Nancilyn Selvanayagam is a digital designer & marketer based in Toronto and London.

Empathetic human.
Community builder.
Life-long learner.

Hi, my name is Nancilyn (pronounced nan-sil-lyn)

With 10 years of experience in startups, advertising, and non-profits, I specialize in strategic digital experiences that connect brands with their audiences. My passion for human behaviour, inclusive design, and impactful storytelling drives my work across branding, UX, and marketing.

Through Branded by Nancilyn, I empower BIPOC entrepreneurs, brands, and non-profits with design solutions that blend strategy and creativity—ensuring brands are not just seen, but truly experienced.

At my core, I’m about continuous growth, empathy, and making a difference in both the digital world and in the lives of the people I work with.

Let’s create something meaningful together >

Innovating with purpose

  • Reggie's Rolls team at our Toronto pop-up shop featuring Nancilyn Selvanayagam, James Jayapalan and Jano Jayapalan.

    Driving brand growth at Reggie's Rolls

    As part of our family business since 2018, I lead our brand and marketing initiatives. Our Tamil-Canadian food biz is known for its signature deep-fried rolls. Through strategic marketing efforts, I helped grow our brand’s social media presence, resulting in a 500% increase in orders, event attendance, customer retention, and a feature on BlogTO.

  • Nancilyn Selvanayagam is a Canadian-Tamil designer and entrepreneur who has received the 30 under 30 award recognition for her work in the Tamil Toronto community.

    Leadership in the Tamil community

    In 2022, I was honoured with the Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action's '30 Under 30' award, recognizing my contributions in design and marketing within the Canadian-Tamil business and non-profit sectors. This includes my previous role as Board Director of Marketing & Communications at the Canadian Tamil Professional Association.

  • Nancilyn Selvanayagam was an intstructor as Humber College in Toronto, ON, Canada for UX Design.

    Empowering designers via education

    As an Instructor at Humber College in Toronto since 2023, I have mentored aspiring UX designers in design thinking, research methods, and creative design tools. By fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment, I developed the ‘Designing for Social Good’ project, which encouraged students to make impactful design decisions with purpose.

  • Nancilyn Sevanayagam enjoys travelling and inspiring South Asian women to travel and expand their horizons.

    Expanding global perspectives

    In 2024, I moved from Toronto to London, bringing my expertise to a new city. As I work towards my goal of travelling to 30 countries by 30 (currently at 23), my journeys fuel my creativity, offering fresh perspectives and diverse influences that shape my work and processes. I’m excited put these global insights to use!

Experience

    • Youzus Social Media Marketing Agency, Toronto (2014-2015)

    • Cummins & Partners, Toronto (2015-2016)

    • The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto (2020-2024)

    • Canadian Tamil Professionals Association, Toronto (2017-2019)

    • City of Mississauga (2018)

    • The LNK (formerly known as Take My Sari), Toronto (2016-2017)

    • I started my freelance journey while I was studying full-time and university and college from 2013. I’ve had the honour of working with various projects and industry professionals with direct clients and with other marketing agencies. Some clients include: Toronto Board of Trade, Cadillac Fairview, CGI and Toronto Metropolitan University,

    • Instructor, Digital & UX Design (Interactive Design Program) at Humber College, Toronto (2023-2024)

    • Marketing & Co-owner at Reggie’s Rolls, Toronto (2018-Present)

Education

2022
Google UX Design Certificate
Coursera

2018-2019
Master's of Digital Innovation Experience
University of Waterloo

2013-2018
Bachelor of Technology in Graphic Communications Management
Toronto Metropolitan University

2015-2018
Advanced Certificate in Digital Design & Web
Seneca College

  • "Nancilyn has been a great asset to our team particularly introducing new designs to our our various web channels and client projects. Her approach is methodical and very easy to understand the design language she would like to use across our channels. Nancilyn has taken all the tasks we have given to her and has followed through on all of them, demonstrating a good deal of organization and ability to keep track of her many projects. Some of her tasks are a tall order, particularly when it comes to keeping our web channels modern and setting the tone with a consistent design language and system, while being pulled in multiple directions."

    - Direct Manager at AboutKidsHealth, Sick Kids Hospital

  • "Nancilyn is talented at considering the subtleties of design, both from a conceptual side, and from the forward-facing user experience. She produced several fabulous and intelligently designed projects for me throughout her tenure in my class. Outside of the classroom, Nancilyn is dedicated to her pursuits of photography, research and is developing a deep understanding of the entire user experience vis-a-vis marketing and media.   She is an insightful, sensitive, and deeply self-aware individual driven to explore art, writing, and a deeper understanding of the human condition. Nancilyn consistently seeks out constructive feedback so she can improve her already impressive skills, which is a rare and impressive quality in any student. She is truly a stand-out individual who will impress everyone she meets."

    - Professor at Seneca College

  • "Rarely do you come across someone who is talented at both big picture ideas and executing the small details — Nancilyn is just that person. In the few months that she worked with CTPA, Nancilyn completed double the projects in half the time, and was recognized as one of the strongest team members we have ever had in the past. And not only does she accept constructive feedback as an opportunity to grow, she doesn't shy away from challenging creative opinions. I don’t mean it lightly when I say she is efficient, has amazing work ethic, and approaches daunting deadlines like a champion. Nancilyn was an incredible asset to our team, and I could only imagine a bright future ahead of her."

    - Direct Manager, Canadian Tamil Professionals Association