Hi 👋 I'm Dakota.

I am a Creative LeaderProduct Designer that codes with a passion for building cool things.

Yep, that's me.

My name is Dakota Berg and I'm a designer currently based in New York. I found design at an early age, knowing from that day forward that design would be at the forefront of whatever I would do. My parents instilled in me the desire to leave things better than I found them and were always supportive of my "creative venture of the day"...

Dakota working at whiteboard

My experience

Over the last 15 years, I have had the pleasure of working with a large variety of companies, design agencies, and universities. Along with working directly with many clients through my freelance work, I have worked alongside some amazing designers and art directors at various top design agencies and have played key roles working cross-functionally with engineering teams, marketing teams, and business executives at various tech startups.

Recent work

Check out some case studies below or click any of the buttons to filter case studies by type.

Process

While every project is unique, here are some standard processes that I deploy when it makes sense.

User-Centered Design
User-Centered Design Process Diagram
Decision-Making
Decision Making Process DIagram

My education

Eastern Washington University

2012 - 2016

Cheney, WA

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I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Communication Design from Eastern Washington University where I also completed a Minor in Business Administration. At EWU, I was on the Dean's List for the majority of the semesters and I was also awarded the Outstanding Student of the Year from the VCD faculty in 2014. I was selected to be a Teacher's Assistant / Tudor for the Program Leading to University Success for both Web Design and Visual Communication Design courses.

University of Washington

2011 - 2012

Seattle, WA

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Prior to EWU, I attended the University of Washington where I was an undeclared undergraduate on a full academic scholarship that I earned by achieving academic success during High School. While at UW, I volunteered at the University District Food Bank, helping stock shelves, organizing inventory, and assisting customers through checkout.

Wilbur High School

2007 - 2011

Wilbur, WA

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I graduated from Wilbur High School where I was an active member of the school, sports, and community. I received the Senior Project of Excellence for my senior research presentation on childhood cancer, part of which I volunteered for multiple years for the Corinna Felker Drive for Cancer helping raise money to provide assistance to families struggling with a child battling cancer. I also volunteered for local little league sports as a referee, umpire, and line judge at different times, as well as helping build a new baseball field.

Ideals

Here are some of the ideals that I have picked up over the years.

Create clarity out of chaos.

01

Out of chaos often comes clarity. The truth is sometimes you have to create a little chaos in order to arrive at clarity. Keep your eye on the prize.

Strong opinions, loosely held.

02

I believe that while we should have strong opinions, but we should also be open-minded when faced with new information. Rinse and repeat. A delicate balance of conviction and flexibility.

Win or learn.

03

Understand that failing is a process of growing. It doesn't matter that we fall, it matters that we pick ourselves back up, learn from it, and keep going. Growth can get messy. Embrace it.

Stay curious.

04

Curiosity is a fundamental trait that drives learning and personal growth. Having curiosity about the world around us leads to unexpected ideas and connecting dots that we may have missed otherwise.

Zoom in. And out.

05

It's equally important to look at the big picture as it is to focus on the details. Attention to details is important, but if we stay zoomed in for too long, we can get lost in the sauce and lose sight of the overall vision.

Under promise and over deliver.

06

Setting realistic expectations with stakeholders is an important aspect of design in the real world. I prefer to over estimate the amount of time/budget to pad for any problems that may arise, and delight the stakeholder if everything goes right.

Understand the fidelity.

07

Every project is a new undertaking and should be approached with the right level of detail at the right time. Product design isn't cookie cutter, it is a tool used to solve problems. No process for the sake of process.

Take a break.

08

The best ideas often come when we stop thinking about them. Clear your mind by working on something else or getting some fresh air with a 15 minute walk. Oftentimes, it provides clarity or sparks a new idea we may have been overlooking.

80/20. Prioritize effectively.

09

How do we determine what to work on when our plate is full? Prioritize the 20% of tasks that give us 80% of the results. Cut the fluff and focus on the impact.

Skills

Branding & marketing

Branding
Logo Design
Business Cards
Stationery Design
Branded Merch
Iconography
Naming
Brand Strategy
Visual Design
Illustration
Custom Emojis
Presentation Design
Packaging Design
Product Mockups
Video Overlays
Graphic Design
Digital Content Creation
Video Editing
Sound Design
Design Thinking
Advertising
Marketing
Market Research
Social Media Content
Social Media Marketing
Vehicle Wraps & Decals
Copywriting
Naming

Product design & development

Web Design
User Interface (UI) Design
User Experience (UX) Design
Typesetting
Page Layout
Information Architecture
Sitemaps
Wireframing
Product Design
User Flows
Design Systems
Prototyping
Data Visualization
Webflow
Augmented Reality
Artificial Intelligence
Front-End Web Development
HTML
CSS
SCSS
jQuery

Management & leadership

Art Direction
Creative Direction
Design Leadership
Design Management
Interviewing
Hiring
Training
Product Management
Big Picture Thinking
Attention to Detail
Problem Solving
Organization

Tools of the trade

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Illustrator
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Photoshop
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inDesign
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Sketch
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Figma
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Balsamiq
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InVision
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Zeplin
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Webflow
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Sublime Text
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VS Code
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Codepen
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Github
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Excel
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Sheets
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Docs
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Pages
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Powerpoint
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Keynote
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Trello
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Jira
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Confluence
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Asana
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Basecamp
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Premiere Pro
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After Effects
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Capcut
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TikTok
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Icomoon
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Discord
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Slack
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Gmail
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Outlook
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Zoom
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Teams
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Meet
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Dropbox
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Drive

Want to get in touch?

Reach out if you have any questions or if you're interested in working with me.

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