About Me

The Sparknotes summary of me would be:
-Brand Designer & Strategist originally from Maryland, now based in Chicago, Illinois.

-Massive Illini fan with a Masters and Bachelors Degree from the University of Illinois.

-Sports Uniform Enthusiast.
-Former Lacrosse Player.

-Lover of House Music.

Here's the real deal:
My name is Shanen Haigler. I’ve been designing almost my entire life, but the real experience started about 8 years ago in college. I’ve worn lots of different hats as a designer by creating Digital & Social, Branding, Environmental, Print, Packaging, Industrial, and Uniform designs with Marketing & Advertising strategies implemented from my education and past experiences. My design experiences have led me to work for some big companies, organizations and teams which has allowed me to produce work seen by hundreds of millions of people worldwide, and work at grand events with tens of thousands of people in attendance with the NBA, NBRPA, and University of Illinois Athletics.

My Design Philosophy

I believe "if you can design one thing you can design everything." -Massimo Vignellitry

I try to emulate if a Swiss Army knife was a designer.

And because of that, I hone my design skills in as many different ways as possible so that I can thrive in any role I take on. I love the game of pushing the boundaries of creativity while staying aligned with brand guidelines. Often times I find inspiration by looking at a brand's traditions and past designs, and trying to evolve them by looking through the lens of modern trends.

How It All Started

My love of design started when I was a kid. I always took an obsessive notice to branding and logos for sports teams and companies. Whenever a company would change their logo or brand identity, no matter how small the change was, I would notice it, study what was different and compare it to the old identity. In free time during school, I would draw uniforms and logo concepts for sports teams that I played for, or supported.

While I was in middle school, I developed a love for sneakers. I would keep track of every retro Jordan or Lebron that released and just hope that one day eventually I could get them for myself. I would start sketching the shoes that I wanted and liked the most. This led to sketching concepts for shoes that I came up with on my own, and that’s how I learned about my passion for Industrial and Product Design.

While in college, I had opportunities come about that were more related to Graphic Design in the sports world when I joined the University's football creative team and became the Creative Director of the school's Men's Lacrosse team. This allowed me to develop my design skills like branding, print and environmental design, which allowed me to stay well rounded. Because of my graphic design experiences in school, I was able to find similar opportunities after graduating like working for the NBRPA, and now the NBA.

Hobbies

DJing

Producing

Music

Sports

Video

Games