Meet Jaade Wills of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaade Wills.

Hi Jaade, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I didn’t set out to work in experiential design I kind of built my way into it by being obsessed with how things feel in real life. I started in marketing and production, working on brand events, but I was always the one asking, “how should this actually feel when someone walks in?” Over time, I realized I wasn’t just interested in executing someone else’s vision I wanted to shape the world people were stepping into.

For the past 9+ years, I’ve worked across agencies in LA, New York, and San Francisco, producing large-scale experiences for brands and artists. That foundation gave me a deep understanding of how things get built [fabrication, budget, ect.] but it also sharpened my creative instincts. I started getting pulled into projects not just to produce, but to concept, to design, to push the idea further.

Now I’m fully stepping into creative direction, focusing on experiences, installations, and live performance. I’m really interested in designing for emotion, creating environments that feel intentional, immersive, and culturally relevant. A lot of my work pulls from fashion, music, and art history, but is grounded in real, physical spaces people can move through and interact with.

At the end of the day, I care about creating moments that stick with people things that feel considered, a little unexpected, and worth being there for in real life.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but I’ve been consistent. I’ve worked for myself for seven years, and while work has always come, there have definitely been seasons where things felt slower or like momentum wasn’t fully clicking yet. That part of the journey has really taught me patience and how to keep building even when things aren’t visibly moving [Hard!]

A bigger challenge has been navigating the industry as a Black woman in a space that isn’t always built for me. A lot of the rooms I’m in weren’t [Still aren’t] designed with me in mind, so I’ve had to push my way in, build my own relationships, and create opportunities where there weren’t clear entry points. No one handed me a ticket, I spent three years on biz dev alone – messaging 4-5 agencies and creative partners I wanted to work with.

At the same time, that’s also shaped how I move. It’s made me more intentional about the work I create, the spaces I design, and the perspective I bring into the industry.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a creative director working in experiential design, with a focus on spatial design and how it shapes live moments. My background is in production, so I spent years building large-scale events and installations, which gave me a deep understanding of how things come together physically. Over time, I naturally moved into the creative side thinking more about concept, environment, and how a space actually makes people feel.

Over the past year, I’ve been especially focused on spatial design and how environments can guide behavior, create emotion, and turn a moment into something memorable. That’s the part of the work I’m most excited by, and what I’m continuing to build my practice around.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Ultimately, one of the biggest mistakes I see young freelance creatives make is trying to do everything for everyone at the beginning. It usually leads to a portfolio that feels scattered – full of work they don’t actually feel proud of.

It’s more valuable to take a beat early on, get clear on what inspires you, and be intentional about the studios, brands, and collaborators you align with. Refine your point of view, get your work polished, and then reach out from a place that actually reflects where you want to go.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jaadewills.com
• Instagram: jaadewills
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaade-wills/