Krista Gutzwiller (Experience Design, 2025)
Having birthed and named three humans, I can say with certainty that the act of giving a name is not one taken lightly! You look at initials (my aunt, Alice Sue Stuard, can tell you how important that is), you think about if your child will need to spell their name for everyone (sorry Kaelyn…), and you wonder if it’s the kind of name that sets them apart, or makes them vulnerable.
Watching my own kids grow, I’ve seen the way their name intertwines with their identity, becoming the sum of all their parts. I like to think of those parts as the titles people associate with us: sister/brother, daughter/son, friend/neighbor. And boy do we accumulate quite the collection over time!
Upon arriving at Brandcenter, you’ll find a diverse array of “titles” among us- designer, teacher, architect, lawyer, musician, and (no kidding) even mortician. We may identify ourselves as gay, straight, or trans. We may be married, single, or “it’s complicated”. We may be artists or tech enthusiasts. Some of us embarked on this journey early in life, while others found our way here later on. It’s this vast tapestry of monikers that gives Brandcenter its unique character.
Once accepted to Brandcenter, you add a new title to the list: Art Director, Strategist, Creative Brand Manager, Copywriter, or Experience Designer. We put ourselves into a box with that label on the outside and can be hesitant to venture beyond that boundary. Initially, it’s easy to cling to these titles. IIn time, we realize that our concentration titles are too small to be the only thing we bring to the table.
We were chosen for Brandcenter not for a single thing we’ve done, but for the net sum of our experiences, relationships, and choices. When we bring our authentic selves- our full spectrum of experiences and talents- to the forefront, that’s when the magic unfolds. Moving beyond the constraint of titles we’ve been given, we can contribute in a myriad of ways– it may be creative, it may be strategic, it may be experiential- it doesn’t matter, because we’re there to solve a problem, not conform to labels. When this happens, creative problem-solving transcends into something truly innovative.
I wear many hats- experience designer, mom, wife, small business owner- and while each of these contributes to who I am, none of them tells you the full story. I’d venture a guess that your titles don’t define you either. Your story is as unique as the name you were given. And sharing it is what makes the Brandcenter experience transformative.
Hi, my name is Krista, and I’d love to hear your story!
