We had the good fortune of connecting with David Hunter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi David, why did you pursue a creative career?
Art was always my favourite subject at school so it was natural for me to pursue a career in design. I loved sciences too but design became a vehicle for me to study any subject in the world and bring it to life through visuals whether static, moving, interactive, using data, and always tangible. By necessity design is future-facing, cultural and people-focused. Even if you have a project about a historical topic it has to be presented in a way that is relevant to its’ audience now and in the near future.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started my career as a freelance designer and developer, creating interactive applications and websites for brands. I started to do some software teaching at the same time which I enjoyed a lot and naturally I transitioned to this being my focus. Teaching afforded me more freedom with other projects and I joined an arts incubator and started research project about experimental data visualisation and data gathering tools. This was a really productive time in my life but not all easy; a company with a friend didn’t work out, the world of art can be tricky to navigate and working in education is tough. But on balance it was very positive. After more than a decade of that it was time to take on a new challenge, hence the PhD. It is an exciting new chapter.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m brand new to Colorado, so I’d be as much of a tourist as my friend! I’d definitely be going out into the mountains for some big hikes and then after that get some food and a local beer. The trails from Chautauqua are very nice and the Indian Peaks Wilderness area is just stunning. There are some great looking restaurants and breweries in Boulder and beyond and I look forward to checking them out.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have just started a PhD in Creative Technology & Design at ATLAS, CU Boulder. It is quite a leap to make so I’d like to thank my advisors Ellen Do and Daniel Leithinger for putting their faith in me. And a huge shoutout to my wife Michèle for supporting this move.

Website: davidhunterdesign.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidhunterrr

Twitter: @dhdpic

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