Danielle Davis is a designer who enjoys building thoughtful and branded visual identities.
She has worked with fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and cultural institutions to bring their stories to life through digital and graphic design mediums.
:: An informal interview with Danielle
What are your preferred pronouns?
She/Her/Hers
Where do you call home?
Kingston, Jamaica
What is your program and year of graduation?
M.A. in Graphic Design (GDMA), 2018-2019
What inspired you to take the leap of going to graduate school?
I tapped into my passion for design when I took a graphic design elective in the final year of my undergraduate studies. The elective enhanced my self-taught skills and introduced me to the realities, depth, and wonders of the design industry. This brief academic experience motivated me to realign my career course to pursue my passion professionally. Upon graduation, I immediately sought out opportunities to further increase my design capabilities, including volunteering with local and internationally based organizations and pursuing professional freelance opportunities. While I was proud of what I had accomplished through a heavily self-taught foundation, I was more excited by the potential of furthering my skills and knowledge through MICA’s intensive M.A. in Graphic Design graduate program.
How has this scholarship impacted your thinking and process during your time in graduate school?
The Leslie King-Hammond Graduate Fellowship inspired me to support and create initiatives that implement social change and empowerment within the MICA community and beyond. I am particularly passionate about creating narratives for and about Black folks and was eager to contribute to this conversation. During my time at MICA, I saw individuals and organizations who like myself, possess both a passion and purpose for representation. This experience affirmed that my designs gave me a powerful voice and the responsibility to use it to encourage and inspire others.
What have you been working on? Share the driving questions and inspiration that informs your work as an artist, designer, educator and/or activist.
Currently, I work as an in-house designer for a beauty company. In addition to my design responsibilities, I work diligently to empower BIPOC clients and consumers through marketing content and the facilitation of conversations regarding the importance of representation within the beauty industry.