dessie lazaroff
abstraction → synthesis → meaning → system
ABOUT
I work at the intersection of strategy, story, and scale - shaping how emerging technologies define themselves, explain themselves, and earn trust.
My work bridges the foundational and the practical: crafting signals - visual, narrative, spatial - that guide instinct before thought. I operate close to technical and product teams, setting direction early without locking them down - so execution evolves, but the brand stays unmistakable.
I work at the intersection of strategy, story, and scale - shaping how emerging technologies define themselves, explain themselves, and earn trust.
My work bridges the foundational and the practical: crafting signals - visual, narrative, spatial - that guide instinct before thought. I operate close to technical and product teams, setting direction early without locking them down - so execution evolves, but the brand stays unmistakable.
DASSAULT FALCON JET
FLEET BOOK
ENGINEERING AS DOCTRINE
(Creative Director, Design Architecture)Dassault required a high-trust publication for sovereign, defense, and ultra-high-net-worth buyers — an audience that evaluates aircraft not only by performance metrics, but by heritage, design philosophy, and institutional credibility.
I led the creative direction and design architecture of the Falcon Fleet Book as a publication that functions simultaneously as technical reference, luxury artifact, and philosophical statement.
The editorial structure was built around Marcel Dassault's belief that beauty is inseparable from aerodynamics — rather than separate data from narrative, the book integrates specifications, mission profiles, and cabin configurations within a disciplined visual hierarchy that treats form and performance as unified.
Key design principles governed the system: black and white as the base state, establishing gravity and restraint; red as structural force aligning brand livery, French lineage, and regional relevance; logo geometry translated into pacing and directional rhythm; elimination of conventional "jet against blue sky" imagery in favor of architectural and cinematic framing.
similar books by Gulfstream
I led the creative direction and design architecture of the Falcon Fleet Book as a publication that functions simultaneously as technical reference, luxury artifact, and philosophical statement.
The editorial structure was built around Marcel Dassault's belief that beauty is inseparable from aerodynamics — rather than separate data from narrative, the book integrates specifications, mission profiles, and cabin configurations within a disciplined visual hierarchy that treats form and performance as unified.
Key design principles governed the system: black and white as the base state, establishing gravity and restraint; red as structural force aligning brand livery, French lineage, and regional relevance; logo geometry translated into pacing and directional rhythm; elimination of conventional "jet against blue sky" imagery in favor of architectural and cinematic framing.
similar books by Gulfstream
CREATIVEDRIVE
GLOBAL IDENTITY AND BRAND SYSTEM
BRAND ARCHITECTURE, PHILOSOPHY, VISUAL & SONIC SYSTEMS
(Creative Director, Brand Architecture)CreativeDrive was scaling rapidly across five continents — operating across technology, production, innovation, automation, and content-at-scale. Growth had created capability, but not coherence; teams lacked a shared language, and clients experienced output without understanding authorship.
I led the development of a comprehensive brand architecture designed to function as an operating system rather than a surface identity. The governing idea was "Creativity Perfected by Technology" — positioning the brand at the intersection of human craft and automated systems, where technology enables rather than replaces creative excellence. From this principle, I built a modular framework aligning visual identity, language, and environment: a flexible identity and motion system adaptable across all formats; a global naming architecture balancing local authorship with structural unity; a restrained typographic and chromatic system prioritizing clarity; a voice framework engineered for precision and cultural fluency; environmental and spatial applications; and a sonic mark expressing tempo and intent.
The result was a unified brand language that clarified CreativeDrive's position as a creative-technology organization, extended across product, recruitment, editorial, and physical studios, and enabled global scale without dilution.
see more
I led the development of a comprehensive brand architecture designed to function as an operating system rather than a surface identity. The governing idea was "Creativity Perfected by Technology" — positioning the brand at the intersection of human craft and automated systems, where technology enables rather than replaces creative excellence. From this principle, I built a modular framework aligning visual identity, language, and environment: a flexible identity and motion system adaptable across all formats; a global naming architecture balancing local authorship with structural unity; a restrained typographic and chromatic system prioritizing clarity; a voice framework engineered for precision and cultural fluency; environmental and spatial applications; and a sonic mark expressing tempo and intent.
The result was a unified brand language that clarified CreativeDrive's position as a creative-technology organization, extended across product, recruitment, editorial, and physical studios, and enabled global scale without dilution.
see more
BMW
MARS INITIATIVE
THE ULTIMATE ULTIMATE DRIVING EXPERIENCE
(Creative Director, Visual Strategy)BMW’s board initiated a long-horizon exploration of the brand’s future beyond its terrestrial legacy. In a world shaped by climate disruption, shifting mobility paradigms, and space exploration, the question was not model evolution — but philosophical evolution.
I led the conceptual and visual articulation of the Mars direction, reframing performance from speed to terrain. Mars became a strategic lens: a hostile environment that tests precision, control, and engineering integrity at their limits.
Core concept: "The Ultimate Ultimate Driving Experience" — BMW not as a visitor to Mars, but as a brand evolved to meet it.
The design language blended aerospace precision and German minimalism. Presented to BMW board in Munich as part of multi-generational brand direction work, 10 years before Mars entered mainstream brand conversation.
I led the conceptual and visual articulation of the Mars direction, reframing performance from speed to terrain. Mars became a strategic lens: a hostile environment that tests precision, control, and engineering integrity at their limits.
Core concept: "The Ultimate Ultimate Driving Experience" — BMW not as a visitor to Mars, but as a brand evolved to meet it.
The design language blended aerospace precision and German minimalism. Presented to BMW board in Munich as part of multi-generational brand direction work, 10 years before Mars entered mainstream brand conversation.
AMAZING HAPPENINGS
EDITORIAL PLATFORM FOR CULTURAL COHERENCE
(Creative Director, Platform Architect )As CreativeDrive scaled globally, it was perceived primarily as a high-volume content engine — the company had operational power, but no cohesive cultural narrative.
I led the creation of Amazing Happenings, an editorial platform designed to function as the brand's narrative infrastructure rather than a marketing channel, building a structured universe capable of holding creativity, technology, and authorship within a single, inhabitable system.
The platform was constructed with a recurring feature architecture establishing rhythm and predictability; three core thematic pillars (Creators, Culture, Technology) forming the structural map of the brand; ritualized editorial elements reinforcing continuity; a UX logic encouraging exploration rather than transactional navigation; and a tonal framework rejecting corporate language in favor of clarity and cultural fluency.
The result was an editorial ecosystem that aligned internal teams around shared identity and repositioned the company externally from vendor to cultural partner. The platform became a central narrative engine for the brand and contributed to a measurable shift in perception during a period of significant growth and acquisition.
I led the creation of Amazing Happenings, an editorial platform designed to function as the brand's narrative infrastructure rather than a marketing channel, building a structured universe capable of holding creativity, technology, and authorship within a single, inhabitable system.
The platform was constructed with a recurring feature architecture establishing rhythm and predictability; three core thematic pillars (Creators, Culture, Technology) forming the structural map of the brand; ritualized editorial elements reinforcing continuity; a UX logic encouraging exploration rather than transactional navigation; and a tonal framework rejecting corporate language in favor of clarity and cultural fluency.
The result was an editorial ecosystem that aligned internal teams around shared identity and repositioned the company externally from vendor to cultural partner. The platform became a central narrative engine for the brand and contributed to a measurable shift in perception during a period of significant growth and acquisition.
