Orange County has a dynamic community filled with graphic design specialists, each one just a little different than the next. Take Diego Gagliardi, a video professional specializing in motion graphics and video production.

He began as a recording engineer working in audio post-production for television and films. His perception soured on that part of the industry as he saw only the possibility of working late hours, with days bleeding into nights, in an environment that he just didn’t want to be a part of.  So, after a little soul searching, he chose to go in another direction, a career in the design industry.

“I knew I had to learn some programming to get into the industry,” said Diego, “even though I really wanted to design and edit and create video…either shooting or designing how to make things move. I learned Flash and animation and slowly started creating cool website intros and logo animations. It was a great way to develop…contribute to the development, of the ability to compose a shot and see the transitions as you tell a story. That’s pure design and the difference between a technician and an artist.”  

He notes that the demand for graphic design quickly increased leading to greater competition as skilled designers came from every direction. Professional development became a constant requirement. “Learning is what keeps you from quitting”, he states. “Learning and experimentation makes you a better designer, communicator and visualist. Today, in my position, you need to be able to work the entire timeline. Farming out elements often isn’t practical.” 

For Diego learning included delving into cinematography, lighting, storytelling structure, editing, pacing, directing and motion graphics. “Los Angeles and online,” he credits, “there are so many resources that weren’t available a quarter of a generation ago. Everything is on the table from skills to perspectives to unique approaches—Design Jamba is my attempt to share the things I find every day.”

“A whole new world opened for me. I started to work more and more and created my own job at an agency.” He concludes, “I was the new video motion graphics guy. My approach is unique, so are my skills. Nobody could do what I could do—merging all that I knew—graphic design, audio editing, video production, motion graphics and animation. I became my own agency; from directing and shooting photography to designing and, on some occasions, writing my own scripts.” 

Diego Gagliardi lives and works in Orange County. His camera of convenience is the Canon C100. His camera of choice changes with the requirements of the project. You can see his work at diegogagliardi.com or be inspired at designjamba.com.