Inside Digital Design at Sköna

Today, we’re thrilled to spotlight a milestone at Sköna: our senior digital designer, Louise Stenholm Abbate, is celebrating her six-year anniversary with the agency. Over the past six years, she’s helped countless brands translate their visual identities into captivating digital experiences. We sat down with her to talk about how digital design has evolved, the trends shaping our work today, and what it means to be a “brave brand” in the digital space.

What do you do at Sköna?

Louise: At the core, my job is to translate a brand’s visual identity into their digital front door—their website. I help them communicate who they are, what they do, and the value they bring to their customers.

How has digital design changed since you joined Sköna six years ago?

Louise: Clients today are much more embedded in the design process than they used to be. Rather than waiting to see finished concepts, our clients now co-create alongside us, offering feedback and shaping the direction of a project in real time.

When I first joined Sköna, we were still designing in Photoshop and Sketch, then exporting static artboards into InVision to simulate interaction. Fast-forward to now, and we work in unified platforms that support real-time collaboration.

Despite these technological leaps, our core design process remains steadfast. What’s changed is that motion design has evolved from an afterthought into an integral part of our prototyping phase.

What are the similarities and differences between B2B vs. B2C when it comes to visual design?

Louise: I think the biggest difference is that we are often trying to explain and sell what a product is as well as why you need it/its value. It has an unknown variable in the equation. Whereas in B2C, everyone already knows what a shoe is, so messaging and design don’t have to work hard to explain that. B2B visual design is both creative and systematic, so it has to balance aesthetics and function to be successful.

What trends are you seeing in web design/UI right now? What excites you most?

Louise: Aside from visual trends like scroll-based storytelling and minimalistic design, the use of AI in our field is a big trend. Real people and pioneers within design industries excite me. I love learning from other creatives’ processes.

How is AI changing your workflow, now and in the future?

Louise: Overall, AI has noticeably accelerated my workflow, giving me more headspace for creative and high-level tasks by handling repetitive production chores. I often turn to ChatGPT as if it were a teammate—whether I’m double-checking web best practices, verifying a tricky calculation, or making sure I haven’t overlooked anything. Looking ahead, I expect AI to evolve from simply flagging issues—like a high bounce rate—to prescribing exact fixes that boost performance. And one day, I’m convinced we’ll be able to transform bespoke designs into fully responsive layouts with a single click, which would be a massive time-saver!

What is the most exciting project you have worked on at Sköna, and why?

Louise: That has to be Unsupervised. Back when AI was just breaking into mainstream, we built a brand identity and website where every micro-interaction felt fresh and forward-thinking. From strategy to the tiniest animated hover state, it was a playground of experimentation.

What does being a “Brave Brand” mean to you?

Louise: Being brave is having the courage to be authentic. For us, that means uncovering what truly makes a brand unique and amplifying it in a way that resonates emotionally. Authenticity lays the groundwork for a genuine relationship between a brand and its audience. It’s about starting with truth and building bold digital experiences on top of it.

Looking ahead

As we celebrate Louise’s anniversary, we’re reminded of how far digital design has come—and how thrilling the road ahead is. Whether it’s harnessing AI, crafting narrative-driven interfaces, or helping brands shine with authenticity, there’s never been a more exciting time to design the digital front door. Here’s to the next six years of creativity, innovation, and brave brand storytelling!