meet dan antonelli: author, logo-guru,
font snob, kerning lunatic and cyclist.
What do you do at GDS?
The question should be rephrased - perhaps 'What don't you do at GDS?' would be more appropriate. I'm the owner, CEO, Creative Director, personnel director, yadda yadda yadda - I'm the one working 70-80 hours per week for very little pay. Unless of course, it’s striped bass season or cycling racing season, in which case, I only work 40 hours a week. But, seriously, I'm the one overseeing what all these creative folks do here - and making sure everything lives up to my high expectations. Generally, my day consists of talking to clients, working on their projects—and coordinating and developing branding for small businesses. And trying to finish my third book on small business branding.
What's your background?
How did you get into this racket?
As a teenager, I started out hand lettering trucks and pinstriping cars. I was always fascinated with typography. I went to college to study advertising and graphic design. A lot of this firm's original work was rooted in vehicle advertising. And of course, logos and branding have been a passion of mine since my younger days. It still remains my favorite type of work. Show me a logo, and chances are I'll be able to show you ten things wrong with it. None of ours, of course, have anything wrong with them. :)
What are your favorite portfolio pieces?
I would have to say the work we did for Timo's Air remains one of my favorite pieces. Everything we did for them - from the retro logo and stationery - to the web site and vehicles was truly fun to work on. The client gave us a lot of latitude as well, and the result of the campaign has been very successful. Also the web site and identity for BrooklynPorkstore.com is also something I really love, even ten years later. But after 500-or-so logo designs, it's really hard to pick one as my favorite. Each holds a special place for me, and I still get a thrill seeing my work driving down the road, in a magazine or online.
What accomplishments are you most proud of?
I'm very proud of building this firm from the ground up, and of the work we do here and how it helps our clients grow their business. I'm also proud of this super-creative team I've assembled. And the two logo design books that I wrote are a professional accomplishment that is very significant for me (and if I could finish my next book - that would be pretty awesome, too). We've won over 120 design awards, and had our work published in dozens of magazines (including 7 front cover features), and books. There's also a tremendous amount of satisfaction in knowing that we've helped over 500 small businesses market and grow. Nothing makes me happier than to hear from them on how our work has helped them close a sale. And the recent pro-bono work we've been able to do is also quite rewarding. And on a personal note, last year, I caught a 38-pound striped bass, and I placed well in a few bike races.
What do you do when you're not designing
brilliant logos and running the company?
I love spending time with my wife and my three daughters - twin 13-year olds, and a 4-year old. You may have already surmised that I love saltwater fishing. I also love road biking and racing (I'm a Cat IV road racer). I competitively race on a team with a great bunch of guys from Liberty Cycle in Basking Ridge, NJ.
Me racing in Rahway, NJ - April, 2012.
Quick Stats
Key Accomplishments and Qualifications:
- BA Degree in Communications/ Advertising from University of Scranton.
- Author of logo design books Logo Design for Small Business 1 & 2.
- Recognized expert on small business branding; regularly giving seminars and workshops around the country to various business groups.
- Over 18 years experience in marketing and advertising small businesses.
- After a five-year stint as an art director for a large NYC insurance company, founded Graphic D-Signs.
- Personally responsible for the brand identity development of over 500 small business in NJ and around the globe.
- Recipient of numerous design awards, and published author of over 75 industry related articles.
Can Often Be Heard Saying:
- "Success in spite of a poor identity is not a valid reason to perpetuate it."
- "Clients don’t understand. Their success is related to standing out, not fitting in. One wants to be the needle in the haystack, not a haystack."
- "More kerning, please!"
- Quotes from Fletch, Caddyshack and Napoleon Dynamite and Mad Men
My Favorite Things:
- My beautiful family
- Italian racing bicycles, especially my Colnago CX1
- Don Draper & Mad Men
- Tailwinds, because headwinds suck.
- Rush (the band, not the moron), and Porcupine Tree
- QuikChek, Pez, candy cigarettes
and Mr. Pibb - Retro logo design
- The smell of the marina at 6am, leaving the docks for a day of fishing
- When my heart rate average is below 185 during a race