My name is Drake Fontana, founder and creative director of Fontana Ltd. For more than a decade, I have worked across branding, typography, web design, motion graphics, advertising, and digital experiences. While these disciplines are often treated as separate professions, I have always viewed them as different expressions of the same role:

DESIGNER.

It is a loaded term to describe a human being who creates solutions to real world problems. Graphic designer, type designer, web designer, motion designer. There are many qualifying adjectives to describe one's particular discipline, expertise, and realm of work. The list grows further after each passing technological advance, and the walls between these disciplines crumble. But the truth is that those walls never existed in the first place. If a designer can design an object in one space, with all of the nuance, and process, and detail, and attention, then a designer has always been able to cross disciplines.

The phrase, "Renaissance Man", has become somewhat of a cliche in today's world. Some interpret it to describe someone who does many things well, but no one thing great. A "Master of None". But a designer must elevate to the level of those masters of the Renaissance era, to become a "Master of All". Versatility is not a hinderance on a designers ability to create impactful, meaningful, and beautiful work. It is the mechanism which allows them to see the world in all its hidden complexities, and access patterns from seemingly unrelated realms of life. It allows the designer then, to create the frame of reference for the viewer to understand the story that is being delivered.

As a visual designer, I view myself as a bridge, a conduit which conversations can be had. Deep, rich, timeless conversations that span time, culture, language, age, and class. Following the direction Vignelli's Canon, the designer must be vigilant and disciplined in their role. To make complex systems digestible, if not even invisible to a listener. This requires deep understanding of product, a problem, an idea, a story. It also requires deep understanding of an audience. All of our projects require care and collaboration. Each deliverable does not exist on it's own, but in a larger ecosystem. A page in a larger story. Helping to create lasting bonds is the true reward of a successful design venture.

In a capitalistic society, there are many dangers that arise without the designer performing his role exceptionally. Without a bridge of clear communication and conversation, rifts of distrust can form between consumers and producers. The way we choose to consume and align with brands in our system is a visual representation of our own human expression. If producers view their audience as a means of wealth extraction, if consumers view their producers as slimy con artists, then we all lose our humanity all together. We strive to create wholistic, authentic, and ethical ecosystems where consumers and producers thrive together.

There is no world in which templates, and reproductions foster clear and deep understanding. There is no world where those solutions adequately bridge the divide and create lasting bonds. We create bespoke solutions to complex problems, not for aesthetics or vanity, but because that is what designers do.

I started my journey to become a designer as child. Branding and advertising has always been the most visible and wide reaching form of fine art. And yes, it is fine art. I come from a family of fine artists. Printmakers, writers, artisans, craftsmen, and tradesmen. Visual design is just, if not more important to our society as any architectural monument, or gallery show piece. For me, interacting with sports logos, uniforms, commercials, billboards, exterior signage, digital environments, social media pages, print magazines, store shelves full of packaging, etc.; it all makes up the fabric of a place. It decorates a city as one decorates their own home. There is no greater honor for me than to contribute to that landscape, be it physical or digital.

Now that this boutique house now spans an ocean, between Denver and İstanbul, we have the added perspective of a globalized space. It becomes even more evident to me, the importance of visual design to connect people with people, and people with things, that they otherwise would not have been able to connect with. There is nothing more fulfilling than bridging those, seemingly vast, gaps of cultural backgrounds and belief systems through great design.

Design, by nature, is an ephemeral proposition. It has mortality built into the very heart of it's existence, no different than life itself. An advertisement runs.. and then ends. A house is lived in.. and then sold. This is a very powerful and invigorating space to exist in as an artist, as it, by it's very nature, always leaves room for new. New expressions, new perspectives, new companies, new audiences. But on that frontier, there is always the foundation of old. As a forest sprouts new trees, the underlying root systems are as old as time itself. New technology, new spaces, and new generations must always be underwritten and connected by ancient tenants of design.

So we exist today as Fontana Ltd. to help design solutions for brands and audiences that want to fully thrive in this world. We help them "Dive Deep, Fly Free, and Walk Tall." Thank you for taking the time to introduce yourself with me, Drake Fontana, and us, Fontana Ltd.