Passionate product design and creative leader with over 16 years’ experience crafting purposeful digital products & brand experiences.
Impact.
Some focus areas.
Lookbook.
References.
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"Dan is an incredibly talented design leader capable of simplifying any complex problem you throw at him. In return, he’s known for throwing nothing but kindness and quick solutions back at you almost immediately while you wonder where he’s been all your life. You’ll know pretty quickly that you’re working with the right person after meeting him."
Ken Howard, Director of Product -
"Despite the fact that Dan is wildly talented and delivers amazing results, he is still one of the most humble and likable coworkers you could ask for. Human centered design that really appreciates the intricacies of how different minds operate is really difficult, and Dan makes it look easy. 10/10 would want to work with Dan again in the future."
Sara Wiedenhaefer, Director of Marketing -
"I've had the pleasure of working with Dan and can honestly say he's an exceptional designer. His ability to deliver user-first designs is impressive, and his knack for collaborating effectively across departments has been invaluable to our projects. Dan consistently brings fresh, positive changes to our work, and his leadership in design is inspiring and effective."
Kevin Skrei, Senior Director of Engineering -
"I have had the pleasure of working with Dan as my creative director for over two years, and I must say that Dan has been instrumental in my career and personal growth - I can't thank him enough. Not only is he an outstanding creative lead, but he also serves as an impactful mentor for everyone on his team. He's a jack of all trades when it comes to design leadership."
Joe Cavadini, Associate Art Director -
"Dan is the kind of team leader everyone imagines but usually doesn’t quite find. Entering the fast paced design consulting world, Dan was quick to slow it down and bring attention to the craft, and encourage my and my teammates' individual growth and success. His creative vision, openness, and talent at building constructive environments is an incredible asset."
Alex Cantrell, Senior UX Designer -
"Dan's genuine concern for his colleagues’ professional and personal happiness, as well as his unflagging positivity, set him apart as a manager. Not only did our practice regularly produce excellent work, but with Dan leading the way, our design team became known as “the fun team” at our company. (Other teams will be jealous reading this, but they know it’s true.)"
Kate Murdoch, Principal Product Designer -
"I’ve always admired how Dan is able to reliably produce high value design assets from virtually nothing, time and time again. He's always done such a great job managing expectations and organizing deliverables in sometimes difficult circumstances which has made my life much easier as a result. Dan's always been a pleasure to work with."
Ryan Smith, Senior Director of Operations -
"Dan has a knack for nurturing talent and guiding his team towards success. His leadership style, marked by empathy and guidance, has empowered his team to unlock their full potential and consistently deliver their best work. Dan's innate kindness and approachability foster an atmosphere of collaboration, and helps drive success."
Sean Kirk, Performance Marketing -
"I cannot overstate the positive impact Dan has had during our 4 years working together. He always brings an upbeat and positive attitude to every meeting, and what sets him apart from other designers is his attention to detail. When Dan worked with us, we never had to second guess if the designs were going to be innovative or user-friendly."
Greg Silesky, Senior iOS Developer -
"Dan is such a joy to work with. His kindness and sense of humor make it impossible not to smile during a meeting with him. As a designer, he is so receptive to others' ideas, and understanding of technical limitations. Dan is exactly the kind of designer I want to have on my team as a developer, and the kind of person I want as a coworker and friend."
Caroline Boyt, Software Engineer -
"Dan has always been able to demonstrate a tremendous ability to grasp clients' specific business challenges and translate their needs into incredible designs. An excellent partner in the pre-sales motion, Dan brings credibility and clear solution thinking, always able to position applicable design concepts with clear measurable outcomes."
Tony Carlin, Sr. National Business Development Mgr, Google Cloud -
"Dan bridges the gap between hard work and comic relief which is much needed in a fast-paced innovative environment. He brought our product experiences into the 21st Century and had a major impact on the growth of his team and success of the company. Some people draw circles... Dan is heads down drawing the rest of the owl."
Jeff Parry, QA Manager
About.
Traditional graphic design meets UX.
I have loved all things design my entire life. I was always playing around in early Photoshop software before school, tinkering with new technology, and dreaming up new ideas for mobile apps. I even drafted floorplans for my "dream house" when I was 8. I was obsessed with creating. My education was rooted in traditional graphic design and visual communication, and I quickly found UX when I worked as a design consultant early in my career.
User-centric and business-minded.
Good design practice starts well before pen ever hits paper for a solution. Understanding who your users are, how they behave, and empathizing with what they need is essential, but equally important is ensuring we’re designing experiences that support core business goals and product direction. Design has a very unique responsibility to bridge the gap between ideas, goals, and user needs. It's an awesome puzzle we'll never get to finish :)
Investor in people and fostering trust.
Witnessing different style teams at companies that have different values and goals (and in vastly different industries), the one constant I’ve found success in is believing in people. There will never be a shortage of work or deadlines, but when you make it a point to treat people well and trust them to execute, more often than not you’ll find yourself surrounded by some really incredible and talented people that will battle through it all with you.
Anchored outside the Boston shore.
I live in Falmouth, MA with my amazing wife, two incredible little ones, and yellow lab. When I'm not designing, you can either find us at the beach, swinging some golf clubs, or doing some DIY projects around the house. I’ve been working remotely from my home office for over 8 years now, and through strong communication and collaboration, I've found a lot of success leading teams, driving projects, and balancing strategy with execution.
Roles: Creative Director, Art Director, Writer, Producer, Graphic Artist
