HELLO.

Experiences are what people remember.  That's why I love creating them. Whether they’re interactive gamification of a brand objective, impactful event marketing that just makes people curious, or architectural “wow” moments that demand attention and be the audience to explore, the important thing is always to design toward something impactful and worth the audience’s time and attention.

The entire production has to come together to create a moment worth recalling later on.  Sometimes it's a matter of creating an inspired piece of temporary architecture, and sometimes it's illustrating a story through an engaging virtual centerpiece or choreographed production.  Whichever the case, clients look to creative teams to imagine what that remarkable experience will be, and we continue to match that challenge with beautiful solutions that elegantly tell brand stories.

Imagination is key to creating something that people fall in love with.  If a designer can introduce a bit of magic visually, do their research and find new ways to grab the audience's attention, then we’ve done our job. We must introduce them to a grand vision through imagery and styleboards and passionate presentation, and let the idea follow them home... linger in their minds and spark their own imaginations, hopefully getting the client to add their own ideas to the project and truly make it a collaboration.

As you page through the imagery found on the site, you'll see I come from a few different backgrounds.  While I received a degree in industrial design, I've applied the sensibilities and strategies of that field first to retail-design, and most recently to event and exhibit design. Each industry has had its challenges and opportunities.  Each has been fun to produce work for.

I've had the fantastic opportunity to work as both a designer and a creative director... sometimes on the same project. Sharing ideas through traditional mediums and CG has enabled myself and the teams I've worked with to go beyond the usual pitch, and generate something worth talking about... worth remembering. 

I’ve also recently added a “design initiatives” blog of sorts, in which I’ve tried to begin a discussion about some topics near and dear to my heart, as well as outline some projects and local agendas I’m an advocate for. As a local Milwaukee resident, I’m extremely passionate about how we can develop a business atmosphere in the region which supports local creative talent. It’s something Milwaukee needs more of, and I’m going to try to do my part to see it grow, so read through some of the posts and let me know what you think! Or…. if you’d like to help!

Please take a moment to page through the extensive portfolio available here, via the "projects" tab above.  You're sure to find something that sparks the imagination.  And if you'd like to chat a bit more about the future, I'd welcome a message via the "let's connect" button below.  Thanks for visiting,

Dan Rutkowski
Designer, Creative Director, and Experimenter