
Hi, I'm Zakiya.
The founder + lead designer behind
blio.design studio
WHAT IS BLIO?
BLIO stands for Best Life Inside Out which is a belief I've been living for years. This started from a dream I kept having, and it got to a point where I decided to stop running from it and answered the call God has on my life. I'm passionate about bringing your vision to life and helping your brand stand out in your industry through intentional and strategic design.
MY BACKGROUND
Before all of this, I built a career most people would’ve told me to stay in. I started in tech with a BS in Computer Science, a software engineering internship, a role as a technical analyst before obtaining my MBA and moving into recruiting, early careers, and HR tech at companies like JPMorgan, Microsoft, and Citibank. Different fields on paper, same thread running through them: I’ve always been the person fascinated by how things work, how people work, and how to close the gap between who someone is and how they’re showing up.
Design is where all of that finally comes together.
THE GIRLS THAT GET IT... GET IT.
Being a purpose-driven founder myself, I believe we’re all out here trying to create the life we actually want to live. I’ve owned a business before BLIO, and I’m building BLIO while also preparing to bring that one back. So I know what it feels like to sit in every stage: the scrappy beginning, the messy middle, the part where your brand is three versions behind the business you’re actually running.
I know how much of yourself goes into this work. I know what it’s like to outgrow your brand faster than you can afford to rebuild it. And I know what it means to have someone in your corner who sees the vision and knows how to bring it to life.
This isn’t just design to me. It’s the work of helping women build businesses and lives that actually feel like them.
WHO AM I OUTSIDE OF DESIGN?
When I'm not designing, you can find me listening to an audiobook while building a LEGO set or going on a walk while yapping to one of my long distance friends (I love to multitask).
Core Values
The principles behind every brand and website I build.
Design is strategy made visible.
Every color, font, and pixel is pulling its weight. Pretty is a perk — strategy is the job.
Your brand should grow with you.
Not box you into who you were at launch. Good design ages well, stretches further, and still feels like you a few pivots from now.
Boring doesn't sell. Neither does generic.
Your business has a personality. Your brand should act like it — loud, warm, sharp, soft, whatever you actually are.
Built to be seen. Designed to convert.
Your brand gets you noticed. Your website gets you booked. Together, they do the heavy lifting so you can focus on the work you actually love.

As a person who spent hours and hours on trying to figure out my branding in the early stages, I wish I would’ve found Zakiya sooner.
Angelique Bussey
Ev + Co. Event Design
Let's Work
Together
© 2026 by BLIO Design Studio™
