Roles
Creative Direction, Illustration, Spacial Planning, Installation
While working as the Lead Visual Designer at DigitalOcean for four years, I had the pleasure of being a part of the conception, design, and build-out of their headquarter and satellite offices throughout their expansion.
The NYC space comprises of approximately 125,000 sq/ft, three floors of open-floor desk space, 22 conference rooms, two event spaces, and a 25-seat boardroom shaped like a giant droplet (the name of DO’s first product). Every floor was completely gutted and redefined. My role was to provide creative direction and execution of surface level treatments such as signage and murals, as well as selecting furniture, color palettes, and room themes. I worked closely with architects from the LA-based firm, RA-DA to transform my ideas into an attainable reality, with an unconventionally limited budget.
Since the space is used for both internal and external company functions, the environment needed to reflect DigitalOcean’s voice and culture, without sacrificing functionality. I decided the space should represent a cross between DigitalOcean’s playful and approachable reputation in the developer scene, and the functional minimalism of their product. Most importantly, we wanted to establish the significance of the brand’s oceanic themes; one of its key differentiators in the cloud computing industry. Every conference room was given a nautical name and matching geometric mural. I commissioned Alex S. Mostov to create bright and colorful murals for the lobbies, and helped devise visual easter eggs specific to developer lifestyles. Finally, I created a style-guide to be referenced for all future DigitalOcean offices, so those spaces will feel distinctly a part of the same realm, no matter where it is in the world.
