About

Don is currently employed at Daimler Trucks of North America in Portland, Oregon, as their Advanced Graphic Designer for UX/UI. In this roll he is responsible for the human interaction with the digital world, constantly keeping a keen eye on optimizing for an intuitive, smooth user experience. Prior to this assignment, he was their Senior Designer, exteriors/interiors. In that capacity, he was responsible for several Class 6, 7 and 8 trucks for both Freightliner and Western Star brands.

One recent noteworthy example is the current Western Star 5700XE, which has garnered critical acclaim for its design and won the staring roll as Optimus Prime in the motion picture “Transformers 4, Age of Extinction.”

Don’s ability to create a collaborative environment between engineering and design disciplines made him the Project Manager / Lead Designer for the Western Star “Flagship” 5700XE program. From initial concepts to finished full scale model Don was responsible for coordinating all high-level reviews with upper management, working closely with Western Star’s Marketing group, and conducting interviews with WS and competitive customers to define exactly what the market desired.

Recognized within DTNA as one of their Spokespersons, Don was tagged to be Western Star’s representative for their promotional video for the launch of the 5700XE as seen here:

Don’s success made him the “go to guy” within DTNA Design, where Senior Leadership entrusted him with advanced concepts for the motion picture “Transformers 4.” In this capacity, Don traveled to Michael Bay Productions in California and made the sales pitch for using the 5700XE as the main truck character, Optimus Prime. Considerably impressed, Bay Productions elected to use another one of Don’s designs, the 2010 Freightliner Argosy as the main antagonist, Galvatron.

Working closely with Bay Productions Design staff, Don help to create two of the most recognizable vehicles of all time.