Photo by Tam Nguyen
ART DIRECTOR/HEAD OF DESIGN ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY FUND, NEW YORK NY
Holly is an experienced Creative Director and Designer specializing in strategic creativity across print, digital, environmental, and experiential design. Passionate about causes close to her heart, including human rights and social justice, Holly finds working with mission-driven organizations to be among the most meaningful experiences of her life. Currently, she’s the head of design at the Entertainment Community Fund, where she guides the brand and creative vision, leading an amazing team dedicated to impactful design. Holly’s work has earned awards from GDUSA, Indigo Design Awards, IDA International Design Awards, C2A Creative Communication Awards, and more.
The Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund) is a national human services organization that addresses the unique needs of people who work in performing arts and entertainment with services focused on health and wellness, career and life, and housing. Since 1882, the Fund has sought to ensure stability, encourage resiliency, and be a safety net. They offer a broad spectrum of programs, workshops, support groups, online resources, and emergency financial assistance. In the past year, they have helped 34,000 individuals and distributed emergency financial assistance to over 8,000. Photo by Tam Nguyen
TELL US HOW AND WHY YOU BECAME INVOLVED IN SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE COMMUNICATIONS, AND SHARE ANY THOUGHTS ON WHY DESIGN CAN BE AN ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE TOOL?
The passion has always been there. In college, I ran a gallery where I curated art shows that addressed social and political issues and injustices. It was incredibly moving to see the impact of art. That experience set the stage for the work I’d pursue—work that feels meaningful and contributes to society.
At the Entertainment Community Fund, I’m fortunate to be involved in projects that strengthen our community and help those in need. It’s truly rewarding to use design to make a difference beyond aesthetics. I think design is an effective tool because it helps us capture attention, make connections, and influence people. It holds great power. Therefore, as creatives, we must always think outside ourselves, consider multiple perspectives, and be thoughtful about the messages we convey.
A favorite experience was implementing our rebrand across 800+ projects. We even changed our name. It was a huge undertaking. Instead of just converting existing materials, we reimagined and redesigned everything from scratch. Our goal was to create dynamic, diverse, and inclusive materials. We carefully considered many angles with a focus on representing and serving everyone in our community. We’re currently building on this experience and exploring new ways to grow.
GIVEN THE CONFLUENCE OF EVENTS AND CHALLENGES OUR SOCIETY NOW FACES, DOES THIS MOMENT IN PRESENT ANY SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES, URGENCIES, OBSTACLES TO DESIGNING FOR GOOD?
With pressing issues like climate change, social inequality, and the upcoming election, we’re at a critical juncture where our decisions can have lasting consequences. As designers, we have significant influence over our audiences. This is a time to stand up for social justice, human rights, and the causes we believe in! Just doing our jobs isn’t enough. We need to design with intent and truly represent, include, and serve all communities. If we align our work with the causes we support and design with empathy, integrity, and mindfulness, we can help make the world more equitable and sustainable.
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