Doug VanderValk
Hello, I'm Doug VanderValk - a creative leader who builds brands, products, and teams around beautiful, purposeful design.
About
I'm a creative leader who believes in beautiful, purposeful design. I bring a range of creative abilities — from creative direction and team leadership, to graphic and product design.
I've spent 18 years working across graphic, web, and product design, and I still get energized by the work itself. I also love building and growing creative teams, and I've found real satisfaction in mentoring designers and helping them find their own solutions.
I care about understanding the full context of a project before jumping into the design — the business goals, the constraints, the people involved — because I believe user-centered solutions that take context into account are the best way to drive real business success. Whether I'm leading a cross-functional team or coaching a designer through a tough problem, my focus stays the same: understand the context, keep the user at the center, and let that lead to work that actually moves the business forward.
Experience
UX/UI Creative Lead
Staples Promotional Products
2026 — Present
Work with cross-functional teams in the creative direction for clients and StaplesPromo.com. Work within a team of Art Directors and Web Developers, contributing to their professional growth and enhancing the team’s design capabilities. Successfully execute multiple design projects simultaneously, demonstrating strong project management and organizational skills.
Sr Art Director
Staples Promotional Products
2014 — 2025
Collaborated with clients, marketing, and merchandising teams to create cohesive design strategies for web and print projects. Played a key role in project management, from conception through execution, ensuring timely delivery and high-quality outcomes.
Art Director
Staples Promotional Products
2013 — 2014
Collaborated with clients, marketing, and merchandising teams to create cohesive design strategies for web and print projects.
Footwear Designer (Contract)
Velaasa
2013 — 2025
Created footwear design concepts and developed them into comprehensive technical packages for manufacturing. Led multiple projects with an emphasis on functionality and aesthetics through to successful production.
Designer
Sunlighten
2008 — 2013
Directed the design and development of multiple product lines, including GUI for control panels. Worked on web and print collateral while maintaining high creative standards. Led a cross-functional New Product Development team to identify opportunities and refine the company's product offerings.
Education
BFA in Industrial Design
University of Kansas
Graduated December 2007
Emphasis in Psychology. 3.64 GPA.
Google UX Design Professional Certificate
Coursera
2025
What I Do
Branding & Visual Identity
Designing consistent and impactful brand systems — including logos, color palettes, typography, and style guides.
Graphic Design
Producing effective print and digital collateral — including marketing materials, catalogs, packaging, and campaign graphics.
Product Design
Taking products from concept and 3D modeling through fully developed tech packs, ready for manufacturing and production.
Web Design
Designing and building e-commerce and brand sites, from visual identity through launch.
Creative Direction
Leading design strategy and creative vision across client accounts, ensuring concepts align with business goals from concept through execution.
Team Leadership & Mentorship
Mentoring designers and art directors, and managing cross-functional collaboration to strengthen a team's design capabilities.
My Process
1
Research
Dig into the brief, audience, and business goals to fully understand the problem before any design work begins.
2
Define
Synthesize findings into a clear creative direction, defining the strategy and success criteria for the project.
3
Ideate
Explore concepts through sketching, moodboards, and rapid iteration to land on the strongest creative direction.
4
Prototype/Test
Build and refine prototypes, gathering feedback from stakeholders and users to validate and improve the design.
5
Launch
Finalize execution and manage the process through to production, ensuring a smooth, high-quality launch.
Featured Works
A handful of projects that show my approach: clear brands, a user-centered process, and visuals that tell a story. Simple, strategic, and intentional.
Staples Promotional Visual Identity
I was part of a project to refresh the brand's visual identity, with a focus on creating differentiation between Staples and Staples Promotional. The project involved updating the color palette and logo, creating several graphic elements to use, and updating messaging to better define the brand.
- Branding
- Graphic Design
- Photo Planning
Sunlighten Control Panel
I worked to develop the new control panel for top-end infrared saunas. The GUI needed to move to Android hardware while improving functionality — ranging from heating controls, to scheduling, to lighting, and more. I worked closely with a developer to ensure successful execution.
- Graphic Design
- UX/UI Design
Velaasa Strake
A project to create an elite lifting shoe utilizing a traditional wooden heel. Began with refining performance requirements, worked with the client to create an aesthetic that fit the brand, and developed a complete tech pack for prototyping and eventual production.
- Product Design
- Tech Pack Development
Radiance: Beautiful Skin
Worked on a wide variety of creative projects for Radiance, a small skincare spa. That work has included logo development and branding, photo shoot planning, web development, SEO optimization, and more.
- Graphic Design
- Photo Planning
- Web Design
- SEO Optimization
- Branding
Intel Branded Products
Through Staples Promotional Products, worked on The Intel Store — an online store plus two physical stores featuring primarily branded Intel products. Work included branding and visual identity for the store, product graphics, the design of the e-store, and a variety of signage and displays used across several Intel campuses.
- Graphic Design
- Web Design
- Photo Planning
Subaru Branded Products
Through Staples, worked on the Subaru Gear online store. Work included branding and visual identity for the e-store, the design and build of the e-store, numerous email marketing pieces, some small print pieces, and more.
- Graphic Design
- Web Design
- Photo Planning
Staples Promo Retail Brand Guide
The first large project utilizing Staples Promo's new visual identity — a catalog distributed in physical and digital format highlighting many of the retail brands Staples Promotional Products offers. Important for introducing and establishing the updated logo, color palette, and visual elements while keeping consistency with the featured brands.
- Branding
- Graphic Design
Sunlighten mPulse Sauna
The mPulse line is Sunlighten's top line of infrared saunas. I was tasked with working alongside mechanical and electrical engineers to create the full design. Through sketching, 3D modeling, and prototyping, the team created a unique aesthetic that maximized the efficacy of the technology.
- Product Design
- 3D Modeling
I've worked with these brands, and others:
