I am a Digital Product Consultant helping organizations launch websites, apps, and brands. I’ve been a designer for 20 years and have been running Duane Smith Design as an independent business since 2011.

Today, I am a co-founder of the website design agency CultivateWP with my long term strategic partner Bill Erickson (that’s us, top center).
I’ve been trusted by Fortune 500 companies, universities, advertising agencies, publishers, law firms, professional organizations, manufacturers, health care administrators, financial service providers, and non-profit organizations to design beautiful and effective design solutions.
My design studio
This is my design studio located in downtown Richmond, Virginia where I’ve been since January of 2017. Prior to moving here, my business was located in Dallas, Texas — hence why I’ve had so many Texas-based clients.
Parking downtown is a nightmare, so I commute by bicycle. And also because I love bicycles.

Personal stuff about me
I studied advertising and graphic design at Kilgore College before transferring to University of North Texas to study communication design. After college, I worked in agency, publishing, and in-house environments before starting my own business. I am part of several design communities including the AIGA, DSVC, and Creative Mornings, and attend many industry conferences including HOW, Adobe Max, WordCamp, Renewbie, NSCC, The Dallas Show, and more .
My hobbies include bicycles, sneakers, vinyl records, hip hop, and drawing things by hand. When I’m not at work, I’m usually at home spending time with my family, floating the river, catching up on the latest Netflix show, or reading a book.
If you’re the “stalk people on social media” type, you can find me on Instagram where you’ll see pictures of pets/sneakers/bicycles/food/friends and most importantly my life partner, Crystal.
10 personal tidbits:
- Demographically speaking, I’m not a Millennial or a Boomer. I’m part of the in-between, oft-forgotten Gen X. I’m also half-Japanese.
- I’ve lived in Japan, California, Texas, Virginia, and Midway Atoll in the Hawaiian archipelago.
- I got my first computer when I was 12—in the 1980s. I’ve been on the Internet since 1996, designed my first website in 1997, and have been obsessed with graphical user interfaces for 30+ years.
- I’ve never owned a Windows-based PC. Every single computer I’ve had since 1995 has been a Mac.
- I’ve broken a collarbone, both wrists, and a rib in various bike crashes. I’ve had two surgeries, and honestly, my shoulder still ain’t right. But I keep riding!
- My childhood hero was Michael Jordan which may explain my 100+ pair of sneakers, most of which are Jordans. I’ve been
collectinghoarding sneakers since the early 2000s. - My favorite musicians are Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, A Tribe Called Quest, De la Soul, Wu-Tang Clan, UGK, New Order, Earl Sweatshirt, Kanye, Ghostface Killah, Nine Inch Nails, J Dilla, Childish Gambino, Chance the Rapper, MF Doom, Rage Against The Machine, and Run The Jewels.
- My favorite films are Interstellar, A Ghost Story, and Arrival. All three are SciFi and deal with the nature and meaning of time.
- The most useful books I’ve read are Design is a Job, Responsive Web Design, The Business of Expertise, and Making Websites Win.