From award-winning fitness studios to bestselling apps and lifestyle labels, Neverland Studio founder and creative director Dani Hunt’s work has captured audience attention from London to Los Angeles. Read her interview below to hear what sparked her passion for design and how she utilizes Stills as a resource in her stunning work.
Stills: What is your design process like, and how has it changed as you’ve evolved in your career?
Dani Hunt: The strongest creative projects are backed by solid strategy and commercial intelligence. So, I always begin with a deep dive into that realm. Once that’s locked and loaded, my design process has a natural ebb and flow.
First, I collect massive volumes of visual inspiration and artfully distill that into a tight, original aesthetic (mood board). Next, I welcome a wave of creative exploration and experimentation and identify the strongest concepts to take forward. Finally, I push the leading concept to its limits and refine it into a polished creative outcome that excites and commercially delivers.
My design process has always followed a similar rhythm, but I move through it with more flow and assuredness these days. I know when I’ve struck creative gold and how to dress it for commercial success.
Where do you look for inspiration?
Keeping talented, creative folk in your sights and circle is a surefire source of motivation and inspiration. I also keep my eyes on a few creative haunts, specifically AIGA Eye On Design, The Brand Identity, Site Inspire, and Internet Gems. When a project demands ‘Inspiration, now!’ you can’t beat Dribble, Pinterest, or Savee.
How do you get your head back in the game when feeling burnt out?
Rest is the ultimate cure for burnout. When the creative juices aren’t flowing, stepping back (with confidence in your creative skill set) is key. It’s also completely incompatible with early parenthood and an inefficient use of the precious pocket of time you’ve managed to extract from the day. So, a quick tea break and a blast of Aussie hip-hop while the kettle boils is my current go-to. Music is the ultimate mood-lifter and never fails to reset a funk. Some sensible, ‘grown-up’ decisions should follow at bedtime.
What is your ‘secret weapon’ when creating? How did you develop this skill?
Clients seek me out because I’ve cracked the code for merging creativity with commercial success. This is my superpower: my ability to create an engaging piece of design that performs powerfully in a commercial setting. I froth on the intersection of design and commerce and adore packaging projects. I’m a very practical and methodical person, and print media takes no prisoners. If your product doesn’t scan correctly or meet local labeling standards, you risk being booted from the shelf. Each project has brought more knowledge and expertise in this realm.
Looking back, what are some hurdles you had to overcome that impacted you?
Having kids has been a doozy! In a former life, I would sink into the creative process and luxuriate in the freedom to emerge at a point of neat resolution. Throw a small human (or two) into the mix, and it calls for a completely different way of working. Your windows of time are more disjointed and prized. I’ve learned to work in a different (and far more efficient) way… to switch my creative brain on and off in an instant, work in bite-sized chunks, and use those ‘in-between’ moments when I’m with my kids to simmer on a concept or idea. I’ve milked 40-minute naps to their full potential and sketched logos on misty shower screens. Capacity is stretched by parenthood, but creativity never wanes.
What do you like about Stills? How is it a good resource for designers?
The minute you load the page, Stills feels different. The layout and the high-quality images tell you you’re in good company among peers. The greatest difference (in terms of the photographic content) is the emotive interplay of light and shadow. Photography’s role in design is to bring warmth, realness, and texture, and the Stills collection effortlessly delivers. In an AI landscape, this is crucial.
