With a client list that includes industry giants like SoulCycle and Pinterest, LA-based art director and designer Kelsey Bryden has a simple yet wildly effective work philosophy: good work happens when you step out of your comfort zone and encourage others to do the same—especially when they’re your client.
Read her exclusive interview for her fresh perspective on all things design, how she’s honed her innovative approach, and why understanding a brand’s level of expressiveness is key to finding the perfect balance between following rules and breaking them.
Stills: How did you get your start in design, and what led you to freelance work with such notable brands?
Kelsey Bryden: My dad was a designer, so I applied to design school to follow in his footsteps. I went to Parsons and started interning with studios in the social impact space. I wanted to break free from the more conservative design sensibilities of the nonprofit world, and I was lucky enough to transition to my first in-house role at SoundCloud. You just need one notable brand to let you in, and from there, it gets easier.
Is there a particular project or brand that has significantly impacted your career?
SoulCycle. I walked into that job thinking I was in the wrong place, not at all identifying with the brand widely accepted as a rich white woman’s space, but I left with a huge amount of experience and appreciation for the work I’d done. I was able to really tap into being an art director there, managing illustrators and motion designers and hiring amazing photographers and other creatives.
How has staying true to yourself impacted how you select projects and clients?
You can bring your taste and insight to everything. If you’re working with a client that’s more buttoned up, you can always present an option that feels out of their comfort zone and see if it sticks. Personal interests are a great starting point to attracting and going after work that feels very aligned. Lately I’ve been incorporating brands I love into my work, like Jacquemus or Melitta Baumeister. Sort of signaling to the universe that they’re on my radar. I also love dance music and always look for ways to design and direct in that space.
Working with brands in the fitness, tech, and food industries, what has been the most challenging aspect of transitioning between projects?
The hardest part is speaking to a much broader audience when you’ve been working with a more narrow one for a while. Sometimes, brands with more general audiences take fewer creative risks because they don’t want to alienate anyone. I keep my ear to the ground to pick up as many insights as possible about the audience we’re speaking to because knowing the audience allows me to change gears quickly and make decisions thoughtfully.
How do you maintain each brand’s unique identity while infusing your creative vision?
The most important axis for understanding a brand’s place is that of expressiveness. The spectrum could also be perceived as an aptness to break versus follow rules. It can seem obvious whether a brand is straight-laced or not, but there’s nuance to this spectrum, and it’s good to know the specifics of where you’ll have wiggle room. Everything falls into place from there, and you’re able to know when it makes the most sense to insert your own takes. A brand that doesn’t shy away from experimentation and lies on the more expressive side can be introduced to new mediums, concepts, and design languages as long as you can make the case. With a more “by the book” brand, I propose nudges that feel small to me but most likely will feel significant to them. As a person with your own thoughts and experiences, you’ll come up with expressions of a brand that sometimes fall outside of its purview naturally. It’s important to not be afraid of that—it doesn’t make you a bad creative.
How do you approach building long-term relationships with brands?
Striving to have real relationships with a creative team is helpful. I want to know the people behind the brand and connect with them about things outside work.
What’s been the most rewarding aspects of your career?
I’ve loved making things with other extremely talented people. Mandy Stoller has become a frequent collaborator of mine; she’s an incredible photographer and CGI artist. We worked on an editorial shoot recently, and I was super humbled by the talent, makeup/hair—everyone who worked on it. It’s a bittersweet thing, but you hit certain milestones and have a dual feeling of knowing that the Younger You would be in awe and Present You is already onto the next achievement mentally.
How do you stay inspired and continually bring fresh ideas to the table with client work?
Being tapped into fashion and even more tapped into music provides a more constant stream of inspiration. Those two industries fly pretty close to the sun when it comes to producing commercial art. Brands like Chopova Lowena and Collina Strada have a strong influential graphic sense. The renaissance of dance music flyers and merchandise is a huge source of inspiration for me, too. The trends and movements within these two worlds have introduced me to new software and techniques that I now bring into my more commercial work.
What’s your advice to designers balancing creative freedom with client expectations?
It’s helpful to meet people where they’re at. If they’re not as adventurous as you are, give them what they want and present an alternative option from an informed and strategic place. Also, try very hard not to let the less creatively fulfilling work you’re doing for money get in your way of working on things that fulfill you. I’ve taken my foot off the gas for long periods of time and not challenged myself. You can definitely find your way back, but try not ever to get too comfortable. Stability is wonderful, and we all need it, but as creative people, you want more.
What do you like about Stills? Why would you recommend it as a resource for brands/designers?
The importance of quality photography cannot be overstated. Designers always need resources like Stills, and I’ll always stand behind empowering independent photographers.
