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

Tessa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share a story about the kindest thing someone has done for you and why it mattered so much or was so meaningful to you?

I really attribute my success in this field to the mentors I have been blessed with along the way. The kindest thing anyone has ever done is believe in me. I know it sounds cliché, but as someone without a formal graphic design background, being surrounded by encouraging mentors gave me the confidence to pursue this career path.

NC State Athletics is where I started my sports graphic design journey. I always loved art and grew up drawing and painting, but this passion was pushed to the side as I threw myself into other interests such as school, soccer, and friendships. So, as you can imagine, when I applied for the internship I had very little to show in terms of graphic design skills. I presented a very bare-boned portfolio that consisted of drawings and paintings from high school AP art and some poorly made logos to my soon to be bosses, McLean Roberts and Chris Downey. They took a chance hiring me and I cannot thank them enough for the opportunity. During my time at NC State, I was given so much room to grow and learn with them backing me every step of the way.

As I was graduating, I applied and interviewed at Charlotte Football Club, who were just beginning their inaugural season. After my first interview with Taylor Banner, Creative Director at CLTFC, I knew this was exactly where I wanted to be- working for someone who not only had passion and kindness, but also incredible talent. From my very first day at Charlotte FC, two years ago to now, I have been uplifted and supported every day by the people around me. I have experienced imposter syndrome throughout this time- questioning if I was good enough to be working for an MLS team or qualified without having a degree in the field. Having Taylor as my manager and the Charlotte FC Content Team always supporting and lifting me up has helped me to start overcoming the second guessing that a lot of creatives experience and has allowed me to learn who I am as a professional.

I am so fortunate to have had what I believe are some of the best mentors in the sports creative world. I hope everyone gets the opportunity to work with people who genuinely care about their coworkers, because it is the people I have met along this journey who have helped make me the person I am today.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Tessa Hansen, the Lead Graphic Designer at Charlotte Football Club. I am a self-taught sports graphic designer from Raleigh, North Carolina. Soccer has always been one of the most important parts of my life. I have found the best community through this sport. Whether it was trying to make friends as a kid, acclimating to a new culture and life living in The Bahamas, or playing club soccer as a college student trying to find my place, some of my closest relationships have come from the sport. It feels like a dream come true to continue to be a part of the soccer community, surrounded by other people who are passionate about it, in my career.

My favorite parts about my job are the amazing people I work with daily and the range of projects I get the opportunity to work on. I think the passionate and hardworking culture at Charlotte FC is apparent in what we accomplish as a club. Every single member of our content team strives to be innovative and break boundaries. It inspires me every day to be surrounded with people with the same mindset. When people think about graphic design, they probably notice our social content and while this is an important part of my job, I think this role is so unique because it extends much further beyond digital graphics. In my time at Charlotte FC, I have had the opportunity to take on projects I never thought would fall into my wheelhouse including designing a deck of cards, a branded van, a coffee can and bag, the fence banner outside of Bank of America Stadium, scarves, and popcorn buckets!

Outside of design, I love spending time outside, exercising, cooking, and hanging out with my dog. I put a lot of time into my friendships and family- they’re the most important thing in this world to me. I am also super passionate about healthy living including nutrition and working out. To fulfill this desire, I am a Certified Personal Trainer and actively make sure mental and physical health is prioritized in my life.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When I was starting to apply for full-time jobs, I had a conversation with my mentor, McLean Roberts, about any advice he had for breaking into the sports creative world. I remember him telling me about how great Twitter was for making online connections with other creatives. As someone who hardly used social media, the thought of posting my work online seemed so foreign and daunting. Reluctantly, I downloaded Twitter and reposted everything I had designed while working at NC State while also following the creatives he recommended as inspiration.

As someone who values face-to-face connections with people, my social media presence is something I still struggle with. I do my best to post my work because I find so much value in seeing other’s art and being inspired by it. I think there is still a lot of room for me to grow in social media. With that being said, reposting and crediting work that you’re proud of is the best way to build your identity globally and step outside of your comfort zone, especially if you struggle with this as well. Social media should be a direct reflection of who people are and authenticity is so important in this ever-changing space so, my biggest piece of advice on this topic is to be consistent and be yourself online.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative for me is inspiring others. Whether it’s someone hearing my story and feeling empowered to pursue their dreams or another creative reaching out about how they’ve been inspired by my work, those moments are what make this job so powerful.

The most important task of being a graphic designer is bringing ideas to life. We prioritize making sure players, fans, and the community feel properly represented and supported. Projects at CLTFC often start with a written request from other departments and working directly with them, we turn that idea into a graphic or product that is creative and engaging. The goal is not just to deliver, but to go above and beyond what they were expecting. Seeing the end-product and experiencing the joy others have when the project is presented is such a rewarding feeling.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tessahansen23.wixsite.com/portfolio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessahansen23/
• Twitter: https://x.com/tessahansen23
• Other: Gondola: https://gondola.cc/tessahansen23

Image Credits

Taylor Banner (photographer)
Alana McCallion (photographer)