Shanan D.

Background

About Shanan D.

With ten years on the tools, I’ve been around the traps. I have a decade of experience designing for an array of industries, in both agency and in-house settings, encompassing not-for-profit, property, hospitality, lifestyle, tech, education, and film. After graduating from Griffith University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Design, I dove head first into the chaos of the industry with a junior role at an agency and began sinking my teeth into every part of this brave new world. My place for a long while was in these fast-paced agency roles, where wearing many hats and acquiring a myriad of skills really energised me. Over my agency years, I never shied away from any experience that would hone my craft further. I’ve taken headshots of my colleagues. I’ve written client content for an insurance company. I’ve hand written a logotype that was turned into a neon sign. I’ve managed the agency social media. I’ve art directed photoshoots with the elderly residents of a retirement village. I’ve nestled under the wing of creative directors, ever-willing to learn and get better at what I do. All the while, designing, designing, designing, and becoming more sure that this is the best job in the world. But it wasn’t until I unexpectedly moved into an in-house role with an alternative property organisation in 2019 that I realised the passion I have for getting to know an organisation’s strategy so closely that you become an expert. Over the past four years, I’ve been putting this enthusiasm to good use at Dream Home Art Union, formerly known as RSL Art Union. Getting to embed myself into the fabric of a brand has been something I’m really passionate about, and I’ve come to realise that knowing an organisation so intimately unlocks a potential you didn’t know was possible. It allows a designer to live and breathe the unique strategic objectives of a brand, and talk to the nuanced ways it exists and communicates in the market by executing a visual presence that has real world cut-through. While my key professional interest is all about brand strategy, you will also often hear me waxing lyrical about all things digital design, working with brands that do good things, and continuing to push my boundaries into other areas, like user experience design, video production, and motion graphics. When I’m not designing, you can find me DIY renovating my recently-purchased suburban townhouse, attempting to grow my own spring onions in my park view garden, scoping out record stores to expand my collection, and binge watching YouTube videos about British cars from the 80s.