.
For me, the magic of being a creative isn’t just in making things look beautiful—it’s in creating something that connects, resonates, and actually makes an impact.
There’s nothing like the feeling of:
✨ Seeing a client light up when they see their brand come to life. When they finally feel like their business looks like what they always imagined in their head.
✨ Watching a website go live and knowing it’s about to change someone’s business. When a client messages me saying, “I just got my first sale from a stranger!!” or “This is the first time I feel like a real brand.”
✨ Designing something that makes people feel seen. Whether it’s a new section on a website that sparks joy or a brand identity that helps someone finally stand out in their industry, I love knowing that my work helps people express themselves in new ways.
At the end of the day, being a creative is about more than just making pretty things. It’s about creating experiences. It’s about helping people see themselves—whether that’s through their brand, their style, or the things they surround themselves with.
That’s what keeps me inspired, day after day
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ayeshasantos.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayeshasantosdesign
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayesha-santos-design/
