Exploring Life & Business with Kai Diaz of Kai Diaz Creative

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kai Diaz. 

Kai, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve been exploring creativity since I was a young grom. Surfing, skateboarding, and music in the ’90s was a big influence in wanting to make art and design. I got my professional start as an intern at Vapor Studio, an iconic design studio in downtown Encinitas. Shortly after leaving the studio in 2017, I started my own freelance creative studio, Kai Diaz Creative. Today, in our studio, we do brand design and photography. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’d make for a good success story to say that I had some rough patches to get to where I am today. But honestly, I loved every second of it. Through the sleepless nights, creative blocks, hard deadlines, and living paycheck to paycheck – I knew that it was all a part of the process and that I would eventually get to a space of confidence in my skills. I’m grateful for every step that I took – even the ones that set me back. They were all steps I needed to experience to get to where I am. 

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am the principal and lead designer at Kai Diaz Creative, a multidisciplinary design collective that focuses on design, strategy, and visual storytelling. Our studio focuses on the client’s issues within their business, and we create a visual strategy to help solve those issues. All while having a fun and collaborative process. 

We love doing a complete brand from scratch. If you have an idea or product you’d like to share with the world, we could be the studio for you to help with naming, personality, and overall look of your brand. 

Something that I think sets us apart from other design studios/agencies is we leave the ego out the door. Everyone has their process. I don’t expect everyone to abide by my design process. We love collaboration. 

The projects I’m most proud of aren’t necessarily the big-name clients. The ones I’m proud of are the top to bottom branding projects that are still going strong after a few years of using the brand guidelines we have set for them. 

This should be fun. Let’s have fun creating… Otherwise, why else are we doing this. We can create something beautiful without having to compromise our smile. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I feel lucky every day… but I truly believe that the universe provides for those seeking. I practice living with a grateful state of mind. 

Contact Info:

• Website: kaidiaz.com
• Instagram: @kaidiaz

Image Credits
Mario Ordoñez-Calderón
𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒔𝒊 𝑶𝒌𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒏
Nino Camilo
Tomoko h. Matsubayashi