Q&A with Art Director, Daniel Dannenberg.
For the month of December, we sat down with our Art Director, Daniel Dannenberg, to learn more about him and his role at Elevation. Keep reading to find out how he got his start in the graphic design industry along with his favorite aspects of working on the graphic design team at a B2B agency.
What do you do in your role at Elevation?
My role at Elevation is an Art Director / Senior graphic designer to which I maintain brand consistency and client happiness through working on their websites, one-sheets, infographics, etc.
Tell us about a typical day in the life of Dan
There may not be a typical day due to busy schedules with my family, but within the mildly controlled chaos, there’s exercising (when weather and mentality permits), waking up kids, work, helping with dinner, taking the kids to sports and piano practices, helping with homework, freelance work, going to bed late and waking up early.
How did you get your start in the graphic design industry?
The first time I went to college I studied Graphic Design and got a job directly afterward creating Flash websites when Flash sites were a thing. After that, and an occupation and education detour into audio recording, I went back to school for graphic design at ASU where I then worked at a digital marketing company as a designer for many years.
What would you consider the specializations/most important tools of the trade?
That’s easy! It would be our design tools: Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, our nifty plugins and addons, computers, brains, a general will to be creatively awesome, etc…
What are some of your favorite aspects of working on the graphic design team for a B2B marketing agency?
The team at Elevation is top-notch on all levels. The creativity is off the charts good. Each team member has a unique background and design approach that helps us tackle design deliverables from multiple viewpoints, escalating the deliverable to new levels. So in short, collaborating with the design team!
What do you think graphic design will look like in 5 years?
Design’s digital presence will continue to expand as we see more advanced user interfaces with the web. I also believe how we receive information via IoT will continue to evolve, which forces the designer’s hand to evolve as well. So, fancy aesthetics with nifty animations that are user-friendly and more present in the use of everyday interfaces like phones, desktops, home appliances, etc.
Do you have any “hidden talents”?
I had an occupational detour for a couple of years where I worked in a recording studio doing song programming in Pro Tools. I’ve got a knack for song composition, but the only downfall is my curiosity in abstract art often carried over into my musical side as I love the more experimental side of electronic music.
What are some of your hobbies and interests?
My biggest interest is in design and music. Fortunately, I get to do a passion for a job with design. With music, I love trying to find something new to listen to and Spotify has a great tool for suggesting new artists.
