A Creator’s Mindset for Modern Brands
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
me

Dan V.
Creative Director and Tinkerer
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
→
holler
(415) 336-1154
dan@danvanderhei.com
A Creator’s Mindset for Modern Brands
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
me

Dan V.
Creative Director and Tinkerer
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
→
holler
(415) 336-1154
dan@danvanderhei.com
A Creator’s Mindset for Modern Brands
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
me

Dan V.
Creative Director and Tinkerer
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
→
holler
(415) 336-1154
dan@danvanderhei.com