About Hannah Dunn
I graduated in 2015 with an Honors BFA in Graphic Design from The University of Iowa School of Art & Art History. As a nontraditional student, I made the most of my time at The University of Iowa, pursuing courses above and beyond the requirements of the program, including graduate-level design workshops, letterpress printing courses through The University of Iowa Center for the Book, and writing courses through the Magid Center.
During my final semester, I began working at Sculpt, an Iowa City-based social media agency, transitioning into full time work upon graduating. From there, I went on to design at branding and marketing agency Meld, where I had the opportunity to work closely with the CEO and Founder and our clients to build fresh brands from the ground up and move established brands forward with engaging and effective marketing.
Over the past four years, I've served as the Creative Director and lead graphic designer in Cornell College’s Office of Marketing & Communications. In this role, I’ve overseen the high-level brand identity of the college’s Academic, Athletics, and Alumni and Advancement brands, bringing creativity and excellence to projects new and old amidst the uncertainty of a global pandemic and the ever-evolving higher education landscape. My work has spanned a wide range of materials and goals, from brand refreshes and style guide development to environmental graphics, capital campaign reports, and, of course, admission materials marketing the college's unique One Course At A Time curriculum to prospective students.
As a designer, my creative approach is deeply rooted in strategy. While I enjoy creating attractive things as much as the next designer, I firmly believe that a beautiful solution that doesn’t solve a problem is not a solution at all. Good design alone cannot compensate for bad content or lack of strategy. Naturally, this means I have a lot of questions for my clients and collaborators! Working from a place of deep understanding of a brand’s purpose, differentiators, and distinct attributes—plus that of its competitors—results in better work that resonates on a deeper level with its audiences and drives greater performance.
Over the course of my career, I have had the great fortune of working with local, regional, and national brands, including: Allsteel, Rise of the Rest, Workgroups DaVinci, Wilson’s Orchard Hard Cider, Joanna’s Delectables, National Co-op Grocers, Urban Acres Real Estate, Oakridge Real Estate, Pear Deck, Stoney Creek Hospitality, The Iowa City Downtown District, and many more.
On Agile.
Early on in my career, I was given the great opportunity to delve into the world of Agile methodology, through programming at Kirkwood Community College and tapping into a powerful local community of Agile practitioners via Meetup. First in my role at Sculpt, and later at Meld as well, I created and implemented a multi-phase plan for incorporating Agile practices into agency processes, taking teams that were attempting Agility—conducting well-intended standups and attempts at retrospectives while reactively responding to every new project, problem, or opportunity on a daily basis—to teams that planned, performed, and delivered every sprint, with the flexibility to adapt, iterate, and improve on behalf of all our clients. At Meld, in addition to my role as Graphic Designer and Strategist, I functioned as Meld’s Scrum Master, facilitating Planning, Demo, and Retrospective activities in our three-week Sprints and educating new employees on Agile marketing practices.
Additional areas of interest:
Dad humor and puns
Digital and fine press printing
Arcane punctuation and grammar rules
Vegan cooking and baking