What are your pronouns? 

She/her 

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In as few words possible, how would you describe what you do? 

I find what’s most powerfully true about a brand and give that brand the tools, including the language, to share it. 

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How did you get your start as a creative? 

I’ve always been a writer. My 5th grade teacher gave me the nickname “the poet”! I just had this drive to write. But…I didn’t know what they would mean for me professionally, if anything. I toyed with a few different ideas in college based on some other interests — major in Psych? Theater? Physics!? — but when I thought about what would make me feel most energized, most like me, what I could imagine dedicating so much of my senior year to in the form of a thesis, I could only answer one way: Creative Writing.

That didn’t mean I was preparing for a writing career; my internships had all been in music and entertainment. But when I made the transition to “official” adult after college, things had changed – and were continuing to change – in those industries, and the future was uncertain (ahem Napster). Fortunately, I landed an executive internship with Patti Pao at her then-firm, The Pao Principle, wherein I supported her in tackling big questions, problems, and opportunities and gaining exposure to everything from product development to branding to PR. (Thank you, Patti – it’s so clear to me now that that time was an incredible crash course in getting to the heart of a challenge and working your way toward the solution across so many parts of the brand and business!)

After my time there, I scoured job board after job board, with one question in mind: what’s out there where I can “vaguely” use my writing skills? At the time, I didn’t want to pursue a teaching or journalism path, but did I know what I wanted to do? Of course not. And then I found the full time opportunity that officially started it all: Program Coordinator in Verbal Identity at Interbrand.

I can’t say I knew much, if anything, about branding as an industry. And Program Coordinator is a production, not creative, role (though I believe if you’re nurturing the right environment, everyone is creative.) But it sounded really interesting: a whole team dedicated to figuring out how a brand speaks? Count me in. I got the gig, and from day one, the then-head of the department told me she anticipated that I might get the itch to do creative work on the team, so the door would be open to trying my hand at it with the goal of transitioning.

A year or so in at Interbrand, and I officially made the switch to entry-level Verbal Identity Consultant, and the rest is well, history? I am so grateful to that leadership team for giving me that opportunity, and supporting a passion they recognized and celebrated. I wouldn’t have had the career I have had if that hadn’t been the case.  

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Previously, you established the Verbal Design practice at one of the world's leading agencies. Could you share some takeaways or insights from building the practice from the ground up?

Start with listening. And keep listening. And ask how you can help. I spent the majority of my first few months — maybe even my first year — meeting with folks across the agency and taking a look at what they’d already been doing, all with the goal of understanding where they felt challenged most. There was a gap in their ability to deliver to clients, and there was the most untapped opportunity to serve clients and the business. At the same time, I made myself available, and said “yes,” whenever asked, even if the circumstances weren’t “perfect” (is there even “perfect!?) or the question wasn’t pure Verbal Design. At the end of the day, building something from the ground up has to be done with humility, empathy, and collaboration, and that all starts with relationships, trust, and conversation—and the recognition that lots of people know things you don’t know, and that’s not only okay, it's a good thing. 

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What are some skills beyond good writing that make the biggest difference in your work?

Anticipating where internal and client stakeholders are going to get tripped up.
I challenge myself and my team members to always actively try to break solutions and find the fuzzy bits someone less familiar with the work might struggle with. But, you can’t do that effectively without getting to the heart of what matters to each stakeholder. What do they care about? What is their worldview? What are their pressures and drivers? 

Seeing myself as a creative and strategist first, whose superpower lies is language.
‍(And my colleagues as creatives and strategists first, each with their own superpower.) I believe not just in collaboration amongst but integration of the disciplines. It’s the only way to get to a seamless, multi-dimensional brand, rather than an identity of parts. In this way, I can see a problem and potential solution from multiple angles, participate in conversations about ideas, not just words, and even be able to recognize when Verbal Design won’t answer the question or will only answer part of it. At the same time, it keeps me open to non-writers or non-Verbal Designers contributing to language-based solutions. And that means we’re all working toward the best outcomes together, period. Verbal Design shapes the way I think and solve; it doesn’t limit it.

How I aim to work: with vulnerability, empathy, transparency, and fun.
The work can be great, but if how we got there didn’t make the people involved feel good or contribute to growth, we’ve missed the mark. Call them skills or values, these things take intentionality and practice. It wasn’t easy in the beginning, but I’ve gotten into the habit of asking my team members how I can do better, what they need more or less of from me, or if they have any input for me — as we go through the process. Similarly, I encourage openness; if an expectation feels unrealistic, tell me, if there’s a blocker, let’s talk it through, and if I provide feedback, let’s look at that as an opportunity to progress. And I look for small moments to be humans, and even be silly,  together, which starts in the kickoff. Of course, it’s all always in progress, and I see each brief as an opportunity to get a little closer to the ideal.

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Your bio highlights the importance of asking the right questions to guide teams towards the right ideas. Could you share some examples of questions that you find are most effective in sparking creativity and innovation?

Oh, I love a question about questions! The most valuable questions to ask will depend on the thing you’re solving for and where you are in the process, but a couple I always have in my back pocket: 


What would we do if…. and: Imagine if…
‍I am a big fan of applying different parameters to your brief as a starting point to getting beyond the surface-level answers. This question can manifest in a few ways; you could give yourself or your team constraints: What would we do if we had 2 hours to solve this and the result was going to be livestreamed in Times Square? How would we write this if we were a great aunt writing a letter to her five-year-old niece? Or the “fake brief.” You might be creating a car brand, but if you write a different brief —it’s not a car brand, it’s a new nightclub with five floors, each of which transports you to a different location around the world—might the ideas flow in a different way? This can be a really useful technique to try even before you disclose the real ask or to when you feel stuck.

What would be the absolute worst/wrong way to answer this question?
Sometimes figuring out what would be a failure can help you get closer to the right thing faster. And if you examine why something didn’t work, you’ll strengthen your success criteria. 

Why?
‍In my opinion, toddlers are onto something with their insistence on knowing why something is, even beyond the initial explanation. Stay curious. Stay persistent. If we want to get to the heart of an idea and be able to sell it to clients with confidence, we need a clear understanding of why an idea is the strongest one, and well before that, why the problem we’re solving exists in the first place. ‍

‍Why not? (Or what if…)
‍Sometimes what stops us just short of getting to great is putting a wall up too soon. If you ask why not or what if, you will follow an idea to its logical conclusion, and that might lead you to something incredible or incredibly wrong. Either way, you’ve learned something and given an idea a chance to breathe. I find these questions really useful, too, in building with others in a room in a way that’s constructive. For example: When I hear that, I think this. What if we flipped it around and tried this? You’re coming from a place of curiosity not judgment, so I find it helps bring people along as you strengthen concepts and debate ideas together.

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What advice would you offer to young writers looking to make a career of being a creative?

Take a look around you and ask yourself why you like or hate a brand, campaign, or line you see. Challenge yourself to make it better (even if you don’t yet have the tools, like the proficiency with software) to do so. Seek inspiration outside of yourself and the industry. Read. Go to movies. Listen to podcasts. Talk to folks who do totally different things than you do — especially non-creative things. Part of being a great creative is learning a client’s business quickly; we’re always students. And hold onto the skills and passions you have. They will serve you. I’m a better Verbal Designer, and brander, because I am a poet, not just a writer. It makes me hear solutions in a different way. Whatever poetry is for you, keep up with it — truly, make time for your personal endeavors — and be confident about it; it will help you be a better creative. And when you land that first gig, do as much listening as you do talking, if not more; be a sponge, but don’t be afraid to ask questions. 

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The verbal identity and brand language landscape is continuing to evolve. How do you see it evolving over the next few years? Any predictions or wishes?

At the risk of sounding cliche, AI is not going away; we’ve got to embrace it. But I think it only underscores and accelerates an opportunity to create not only Verbal Design but overall Brand Design systems that can sing, and hold up, everywhere and anywhere a brand needs to show up, which is constantly and rapidly evolving. We’ve got to think in scenarios, not frameworks. I’d say it’s both a prediction and a wish, and a shift I aim to have a hand in: filling in boxes with voice principles and messages, and creating more boxes to flex those original boxes for different channels or audiences, is already becoming obsolete. Instead, let’s design approaches that account for multiple factors at any one time—from audience to channel to objective, and more, and not only how a brand speaks and what a brand says but when and why a brand speaks—all stemming from a singular brand character. AI need not create the final output, but rather help a creator get to the right kind of solution, approach, baked on a given scenario, more quickly, and help solve for future scenarios not yet accounted for.  

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You’ve already done so much in your career, what’s next for you? What would your ideal role/team/environment look like?

That’s so kind! I’m proud of the legacy I’ve been building and excited about the possibilities for what’s next. I get excited about working in an environment in which respect, kindness, fun, and true integration are nurtured. Where folks with all different superpowers and backgrounds are in digital or physical rooms saying ‘yes, and’ to each other's ideas, creating and inventing together, building creative momentum together. Where we can feel good about the work we’re doing because it was done with integrity and does good for people or the world. Where my creative influence and impact can expand; where I can help others do the same. And where we see amazing thinking through. I ultimately want to make things with people as passionate as I am. 

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Where can The Subtext readers keep up with you? 

• Jennifervano.com
‍• linkedin.com/in/jennifer-vano

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Bonus Round: 

Dream brief -- what does it say in one sentence?

We’re launching a new hotel chain, and we need you to do it all: strategy, brand identity, (including naming), sub-branding (e.g., in-hotel experiences, like restaurant, spa), concept new ways to make the guest experience great, and take it from concept to launch in the hotel environment and campaign.  

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Fuck, Marry, Kill (for copywriters) – Manifestos, Billboards, Social Campaigns

Oh gosh. Too hard! 
I would say fuck social campaigns. I’m a sucker for conversation. 
Marry manifestos. They get to the heart of it all don’t they? 
Kill billboards. Love ‘em, but they’re so loud. ;) 

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In one word, what is the enemy of good creative work? 

Apathy 

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If you could life swap with anyone, who would it be (no explanation needed)?

My bookmaking professor when I studied in Italy. She lived in the Tuscan hills making gorgeous books. I mean, come on!?