Dayna Hall Carter is a Brooklyn-based Executive Creative Director who helps organizations build modern creative organizations.
She builds high-performing teams, reimagines creative operations, and shapes the systems, technology, and ways of working that help creatives do their best work.
About Me
I've spent my career leading multidisciplinary creative teams across media, technology, and advertising—helping organizations build stronger creative capabilities through thoughtful leadership, modern ways of working, and emerging technology.
From partnering with brands like The Home Depot, Starbucks, L'Oréal, and Garmin to launching new products and creative workflows, my career has been defined by work at the intersection of creativity, technology, and design. What’s remained constant isn't the industry—it's my commitment to helping creative teams evolve, adapt, and unlock their best ideas.
Off the clock, you’ll find me chasing new adventures—whether it’s collecting passport stamps or guiding my two boys away from becoming New York sports fans. Outside of my day-to-day work, I invest in the next generation of creative leaders through mentorship on ADPList, advising within Berkeley College's Graphic Design program, and guest lecturing at Berkeley College and Bloomfield College of Montclair State University.
-
At Vox Media, I led visual and product design across 18 media brands, including The Verge, New York Magazine, POPSUGAR, The Cut, and Eater, helping teams deliver thoughtful digital experiences for millions of users.
Today, as Executive Director of Creative + Technology at Trade School, I lead a multidisciplinary creative organization focused on helping brands modernize how creative gets made through stronger collaboration, scalable operations, and AI-enabled workflows. Most recently, I co-led the launch of Mainspring AI™, our proprietary content-at-scale platform designed to help creatives produce high-quality work with greater speed and consistency.
My Leadership Approach
Every project is different, but the way I lead is grounded in a few consistent principles. They've shaped the teams I've built, the organizations I've helped evolve, and the work that's followed.
Great creative deserves great systems
01
I've never believed the best creative happens by chance—or by asking people to work harder. The strongest organizations create the conditions for great ideas through thoughtful systems, healthy collaboration, and clear ways of working. Those things don't replace creativity—they make more room for it.
Protect craft by removing friction
02
Whether it's simplifying a workflow, connecting teams, or designing scalable systems, I look for ways to remove friction before it reaches creatives. The less time people spend navigating complexity, the more time they have to think, experiment, and make the work better.
03
Better ideas are built together
The best ideas rarely belong to one person. They emerge when people with different expertise challenge one another, build on each other's thinking, and stay focused on a shared goal. I've found that the strongest creative organizations aren't built around individual talent—they're built around trust, shared ownership, and a willingness to learn from one another.
Tech should amplify human creativity
04
I'm excited about AI—not because it can replace creatives, but because it can eliminate the repetitive so people can spend more time doing what humans do best: thinking, making, and imagining. I still love a whiteboard, sticky notes, and a messy brainstorming session. The tools evolve. Creativity doesn't.
Leave people better than you found them
05
Campaigns end. Brands evolve. Platforms change. The impact of investing in people lasts much longer. Some of my proudest moments have nothing to do with awards or launches—they're watching someone find their confidence, step into leadership, or accomplish something they didn't think they were capable of.
✷
Creative Leadership
✷
Creative Systems
✷
Creative Operations
✷
Organizational Design
✷
AI + Emerging Technology
✷
Digital Design
✷
Product Design
✷
Design Strategy
✷
Team Development
✷
Cross-Functional Leadership
✷ Creative Leadership ✷ Creative Systems ✷ Creative Operations ✷ Organizational Design ✷ AI + Emerging Technology ✷ Digital Design ✷ Product Design ✷ Design Strategy ✷ Team Development ✷ Cross-Functional Leadership
Beyond Client Work
Academic Advisor
Berkeley College Department of Graphic Design
2026
2025
2019
Guest Lecturer
Berkeley College Department of Graphic Design
Guest Lecturer
Montclair State University Department of Creative Arts and Technology
2017
What Colleagues Say