Dave Mattfield is the Creative Director of Presentation Design at VerdanaBold. Dave has over ten years of presentation design experience and is our resident expert at taking complicated process graphics and data charts and distilling them down to visually beautiful designs that anyone can understand.
When he’s not helping create kick-ass presentations at VerdanaBold, you can find him spending quality time with his wife and five-year-old, cloistered away in a dimly lit studio making loud noises with his band, or riding his bike all over Chicago.
What aspect of your personality adds the most value to your presentation design work at VerdanaBold?
Before I went to art school, I went to engineering school because I happened to be good at math. I eventually realized that engineering wasn’t for me, but I am eternally grateful for the experience. Having that left-right brain balance makes me especially enjoy tackling complicated infographics and data visualization.
How do you measure the success of your designs at VerdanaBold?
Judging the success of a project is all a bit relative; in our line of work, we are often asked to enhance or rethink existing presentation collateral. When we are able to re-think the story, consider the content and apply high design principles to the often under-considered medium of presentation design, the before and after results are dramatic.
If you were to start a company from scratch, what values would you build it on?
For me, an unwavering commitment to quality work is at the top of the list. Always striving to deliver an excellent product, in a way, IS our brand. Beyond the work, I want everyone to feel good about showing up every day. To me, that means fostering an environment of mutual respect, inclusivity and being mindful of the work-life balance.
Would you rather: no La Croix in the office fridge or no espresso machine on the office counter?
Before the pandemic I would have quickly answered LaCroix. However, while I was adjusting to working from home, I began to cultivate new habits in my day. Now I can't imagine the workday without my coffee station and the accompanying rituals to keep me centered.
What is your favorite restaurant in Chicago?
Hands down, this is the hardest hitting question in the lot. Not to start a beef here (wocka wocka) but quality of food in Chicago is disproportionately great measured against cities like New York and LA; picking one place is hard. I'm clearly stalling for time so I'll just say Himalayan Sherpa Kitchen is currently at the top of my list.
What are three things still left on your bucket list?
1. Write, direct and produce a short film.
2. Visit all the continents save for Antarctica (I endured plenty of cold winters growing up).
3. Walk out of Whole Foods spending less than $50.
Update (02/24): we’ve revised this article to add some new thoughts on working from home and dining out in Chicago
Looking for more information about presentations and beyond? Check out our resources for expert advice and tested strategies.
About the author
Kyle Kartz is the Creative Director of Storytelling at VerdanaBold. He is an expert copywriter and strategist, with experience driving major campaigns for global brands in multiple industries. He is passionate about communications, the outdoors, and cooking.