We were lucky to catch up with Diona Nicole Murray recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Diona Nicole, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
I’ve had the privilege of working on many meaningful projects, which is one of the reasons I love what I do. My work allows me to make people’s dreams and visions tangible through my gift of art and design. I am entrusted with the thoughts and ideas of other creatives, and I often have the ability to see their vision so clearly that I can help breathe life into it. I connect best with organizations and nonprofits whose mission, vision, and values align with my own. I’m drawn to initiatives centered around change, impact, and making a positive difference in the community.
Choosing the “most meaningful” project is challenging because I’ve worked on so many throughout my 20+ years in business. However, my own nonprofit organization, Barren Fruit, holds a special place in my heart. While I spend most of my time creating and designing for others, this project intersects with my deepest passion and calling within women’s reproductive health. It allowed me to merge my creative expertise with a personal mission rooted in faith, healing, and advocacy.
Barren Fruit was born from the depths of my own pain and brokenness, transformed into a purpose to serve others. For most of my life, the relentless pain of endometriosis, fibroids, ovarian cysts, and a damaged fallopian tube gripped my daily existence and severely impacted my ability to have children. After undergoing several medical procedures to reverse my infertility diagnosis and improve my quality of life, I was told I had less than a 1% chance of ever conceiving and carrying a child to term. The news left me feeling empty, barren, and trapped in a monthly cycle of grief and depression as my body attempted, in vain, to prepare for childbearing.
Yet, despite the bleak diagnosis, I was blessed to conceive and give birth to my beautiful daughter. This experience taught me so much about the journey of birthing something great—whether that’s a child, a dream, or a vision. The process rarely goes as planned. It often feels stagnant, like you’re not growing or moving forward. The idea of barrenness is not just a physical reality; it can take hold of your mind and spirituality, leaving you feeling stuck and without hope.
However, it was from this very place of despair and longing that I created Barren Fruit. Without experiencing that pain, I would never have been moved to create something so meaningful. And without Barren Fruit, I would not have been inspired to develop Amplifii™, an AI-based digital advocate tool designed to help improve the landscape of women’s reproductive health by providing timely information and resources to those who desperately need it.
Developing Amplifii™ required extensive research, including interviewing women, listening to their stories, and allowing those experiences to shape my design decisions. It’s a tool created to address a lifelong problem that continues to affect countless women—especially Black women who disproportionately suffer from conditions like fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS, and more.
This project is especially meaningful because it represents a tangible solution to a deeply rooted problem, guided by empathy, innovation, and my own lived experience. It’s more than a project—it’s my way of helping others find hope and healing in their own journeys. And while the pain of infertility and loss remains close to my heart, it continues to fuel my passion to make a lasting difference.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a Creative Design Strategist, Educator, and Women’s Health Advocate who merges thoughtful design with purpose-driven advocacy to bring visions to life and inspire change. As the Owner and Principal UX/UI Designer at Diona Nicole Design Studio, I use my God-given gifts to help others transform their ideas into reality—crafting innovative products, transformative brands, and engaging digital experiences.
I am also the Founder of Barren Fruit®, a faith-based nonprofit and ministry dedicated to supporting women navigating infertility and reproductive challenges, helping them rediscover hope and joy. This journey led me to create Amplifii™, an AI-based personal reproductive health advocate tool designed to address inequities in reproductive healthcare, particularly for Black women who have been underserved and underrepresented. I serve as Co-Chair of the Change of HEART Community Advisory Board, collaborating with Temple Health’s Program for Maternal Health Equity and the Maternal Wellness Village to improve reproductive health outcomes.
In addition to my advocacy work, I have spent 18 years as an Adjunct Professor at Jefferson University (formerly Philadelphia University), mentoring aspiring designers and teaching courses in Drawing, Design, and Digital Imaging. My involvement in local initiatives in Philadelphia continues to nurture the next generation of creative leaders. Rooted in faith and committed to transformation, I strive to bridge design and advocacy, empowering others to give life—whether through ideas, innovation, or community impact.
How I got into this field is quite interesting, but what is a great calling without a great journey? I have always had a love for art. I love to create, to draw, and to invent the unimaginable. As a high school art major, I spent most of my days hiding out in the Art room, captivated by the freedom and creativity it allowed me.
I went off to college not entirely sure what my artistic skills could lead me to, but I enjoyed designing clothes, so I pursued a BS in Fashion Design. I spent 10 years working in the Fashion and Home Décor industries, designing and creating, but I felt called to do more. I discovered that by connecting with someone’s mind and vision, I could help them birth something deeply personal and meaningful.
Twenty years into my career, I decided to sharpen my skills and pursue a MS in User Experience and Interaction Design. This educational journey taught me to approach design projects with a holistic perspective—combining the foundation I built in fashion, the grit of years of experience, and the innovation from my expertise as a UX/UI specialist.
Products and Services
I offer a wide range of creative services, including:
• Digital & Interactive Design: Web and App Design
• Data Visualization
• Experiential Design
• Brand Identity: Transformative brand development that captures the essence of my clients’ visions
• Product Design: Taking concepts from ideation to tangible, high-quality products
• Book Design
Problems I Solve
I bridge the gap between thought and tangible creation. I serve as the connector between the mind and the finished product—whether it’s taking a concept from a sketch to something you hold in your hand or an end product you scroll through on your phone. My goal is to help my clients produce effective solutions so they can further their missions and reach the people they are trying to serve. I ensure their vision not only looks good but functions even better.
What Sets Me Apart
What sets me apart is that I am first and foremost an artist. You do not need to be an artist to be a designer, but it gives me a creative edge that not everyone has. Artists think differently. We see life through a unique lens, and creativity is endless at our fingertips. Sketching and drawing are integral parts of my process, allowing us to build and design ideas from scratch.
Additionally, I spend significant time talking through the vision with my clients. Taking time in the beginning to truly step into their mind and see what they see is critical. That collaborative process allows me to design and create something that not only meets but exceeds their expectations—often bringing their wildest dreams to life.
I am most proud of the impact my work has had in the lives of others. Whether it’s guiding a client to launch a transformative product, developing tools like Amplifii™ to address health disparities, or mentoring the next generation of designers, my work continues to be a testament to faith, purpose, and creativity in action.
Have you ever had to pivot?
You always have to be willing to pivot. Nothing ever seems to go exactly as planned. And if it does, it’s rare. But it’s often in those unexpected twists and turns that life becomes most interesting. I learned a long time ago to release the constraints of the box. My God is so much bigger than any box I could try to fit Him into. Time and time again, I’ve been faced with obstacles and challenges that forced me to pivot, step back, and change my perspective. But through it all, the most important thing has been to stay the course.
The biggest pivot in my business was transitioning from a Fashion and Apparel Business to a Graphic and Creative Design Business. It was a major shift that I didn’t welcome easily at first. My design business initially focused on fashion and apparel, with a mission to connect with women and dress them from the inside out. I was intentional about building up the inner self—helping women feel good about themselves and recognize their self-worth. I guided them to understand what looked good on them, what colors complemented their skin tone, and which styles and silhouettes best suited their body type.
At the same time, I began doing graphic design on the side. Because people knew I was an artist, I often received random requests for logos, flyers, and other small projects. But my primary focus was apparel design, particularly during wedding and prom seasons, when I worked tirelessly around the clock fulfilling orders. The problem was, I lacked proper knowledge about pricing and often led with my heart instead of my pockets when accepting new orders. The result was great products, but also sleepless nights, exhaustion, and very little financial return.
One day, my husband (boyfriend at the time) asked me why I didn’t pursue graphic design full-time instead of apparel design. And I lost it! I was so upset that he would even suggest such a thing because my degree was in fashion, and I had spent years working in corporate fashion and building my own business. How could he even suggest such a thing?
It took time for me to warm up to the idea of pivoting in that way. I was so set on what success was supposed to look like in my mind. But I eventually realized that we often choose our paths based on our circumstances, experiences, and what we see. I had to ask myself, Why was I so rigid in thinking my journey to success had to look a certain way and within a specific timeframe?
Slowly but surely, I started taking on more graphic design orders and fewer apparel orders until I finally retired from patternmaking and sewing. The shift was liberating. I could turn around deliverables much faster, which meant I could make more money, reduce labor-intensive work with heavy machinery, and, most importantly, get more rest.
The pivot also allowed me to exercise my creativity in more fulfilling ways. I was no longer confined to fashion design—I could explore branding, illustration, user experience, and more. Suddenly, my gift was no longer limited to one industry. I was able to work with clients across various fields, which broadened my perspective on design and deepened my appreciation for the creative process.
Looking back, that pivot was one of the most important decisions I’ve ever made. It not only expanded my creative capacity but also taught me to be adaptable, flexible, and open to possibilities that go beyond what I initially envisioned.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative is not only that I get to make my clients’ visions tangible through my love of art and design but also that their customers, community, and patients get to see it, connect with it, and be impacted by it. When my clients succeed, I succeed.
When I see them on TV, hear them on the radio, spot their work on a billboard, or watch them achieve their business goals, I feel like a proud Auntie. I was blessed to be a part of that new thing—to help cultivate a fresh idea, mold it, and guide it out into the world. It’s a profound feeling of fulfillment, knowing that I played a role in helping them bring their vision to life.
But it’s not because I’m so great. It’s because of the gift my Heavenly Father put inside of me. He allows me to see other people’s visions and ideas so clearly, so I can help them give birth to it. That’s what makes me feel good and honored—to know that I am walking in my purpose and using my gifts to help others realize theirs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dionanicole.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dionanicoledesign
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DionaNicoleDesign
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dionanicole
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dionamurray1660
- Other: https://www.barrenfruit.org, https://www.yourdesignsquad.com, https://www.amplifii.ai
Image Credits
Ann Blake Photography, Creative Mind Productions, I am the Prize Media