Nataliya Nikolova

Available to hire

With over 13 years of experience in advertising and design strategy, I specialise in building impactful brand identities and shaping engaging user experiences.

About

With over 13 years of experience in advertising and design strategy, I specialise in building impactful brand identities and shaping engaging user experiences. Throughout my career, I’ve led the art direction and visual identity for global and local brands including Heineken, Jameson, Absolut, UBB, Telenor, EVN, and numerous fashion labels.

As Head of Art at DDB Sofia, one of Bulgaria’s most awarded agencies, I was responsible for the management, development, and visual excellence of campaigns that earned both client success and industry recognition. Beyond agency leadership, I am dedicated to design education and mentorship, teaching and volunteering with NGOs such as Mentor the Young to support and inspire emerging creative talent.

You can see some of my recent work at Website not available. Sign in: https://www.twine.net/signup

  • Joined October 2025

Languages

  • EnglishFluent
  • BulgarianFluent
  • Spanish; CastilianBeginner

Industry experience

  • Education
  • Media & Entertainment
  • Software & Internet
  • Professional Services
  • Other
  • Non-Profit Organization

More experts in Sofia, Bulgaria

Projects · 9

Onigiri Bā brand design

Onigiri Bā is a mobile food station in Sofia serving authentic Japanese onigiri — soul food wrapped in simplicity, strength, and care. In Japan, onigiri are everywhere: handwritten signs, corner shops, quick snacks full of comfort. In Sofia, they are curious, bold, and modern — especially when served straight from a brightly branded truck. To design a logo that captures the spirit of onigiri as both a cultural staple and an urban novelty. The identity had to feel authentic, hand-touched, and energetic, while standing out on the streets of a European capital. illustrator branding logo graphicdesigner

  • Art Director
  • Designer
  • Graphic Designer
Human agency brand identity

Because in order to touch people, you first need to understand them. This belief shaped the creative direction for a campaign developed for the ad agency HUMAN, known for grounding its work in simple human truths that spark emotion and drive results. branding photo webdesigner designer

  • Art Director
  • Designer
  • Graphic Designer
Panorama - website redesign

Formerly known as Panorama, Genomix is a brand offering advanced prenatal testing, known for its trustworthy image and in-depth educational content. With the shift to a new name and brand identity, the team saw an opportunity to redesign their website and visual language to reflect a more accessible, human, and modern approach. photo graphicdesigner branding webdesigner

  • Art Director
  • Designer
  • Graphic Designer
Full Sauna - identity and packaging design

Full Sauna is a fast, fun board game about the everyday struggle to relax — sweat, flirt, chat, trade, or fight to collect feel-good points. branding graphicdesigner logo

  • Art Director
  • Packaging Designer
Final new - deck design and identity

Final New is a film production company with a strong, functional identity already in place. They approached us with the need to refresh their visual language — not to reinvent it entirely, but to bring a sense of energy, clarity, and personality to the way they present themselves, especially in pitch decks and client-facing materials. The main goal was to evolve their identity so that it felt more recognisable and alive in presentation formats, while keeping things simple, adaptable, and grounded in the everyday reality of production work. graphicdesigner branding webdesigner illustrator designer

  • Art Director
  • Designer
  • Graphic Designer
Efty brand design

Efty is a brand of organic menstrual pads created by women, for women — hypoallergenic, ultra-thin, super absorbent, and free from harmful substances. Developed and tested over two years, Efty is designed specifically for sensitive skin and made with 100% certified organic cotton to protect the natural balance of the female microbiome. graphicdesigner logo branding illustrator webdesigner designer artdirection female femalewellness

  • Art Director
  • Illustrator
  • Packaging Designer
  • +2
Student learning platform

As online learning became the new normal, it also became a source of stress and confusion for students, teachers, and parents. Despite the abundance of digital tools, they often worked in isolation—creating more friction than solutions. graphicdesigner illustrator webdesigner branding logo

  • Art Director
  • Designer
  • Graphic Designer
NGO Event Branding

A series of key visuals created as the brand identity for an event, celebrating the impact of an NGO’s partnerships and the societal change they help create. These visuals also serve as the foundation of the visual communication strategy for the event. branding graphicdesigner designer art director collaboration retouch

  • Art Director
  • Concept Artist

Work experience· 7 roles

Head of Art · Guts and Brains DDBJan 2025 – Oct 2025 · 10 mos

Oversees art direction and design strategy for the agency, mentoring teams and aligning creative output with client goals.

Design Teacher · Softuni CreativeJan 2024 – Present · 2 yrs 11 mos

Contract lecturer delivering design curriculum and mentoring students.

Art Director · Guts and Brains DDBDec 2022 – Oct 2025 · 2 yrs 11 mos

Led art direction across multiple campaigns, driving visual storytelling and brand consistency.

Junior Art Director · Guts and Brains DDBDec 2020 – Oct 2025 · 4 yrs 11 mos
Art Director · Human AgencyDec 2020 – Oct 2025 · 4 yrs 11 mos
Graphic Designer · The SmartsJun 2018 – Oct 2025 · 7 yrs 5 mos
Design Teacher · RoyalDec 2006 – Oct 2025 · 18 yrs 11 mos

Education

Bachelor degree in Poster and Ad design · New Bulgarian University2010 – 2014
Upskill class in UX/UI · Telerik Academy2022

Certifications and awards

Upskill class in UX/UI2022

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