The Creatives: Matt Dente

Matt Dente
Principal and Designer, Fell Swoop
Pioneer Square; fellswoop.com

FOCUS: We design digital products and communications that are useful, usable and creatively inspired. Digital products are things like web apps, mobile apps, e-commerce stores and digital publications. Digital communications are things like marketing communications websites, social media marketing email newsletter campaigns and digital advertising. Weve been lucky to work with clients such as Brooks Sports, Ritani, Griots Garage, Microsoft, Conde Nast, Time Inc., Facebook, MoMA and DirecTV.

MOST CHALLENGING ASSIGNMENT: We designed an e-commerce site for local engagement ring retailer Ritani. The challenge was integrating educational content into a shopping experience where users can sort through tens of thousands of items to find their perfect diamond. We iterated on the approach with interactive prototypes and conducted several rounds of usability studies to ensure we created a system that would provide a great user experience. Its been working. The team at Ritani has been incredibly successful and weve been lucky to work with them.

CRAZIEST THING IVE DONE: Starting two businesses at once. More dumb than crazy.

THING IM MOST PROUD OF: Seeing my colleagues at Fell Swoop get invested in making Fell Swoop theirs and getting professional satisfaction out of the experience. Im also proud that were a place that has continually distributed significant percentages of its profits to the staff as bonuses every year.

WHAT I WISH I CAME UP WITH: Uber. Its such a beautifully simple idea and the customer experience is amazing.

I ADMIRE: Local restaurateur Tom Douglas. Consistently great food, and he keeps upping his game with each new restaurant.

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW I SEE: A statue of a horse above the 88 Keys [Dueling Piano Bar] sign.

HOW I WOULD BRAND SEATTLE: The Seattle brand is already so strong theres no need.