"AI is a reflection of human creativity": a day in the life of Kae Neskovic

A lot of my day revolves around working closely with my team. Being part of a fully remote company, we rely on constant communication to keep everything running smoothly. This can take the form of one-on-one meetings, team catch-ups, creative workshops, or brainstorming sessions. I know meetings often get a bad rap, but I’m a fan when they’re done right. They’re an opportunity to foster creativity and alignment, especially in a remote environment.

That said, the challenge is finding time for deep creative work amidst the flurry of calls and check-ins. For me, it’s about creating space in my schedule where I can focus. I’ve found that stepping away from my desk – whether it’s swimming or running during lunch – does wonders for my creativity. Some of my best ideas come when I’m not actively trying to find them.

My role also involves thinking about how we can continue to elevate our creative processes in this remote-first setting. How do we keep the team energized? How do we foster collaboration across time zones? These questions shape a lot of my day-to-day decisions.

I’ve been creating for as long as I can remember. In high school, I was into graffiti, and one day, a well-known graffiti artist introduced me to Adobe’s Illustrator. It was a revelation. I was hooked immediately and began exploring design in every way I could – creating posters for friends, experimenting with illustrations, and teaching myself the basics.

I went to university in Venice, Italy, and after that began working at a design studio. That’s where I truly fell in love with branding. I was fortunate to have a boss who was an expert in the technical side of design – print, typography, layout – and they shared so much of that knowledge with me. It felt like I was attending an unofficial school of design, and those skills became the foundation of my approach to creative work.

Looking back, those early days taught me the importance of craftsmanship. Today, it’s easy to get lost in the speed and convenience of digital tools, but I believe there’s still immense value in understanding the technical fundamentals.

One of the most challenging aspects of creative work – especially branding – is managing client feedback. Branding is high-stakes for any company, and because of that, it often involves leadership teams and a lot of strong emotions. It’s not like creating a simple banner or a quick illustration; it’s deeply tied to a company’s identity.

I’ve had projects where the pressure felt overwhelming. There were moments where I questioned whether all the back-and-forth was necessary, but I’ve learned that the key to overcoming this is building trust early. From the start, I invest time in explaining our process, sharing our approach, and establishing a personal connection with the client. It’s like being a babysitter – you need the parents to feel confident leaving their child with you.

Another strategy is to lean on data. When emotions run high, data-driven insights can ground the conversation. Whether it’s user research, market trends, or competitor analysis, having objective information helps move discussions forward and keeps everyone aligned.

It’s hard to choose one project because I take pride in everything I work on, but our recent rebrand for Superside stands out. Over the past year, we repositioned and rebranded our company, and it was such a rewarding experience.

Rebranding a creative company is a unique challenge – it’s not just about a fresh logo or tagline. It’s about capturing the essence of who we are and reflecting the growth we’ve achieved. It was deeply personal because, as a creative working in a creative company, the stakes felt higher. The rebrand needed to do justice to everything we stand for, and seeing it come to life was incredibly satisfying.

Unfortunately, our industry has a long way to go in terms of inclusivity. The data shows that only about 9-10% of creative directors are women, and the numbers are similar for other underrepresented groups.

What’s more troubling is that this inequality isn’t just about titles – it extends to salaries and opportunities. I’m passionate about writing and talking about this imbalance, and I’m proud to work at a company where over 50% of creative leaders are women. I also work directly under a woman leader in a team overindexing on women, which is incredibly inspiring.

Still, we need to do more. Inclusion isn’t just about representation; it’s about creating pathways for people who don’t see themselves as “natural leaders.” I’ve written about this on LinkedIn, and I believe it’s essential to help people challenge the traditional image of what a leader looks like and empower them to step into those roles.

Two key areas come to mind:

Valuing design as a strategic partner – Too often, design is treated as a production arm of marketing rather than a critical component of strategy. We need to advocate for our seat at the table and use data to showcase the value we bring.

Changing the toxic agency culture – The cliché of the overworked, underappreciated creative is still alive and well. Agencies are often put in impossible situations, leading to long hours, micromanagement, and vague feedback. While this isn’t always due to bad intentions, it’s a cycle we need to break.

As an industry, we need to prioritize fairness, work-life balance, and respect for the creative process. Ultimately, happier teams produce better work.

Absolutely. AI is a reflection of human creativity – it’s built on the ingenuity and teamwork of countless people. Far from replacing creativity, it enhances it.

I wish people understood how AI works. Because it’s so fast and user-friendly, it creates the illusion that it’s “thinking” on its own. In reality, AI is just a tool – an incredibly powerful one – but it’s only as good as the person using it.

Figma – It’s revolutionized global collaboration and made workflows seamless.

Runway – Perfect for putting creative work in motion and creating videos.

Virtual Electric – Their canvas approach to image generation is fantastic.

I’d love to work on a high-profile creative campaign for a company like Nike or Spotify. Imagine inventing the next Spotify Wrapped or something equally innovative that feels like a festival – it would be an amazing challenge.

Be braver. Trust yourself and your voice – it matters more than you think. Advocate for yourself and don’t hesitate to take risks.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Reach out, learn from others, and focus on the process, not just the outcome. Creativity is about iteration – don’t get too attached to individual pieces of work. Sometimes the best thing you can do is delete it and start fresh.

Find out more about Superside.