Profile Photo
 

Hi there!

I’m Jolene, a brand and marketing designer. I help brands show up beautifully and consistently in the market with efficient workflows and strong designs that deliver results.

Over the past decade, I’ve built my career and expertise at the intersection of communication, visual design, brand and marketing.

I coordinated shoots and managed writers and designers at a creative consultancy, built out the creative function at a startup, led a brand identity refresh at a Fintech company, and managed communications for an organisation of hundreds. I now work in-house at Spark New Zealand—one of NZ’s largest premium telcos.

I bring more than creative execution. I combine the rigour of a systems thinker and the eye of a designer in my work.

Apart from helping brands show up consistently at every touchpoint, I also identify, plan, and rebuild workflows that produce better work, faster.

I am a productivity nerd, love soggy fries, chewy cookies, rainy days, lunch-time-gym-goer, am learning Japanese, fibre art, woodworking, and run out of energy by 4pm.

Someday, I hope to adopt a dog or two, own a stationery boutique, run a homeware store, and start a soup kitchen.

How I work

  • Believing that I am contributing good work that ladders up to a greater goal that aims to make the lives of people a better one. Knowing that the skills and expertise that I bring to the table are recognised, rewarded, and further nurtured. Feeling like I am more than a number in the organisation.

  • A place that’s there to provide healthy, fulfilling work environments so that when employees shut their laptops at a reasonable hour, they’re the best spouses/parents/siblings/children they can be. An opportunity that will see the value of an Individual Contributor (IC) and have a path of career growth and development in place for it.

    1. INTJ (Architect): “These types are intellectually curious individuals with a deep-seated thirst for knowledge. They tend to value creative ingenuity, straightforward rationality, and self-improvement.” (Read more on this Personality type)

    2. Top 5 strengths (Clifton Strengths):

      • Deliberative

      • Achiever

      • Competition

      • Focus

      • Consistency

  • Bringing order to chaos. I’m always looking for opportunities to improve the craft and organise workflows that lift productivity and quality of the output.

  • A clear scope of what is being asked of me, along with a deadline. A thoughtful, clear measurable goal or purpose for the work. Room for creative recommendations. Uninterrupted focus time.

  • Being clear about what you’re expecting from me. Working with me, not just telling me what to do. Trusting me to bring recommendations and problem solve where and when it matters. Above all, engaging me in meaningful work.

  • Clear, measurable goals. Clarity on what is being asked of me. Room for creative recommendations that bring solutions. Thoughtful end-to-end workflow plans (or at least room for me to support that, if not). Working deadlines that bring necessary structure and leave room for some flex. A strong, intentional understanding of who needs to be in the conversation to bring the outcome to fruition.

  • Attention to detail, finding ways to work more sensibly and efficiently, problem solving, juggling multiple projects concurrently, being a self-starter, asking the right questions to separate what really matters from what doesn’t, committing to consistency of what I have promised and what I will deliver.

  • Have a lot of natural sunlight (and plants). May be quirky and comfy, or modern, light and open. I get into a focus flow in quiet spaces and like having my headphones on. I prefer having a desk of my own, and also to be able to move from space to space to suit the mood and task I have.

  • Fibre art and am currently turning illustrations into cross-stitch/needlework pieces. I have a heart for animal and conservation causes, and want to be doing more in that space. I’m a bit of a productivity nerd who’s, for better or worse, always finding ways to maximise my time and effort. I do my best to prioritise moving and getting stronger so I can travel, eat, and live well. I also love street photography, and hope to be able to send my shots out into the world some day.

The 5 rules I try to live by.

 

  1. Live bravely. Choose courage over comfort.

  2. Be curious. Not judgemental.

  3. Respect everyone’s time.

  4. Pay attention to the details. They make all the difference.

  5. Make room for vulnerability—in myself, and others.