Name: Dan Weiss

Title and Company: Creative recruiter with American Greetings

1. Where do you live now? If you were to lead a tour or your town/city, where is the first place you would take people and why?
I live in Bay Village, near the lake. (or Erie Ocean, as it more seems!)…and it is a rather dreamy little place to live. Close enough to downtown, university circle, etc…but also far enough out to feel like you are getting away from things. I think “Bay” just MIGHT be the tandem-bike capitol of the world! How cute is THAT?!

2. What is your proudest accomplishment?
My daughter, Charlotte Rose.

3. What is your favorite non-design related activity or hobby?
Gardening, without a doubt. Not your basic pansy-planting mind you, but more rather serious digging, building and trying to create a private eden with trellis’s, gates, arbors…lovely plants and flowers. Ahhh, to have Oregon’s temperate climate.

4. What is the best advice you’ve ever received? Did you follow it?
“surround yourself with intelligent people who care about you…and listen to them.” Yes, I did…Carolyn (his wife) is a physics teacher.

5. If you could be any character from a book, movie, or song, who would you be and why?
Gawd, another tough one. Sherlock Holmes? (if I could be the robert downey version, rather than Basil Rathbone.).

6. What is one goal (personal or professional) that you have for the future?
On a professional level, i would like to get back into teaching part-time. Personal goals? Jeez, I don’t know…be a nice guy, treat people with respect, get into better shape physically…smile more? I guess I should work on something a more lofty, or that will better the world in some way, eh?

6. Who or what inspires you the most, creatively or personally?
Hard to beat Mother Nature when it comes to inspiring things, but friends and good web sites are reliable and consistent sources for me. Currently sort of obsessed with “Pinterest” and the TED conference talks.

6. Can you describe your creative process?
Kinda not, as I truly think a lot of it starts during sleep!…seriously. Although when I’m lecturing to a group of students, or advising a designer on how best to communicate one’s individual design-solution methodology, I tend to site a more traditional approach beginning with a lot of research and a deep-dive into understanding brand.