Meet Ceci Jayo | Co-Founder & Design Director of HIYO Design

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ceci Jayo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ceci, alright, let’s jump in with a deep one – what’s you’re definition for success?
“What is success?” Is it to build a career in a huge company in New York City? Is it becoming the CEO of an award-winning agency, having lots of employees and being recognized world-wide for working with some of the largest well-known brands? That’s what we used to think, but over time, our definition of success has evolved in ways we didn’t anticipate.

Before launching HIYO DESIGN, my co-founder Cristi and I worked at NYC-based global agencies. We quickly learned that when you’re good at your job, you are “rewarded” with more work… often to the point of full burnout. Is that success? It sure didn’t feel like it.

And so we learned that our new definition of success required achieving “work-life balance” as a key component. But was that possible, while still maintaining the “NYC agency level of quality”?

Well, when it came to creative work, we saw that as the teams became larger, the creativity was actually diluted. “Too many chefs in the kitchen” could turn what should be a 3-day project into a 6-month (or more) nightmare, AND often made the final work not as creative or groundbreaking as one would hope.

It was clear that the corporate system was failing to elevate their best employees, and set them up for what we believe is *true* success, while also failing to produce the best, most efficient, effective, and creative work for their clients.

Realizing we didn’t have any ties to NYC (unmarried, no kids, etc.) we took it as an opportunity to save up and plan a once in a lifetime round-the-world adventure. In 2015 we quit our jobs, sold our belongings, and backpacked from New York to California… the long way. We traveled through 14 different countries in Europe and Asia in a period of 7 months. Although we had saved up some money, we were able to keep earning income by working from our laptops. The constant change of scenery reignited our “creative spark” and we were producing amazing work at record speeds.

To our surprise, there was HIGH demand for our services, and we ended our trip with an undeniable realization that THIS is what we were meant to do. HIYO DESIGN was born.

A design studio that fits into somewhere between a freelancer and an agency. Our work is 90% remote, as we only plan trips to see our clients for photoshoots, video shoots, or other important meetings. Thanks to the technology that we have access to today, we can easily leave behind some of the antiquated ways of the corporate agency world.

We work directly with our clients in small teams and empower our clients to actively take part in the creative process, making it a much more collaborative and transparent experience. This system often saves our clients hundreds if not thousands in unnecessary maintenance fees, office overhead, in-person meeting expenses, and many more of the hidden corporate costs; so instead, the investment can be spent on what it really should be spent on: good, strategic creative work. Not to mention we save our clients time, by using systemized, proven frameworks that produce results fast.

Our goal is to make sure our clients are out in the world with a brand and website that speak directly to their target audience, so it’s easy for them to grow and increase their revenue. Good branding makes good business!

In short, we now see success as a combination of finding the perfect work-life balance, achieving a constant creative flow, and helping others find THEIR success.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My Co-Founder Cristi & and I founded HIYO DESIGN 6 years ago, after quitting our corporate design jobs in New York City in search of a more fulfilling career. Since then, we’ve helped hundreds of small and mid-size businesses level up with strategic branding, web design, and social media services.

Running a successful design shop isn’t easy, but we’ve managed to overcome a lot of the challenges by using time-saving systems, taking advantage of an array of online tools, and collaborating with other talented creatives.

At HIYO DESIGN, we build beautiful brands & professional websites that help businesses attract the right audience. We work directly with our clients in small teams and empower our clients to actively take part in the creative process, making it a much more collaborative and transparent experience. This system often saves our clients hundreds if not thousands in unnecessary maintenance fees, office overhead, in-person meeting expenses, and many more of the hidden corporate costs; so instead, the investment can be spent on what it really should be spent on: good, strategic creative work. Not to mention we save our clients time, by using systemized, proven frameworks that produce results fast. Our goal is to make sure our clients are out in the world with a brand and website that speak directly to their target audience, so it’s easy for them to grow and increase their revenue.

We’ve learned so many lessons along the way, but one key lesson is that a revolution is happening in the design world. The old ways of creative agencies are becoming antiquated, and we want to be at the forefront of innovation. Our more nimble, nomadic agency model is clearly becoming the new standard, and we’re here for it!

Some of the brands that have worked with us: Goya Foods, Heineken, Temple Turmeric, Wanderlust Yoga Festival, Bold Palate Foods, 1 Giant Mind, Nutmeg Aspirin, Civana, BecomeOne Wholeness, Commune, The Assemblage, and many more.

Get in touch with HIYO DESIGN: Strategic Branding, Web Design, & Social Media Services
hiyodesign.com
instagram.com/hiyodesign
facebook.com/hiyodesign
facebook.com/groups/designanddiscover
info@hiyodesign.com

Or join our Facebook Group, “Design & Discover” where our community meets to share ideas and inspiration: facebook.com/groups/designanddiscover .

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We would like to give a shout-out to the amazing people behind some of our favorite online tools. These tools have continued to contribute to our growth and success DAILY and help us work and collaborate more efficiently online. We wouldn’t be where we are without them.

A huge thank you to the founders and creators of…
→ Asana: Dustin Moskovitz & Justin Rosenstein
→ Canva: Melanie Perkins & Cliff Obrecht
→ Later: Matt Smith
→ Zipbooks: Tim Chaves
→ Squarespace: Anthony Casalena
→ Flock: Bhavin Turakhia
→ Unsplash: Mikael Cho

Website: hiyodesign.com

Instagram: instagram.com/hiyodesign

Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/hiyo-design

Facebook: fb.com/hiyodesign

Other: Design & Discover Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/designanddiscover