Hi, I’m Abby Phillips—

a multidisciplinary communication strategist and interaction designer working across higher education, narrative worlds, and experiential design.

I design across campaigns, experiences, story, play, systems, and environments. My projects often invite wonder, thought, or even hospitality. Across themes, I’m most interested in how design helps people notice, navigate, participate, and make life more meaningful.

I think of my body of work as a night sky—a constellation of projects flowing into a new dawn.

Each project is a star.

Some are bright and close.
Some are older and steadier.
Some are playful sparks.
Some grow into worlds of their own.

What matters most is how they connect.

Together, they reveal the weave of my creative life.

View My Work
Design Philosophy + Practice

I begin with recognition.

Before designing something new, I try to notice what is already happening: how people move through a place, where attention gathers, what creates friction, what carries meaning, and what might quietly make participation easier or richer.

From there, I work across communication, interaction, story, design systems, and space to shape experiences that feel coherent rather than imposed.

I’m interested in design that people can enter, a campaign that gives someone orientation, an environment that changes how a place feels, a story that opens another way of seeing, a system that helps creative work flourish, or an everyday object that carries memory and meaning.

The medium changes. The underlying practice does not: notice carefully · connect meaningfully · make intentionally · invite participation

The best result often feels less like something added to life and more like something that belonged there all along.

How I think + Background

I love writing, but I often find that visual communication speaks louder. I’m deeply drawn to research and data, always working intentionally and thoughtfully in everything I do. I believe in the importance of lifelong learning and the power of continuous improvement. I’m a systematic thinker who hovers somewhere between a synthesist and an idealist. Guided by creativity and curiosity, I explore diverse ideas and perspectives, set ambitious goals, and thoughtfully work towards them, step by step. I’ve learned to balance big dreams with practical, hands-on experience, especially when navigating roadblocks.

Growing up on a farm taught me gritty determination, resourcefulness, and how to build something extraordinary with less. I’m a hands-on builder by nature—I love rolling up my sleeves, creating from scratch, and seeing projects through from vision to reality. My favorite work happens when I’m fostering professional growth and development, especially with college students. That’s why I founded The Egg, a student marketing agency and creative incubator driven by design thinking and transformational leadership. Working alongside an “eggceptionally” creative student team inspires me most of all.

I thrive on pushing boundaries, exploring what’s possible, iterating boldly, and, as an aspiring futurist and lover of all things tech, constantly asking what’s next. I’m committed to becoming a national leader in my industry and continuously expanding what’s possible in the educational space.

Method + Influence

The way I work is shaped by how I think and where I come from.

My Swedish heritage deeply influences my creative life and many of my passion projects. I enjoy weaving elements of Swedish culture into my family’s everyday rhythms. Much of my thinking is inspired by my grandmother, Iva—a Swedish centenarian whose stories and spirit continue to guide me.

Beyond my day job, I often moonlight as an author, illustrator, and product designer, always experimenting and learning. I bring the same curiosity to the kitchen as I do to my design work, approaching both as spaces for iteration, play, and care.

At the heart of my method is recognition: noticing how people move through places, stories, and experiences and designing with restraint and intention to make them better – the ultimate compliment: they hardly notice – it just feels a part of life.

Ways I Tend to Think

INFJ (Advocate) · Diplomat · Constant Improvement

CliftonStrengths

Strategic | Learner | Achiever | Relator | Futuristic

Zodiac

Also, a Gemini, in case you prefer that kind of thing ☺

My Constellation

The projects, worlds, and collaborations that shape my creative life.

View My Work

Experience

See All Work & Education Experience
Founder and Program Director of The Egg, Student Creative Agency
June 2018 to Present

University of Delaware

At The Egg, a student marketing agency and creative incubator program, we offer professional development opportunities to students in five core marketing and communications areas: art and design, multimedia, web, UX and accessibility, content marketing, and project management. We also practice many types of design for exhibition spaces, environmental/experiential design, and wayfinding using Student Life facilities as our canvas. We provide free creative services to student organizations on campus to enhance our students’ technical and professional experience and foster student employment and internships.
More About The Egg
Communications Manager, Creative & Operations
August 2016 to Present (various roles)

University of Delaware, Division of Student Life

Harnessing my newfound powers as an Interaction Designer (IxD), I underwent a career evolution from graphic designer and multimedia artist to a Communications Manager overseeing creative and operations for the Division of Student Life. During my Master’s coursework, I founded The Egg, an experiential professional development program, creative incubator, and student marketing agency with humble beginnings in the Student Centers. It now serves all of Student Life at the University of Delaware.
More About Student Life Communications & Marketing
M.A. Interaction Design (IxD)
August 2017 to May 2018

University of Delaware

During the late nights, programming robotic arms and learning new technologies, I found my passion for product design and making, while 3D printing and laser cutting parts to make my ideas possible. I earned an MA in Interaction Design (IxD) from the University of Delaware, where I learned the skills necessary to turn my two-dimensional concepts into actual three-dimensional prototypes and, eventually, products and experiences.
B.A. Media Arts
August 2009 to May 2012

Wesley College

My undergraduate education was from Wesley College, where I received a liberal arts degree in Media Arts, the Swiss Army knife of art, communications, marketing, and journalism. My relevant coursework ranges from graphic design to radio and TV broadcasting, motion graphics, screenwriting, journalism, photography, videography, fine arts, web design, art history, and even art curation and exhibition design.