At the DesignThinkers Conference in 2005 I had the privilege of spending the day with Massimo Vignelli, escorting him from the talks to the interactive sessions and just generally getting him where he needed to be. We spent much of our time in between the talks chatting about the past, present and future of design. He continues to serve as an inspiration to me, illustrating that the experience and wisdom gained over decades can be far more valuable than just following current trends.

What originally and continues to excite me about working in branding and design is the ability to make a difference, change a perception, provoke a thought, trigger an action. The value we create comes when we use design solutions to develop immersive experiences, not just as decoration or an end deliverable unto itself.