I BELIEVE DESIGN’S JOB IS TO MAKE THE COMPLEX FEEL INEVITABLE. NOT DUMBED DOWN — JUST CLEAR, HUMAN, AND WORTH CARING ABOUT.

I’M BRYAN, A DESIGN DIRECTOR BASED IN SAN FRANCISCO, ORIGINALLY FROM ECUADOR. GROWING UP OUTSIDE THE AMERICAN CREATIVE BUBBLE TAUGHT ME THAT GOOD DESIGN HAS TO TRAVEL. IT HAS TO MEAN SOMETHING TO PEOPLE WHO DON’T SHARE YOUR REFERENCES, YOUR LANGUAGE, OR YOUR ASSUMPTIONS. THAT PERSPECTIVE FOLLOWED ME FROM QUITO TO THE BAY AREA AND MADE ME A SHARPER DIRECTOR FOR IT.

TODAY I LEAD DESIGN AT HOOK, DIRECTING BRAND, DIGITAL, AND EXPERIENTIAL WORK FOR GOOGLE, APPLE, AKQA, BURGER KING, NIKE, AND MORE. THE WORK SPANS BRAND IDENTITY, RESPONSIBLE USE OF AI, INTERACTIVE DESIGN, AND DESIGN SYSTEMS. BUT THE THROUGH-LINE IS ALWAYS THE SAME: MAKE COMPLEX THINGS FEEL HUMAN.

BEING A DIRECTOR IS LESS ABOUT MAKING THINGS PRETTY AND MORE ABOUT MAKING CALLS. WHAT STORY ARE WE TELLING? WHERE IS THE DESIGN DOING TOO MUCH? I PROTECT THE IDEA THROUGH EXECUTION, PUSH BACK WHEN SOMETHING ISN’T LANDING, AND BUILD TEAMS THAT DON’T ALL THINK THE SAME WAY.

davilabryan@gmail.com