How I Work: White House Creative Director Meena Yi
For White House Creative Director Meena Yi, every workday is unique. Design by Barbara Cadorna.
White House Creative Director Meena Yi designs for both an audience of one (President Joe Biden) and 331 million (the people of the United States). And, really, how do you design for that kind of range? It’s one of the more unique client experiences out there, as is Yi’s job.
Yi and her team are part of the Office of Digital Strategy that manages the President’s online communications across social media, digital influencers and creators, and creative production, as well as the White House Video Team, the Creative Design shop, and WhiteHouse.gov.
Yi sits in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is about a three minute walk to the Oval Office. A day in her life can include everything from designing a logo lockup for the new American Climate Corps initiative to overseeing the illustrations for the White House Easter Egg Roll (which they are already working on). Here, she shares how her workspace inspires her, why she prefers to be in her own thoughts rather than listen to music, and what’s on her creative to-do list when (if?) she has free time.
WFWH: Meena Yi regularly works from the White House. Images: c/o Meena Yi.
1. Rise and Shine
Wake-up to my 7 a.m. alarm that announces the time, so that if I decide to snooze, knowing the time lets me know when I absolutely need to get up.
Make myself a latte and scroll through both my personal and work phone as I sip. Personal phone: Apple News and Instagram. Work phone: Emails.
I’m three minutes into my commute to work, but remembered I left my work phone and badge at home and turn around to grab it–problems for somebody who is not a morning person. Once I’m parked at work, I need to go through security to access the campus.
2. Work Uniform
I’ve had to invest in more work clothes since starting this job–the dress code is professional though I try to integrate my regular clothes as much as possible. I’ll wear a suit if I know I’ll be meeting with top Administration officials (this can include the President!) or have meetings in the West/East Wing. Our team makes dressing up for work fun! When the Barbie movie came out, we wore pink; for St. Patrick’s Day (one of the President’s favorite holidays) we wore green. Otherwise, I make sure I’m not wearing jeans and throw a blazer on with my favorite platform oxford shoes.
Yi poses next to the iconic portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama.
3. How I Structure My Day
The first thing I have every day is a check-in meeting with the whole Digital Department to make sure we’re aligned for the day. I go through emails and after that, the days can all be different. It really depends on what’s happening in the administration. Today, we have several things going on. Our Senior Designer, Abbey, is working on the illustrations for the White House Easter Egg Roll for next year. These will go on the wooden eggs and also help set the tone for the rest of the event. Her egg design last year made it into space! I’m working on a lockup for a new initiative the Biden-Harris Administration is launching called American Climate Corps. This will live on the website, be shared through our social platforms, and will be used on printed assets. In between working on these things, we’ll create graphics that our Platforms Team (Social Media Team) will need for the coming days.
4. Playlist Favorites
No playlist, I usually pick an artist or song I feel like listening to and let Spotify pick for me from there. One day I’ll start with Depeche Mode and the next day can be Victoria Monét. A lot of times though, I won’t listen to anything and am just in my own thoughts.
5. Tools of the Trade
Laptop, AirPods, phones. On the laptop, mainly Figma and Adobe suite. Sometimes the iPad for Procreate and always a notebook and pen.
A thorough whiteboarding session for Bidenomics.
6. Dream Studio
I always imagined myself in a warehouse-style loft, you know, the usual setting you’ll find an artist in a movie. At one point, when I was working full-time remotely, I almost invested in a converted van so I could travel while I worked. I still want to do that one day.
I work a lot on the computer so what’s more important to me is a good chair and the ability to go outside and take a walk every once in a while. My current “studio” is pretty great and I’m in awe of the buildings on the White House campus. I sit in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building which is designed in French Second Empire-style of architecture.
I love seeing what the different rooms offer. There are decorative paintings on the walls, gilded moldings and barrel ceilings–history has been made in a lot of these rooms. Plus, the EEOB also has the Truman Bowling Alley and you can’t complain about that. In the White House, the East Wing changes throughout the year for the different holidays so it’s nice to walk through and see what’s new. Whenever I walk into work, I still feel unbelievably grateful I’m literally walking towards the White House.
7. One Unique Thing About My Work Process…
My work is wholly dependent on what President Biden and the Administration is doing. You can say I have one client and an audience of 331+ million people in the United States. How do you design for that?
8. My Brightest Idea that Never Saw the Light of Day
I have simple personal projects/ideas I’ve always wanted to do. One is to make personalized Valentine’s Day cards for the people I love in my life (maybe 2024 will be the year I do this).
9. To-Do List Item that Keeps Me Up at Night
Checking the latest in news and emails. And the emails usually have additional to-do items in them.
10. Mantra
WWJD? What would Joe do? Jk. I guess I do find myself saying often “Everything is fine,” so maybe that’s my mantra.
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