Brolik’s senior designer is leaving to work for Adidas in Germany

Designer Hannah Volz spent her whole life in the Philly area, graduating from Philadelphia University and taking her first job out of school at Callowhill web dev firm Brolik.

Now she’s making the big move to Germany to work for Adidas.

In her exit interview, Volz, 25, of Queen Village, writes about the importance of side projects, the prevalence of the tech-bro haircuts and her love of the Philly waterfront.

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How did you come to live and work in Philly?

I grew up close to Philly and went to school at Philadelphia University, so after I graduated, staying in Philly just came naturally. PhilaU is in the East Falls area, which is beautiful, but a bit removed from the city. I wanted to feel more immersed in everything, so I moved closer and made sure I had a job locked down before graduating so I could stick around.
What’s next for you? What prompted the move?
Moving to Germany is next for me! It’s a little crazy, but I’m really excited. I was offered a position designing packaging at the Adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach. It’s about 20 minutes from Nuremberg in the Bavarian region. I’ve always been really passionate about packaging design, and Adidas is doing some awesome things right now, so this is an amazing opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I also have some family in Germany, so it should be nice to get to know some new relatives.
Anything that could have been done to keep you here?
It’s definitely hard to leave Philadelphia. My close friends are here, my family is nearby, and I do love the city itself. That being said, I’m so excited for this amazing experience ahead of me. I never thought I’d live abroad, but now that I have this opportunity it’s something I just have to do for myself and my career.
What was your proudest accomplishment during your time in Philly?
Graduating from college with honors was a very proud day for me. I’m also proud of and thankful for the opportunities I’ve had while working with Brolik.
Favorite tech scene memory from your time in Philly?
The first thing that popped into my head was at the Forge conference last September when my Brolik coworker Jessica [Warhus] and I kept a tally of how many guys in the room had the same trendy haircut. I think it reached the double digits. Really, any time spent with the Brolik team is great. I’ll miss the dad jokes, office beers, and the awkward moments when a client comes into the office and no one realizes “Sexual Healing” is playing. I will not miss the Nerf darts to the face!
What’s your favorite place in Philly?
Oh man, that’s tough. I love walking around the Queen Village/Old City area and checking out all the gorgeous homes I can’t afford. The waterfront area has become a lot more fun and developed over the last few years with places like Morgan’s Pier and Spruce Street Harbor Park. I’m also a huge fan of the soup dumplings at Sakura, burgers and nachos at For Pete’s Sake, and everything at Lolita.

Any advice for us?
I’d say the most important thing I’ve learned that’s universal for every profession is that you have to put in the work to get what you want. I think a lot of people don’t realize that it’s not about luck or just knowing the right people, you have to really hustle to show what you can do. Having side projects or freelance work in addition to a full time job is so important to achieving your goals and developing your skill set.
What kind of side projects?
For the most part I do self initiated projects and submissions to contests. I practice hand done typography through quotes from books, letters, etc. In recent times, I redid Purdey’s wellness drinks packaging as a part of D&AD’s New Blood competition, a vinyl sleeve for Secret 7, and was a part of AIGA Philadelphia’s Design Awards.
Will you be back?
Definitely. Lots of people to see, places to go, and things to eat!