Dan is passionate about technology, and enjoys figuring out how things work. Throughout his life, he has been considered a jack-of-all trades, learning new things quickly and adapting to challenges. This mindset, along with his love for technology, is what led him to pursue a career in IT. He approaches each day with the philosophy that you need to be proud of your work, and if you’re not going to put 100% effort in, it will show in the end product.
Dan has known of Phase Zero Design since the firm opened its doors. He watched as they grew, worked on bigger and bigger projects and established themselves as a major design firm. He says that Phase Zero Design employs some of the best in the business, and is so happy to join a team full of creative people where he can contribute to the continued success of the company.
What is the most important tool of your trade, and why?
You would think I go with the easy answer and would say the computer, but, I believe it is actually patience and kindness. As someone who deals with technology in all forms day-in and day-out, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by it all. A little patience goes a long way in identifying the problem, executing the solution, and making sure it doesn’t happen again. Due to the nature of my job, I am most often working with people when they are dealing with a big problem—something preventing them from working and meeting a deadline. Keeping patience reminds me to be sympathetic to their situation, and a little kindness can go a long way in putting someone at ease. Letting them know that you won’t stop working until the problem is solved.
What inspires you most about your field?
When I see the advancements made in rendering technology I am blown away—the fact we are able to take completed Revit drawings and convert them into highly detailed fly-through videos for clients is something that will always amaze me. Technology has always fascinated me and I am inspired to find new and unique ways to incorporate technology (like video rendering) into our firm. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck and forced our entire workforce to work remotely, it accelerated the need for remote collaboration and implementation of software based solutions to support the staff. Through the use of cloud based software we were able to continue to work together and support our clients without missing a beat. I’m very excited to see what the future holds and what technology we can incorporate next.
What makes you most proud about being a Phase Zero Design employee?
The thing that makes me most proud of being a Phase Zero employee is the high caliber of clients that we partner with. As the “IT guy” I realize that the heart of what I do happens in the background and doesn’t draw the attention that our amazing architects, project managers, and interior designers do. However, that never lessens the pride that I get when I drive by a hospital, restaurant, or store and tell my kids, “Phase Zero designed that!” It makes me happy to know I’m just the guy who helped make it all possible.