Jana Plyley

Jana brings the same hard work, talent, and joy to design that she first saw in her dad’s candy factory growing up.

As a designer, one of Jana’s sources of inspiration is a bit unusual: her dad’s candy factory. Growing up, she watched the passion, energy, and ingenuity it took to run it, and saw firsthand the magic (and delight!) that comes from a job well done. That same results-driven spirit shows up in her design work today, where the goal is always to make someone’s vision real (and get them just as excited about it as she is).

Jana is also, hands down, one of the most dialed-in designers you will ever meet. Give her some creative direction, and she’ll quickly come back with a first version that’s almost always the final version, which is as rare as it sounds. Pair that with her dry sense of humor and a laugh you can hear from across the office, and you’ve got someone who makes the work better and the workday better too. 

While Jana is our most recent hire, we’ve actually known her for years. She’s been a critical part of the SmallBox Creative Collective since 2021, so by the time we finally brought her on full time, it felt less like hiring and more like making it official.

If you’re lucky enough to work with Jana, do yourself a favor and ask her about the billboard she was on back in her hometown. You won’t regret it.