Confessions of a Creative Director How creatives can play a part in battling hate with Nick Adam — Associate Partner & Design Director of Span
Feb 6, 2026
Nick Adam, design director and associate partner at SPAN with roots in punk, graffiti, and rave culture. He discusses how visual language signals belonging and safety. He tells the moment hate showed up in public and why designers must learn to spot it. He talks about identity as civic infrastructure, trauma-informed public work, and designing visibility to protect communities.
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Confronting Hate In Plain Sight
- Nick Adam describes seeing a man covered in Nazi insignia at a Springfield gas station and noticing others treated it as normal.
- The encounter shocked him and triggered urgency about hate hiding in plain sight.
Design By Listening First
- Engineer design processes that prioritize listening and invite people with lived experience into the work.
- Use those voices to reflect true characteristics rather than imposing a designer's style.
Identity Works Like Infrastructure
- Identity functions like civic infrastructure by guiding behavior and signaling who belongs.
- Visual cues in public spaces let people know it's safe to show up as themselves.
