Dalaney LaGrange: Try New Things!
Dalaney didn’t always know he wanted to be a designer. In fact, he didn’t think it was in his realm of possibilities. “It’s like an astronaut. I knew it was a real job, but didn’t think of it as something I was going to pursue.”
As a child, he loved to draw and get creative, and at a young age, he even created his own line of greeting cards which he still works on today! However, turning this creativity into the career he has now wasn’t always such a straight path.
“After high school, I worked a bunch of random jobs like bartending, in a pipe factory, and worked on a ranch. Then finally I decided I wanted to go back to school.” This was when Dalaney got his Bachelor of Arts in Art and Design from the University of Alberta.
It wasn’t until while he was doing an after degree in Digital Illustration at Edmonton Digital Arts College that things really started to go down the designer path. “A few of my teachers told me that I really should be a designer and moved me into a design program. Then it all just clicked that this is what I should be doing!”
From there, Dalaney worked on design for a textbook company and tried running his own freelance company, until he stumbled upon Granify. “I walked past Granify everyday and then I decided to inquire into what they were all about”.
Since joining our team, he has worked on some great creative projects both internally and in his own time. He was contracted by the Smithsonian Institute to be a letterer for a graphic novel series for children, the “Secret Smithsonian Adventures”, one of his most collaborative projects. Then last summer, he and his girlfriend wrote and starred in a play in the Edmonton Fringe Festival. It was called “Murder at the Magic Emporium”, a 1920’s murder mystery comedy. He has also worked on a 16-foot mural in Beaumont and created a tribute to the Oilers’ Connor McDavid that went viral.
Dalaney’s side projects, especially the play, have really taught him the importance of trying new things.
“These projects have given me real breadth and diversity. I think all good designers are always trying to learn something new; you never really stop learning. Each project has expanded my skill set in some way”.
The play took him out of his comfort zone and encouraged him to just take a chance and dive in! This translates into the work he does here at Granify too. He relates creating UX to being in the play, since with both “you are constantly challenged to think on your feet and try something new to find the best solution.”
If Dalaney hadn’t decided to try something new when his teachers encouraged him to go into design, or if he hadn’t taken a leap and checked out a new company, he wouldn’t be the designer at Granify that he is today. So you may not think you want to be an astronaut now, but maybe you do! You’ll never know unless you get out there and try something new.
To see more of Dalaney’s design work, including the tribute to McDavid mentioned above, check out his website: http://www.dalaneylagrange.com/
