DIRECTOR OF BRANDING + MEDIA
SPRING HILLS
EDISON NJ
Krystal Pratt is an award-winning designer and creative director with over 15 years of experience. Designing at every level from inhouse to agency and freelance positions, Krystal’s primary focus has been creating high-end editorial designs to support strategic marketing initiatives within luxury travel and in home industries, working with brands such as Ritz Carlton, Porcelanosa, Calvin Klein, Christopher Guy and Kathy Ireland. In August of 2019, amid the height of the pandemic, Krystal courageously joined Spring Hills, entering into the healthcare industry.
As Art Director at Spring Hills, during her first six months, she worked on elevating the existing brand, while staying true to its roots. With company support, she built a team with specialized skills and enhanced the use of digitally interactive media for sales enablement. Because of Krystal’s attention to detail and photography background, she ran point on 3D community tours as an effective selling tool and to enhance the client experience. Krystal’s elegant and thought-provoking designs and initiatives secured two awards for the team and resulted in a promotion to Director of Branding + Media. Krystal notes that her success has been due to selfless mentors who have helped her navigate business mindsets in her creative world to continuously learn and grow. Thinking of others, Krystal provides pro bono design and strategic marketing to company’s whose mission is close to her heart including Behind the Book and The Unusual Suspects. She enjoys dedicating time to guiding others, inspiring their passion, and honing their skill. Krystal believes in paving the way for the future of design.
Looking forward, are you optimistic about the role of graphic design in business and society?
I am absolutely optimistic about graphic design being needed and utilized moving into the next century. Design surrounds us everyday. It’s on everything from the logo on your car to the label on your milk. Design might look different moving forward, as everything is naturally gravitating towards digital, but it will always be necessary and utilized. We are starting to see this transition with the usage of QR codes and apps. It’s exciting to see the endless possibilities that will await designers in the very near future.
Have the challenges of the past two years changed the way you approach your work?
First off, time blocking is key. At the start of the pandemic when working remotely it becomes hard to turn off at the end of a day because you think ‘just another 5 minutes’. You end up working more hours and getting burnt out quickly to no fault other than your own. Time blocking ensures you get what you need to get done and you have a set time you shut off. Design-wise, Covid challenged designers to find ways to create a ‘human touch’ without actually being able to have it. Going digital has been a huge component in business these last 2 years but, not the digital we have been used too … taking it a step further to create full-on digital experiences. Something that can be emailed or showcased across ZOOM, something urging the end user to interact — all this can’t replace the ‘human touch’ but it has helped to bridge what we hope is a temporary gap.
