I'm a designer with 20 years experience in building cultural relevant brands and efficiency driven design systems.
Things that are important to me in design:
CULTURE
In order to build a brand that feels authentic and true, it is vital to craft a brand that speaks authentically and truthfully not only for its audience, but most importantly for the culture in which it resides. Every brand is surrounded by a culture and as designers we must absorb and understand that culture in order to create for it. Culture and audience are two different things. A brand sells to an audience, but it belongs to its culture.
BEAUTY
I love designs that build beautiful experiences. A beautiful experience touches not only on the quality of the aesthetic, but also on the idea that beauty is in what feels right, not only in what gets noticed. An experience that feels articulate and fulfilling is beautiful, an experience that never overwhelms and never intrudes is beautiful. Beauty is in balance, truth, and in the intelligence of the solution.
TRUTH
I do not believe that there are universal traits in design. I think that good design should focus on what is right and appropriate for a brand and its culture and not what is dogmatically associated with design styles. Design should start from truth and end on truth.
PROCESS
When producing large scale brands and large scale design systems, I truly believe that a process founded on human centered design principles is fundamental.
Contact:
dlanza@tomatocake.com
612.423.4391
Resume:
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