
Meet Nikola Vucicevic of Designer and Gentleman in Edgewater
Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikola Vucicevic.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Nikola. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a brand-design specialist, innovator, graphic designer, an immigrant, and I am proud of it. Also, I am proud of living and working in the USA; although the immigration process was not easy.
I was born in Serbia (Europe), and I have been part of the Marketing industry for almost two decades now. Back in Europe, I had been working in global marketing agencies such as McCann Erickson and Leo Burnett, with the biggest brands in the fashion and food industry. In 2007 I became a member of the “1000 Young Leaders of Serbia,” and I was working on very relevant national projects as an Art Director, one of which was the campaign for a Democratic Presidential Candidate in Serbia in 2008, Boris Tadic, who won elections that year.

In the meantime, I have opened my studio and created some of the bestselling products. It was worth it as I won several significant awards.
Not only I was working in the competitive corporate industry, but I was also working on social awareness projects, which were a significant part of my career. That included collaboration with the Association of Students with Disability in Serbia, for whom I created very successful projects, books, and branding for their campaigns. We made a considerable success in achieving their goals, and I am very proud of that. In rough Serbian circumstances, being able to make a difference in something secondary to the struggling economy, like education, becomes even more critical.
Long story short, my portfolio was excellent. I had a great job, working and traveling all across Europe. It was great, but I wanted something more. That’s when I decided to move to America.
However, I was aware that moving to the USA at the age of 33 was not going to be comfortable and that I will have to start from scratch. But I did it anyway.
If an individual were supposed to live her/his whole life in the same spot, they would have been the trees.
Fast forward to 2014. There were several ways to get the legal status, but for me, there was only one way: to get one very rare and specific visa — O1- for extraordinary abilities and talents in a particular industry. According to the official government criteria you have to be among the top 2 percent experts in your industry.
Some people told me there is no way I could get this visa, and I should not bother trying. But I did it anyway.
After eighteen months of working on collecting the evidence of my eligibility, and creating documentation and portfolio to prove that I am the perfect candidate, my working visa was approved!
I became even more enthusiastic and motivated to achieve my goals and provide the best possible solutions for my clients so they can grow their business at every stage.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
After this initial chapter was closed, it was time to move forward- how am I to improve myself? The best way to do that was to promote my values, beliefs, philosophy, and work ethic, and apply that to my brand name. That was the very moment Designer and Gentleman was born. It’s not just a brand name; it’s a statement in its core. I felt that I want to express myself most positively and creatively, both by working for my clients and by working on my products and technology.
My team and I were eager to show the world how good we are, and we started exhibiting ideas and projects at many international design festivals.

We were to compete with the best marketing agencies in the world. And so we did.
In the first three years, I won more than 20 international design awards in different design disciplines: logo design, web design, package design, advertising-You name it, I got it. If you are asking how big or relevant are these festivals, let me share one thing: I beat PepsiCo along with 1000 more competitors in A Design Award international competition in 2016. They were PepsiCo-big.

Shortly, I have managed to get some cool recognitions and rankings — 23rd in the USA and 2nd in the World in advertising according to World Design Rankings.

In order to expand my business, I started working with agents. It was a win-win. They would find us a client, make a referral and we would deliver. It was the best time ever. One of these companies was providing digital branding for the medical industry. Since 2014 we have built more than 70 digital products (landing pages, forms, supporting websites and corporate websites) in the medical industry nationwide. Subjects were broad: from sports injuries, stem cells, to fertility programs and plastic surgery, as well as recovery and rehab programs. We have been serving clients nationwide, but we also engaged with many international companies from different countries like Dubai, Australia, and New Zealand.

I have continued to work on social awareness projects, which is why I engaged with the Royal Family of Serbia. HRH Princess Katherina and Prince Alexander are very active when it comes to helping kids and orphanages. I created websites for them, posters, and flyers for their charity events.

I’ve always had two great passions in my life: art and sports. My love and understanding of the sports industry led to the great privilege to work with a former player of Chicago Bulls, Nikola Mirotic. Such a great guy! Fans of Chicago Bulls do remember how difficult the previous season was for Nikola’s career. After a significant injury at the beginning of the season, he did not know if he is going to continue playing basketball. That is when he realized he needed a branding company to represent his statement to his fans. For him, we created probably the best most attractive website in the NBA. We established the logo, tagline, brand statement, and solid platform, where we could work even more and extend the brand message: Get up. Get Better. Everyday.™

Collaboration with Niko Mirotic continues, and I am excited to see who is going to be the next competitive athlete that we are going to start working with. Since the sports’ career is short, they have to think about additional income streams, and the best way to do it is to create their personal brand.
Alright — so let’s talk business. Tell us about Designer and Gentleman — what should we know?
Designer and Gentleman is a brave digital branding company. What differentiates us is that we are great instead of big. My team and I are proving innovative designs that transform companies’ brands to achieve the next level of success in their niche market. Our work’s foundation is based on three components: creativity, technology and digital. There is no client too big that we are not ready for, and there is no client too small not to receive our attention.
In our portfolio, you can see clients like Asics, Durex, Prada, Paco Rabanne, Carolina Herrera, and Valentino, UNICEF but also you can see some baby startups. Everyone deserves equal treatment, and we always give our best, because there is no other way to do it. That is something that sets us apart, and why we gained all of these peoples’ trust.

We are anxious to see who is going to be the next in our portfolio. Perhaps you?!
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story — who has played a meaningful role?
We are up to date. Our core team is made of great content writers, social media ninjas, and branding experts that are ready to get your brand where it should be. Not just that, what makes our blood fresh is that we love to experiment with technology.
Currently, we have a couple of products that we are working on, but the most interesting is the one I created with my brother Nemanja, it’s called Heart Plate SmartTM At this point, we have a trademark, patent and we work on the technology.

Heart Plate SmartTM is dishware which allows a user to monitor his or her eating and health habits directly. Supported by sensors, technology, and app it’s connected to user’s phone where is can show you your BMI, blood pressure, heart rate, and few other features, in order to have better control over your eating habits and diet. The collected data can be saved on your phone, cloud or it can be shared with a third person (nutritionist, personal trainer or doctor).
Obesity is the world’s number one public health problem of the 21st-century. For this particular product, I am searching for an Investor to support my idea and bring this product, which already gained significant media attention, to life.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Be laser-focused. Stay strong, never give up. Be ready to change your approach, your habits.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5701 North Sheridan Road
11G - Website: www.designerandgentleman.com
- Phone: 2193147744
- Email: nikolavucicevic80@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designerandgentleman/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DesignerAndGentleman/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikolaDesigner
- Other: http://heartplateproject.com/
