I started this studio in Seattle in 2006 because I was thinking about blogs. I was thinking about blogs because I worked in newspapers. I worked in newspapers in southwest Ireland and in downtown Seattle; mostly, just very curious, always asking questions, and ready to put a story together almost all of the time if I was moved. That was the main thing. If I was moved. I got out of the newspaper thing and into blogging because blogging was a way to write whatever you wanted and it did not matter a bit about what the advertising department would say about it. There is none, here at DK. I mean, okay, okay, for a moment there I did try to sell some ads for the zine. But it flopped, so I came here, to write about design, branding, and identity.

Because what is identity except an awareness of the core of who you really are? So the idea of brand identity design has shifted, I feel, for me, since the time I started in those days inC capitol Hill making logos with my then teammates and moved around from architecture office to software firm to design studio that also was doing similar things but in different ways to learn, to talk, to co-create, and make. A portfolio that did the thing we needed it to do. Show that we could make it happen. Draw and stuff. But not just that. Make things that have value, because the conversations that drive the design process for DK are exactly what makes it DK’s way. Which is off ourse inspired by the past work in newspapers. Asking questions, getting the story. Diving in because shallow is boring. Lack of colorful conversation is also dull. You need more. Many people would be happy, I think, to do less than they have to for ‘good enough’ publishing. Heck. You see a lot of it everywhere. Things spelled wrong and all that, and sometimes, misuse of English idioms which happens often where I am. I’ve gotten used to this but it still would be nice to edit if someone wanted me to, but they don’t. So that’s okay, too. It is fine.

I’m going to bring conversations back, though. To the center of what I do here at DK.

Conversations to help teams grow. Together.

So that they don’t fall apart in the passive-aggressive or politics of work or you know what I mean. No one seems to be having fun at work but I think.. that they can.

We can help you do that, because, um. That is what happened with client work. I am ready to talk about it. If you want to hear more, contact me.

Branding is changing.

Branding is performance. Art and science of doing things better, because ou can move articulately, with clarity, and realness. About who you really are. It all checks out, it’s authentic, as they say, because how do you mess up that ‘being on brand’ stuff if you are just being your real, true self? And that is where teh conversation I mean I want to make more of again comes back to the stage. We can do this internet-based, because that was an issue for the longest time. Now that WFH is a thing, we can work together again with some of you reading, in Seattle. Ask me how it works. I am really jazzed up about all this.

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