Designer by day, drag queen by design
The value of passion projects for creatives
A brand is more than a logo or a template–it’s an attitude. I’ve learned this firsthand as Michelle Ada, Bay Area drag queen. By day you may find me art directing a virtual shoot (it’s 2021, after all) from the comfort of my desk, but by the weekend I’m in front of the camera as Michelle in a metal-lined corset and ombré lace front wig. As a brand designer at Pinterest, a hard day’s work is fulfilling, but when work becomes my only form of creativity, I can forget to look inward. Every time I glue down my eyebrows to start my transformation, I see a blank canvas for self-expression.
Feeding our creative impulses through passion projects unbound by the constraints of a brief allows us to identify and nurture our wildest thoughts, personally and professionally. At work I’m constantly inspired by the creative pursuits of my colleagues. Their passion projects remind me that we all have that little voice in our head that’s begging to manifest itself in some way.
That burst of expression is what drag does for me. There’s magic in looking in a mirror for 3 straight hours and studying the contours of my face. It’s an introspective process that results in an outward expression. Beyond the joy and liberation of transforming into Michelle Ada, the process makes me a better designer and storyteller. And as a creative, it shapes how I think about brand expression and relate to the creators in our campaigns.
Drag and brand design: Throwing out the rulebook
Over the years, I’ve found that drag and design go hand in hand. As drag queens, we develop our own brands through personas that break away from the societal constructs of gender to make a statement and entertain. This sentiment has evolved my idea of “branding” in brand creative over time, allowing me to look beyond what’s expected to create something authentic. (Plus, both processes require an attention to detail and intent — whether I’m working with color swatches and Adobe Illustrator or eyeshadow palettes and lipstick, or brainstorming a campaign concept or my next lip sync.)
I started dabbling in drag in 2017, playing with makeup looks and outfits on the weekends and occasionally performing at work events. My time at home in 2020, however, has helped me invest into building out my persona and bringing Michelle Ada to life in new forms including music videos, photoshoots, virtual gigs and fundraising. Inspired by female musicians that I admire and my Mexican heritage, Michelle Ada is a punk rock conceptual queen that’s Latinx, spicy, and refreshing (just like Michelle’s namesake beverage).
While these are the fundamental traits that define Michelle Ada’s brand, they aren’t strict brand guidelines. Instead, they give me a starting point to explore how color and fabrics will create a striking visual that is thoughtfully styled and a bit rebellious. How my drag takes shape changes every time I transform into Michelle Ada, and that’s truly liberating.
This thinking can also be applied to my work as a brand designer. My drag reminds me that a brand isn’t just defined by guidelines and assets in a toolkit, but how its spirit is expressed. In March 2020, Pinterest’s brand creative team developed a set of title sequences for a content series titled “Mavens” which spotlights some of the inspiring creators on our platform. While the sequences are tied together by core brand elements that establish the series, we drew inspiration from each creator’s craft and personality to create more authentic visuals. This glimpse into their world celebrates the passionate and unique individuals in these stories — the same type of uniqueness that Michelle Ada helps me express.
Walking in someone else’s heels
Beyond helping me push the limits of the Pinterest brand, creating Pins as Michelle Ada has let me experience our newest features for creators firsthand. Through Story Pin tutorials, guides, and videos, creators can share their passions with an engaged audience looking to act on ideas like theirs. I’ve found it empowering to give Pinners a look behind my own process with Story Pins, showing people how to get into drag and giving tips for creating their own drag music video. The hope is that I’m able to inspire someone to try it out for themselves.
I’ve approached creator campaigns with my own experience as a creator in mind: How can we represent our featured creators in ways that let their passions shine and inspire? Our Make the world make campaign showcases what makes creators on Pinterest unique. The love for what they do — whether it’s drag performances or baking the just-perfect chocolate chip cookie — and how it impacts people is ultimately what inspires the world to “make.”
Hear me loud and queer
Transforming into Michelle Ada has been rewarding and eye-opening to my own creative potential while showing me the value of my own artistic integrity on a deeper level. I often channel Michelle Ada in my day-to-day, since she’s part of my identity as a queer Latinx designer. She allows me to be more vocal and empowers me to share my unique point of view.
Investing time in drag has allowed me to look inward and reflect on myself, and it’s played a huge role in who I am and how I create. I recommend that you give yourself space to tap into how you might explore your most expressive thoughts. Your creative self (or your inner drag queen!) will thank you.
