Hello. I’m one of those creative types who lean into intellect, empathy, and some strong graphic work to connect with others.

For two decades I’ve continued to wake up and pump out creativity to the best of my ability. Whether it’s a brainstorm on brand positioning or prepping print files with a sixteenth of an inch bleed or somewhere in between all that, it’s the process that I love. Whether it’s a big budget project or a scrappy idea with more merit than you could shake a stick at, uncovering the intersection of communication and commerce has kept me up late and woken me up early.

My experience spans the gamut of running a studio with one other lead creative, freelancing for clients of all sizes, designing on a tight knit team, to an advertising agency working on regional material made to hit every home with an address. For six years I was the art director at a skate shop in California whose apparel lines outsold internationally known brands like Obey, The Hundreds, and Stussy quarter after quarter. One thing that separates me from other creatives I’ve worked with is the sense of ownership I take on throughout a project. When you’ve been a part of a small team looking to take over the world, you bring that underdog DIY spirit into everything else and I don’t shy away from that feeling.

Now despite what “the man” has conditioned me to believe since birth, I am more than a pixel pushing mouse clicker waiting for my next paycheck. I play bass in a band. I take kickboxing classes. I own two dogs that I teach remedial English. I go to comedy shows. I gets mine on the dance floor. I have been scuba diving with whale sharks off the coast of Thailand and real sharks on the Great Barrier Reef. Films… of course. Books… I’ve read a few that weren’t even made into movies. Podcasts… my voice has graced a couple of them. Professional Sports… well I really can’t help you there but I think we have established enough common ground at this point. I just don’t want you to walk away from all this and think I’m a one track minded dork who won’t stop yelling about design.

Lastly, a lot of people tell me that I look familiar. They think I look like someone they know from somewhere. Unfortunately, when you’re bald the bar is set pretty low for “dopplegangers” because a majority of the time it’s just someone famous with a shaved head. Bruce Willis. Jason Statham. Joey Lawrence (obviously now and not during Blossom). Now I don’t agree with any of these commonly made comparisons but I will leave you with what I think is the closest answer to help scratch your itch. During the critically acclaimed movie Beetlejuice in a scene directly after Winona Ryder has discovered the ghosts in the attic, an unnamed realtor pulls up to the house and sitting right there… in the backseat of the car… is a little eight year old girl that I look a whole lot like. You’re welcome.

INFO
562.458.8030
davedef81@gmail.com

SCHOOLING
California State University
Fullerton
Bachelor of the Fine Arts
in Graphic Design