Today we’d like to introduce you to David Traina.
David, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My career got off to an early start. At age 15, I started working summers at the Atlanta office of JWT as a junior production lackey. I inhaled so much 3M spray mount that I’m lucky to be alive today. But it was an intoxicating experience for a teenage kid from backwoods Georgia, and I determined that I would be a graphic designer.
Fast forward a few years, I earned a degree in graphic design from BYU, got married, and landed my first full time gig in Seattle. I worked first at an annual report firm, and then at a traditional agency. During those five years in Seattle, I spent a lot of my time working on projects for various divisions of Microsoft and made a lot of good friends there. After five years in the Northwest gray, and with our third child on the way, we decided to move closer to family. So in 2005, my pregnant wife and I and our two daughters moved in with my in-laws here in San Diego, without jobs, and without a plan. In retrospect, I honestly have no idea what we were thinking.
Within a few weeks, I landed a job at a local design firm. But just three months into that position, I got a call from one of my friends at Microsoft—a marketing manager who wanted me to take over their creative workload. I loved my new job, but I knew this was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. And that’s how Traina Design was born. We grew slowly during the first several years, with Microsoft providing the lion’s share of the work and revenue. But eventually, we started bringing in additional clients, and growing at a fast clip. Today Traina is a full service creative agency with 30 full-time employees and clients of all sizes from all sectors of business and commerce. Our primary focus is branding—brand strategy, messaging, identity, and execution.
Has it been a smooth road?
There have been hiccups along the way, but for the most part, it’s been smooth sailing. I chalk that up to two key aspects of our team:
1. Great people. We have some of the most hard working, passionate, creative talents in the country and we all share a common obsession with doing great work.
2. Great work. We’ve found that making great work the top priority—above profits, growth or any other consideration—has naturally led to recurring business and steady growth. Up until just a couple of years ago, our projects were 100% recurring business or word of mouth.
Tell us more about the business.
Traina is, at its heart and soul, a branding agency. It’s a dedicated team of strategists, writers, designers, and developers who share a common passion for great ideas and great design. We work closely with our clients to create authentic brand identities, and extraordinary brand experiences, that help them to establish their voice and elevate their brand. Our work is renowned for its ability to capture the essence of a company and/or product and express it through compelling messages and highly-crafted design.
Our greatest pride comes from seeing our clients succeed and then growing together as their business expands.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Competition is flooding most markets. As they become saturated, companies will increasingly turn to brand strategy to help them develop a unique narrative that rises above the clutter. A distinct messaging and positioning strategy and bold visual language, combined with value-driven business decisions, will become the bedrock of every successful brand. Social has made it impossible for companies to hide behind their brands. Consumers are growing increasingly concerned with what brands care about, and they want to see transparent action that aligns with their values.
Contact Info:
- Address: 10680 Treena St
San Diego, CA 92131 - Website: www.trainadesign.com
- Phone: 6195677100
- Email: hello@trainadesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trainadesign/
- Facebook: facebook.com/trainadesign
- Other: https://clutch.co/profile/traina-design
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