I’m Adrian Constantyn and I’ve been a professional designer for nearly 24 years. Originally a native of suburban Detroit, I earned a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Michigan School of Art in Design in 1996. My training there included a variety of creative processes such as lithography, silk screening, and photographic development and printing, which I put to use as a freelancer in Los Angeles immediately after college. I returned to Michigan in the late 1990s where I worked as a designer for a small design and print shop, learning loads about offset commercial printing. In April of 2000, I moved to Washington D.C., and I call it my permanent home, despite having lived and worked in Hong Kong for over a year in the middle of the past decade.
In my 20 years in D.C., I’ve forged many strong relationships, both personal and professional. I gained both types of networks by working for two of the best and brightest companies in the region—The Advisory Board Company, where I started as a publication designer but also provided illustrations of medical equipment and surgical procedures; and then twice at Atlantic Media Company, the parent of The Atlantic, National Journal, and Government Executive magazines, as well as The Hotline. In January 2009 I formally opened MeMyself&Co., but I’ve maintained strong ties to my former employer and colleagues.
I was born into a multi-lingual, internationally-raised family (two professional dancers; one opera singer; countless stories), and I gained an early global perspective on life that evolved into living abroad and traveling extensively in Europe and Asia. My wife is from England so we are fortunate to have a home base in the U.K., and our many friends in mainland Europe provide opportunities for further exploration. I am adequately versed in Spanish and have a beginner’s understanding of French, with a family background in Cyrillic languages such as Ukrainian and Russian. And although I lived in Asia, I only know one or two Cantonese and Mandarin words.
I have a very broad range of interests, among them industrial and product design; architectural history and contemporary practice; art history; materials research; social media and communications; marketing and advertising; consumer retailing; technology; literature and writing; foreign cultures and languages; geopolitics and business; and world history, among other topics. As a husband and father, I have well-aligned priorities and understand the importance of stability, dedication to a task, and persistence. But this does not mean I don’t have personal passions, among them cycling and working on bikes; historic preservation; cooking and collecting wine; music of all types (including some country); and community and economic development of my Adams Morgan/Kalorama neighborhood, where I work and play.
I continually strive to deepen my understanding of the world and to challenge myself through learning experiences. At my core, curiosity drives my exploration and challenges me to refresh my knowledge base—for the benefit of not only myself, but that of my colleagues and clients. I think that should do it, but if you’d like to learn more about how who I am impacts what I can do for you, I’d be happy to meet in person. Drop me a note to arrange a meeting.