Layla Gulergun
Q What do you do?
“I work with brands, clients and businesses to establish thoughtful and dynamic digital-first brand identity systems. ”
As a (1) Creative Director I envision a brand from a 360 perspective with a humanistic design approach. I honor the idea that I am the liaison for your business that visually communicates a sense of empathy and harmony with your consumers. As an (2) Art Director, I determine how a brand should be put out into the world. I believe that photography around your brand is key to having a desirable perspective. As a (3) Designer, I am hands-on in concepting, making, evolving, and perfecting.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
Growing up in a family of artists, I naturally go back to the very beginning. I’ve been encouraged to create, and make, and embrace the beauty in imperfection all my life. I’ve always been entranced by color, balance, and a sense of contrast in design as I saw it in my surroundings and nature.
After receiving a BFA, I landed a dream job at a digital agency and worked my way up from designer, to art director, to creative director. I found myself leading photo and video shoots with the in-house production team, establishing packaging design standards, and reenvisioning brands from their logo to their custom web experience. I’ve had the opportunity to work with producers, strategists, developers, photographers and so many others. The versatility in my experiences unveiled a profound passion for concepting, collaborating, and inventing to see the full picture of what a brand can be.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I believe that psychology plays a critical role in design decisions and I implement empathy into my designs. I always aim to meet the client, or the consumer where they’re at. From an emotional perspective, I believe that my job is to connect the consumer to the brand on a deeper level. From a practical perspective, a brand is only as good as how it lives beyond the designer’s scope. I want to establish a brand that is usable for a client, and impactful for their consumer. With so much content out in the world and brands that are following trends or created overnight, I stand out because I’m not just a set of design hands but a thorough creative thinker with awareness, nuance, and taste.
Q What are you working on right now?
Since moving upstate, I’ve recently been focusing some of my efforts on a few community-oriented projects to help small businesses grow. There’s so much life and energy happening in the Hudson Valley and I’m psyched to be a part of it.
Q What’s your style?
I pull from natural environments for inspiration and I feel that that’s reflected in my work overall. I find so much value in imperfection and highlighting the beauty in scars or marks. This translates in several ways to design. It can be the soft, shallow depth of field of a photograph that then draws the eye to what is in focus like what you see in my Upwest case study. It can be a color palette of off-whites and near-blacks that mellows a mood as illustrated with my work done for FOLX Health, or unexpected typography pairings that mimic symbiotic relationships in nature like what you’ll find in the work done with Levain Bakery.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
If I could be on set daily, I would. I love the energy and efforts to actively solve a problem with a group of creative people.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Since I’ve been working from home, my cat has developed an adorable habit of demanding a lap to sit on for the better half of the work day. I would 100% have to hire someone that could offer her a lap so that I can design with a little more mobility!
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
Embrace the weirdness and creativity that allows you to see the world in your way.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
My grandfather was a business owner and before he passed I wish I had asked him more questions about his challenges, learnings, and advice.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I’m available for short or long term projects but I’d love to hear from clients, founders, and agencies looking for an ongoing connection with a hands-on brand consultant. As a Creative Director, I’m able to find solutions holistically and having a continued relationship allows me to make deeper impacts for brands.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
My ideal collaboration is with an open-minded client that encourages creative thought, is excited about something new and unexpected, and isn’t afraid to take a bit of risk. I believe that the best concepts arrive when we’re on the same page, clearly understand expectations, and establish trust.
Q What is your rate?
This depends on the type of work we’re doing together. My hourly starts at $125 for smaller projects. For larger projects I use a flat fee that depends on the complexity and timeline. I love working with small businesses and start ups so for those that are just starting out, I’m always happy to discuss what’s feasible.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Email me at hello@laylagulergun.com. A quick description of what you’re looking to achieve or what the problem you’re facing is great to include.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Ceramics, specifically wheel throwing. It’s become my place of meditation and inspiration.
This member profile was originally published in June 2023