Michael Davis

Brand Architect & Graphic Designer

Germantown, MD, USA
I love digging deep into an organization’s mission and purpose. I deconstruct, I challenge, and I test how real and authentic an organization is to its DNA. The conception of any organization is rooted in its story. My goal is to find that story, extract it and tell it to people, so that they know the organization is the only solution to their problem.

As the head of branding in the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the National Institutes of Health my chief responsibility is threefold: (1) to identify brand gaps; (2) restore the integrity of the brand to the mission; (3) build better experiences with the brand, and; (4) ultimately renew the relationship between NIH and its customers.

In so doing, I design targeted products and construct strategic messages that shift organizational culture. My expertise is in aligning brand messages to strategic business objectives, producing enterprise-level digital campaigns, setting creative direction and institutionalizing creative quality control, UX/UI design, and managing digital and social content.

Work Experience

The White House, Office Of Science And Tech

(Volunteer) Design & Public Policy Work Group

Designers and policy-makers collaborate to propose human-centered design (HCD) thinking approaches to conventional government practices.
June 2016 - Present District of Columbia, United States

National Institutes Of Health

Brand Manager & Sr. Designer

Responsible for branding, messaging, digital marketing, creative direction, and management. My objective was to establish the corporate identity for diversity and inclusion that positions the National Institutes of Health as the premier diversity and inclusion employer of the U.S. Federal Government. This position situated within the Office of the NIH Director in the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
March 2013 - Present North Bethesda, Maryland, United States

George Mason University, Early Identification Program

Brand Manager & Graphic Designer

I spent three incredible years with the Early Identification Program. My objective was to rebuild the brand identity of the University’s 30-year-old college access program for minority students of underrepresented communities of Northern Virginia. In 2010, the college access program was rebuilding, transitioning in new leadership, and needed a major facelift after not having refined its image in 25 years. I sourced student graduates of the program who know what it means and what feels like to be a first-generation college student, who wear the EIP "badge" with honor. In collaboration with them, I reimagined EIP's brand identity and gave them The EIP Shield.
May 2011 - March 2013 Virginia, United States

George Mason University, Office Of Diversity, Inclusion, And Multicultural Education

Branding Consultant

Responsible for branding and creative direction and leading the development of a new identity for the Office.
October 2012 - February 2013 Fairfax, Virginia, United States

Legacy Brand Images

Co-CEO & Principal Designer

Partner in running a boutique design firm specializing in branding for individuals, businesses, and organizations. Responsible for consulting with new clients, standing up complete brand systems and all aspects of website design.
April 2010 - Present District of Columbia, United States

SWAT App

Brand Manager

An mobile app start-up, building a law enforcement rating system and database for citizen-police encounters.
April 2015 - Present District of Columbia, United States

Education

Woodbridge Senior High School For The Fine And Performing Arts

Visual Art

Woodbridge, Virginia, United States

George Mason University

Bachelor of Arts, Organizational Management and Communications

Fairfax, Virginia, United States

Florida State University

Master of Arts, Integrated Marketing Communications

Tallahassee, Florida, United States

Languages

Arabic (Conversational),
Spanish (Beginner),
English (Native),

Awards

National Institutes Of Health

NIH Director's Award for Outstanding Brand Development

2015

Skills

Adobe Creative Suite, Apple Keynote , Sketch,