Cassidy Wolfenson, Creative Director at Labster: “Let data and intention inform your designs”

When we asked Cassidy Wolfenson, Creative Director at Labster, what tools she finds indispensable in daily life, her answer was immediate: “Tools that automate.” And those three words are ones to keep hold of whilst reading this interview, and should probably be at the forefront of all our minds.

“It’s not perfect, but AI has automated so many production tasks,” Cassidy told us. “In school, I learned how to use the cloning tool, the brush, the eraser and other tools within Adobe Photoshop to remove an object from an image. Now you can just highlight that area in the photo and poof, the object is gone.”

For Cassidy and her team, that means less time on boring, repetitive tasks and more time spent on collaboration and being creative. For example, developing compelling visuals that make online simulations more immersive — and thus more inspiring to STEM learners.

Our huge thanks to Cassidy for taking the time to answer our questions with such clarity and thought. We hope you enjoy reading what she has to say!

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When thinking of your creative process, at what point does technology come in? What role does it play in different stages, from concept to final design?

Technology comes in immediately. A creative project starts with a plan, and that’s when we use a project management tool like Wrike to set up the steps required to complete the project from start to finish.

Technology continues to play a role in the early stages to inspire and ideate. I scour social media channels (mostly LinkedIn and Instagram) to see what other companies are doing — how are they creatively advertising within those platforms? Outside of ads, creative marketing is documented in those channels with photos of events, campaigns or other modern tactics. It’s all great inspiration!

How has technology changed the way you collaborate at work? And in your view, has it improved or worsened navigating creative differences with clients or team members?

I find myself more often than not using tools that are built for collaboration. With a small team, and seeking external stakeholder feedback, tools that help showcase a design — such as allowing someone to scroll through a mockup via a web browser and leave comments, rather than viewing it via a PDF — help a reviewer better understand a concept or direction. Many people are “visual” and if they can see what you mean, whether through a design mockup or even a project plan Gantt chart, navigating creative differences and collaboration is easier.

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What tools or software do you find indispensable in your daily work, and why?

Tools that automate. Canva to set up non-designers with easy-to-use templates so they can be empowered to quickly create what they need. I also use it myself to edit videos fast without the advancements inherent in Adobe Premiere or other more advanced tools that could be distracting.

Figma is indispensable for our web projects. It’s incredibly collaborative — I can easily design within the program, share mockups with designers, developers and non-creatives alike, comment, and hand off to a developer with little explanation.

Over the course of your career, what is one technological shift you’ve witnessed that really stuck with you?

Early in my career, as well as in college, websites were developed by web developers who knew how to code. Now, there are many technologies and tools that a designer with minimal coding experience can use to build and launch a custom-designed and responsive website.

Of course, AI. But specifically, the number of tools and features that use AI to work. It’s not perfect, but AI has automated so many production tasks. In school, I learned how to use the cloning tool, the brush, the eraser and other tools within Adobe Photoshop to remove an object from an image. Now you can just highlight that area in the photo and poof, the object is gone.      

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What advice would you give to aspiring graphic designers looking to break into the industry today?

Let data and intention inform your designs! Always have your audience and the message you want to communicate through your creative work in mind, and let those guide the creative decisions you make.

Don’t be afraid to explore new tools! We get comfortable using tools we know, but spending a little time learning a new tool — or learning about new features and capabilities within the tools we know — can save hours (and stress) in the long term. You’ll also expand your skill set and feel more confident to tackle projects within set parameters.

In what ways has the accessibility of design software democratized the field of design, and what challenges or opportunities has this created?

The accessibility of design software has greatly expanded opportunities in marketing, business and for designers themselves:

• Marketing — designers and non-designers have the opportunity to create graphics and creative assets beyond what used to be possible with their skill level or training.
• Business — creative project automation and custom marketing strategies and experiences are increased.
• Designers — Spending less time on tedious production tasks has expanded the opportunities for a designer to become a more well-rounded creative professional, allowing them more time to invest in strategy, ideation, and management.

How do you stay updated on the latest design technologies and software advancements, and how do you decide when to integrate new tools into your workflow?

This always stems from a business and/or resourcing need. For example, if we have a business need to produce a large number of digital ads, each in 12 size variations, I’ll seek a tool that will help automate this process and do it faster than tools that I already have that may take me twice or even three times as long.