Today we’d like to introduce you to Allan S. Manzano.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
It all began in 2001. I traveled to San Francisco and enrolled in grad school at the Academy of Art University. Not only was I the first in my family to graduate with a college degree, but I was also soon to be the first to have a Master’s Degree in Graphic Design. That moment has a sacred place in my heart because it validated my commitment to education and higher learning. It proved that I was willing and most able to accomplish anything if I worked hard enough. It was an experience that allowed me to view ordinary things differently. While in school, I met some of the most significant people that would eventually play a key role in my career. Furthermore, I did not realize that these moments would make me a better person personally and professionally, molding me into the confident person I am today.
While studying at the Academy of Art, I quickly discovered that I had a deep passion for design and the solid ability to use it, solving problems with a more profound thinking process. My instructors noticed I could process things quickly and thoroughly, comprehensively presenting my work in a timely fashion; it came naturally. The professors challenged me on every assignment, bringing out the best of my abilities. A strong portfolio and strong work ethic eventually launched my professional career, landing me at places like Quiksilver, Sony Design Center, and most notably, Apple’s Media Art Lab, to name a few.
My career was at its highest during my years working in San Francisco and Los Angeles. However, as time progressed, I was well into my tenth year as a professional. I was no longer a green, inexperienced junior designer; I was now a seasoned Art Director and soon to be Creative Director at my next position. It was a successful path, but I was exhausted and did not feel content with the work I was producing. I felt my services at these companies were going unnoticed, and I knew there was something grander for me to do. So, this is when I leaned on the one person I always admired when I was in graduate school. His name was Michael Osborne.
Michael’s thirty-plus years as a professional have won multiple design awards as an established designer, business owner, and educator. An AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) gold medalist, he is considered one of the best designers in our industry. I know him simply as MOD, which stands for Michael Osborne Design. He was a mentor to many, but he was also a close friend who has always encouraged me to be my best. I want to pattern my future to be his track record as a designer, business owner, and educator. His motto of doing the highest level of work but with passion and purpose is ingrained in my heart and mind. I want to pass on my experiences and encourage my students to design at a high level but with positivity and truth in their creative endeavors. Working alongside MOD is the experience I want to share with students. At this early stage of their career, I believe it is essential to encourage them and push them further to be confident people and forward-thinking designers.
Gaining support from MOD has inspired me and helped me transition my career into something meaningful and purposeful: Education. I am deeply passionate about how design and education together can provide students the opportunity to practice and hone their skills. I want to teach them to be better in the workforce and give back to their local community. For example, when I taught a brand strategy at the Art Institute San Diego, I was surrounded by students who did not know their full potential until my class. Each week we would perform design exercises to help them better understand their brand in the consumer’s mind. We would strategize on what set their brands apart from competitors and position their project to deploy the best possible marketing. Considering the amount of work and iteration after iterations, students began to understand the process and see the quality of their work improve. Not to mention, this course of action was going to be the blueprint in everything they do professionally and personally.
Teaching students also inspired me to become more involved in my community and join local organizations like AIGA, San Diego, and ARTS (A Reason to Survive). As the Education Director for AIGA, I help connect educational programs and build a better presence for students. One example is our student portfolio review, which was conducted virtually due to the pandemic for the first time in 2020. I also volunteer as a teaching designer at ARTS and run a”Good Design is Public Good” program for high school students. Students learn the fundamentals and are a hands-on introduction to Graphic Design through color, visual rhythm, placemaking, and human-centered design. Our capstone project in 2022 will be designing a basketball court with a one-of-a-kind design and community-driven.
Moreover, in 2022, I opened what I believe to be the first minority-owned creative agency in National City, CA. The agency is called Dynamo Design Group, and we will perform innovative services, like think tanks, ideations sessions, and workshops for local businesses in the area and national clients. Establishing this agency will serve as a catalyst for future designers in an underserved area to eventually become a top-notch design firm with people of color breaking barriers in a typical white industry.
I consider my experiences at both the professional and local levels as gifts, and sharing them with students, is essential. Whether students want to utilize their design skills to develop the next hot piece of technology or apply it for the greater good in their community, I want to help them get there. The years of practice and implementation have given me the knowledge to help students prepare for the next chapter of their young creative careers.
Finally, the significance of my story stems from having confidence in oneself and then applying it; I anchor my methodology around it and use it as my core belief when teaching. It is a process that brings the best out of my work, the students I teach, and the people I am around. So, how I got to where I am today has always been in the cards; it took some self-discovery to understand and embrace my potential fully. Now, it’s how I apply it and use it for the greater good of others.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
My journey has been a smooth road for the most part because I’m the type of person who always takes the high road when there isn’t one. However, it wasn’t always like that, and the route could have been worse. For example, one struggle I look back on was the notion of being overlooked and undervalued at work. It was not fun, feeling unseen and unheard at the workplace, and even knowing your experience and skillset surpassed many of my colleagues. It was a struggle because I was not allowed to get ahead no matter what I would do to advance my role professionally potentially. At that moment, my self-doubt crept in, and I started to think I was powerless to change the situation. Eventually, I sought help and mentally found ways to validate myself. I overcame the problem and moved on from the troubled mind the workplace was giving me.
The road to getting where I am today has had ups and downs. And looking back, I’ve embraced these obstacles because, in the end, it is through these experience that defines who we are as people. It is about having the strength to recognize the situation and get help is meaningful to me in many ways.
Furthermore, as a creative leader in the community, I am proactively finding those overlooked and underserved and advancing their talent to the next level through mentoring and education. And in business, showing the possibilities with our creative services will help grow their sales and engage with their audiences.
As you know, we’re big fans of Dynamo Design Group (DDG). For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Dynamo Design Group is a minority-owned and inner-city creative agency. Our skills are raw and uncut, which allows us to eliminate all the excess features and ornaments that clutter noise. As a byproduct of our community, we create to motivate positive vibes for people and peak performances for business.
We offer services across Branding and Visual Communications, Environmental Design, and concepts art in print, digital, and film. We work with organizations to enhance the community via Civic Branding and Marketing. Lastly, we are currently developing a program within the DDG, called Educational Experience, where we work alongside educational institutions to advance young designers and creative thinkers into the industry by mentoring and improving their professional presence.
Unlike other agencies, we pride ourselves and our space where people collaborate, ideate, and learn to impact. As artists and designers, we see the value of our skillset and the importance of a business. So, we are committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and progressive community through organizations we support and, ultimately, the work we do.
I am most proud of the team we have assembled because this idea of a creative agency wouldn’t have been put into action without them. We are valid proof that we get shit done, constant learners of the changing industry, and constantly open ourselves to failure to be better each day.
Finally, I want your readers to know that Dynamo Design Group acknowledges the people of the South Bay, the community members, and the neighborhoods our agency proudly represents. We respect all people, and with the highest standards, we strive to impact the community and the businesses that support it.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future will be to use my strengths of creativity to establish a platform that gives our community and industry a space to think, ideate, and create–with the services we offer at Dynamo Design Group.
I look forward to being part of the narrative that helps shift the future in art, design, and culture. I find my wealth in the people I meet and work with, and I want to continue that until my time has expired.
As far as significant changes, my life is going through one right now, and people are about to know about it!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.dynamodesigngroup.com
- Instagram: @dynamodesigngroup
Image Credits
Nathan Abuan
