Don Whelan

Don is passionate about design, grid systems and the visual world. Also: hot dogs and baseball.

As art director, his goal is to bring the highest design standards to every client project he works on, regardless of the scope. He cut his teeth on wine label design at Auston Design Group in the Napa Valley; honed his curiosity, understanding of formal design concepts and hawkeye while designing books at Winterhouse Studio; and got the big picture on collateral, efficiency and storytelling at KINETIK in Washington, DC. He also served on the board of the DC chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design, where he learned about dedication, passion and community.

Now he puts it all together for Leverage's stable of clients, in print and online.

Design education is important to him, and he strives to help clients understand the meaning of design during the process. Don believes strongly that every project is an opportunity to put something beautiful and effective into the world, and that a partnership between designer and client depends on education and mutual respect.

Outside of work, he plays bad golf (though earnestly), loves baseball and the Olympics, and is plotting to decorate his new daughter's room with beautiful typography in the guise of alphabet posters. He's recently taken up road cycling and running, and has great appreciation for craft beer and coffee.