Philip-Michael Weiner

Specialized in Design.

Philip-Michael Weiner

About Philip-Michael Weiner

I am an award-winning company builder and creative director who has spent the last decade working and growing some of the most impactful products in food, technology, and consumer products. Since starting my first company in 2007, I’ve led teams of designers, engineers and collaborated with companies of all sizes worldwide to grow their business through behavior changing, meaningful and enduring design. In 2008, my father to diabetes, a moment which spurred a personal pivot from technology to healthy, homegrown food through a company called UrbnEarth. I have designed initiatives for some of the most enduring brands like Virgin, Virgin Galactic, and even Richard Branson's personal projects as well as developing products for the most disruptive startups in Silicon Valley. My products have been showcased at the Museum of Design in Barcelona and revered in books like 99 Designs for Life. Ventures I've worked on have reached profitability, raised over $80M+ and have been featured in Forbes, The New York Times, NPR, and The Washington Post among others. I am also a recipient of the A Design Award and Dwell Magazine's Design Materials Awards. I balance my client work and day job with personal creative work like songwriting and mentoring junior designers. I am also an active angel investor and brand advisor to numerous consumer companies. Based in Oakland, I work both remotely and lead design teams in client locations.

  • Winner of the A' Design Award.
  • Specialized in Design.
  • Original Design.
  • Creative, Diligent and Innovative.
  • All Designs

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Interview with Philip-Michael Weiner

Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
I hail from a long line of designers. My grandfather, Verdun Cook, is my design hero. He was a typographer, photographer, and also an animator in the early days of television. He became famous for his work with Motown artists and his iconic design of the I Love Lucy heart title sequence. My mother took after him and attended Pratt at 16 years old. She’s been an artist and graphic designer for 60 years. When I was young, I studied acrylic and oil painting at the Corcoran School of Art then divulged into music. The best advice given to me was not to study design at university because it was already inside of me. All I had to do was sharpen my eye. I always had an interest in brand development so instead studied economics and math at the University of Maryland. Economics laid the foundation for my understanding of positioning, cultural tension, and consumer behavior. Since then my design education has been shaped by experiences, failures, pain, joy, and observation.I now build brands and products – both tactile and digital. I started off my career by failing at starting companies until I succeed. Now I’m on number 5. I’ve won many awards, have many leather bound books, I’ve been fortunate to work on some fantastic products and collaborate with some of the fascinating entrepreneurs on making the world more livable and equal through design.
Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
I run a different breed of design studio. We focus on helping entrepreneurs position, scale and launch new products.
What is "design" for you?
Design is simply applied art. It is a way to solve problems for organizations using colors, typography, images, and materials.
What kinds of works do you like designing most?
I would like to design more experiences and build artist brands. I love the way in which you can inspire, motivate, and induce calm or happy (or other!) states with physical experiences. Designing in the physical world could help people decompress from addictions we have, particularly to screens.
What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
My favorite design is the identity I crafted for Richard Branson’s 100% Human at Work initiative. This piece led to real world impact. For example, Salesforce.com adjusted salaries to ensure there was equal pay parity – ultimately my highest impact ROI.
What was the first thing you designed for a company?
The first thing I designed for a company was a logo DarkHorseCandidates.com. DHC was the first company that I started while attending the University of Maryland.
What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
This may come as a surprise, but I love designing pitch decks. The process of fundraising is fascinating to me, and I am very good at it. It is one part storytelling and one part fascination. The best thing is watching an investor shift from their analytical mind to their childlike mind when you tell a good story.

Extended Interview with Philip-Michael Weiner

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
I hail from a long line of designers. My grandfather, Verdun Cook, is my design hero. He was a typographer, photographer, and also an animator in the early days of television. He became famous for his work with Motown artists and his iconic design of the I Love Lucy heart title sequence. My mother took after him and attended Pratt at 16 years old. She’s been an artist and graphic designer for 60 years. When I was young, I studied acrylic and oil painting at the Corcoran School of Art then divulged into music. The best advice given to me was not to study design at university because it was already inside of me. All I had to do was sharpen my eye. I always had an interest in brand development so instead studied economics and math at the University of Maryland. Economics laid the foundation for my understanding of positioning, cultural tension, and consumer behavior. Since then my design education has been shaped by experiences, failures, pain, joy, and observation. I now build brands and products – both tactile and digital. I started off my career by failing at starting companies until I succeed. Now I’m on number 5. I’ve won many awards, have many leather bound books, I’ve been fortunate to work on some fantastic products and collaborate with some of the fascinating entrepreneurs on making the world more livable and equal through design.
How did you become a designer?
I am an entrepreneur first and a designer second. I see a perfect world. Therefore any imperfections stick out like a nose on a face. That’s what drives me to complete the puzzle. As a kid, I would look at the cereal box and wonder why the cereal company chose a particular character. This innate curiosity is what has transformed me into a designer.
What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
I chose to become a designer. I have a lot of other talents and passions. I used to play in bands and then went into sales and after a short but successful career in outside sales. The design is the best thing to have when trying to communicate something when you have limited resources. And often when you are getting a company started. I started using it to solve my problems, and after a few big wins applied the process, I use to develop my brands to working for larger and larger companies.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
I would like to design more experiences and build artist brands. I love the way in which you can inspire, motivate, and induce calm or happy (or other!) states with physical experiences. Designing in the physical world could help people decompress from addictions we have, particularly to screens.
What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
The first thing young designers should do is to learn business. Now that design has entered the c-suite, they need to build core skills that allow them to translate their design beliefs into the measurable impact that can deliver business value – along with a You-ifying their design. Young designers need to understand the unit economics and the value chain of the vertical they ware working in. Otherwise, they cannot price themselves effectively, which in turn will kill their confidence. That comes out in the work. The second is to learn what it is about their personality that makes them a particularly unique designer and position themselves as an expert strategist in the space. If you have to create multiple storefronts for you portfolio, do it, but having a focused body of work to show to clients will help you land business. The third is that they should copy copy copy (but never steal!) until they find their own original style.
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
Great designers figure out how to solve problems and create value with a design that imbues meaning purpose. Those are the designers create social constructs. A good, sound designer makes things look beautiful.
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
Good design keeps itself from the trash can, drawer, of the chopping block. I evaluate good design from the perspective of the stakeholder, customer or beneficiary.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
Good design creates value. For stakeholders, customers, and the designer.
What is your day to day look like?
I would design an experience for the voters in the United States to be able to ensure that their message gets across in a way that politicians can receive and understand it.
How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?
The Planter – my mission is to empower everyone to have a choice about how their food gets on their table and where it comes from.
How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?
The secret ingredient is positioning and solving the root problem. The root cause is where the genuine need is. All good design needs to be positioned. The designer must know who it is for, what they need (not want!), the one key benefit that you are offering with the design, and be able to show how is it different.
How do you decide if your design is ready?
I don't get a lot of inspiration from design masters. Much if my inspiration comes from legends like Yvon Chouinard, Abraham Lincoln, R. Buckminster Fuller and my grandfather.
What is your biggest design work?
I love the lighting and furniture by David Trubridge. I think it shows #1 how you can apply a pure art process to design. As well as making a product that is not only environmentally friendly but also has an excellent user experience, ships easily and is simple to install. His products like the Body Raft encapsulate and integrate biomimicry from the sea. I also appreciate his philosophy on business. He finds a happy medium between impact and scale.
Who is your favourite designer?
My greatest design is the identity I crafted for Richard Branson’s 100% Human at Work initiative. This piece led to real-world impact. For example, Salesforce.com adjusted salaries to ensure there was equal pay parity – ultimately my highest impact ROI.
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
The first thing is to understand what it is about your personality that makes you a good designer and then to inject more of yourself into your design based on your experiences. Second to ask more questions about how they can create value either for their customers, clients, or stakeholders when starting a new project. Instead of going to school for design, I went to school for economics and math to understand why and how people make decisions, what the trade-offs are. And then I worked my fucking ass off.
What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?
Design is applied art. It is a way to solve problems for organizations using colors, typography, images, and materials.
What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?
My extended family and friends helped me to become a design leader. The design realm is an incredibly tough business. There was no one person, but many who would support me. Those who let me sleep on their couch when a company I started failed. Those who made introductions for me, who thought of me first when looking for work. My mentors in business, often who didn’t even realize they were my mentors. And my grandmother and great aunt.

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