Hannah May
Brand Strategist / Brand Designer / Squarespace Designer / Founder of Hannah May Studio
Lisbon, Portugal
www.hannahmaystudio.com
instagram @hannahmay.studio
Q What do you do?
“My studio builds brands and websites for coaches, conscious businesses and thought leaders who want to be seen and remembered.”
This basically means building stand out, industry leading verbal and visual brand identities and websites that connect and sell. An on and off line brand experience that cuts through the noise and help my clients become the obvious choice for their dream clients.
Some would say we are miracle workers ;) We work with service providers, coaches, health and wellness brands, fashion + ecom and tech.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I'm an ex fashion buyer and business strategist turned yogi, designer and brand creatrix.
Starting in the corporate world working across fashion and tech I built a decades worth of business experience before deciding to ditch the rat race, start my own personal journey of healing and nurture my dream to have a creative business that helped people change the world.
In 2019 I retrained as a graphic designer and paired my knowledge of wellness and tech with brand and business strategy to help people who wanted to make a difference with their work.
4 years on and we have built a small but mighty design studio and mentoring programme with clients across all industries and around the world, all with a shared vision - To work for good.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
My background is in business strategy and development as well as being a product and graphic designer. When you work with my studio you get so much more than just design.
You get an objective, creative and logical mind and team of designers that can help you sort through the confusion and ambiguity of where to take your brand, to being in a state of total brand clarity, determination and excitement around getting your business out into the world.
Some have even called it “brand therapy”.
We have a high focus on the individual business owner and how your brand can support the life you want to live as well as creating strong an memorable messaging that helps cement your brand into the hearts and minds of your audience that gets you those sales.
Oh and of course we deliver spot on, stand out visuals every time with most of our clients signing off on the first round.
Q What are you working on right now?
Sooo many amazing clients in the ether right now and it’s super exciting. Here are a few of the projects we are working on atm that I am absolutely loving.
⚡ An app focussed on teaching people how to create their own works of art
⚡ A course creation platform that rivals teachable made for visionary women
⚡ A air b n b short stays business whose main mission is to regenerate the land
⚡ A globally renowned coach and psychotherapist
⚡ An inclusive yoga studio in the heart of East London
Q What’s your style?
I'd like to say that we don't have a specific design style - I always want to make sure that each brand is totally unique and serving the needs of the client and audience, whilst also looking NOTHING like their competition. But all of our work is considered, aesthetic led and we don't shy away from bold and out of the box colour combos.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I love working on both website design and branding projects but I would love to do some more large scale brand projects that span a wide range of applications - digital, physical, media and campaign. That for me is when branding can come to life and start to make real impact on a businesses trajectory. I love to see it when it starts to work.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
So many ideas, so little time! Alongside growing the agency I have plans to grow other parts of the business. Squarespace templates tailored to specific industries, group coaching programmes on building your brand in a way that puts you first, There is only one of me and my team is amazing so i'm being kind to myself and prioritizing what feels right for my audience.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Gawwddd, to do all my returns, book appointments etc. I'm a big believer in being supported in all areas of life, not just your business, so find help where you can to make everything a little easier! The ironing and washing up would also be nice.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I wish that I could have told myself at the beginning of this journey that everything ALWAYS works out ok. And I actually tell myself that on the daily. However hard things get, however unachievable and overwhelming life can be. You always land on your feet. So keep going, believe the universe has your back and smash it.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I would love to pick the brains of brand strategists at the big branding agencies like Pentagram and Design Studio but then also the owners of other agencies that I look up to like How & How and Smack Bang. I never had a mentor in the design world and I would love to be able to learn from people who have done it all before.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Right now I'm looking to bring in aligned branding and website design projects to the studio.
I love working end to end from the very beginning digging out the brand strategy and messaging all the way to the launch and SEO optimisation of the site. This is where I see the biggest impact and opportunity that is created with my clients.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
Ohhhh this is so tough! My ideal client is someone who is passionate, who built their business from a place of authenticity, who saw something that people needed in order to better their lives and created the product or service to help people. Ideal collaborations right now would be with...
⚡Forward thinking physical spaces - Studios, retail, cafes
⚡Authors, speakers and thought leaders
⚡Creative service providers and copywriters
⚡Sustainable fashion or beauty brands
Q What is your rate?
We have design intensive days starting from $1500, full branding packages from $5000 and squarespace website builds from $5500. We have set packages that you can choose from or create a custom package based on your needs.
We also offer up to 5 month payment plans to help spread the costs.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Head to my website, download the services guide then fill out an application form on the “apply to work together” page.
hannahmaystudio.com/apply-to-work-together
My DMS are always open for initial chats! So if you want to work together but want to know more about me and pick my brain then drop me a VN or DM on @hannahmay.studio and let's get scheming.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Lois from @weareupclub she is the most talented copywriter in the business and an absolutely amazing gem of a woman. She is a constant support and inspiration balancing her business with her family and she just gets it. I refer her to all my clients and we work on projects together and her content is amazing.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Not really trying to be creative. Instead of doing something like drawing, reading, looking for inspiration intentionally I move my body, regulate my nervous system, get out in nature and connect with people to have meaningful conversations that have NOTHING to do with my work. Its in the moments of not trying that I get my biggest inspiration and creative waves.
This member profile was originally published in April 2023