A Creator’s Mindset for Modern Brands

Icons

approach

I believe in building with and for the audience. I push brands to behave less like institutions and more like creators—curious, human, and open to co-creation. It means leading with point of view, not perfection. Instead of waiting to be invited into culture, I make work that earns a place there, shaping content and experiences as invitations—designed to resonate, respond, and evolve.

 

I design brand experiences as platforms for shared authorship. That means creating space for fans, customers, and creators to contribute meaningfully—not just through feedback, but through visible storytelling and product innovation. When brands lead with humility and curiosity, communities show up not just to consume—but to co-create.

 

see work

149M+

Impressions - Xbox Year in Review

$230M

Revenue lift - Microsoft 365 Attach Campaign

20%

Engagement increase - Xbox CRM

Icons

me

Portrait of a man with brown hair and glasses on a flat gray background.

Dan V.

Creative Director and Tinkerer

Icons

story

Creative Director with 15+ years shaping brand storytelling and systems for Xbox, Microsoft, and T-Mobile. I build creative cultures where insight and experimentation drive award-winning work—bridging emotional storytelling with scalable systems and emerging technology.

skills

Brand Storytelling & Narrative Systems

Human-Centered Design

Creative Team Leadership

Multi-Channel Campaign Development

Emerging Tech & GenAI Integration

Figma & Design System Implementation

Cultural & Community Engagement

experience

Board of Directors — AAF Seattle

Sr. Manager, Creative Direction — T-Mobile Studio

Creative Consultant — Indigo Slate (Microsoft 365)

Group Creative Director — Wunderman Thompson (Xbox, Minecraft)

Creative Director — Razorfish (Microsoft Windows, Mozilla)

Associate Creative Director — Isobar (EA Sports, Adidas, Dolby)

signature work

Xbox Year-in-Review: Turned player data into personalized storytelling, earning 4 Gold Addys.

 

T-Mobile 5G Adventure: Designed immersive B2B experience integrating AI-enhanced workflows.

 

Microsoft 365 Attach: Used insight-led storytelling to boost attach sales 18%.

education & certifications

Empowering Marketing with AI, Certification, (UW)

Design Thinking for Innovation, Certification, (UVA)

Advertising and Copywriting, The Creative Circus,

BA, Journalism and Political Philosophy, University of Wisconsin

awards

4x Addys Gold Winner, Xbox Year-in-Review

Effie's Gold, "The Win" Campaign for EA Sports

OMMAs, Adidas "In the Game" TV/Social integration, Dolby "Update Theater" Social Innovation

Mi6 Awards, EA Games

One Show, Cambridge Technology Partners

Telly Awards Gold, T-Mobile for Business 5G Adventure

see work

Arrow

holler

(415) 336-1154

dan@danvanderhei.com

A Creator’s Mindset for Modern Brands

Icons

approach

I believe in building with and for the audience. I push brands to behave less like institutions and more like creators—curious, human, and open to co-creation. It means leading with point of view, not perfection. Instead of waiting to be invited into culture, I make work that earns a place there, shaping content and experiences as invitations—designed to resonate, respond, and evolve.

 

I design brand experiences as platforms for shared authorship. That means creating space for fans, customers, and creators to contribute meaningfully—not just through feedback, but through visible storytelling and product innovation. When brands lead with humility and curiosity, communities show up not just to consume—but to co-create.

 

see work

149M+

Impressions - Xbox Year in Review

$230M

Revenue lift - Microsoft 365 Attach Campaign

20%

Engagement increase - Xbox CRM

Icons

me

Portrait of a man with brown hair and glasses on a flat gray background.

Dan V.

Creative Director and Tinkerer

Icons

story

Creative Director with 15+ years shaping brand storytelling and systems for Xbox, Microsoft, and T-Mobile. I build creative cultures where insight and experimentation drive award-winning work—bridging emotional storytelling with scalable systems and emerging technology.

skills

Brand Storytelling & Narrative Systems

Human-Centered Design

Creative Team Leadership

Multi-Channel Campaign Development

Emerging Tech & GenAI Integration

Figma & Design System Implementation

Cultural & Community Engagement

experience

Board of Directors — AAF Seattle

Sr. Manager, Creative Direction — T-Mobile Studio

Creative Consultant — Indigo Slate (Microsoft 365)

Group Creative Director — Wunderman Thompson (Xbox, Minecraft)

Creative Director — Razorfish (Microsoft Windows, Mozilla)

Associate Creative Director — Isobar (EA Sports, Adidas, Dolby)

signature work

Xbox Year-in-Review: Turned player data into personalized storytelling, earning 4 Gold Addys.

 

T-Mobile 5G Adventure: Designed immersive B2B experience integrating AI-enhanced workflows.

 

Microsoft 365 Attach: Used insight-led storytelling to boost attach sales 18%.

education & certifications

Empowering Marketing with AI, Certification, (UW)

Design Thinking for Innovation, Certification, (UVA)

Advertising and Copywriting, The Creative Circus,

BA, Journalism and Political Philosophy, University of Wisconsin

awards

4x Addys Gold Winner, Xbox Year-in-Review

Effie's Gold, "The Win" Campaign for EA Sports

OMMAs, Adidas "In the Game" TV/Social integration, Dolby "Update Theater" Social Innovation

Mi6 Awards, EA Games

One Show, Cambridge Technology Partners

Telly Awards Gold, T-Mobile for Business 5G Adventure

see work

Arrow

holler

(415) 336-1154

dan@danvanderhei.com

A Creator’s Mindset for Modern Brands

Icons

approach

I believe in building with and for the audience. I push brands to behave less like institutions and more like creators—curious, human, and open to co-creation. It means leading with point of view, not perfection. Instead of waiting to be invited into culture, I make work that earns a place there, shaping content and experiences as invitations—designed to resonate, respond, and evolve.

 

I design brand experiences as platforms for shared authorship. That means creating space for fans, customers, and creators to contribute meaningfully—not just through feedback, but through visible storytelling and product innovation. When brands lead with humility and curiosity, communities show up not just to consume—but to co-create.

 

see work

149M+

Impressions - Xbox Year in Review

$230M

Revenue lift - Microsoft 365 Attach Campaign

20%

Engagement increase - Xbox CRM

Icons

me

Portrait of a man with brown hair and glasses on a flat gray background.

Dan V.

Creative Director and Tinkerer

Icons

story

Creative Director with 15+ years shaping brand storytelling and systems for Xbox, Microsoft, and T-Mobile. I build creative cultures where insight and experimentation drive award-winning work—bridging emotional storytelling with scalable systems and emerging technology.

skills

Brand Storytelling & Narrative Systems

Human-Centered Design

Creative Team Leadership

Multi-Channel Campaign Development

Emerging Tech & GenAI Integration

Figma & Design System Implementation

Cultural & Community Engagement

experience

Board of Directors — AAF Seattle

Sr. Manager, Creative Direction — T-Mobile Studio

Creative Consultant — Indigo Slate (Microsoft 365)

Group Creative Director — Wunderman Thompson (Xbox, Minecraft)

Creative Director — Razorfish (Microsoft Windows, Mozilla)

Associate Creative Director — Isobar (EA Sports, Adidas, Dolby)

signature work

Xbox Year-in-Review: Turned player data into personalized storytelling, earning 4 Gold Addys.

 

T-Mobile 5G Adventure: Designed immersive B2B experience integrating AI-enhanced workflows.

 

Microsoft 365 Attach: Used insight-led storytelling to boost attach sales 18%.

education & certifications

Empowering Marketing with AI, Certification, (UW)

Design Thinking for Innovation, Certification, (UVA)

Advertising and Copywriting, The Creative Circus,

BA, Journalism and Political Philosophy, University of Wisconsin

awards

4x Addys Gold Winner, Xbox Year-in-Review

Effie's Gold, "The Win" Campaign for EA Sports

OMMAs, Adidas "In the Game" TV/Social integration, Dolby "Update Theater" Social Innovation

Mi6 Awards, EA Games

One Show, Cambridge Technology Partners

Telly Awards Gold, T-Mobile for Business 5G Adventure

see work

Arrow

holler

(415) 336-1154

dan@danvanderhei.com