About HCM Strategy
I believe design and storytelling are most powerful when they help people see clearly, connect deeply, and act together. My work is rooted in the idea that clarity isn’t just communication, it’s impact.
Over the past decade, I’ve worked across agencies, startups, and large corporations, building strategies and systems that reached wide audiences. Along the way, I saw how often complexity, jargon, or profit-driven thinking left people out of the story. That’s what drove me to focus my practice on nonprofits, civic groups, and values-driven businesses—organizations where design can serve communities and move missions forward.
Past Experience
Every chapter of my career added a different layer: agility in agencies, scale in corporations, depth through research—all of which guide the way I design for impact today.
Early in my career, I cut my teeth in fast-paced environments where creativity met tight deadlines. I built brand strategies, campaigns, and digital experiences that demanded both agility and impact.
At larger organizations, I learned how to navigate scale and complexity, leading projects that reached broad audiences and balancing strategy across multiple teams and priorities.
Pursuing a Master’s in Design Management & Communications at Georgetown gave me the space to dive deep into participatory design, qualitative research, and community storytelling.
During grad school, I began carving out space to work independently with mission-driven clients, shaping campaigns, websites, and strategies that prioritized people as much as performance.
Recent work with nonprofits, civic groups, and grassroots movements has focused on making complex issues clear - from energy literacy in Boston’s Chinatown to civic transparency in Detroit.
Today, my focus is entirely on mission-driven organizations: nonprofits, civic groups, and B Corps. I combine strategy, storytelling, research, and design to help teams connect with communities and power change.
Strategic Prinicples
My approach is rooted in design thinking and storytelling, guided by principles that put people, clarity, and impact first.
01.
Design should start with listening. Every strategy begins with understanding the needs, voices, and lived experiences of the people it’s meant to serve.
02.
Complex challenges demand clear communication. My work simplifies the technical and the abstract into stories people can understand and act on.
03.
Facts inform, but stories move. I use storytelling to bridge ideas and people, making missions memorable and meaningful.
04.
Design isn’t about quick wins, it’s about building trust and creating change that carries forward long after a project ends.
Stories of Collaboration
2020
Hayley was fantastic in creating an in-depth Brand Guide. The amount of work she put into it was beyond what I expected. Hayley’s ability to communicate well, and understand her client, is perhaps her greatest asset. There are plenty fo people that do “great design”, but finding people who are at once collaborative, good listeners, and ingenious, is quite another thing.
2023
It’s rare that you come across standout talent like Hayley’s. Her exceptional skills in crafting effective customer-centric design strategy are unmatched. Seamlessly blending design aesthetics with practical usability and detailed costumer insight. She has valuable expertise in conducting user research, implementing creative strategies, and developing intuitive user interfaces.
2023
I highly recommend Hayley for her exceptional talent and leadership as a strategist. I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside her and I was consistently impressed by her creative vision and ability to deliver outstanding results. Hayley’s attention to detail and ability to effectively manage client relationships made her an invaluable asset.
2023
Hayley is amazing. She deeply understands marketing and design, but most of all, she understands how to make things happen. Hayley made our company what it is today and we are so grateful for her hard work and dedication throughout the years. We’ve partnered with her many times over the last 5 years and we hope to continue this partnership in the years to come. Thank you for all of the help, Hayley!
2024
Hayley has been presented with 2 of our top-tier clients who require a lot of time and effort. Not only has she been communicating with them, asking questions and working through feedback on a regular basis, but she has been creating top notch designs for both. She’s been managing relationships like a pro, expressing our best practices while looking for ways to make the client as happy as possible.
2025
Hayley, great work. Everything is done with excellent context and creativity. Your research was realistic, achievable, and well defined. Your story has been coming together nicely throughout the project and you will only now have to build upon what you have in order to land the plan in the final presentation. Excellent work and looking forward to seeing the finished product.
