Daniel Calderon joins USDP as an interactive designer

Last Updated on May 1, 2018

Tell us about your background.

Growing up in Cincinnati, I have strong ties to the community, but have also enjoyed international travel. My family is multicultural which has given me opportunities to view my environment and events from various perspectives. These perspectives have inherently influenced my creativity and interests in design.

I have had some fantastic art and design teachers throughout my high school and college years, who nurtured and broadened my artistic thinking and skills. During the past few years, I have worked on various freelance design projects with both local and international clients. Since graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication Design from Northern Kentucky University in 2013, I have been able to secure my dream job as an interactive designer for USDP.

What will your work be at USDP?

I was hired as an interactive designer. This position involves collaborative work with both team members and clients to develop dynamic, clear, and concise designs. I bring a unique way of envisioning concepts and ideas that is useful and purposeful.

Why did you decide to become a designer as a career?

My motivation to become a designer comes from an innate desire to communicate visually. As a small child, I was obsessed with Legos and drawing. Design helps to give my life its meaning. I truly love the process of developing a design, which allows me the opportunity to use my skills, express ideas, and share with others. I am so excited about the fast paced, dynamic environment of a career in visual design and the potential for making a real contribution.

What are the biggest influences on your design style?

The biggest influences on my design style are my experiences, including purposeful project research as well as natural or inadvertent learning that takes place in life. All my experiences impact me and thus are influences for my design ideas and style. I have also been influenced by various designers’ work that I have studied, including Massimo Vignelli and Paul Rand for their lean and clear branding, Stefan Sagmeister for his humor and complexity, and Saul Bass for his motion picture title sequences that introduce the mood and theme of movies so dramatically.

Beyond your design work at USDP, what else do you like to do?

Besides my work, I’m really into music. I like everything from orchestral to emerging new styles of music from around the world. Spicy foods are also something I relish, and I’ve yet to meet a hot wing that I couldn’t handle.