Shirley Zhang-Hamlin

Shirley Zhang-Hamlin (B.F.A., graphic design, 2010) is a brand strategist and creative director building culture-driven, human-centered visual experiences in sports, entertainment, and retail. With more than 15 years in identity development and design leadership, she has facilitated major brand shifts, venue transformations, and award-winning marketing campaigns. Zhang-Hamlin leads brand strategy and design innovation as vice president of brand creative for the Atlanta Hawks and the award-winning State Farm Arena, as well as the team's G League affiliate the College Park Skyhawks and Hawks Studios, the organization's in-house full-service creative agency, guiding brand identity, uniform design, integrated campaigns, partner integration, venue design, and fan experience initiatives that shape how millions of people interact with the Hawks brand. Her work operates at the intersection of design, marketing, and culture — netting bold ideas with visual storytelling, technology, and community engagement. Long before UX/UI became a standard practice, she was pioneering customer-first digital design for one of the world's largest children's apparel brands at Carter's Inc., where she helped launch their global ecommerce experiences for millions of customers. Named to Brand Innovators' 40 Under 40 South list, Zhang-Hamlin frequently speaks on creative leadership, providing insight on the future of in-house agencies, branding sports, and how organizations can leverage culture and data to create deeper audience connection.