Doug Gapinski     Creative Director

Hello, Doug here. I joined mStoner in 2007 as Design Director. Prior to that, I worked as a freelance designer for Voltaire and Michael since 2005. I like to tell people that it’s my job to make things look pretty.

The “real” scoop on what I do: on most projects, I’m the design lead. This means I work with other members of our team including designers, writers, consultants et al. to make sure that the design solutions we provide follow best practices for usability and support our clients’ brands in a way that’s current and relevant.

My philosophical approach to creativity places the designer in the role of architect, at the intersection of form and function. The designer begins with raw materials — branding attributes, marketing messages, images, colors, type, and editorial content — and assembles these pieces into a structure that’s both usable and appealing. I try to keep audience needs at the top of my mind when working on design solutions, and consider how design elements help surface the ideas that make an institution unique.

I graduated with a BFA in Studio Art with a focus in Graphic Design from Indiana University in December of 1999. Prior to my education as a creative, I attended Purdue for two years where I studied genetic biology and computer science for two years. When I’m not working, I like to exercise, as insane as that sounds… I’ll be competing in my first triathlon this year.