Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hannah Ayla. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hannah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear from you about what you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry and why it matters.

I’ve worked on media teams for the past 10 years and consistently see the same mistake made over and over again. When brands want to respond to trends on social media (which they almost always do), they put the creative through the same process as other internal work. Often, this involves multiple approvers, and thus multiple sources of feedback. By the time the creative is ready to go to market, the trend has passed and the work is no longer relevant.

So, the next time you find yourself developing concepts in response to a trend, try to create a process that won’t drown your creative in bureaucracy. Perfection isn’t essential for gaining traction on social media; speed is the key.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am Hannah Ayla, a brand designer and content creator from San Francisco, California. Since I was a little kid I have been a bit obsessed with design and layout. My parents often recount my (annoying) obsession with pointing out inconsistent font sizes, critiquing poor color contrast, and being livid whenever I came across the unfortunate use of Comic Sans in professional design.

Over the last decade, I’ve had the privilege of being a part of media teams for renowned brands such as Apple, Nespresso, and Zillow. I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with exceptionally talented individuals and witness the transformation of creative ideas from ideas on paper to impactful global campaigns.

A few months before the pandemic, I began feeling numbness in my right arm. The doctor told me it was a repetitive stress injury to the nerves in my arm from overworking without a proper ergonomic setup at the office. I was forced to take nearly a year off from work. During this time, I re-evaluated my career and realized that design was only half of my passion.

A few months prior to the onset of the pandemic, I started experiencing numbness in my right arm. The doctor attributed it to a repetitive stress injury stemming from overwork in an office without proper ergonomics and I was unable to work for nearly a year. It was during this hiatus that I came to the realization that visual design is only part of my passion.

I returned to my design job part-time and found myself with a lot of time to think about the trajectory of my career. As a long-time user of social media, I couldn’t help but observe the rapid growth within the content creation industry. I began studying the ways brands were interacting with content creators and noticed that, for the most part, brands were not looking at their work holistically. Exceptional visual design can only go so far without a strategic approach, just as a brilliant strategy may come up short without compelling visuals.

With this vision in mind, I founded Hanayla Creates. Drawing upon my extensive background in various industries, I provide services and best practices that transcend traditional boundaries. When clients choose Hanayla Creates, they benefit from more than just a visual perspective; they gain insights from a marketing angle and strategic planning approach as well. Your project isn’t just a design—it’s a holistic, multidimensional solution.

I absolutely love what I do, and feel so lucky that I have found a way to combine multiple passions into one profession. On any given day, I get the chance to work on script writing, video editing, logo design, brand identity, and so many other things.

*Multi-hyphenate: A person with several professions and skills.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

To me, the most rewarding part of being creative is the power to do good. I used to feel a lot of guilt about going into a career that does not inherently revolve around helping overs and giving back. Instead, I have worked hard to find projects with intersections for doing good.

One of those projects was called ‘Housing Connector’ and was born out of winning a hackathon while working at Zillow. The tool we built connects private property owners to those most in need of housing by making it easier for nonprofit partners to find properties directly on Zillow. Since July 2020, over 800 families and individuals have been able to exit homelessness and find stable housing through Housing Connector.

Another way I like to find meaningful connections between design and social good is by extending discounted rates to organizations and nonprofits committed to making a positive impact in the world. This has afforded me the privilege to collaborate with a diverse array of programs who are dedicated to address pressing issues including enviormental racism, homelessness and food insecurity.

During the pandemic I also merged my passion for jewelry making with my commitment to supporting nonprofits by crafting and selling handmade jewelry from my kitchen table. I was able to raise thousands for various nonprofit organizations in my area.

Another recent collaboration worth highlighting is my work with ‘Hope Solution’ and ‘Multi-Faith Action Coalition’, both remarkable Bay Area nonprofits at the forefront of combating the homelessness epidemic.

If you are feeling guilty about pursuing a career that is not centered around doing social good, rest assured there are plenty of ways to find meaningful insersections to make positive change.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

It is probably less of a ‘resource’, but more of a mindset I wish I knew about earlier in my creative journey. When I first started my business, I approached projects with a scarcity mindset, feeling as though I had to accept every job that came my way because there weren’t enough, or I would miss out on an opportunity, or close a door before it ever opened.

I quickly found myself burnt out and beginning to resent the work I used to love. I was also making a fraction of what I make now. For example, rather than accepting ten separate projects that each paid a few hundred dollars, I opted for accepting two projects that would pay a few thousand each. This change allowed me to dedicate my full energy to my work, allowing me to produce quality work I was proud of.

If you are beginning a new business venture, try to accept work meaningfully and intentionally. This will preserve your energy, and allow you to create your best work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hanaylacreates.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hanayla/?hl=en
• Other: https://hannahayla.com/ — blog https://www.hannahstomblerlevine.com/ — philanthropy website

Image Credits
Final image credit: Chantal sokhorn photography