About
I'm a design director with twenty-ish years of agency experience who has decided to use my expertise to launch my own business. As a design generalist, I lead and direct digital design projects from strategy through quality assurance. I've worked with a wide variety of clients to find, explore, and foster what makes their brand unique.

I’m focused on creating impactful design that leads to positive change, specifically in civic, social, and climate justice.

It’s important to me to build relationships with everyone I work with to create the most inclusive and accessible experience we can, together.
Resume
Dana Pavlichko, LLC
Freelance designer and illustrator
2005–Present
Capabilities: UX/UI design, design systems, editorial and brand illustration, print design, branding, project definition and strategy, workshopping, signage and wallpaper design.

Select clients: A List Apart, The Mütter Museum, The Trestle Inn
Happy Cog
Design Director
June 2021–June 2026
Responsibilities
  • Lead and direct digital projects from ideation through quality assurance
  • Research, write and deliver design strategy, manage large stakeholder groups, quantitative and qualitative research and analysis, and present cohesively to external stakeholders including c-suite team members
  • Contribute to and direct design concept ideation and design systems based on project strategy with team of designers
  • Scope projects based on client goals and budget, work with project management to create appropriate project plan, determine deliverables, and keep projects in scope
  • Design and facilitate presentations and workshops
  • Create and present extensible design systems and style guides
  • Oversee fellow designers and give direct and actionable feedback
  • Create cohesive content strategy, restructuring, content modeling, taxonomies, and voice and tone guidance for client content teams
  • Organize and restructure information architectures based on strategic project goals and user experience research
  • Collaborate often with development team, working closely with front-end developers on animation and quality assurance with back-end developers on CMS structure
  • Audit digital projects for accessibility and offer cross-departmental guidance on best practices and advancing the company’s a11y culture
  • Use each design project to advance our clients’ digital brand presence
  • Collaborate with marketing team to analyze user experience pain points and present areas for large revenue improvements for high profile clients
  • Bolster communication and transparency processes across internal teams
  • Drive new business by building lasting, co-creative relationships with client teams that lead to additional projects and word-of-mouth recommendations
Senior Designer
August 2018–June 2021
  • Lead small, medium, and large scale projects from discovery through quality assurance
  • Assist with project definition tasks and stakeholder interviews
  • Create and present design concepts
  • Plan, create, and support flexible design systems and style guides
  • Organize and restructure information architectures based on strategic project goals and user experience research
  • Identity & brand design
  • Facilitate usability testing
Designer
2013–2018
  • Wireframes and information architecture
  • System design
  • Primary illustrator for company blog, Cognition
  • Assist with project definition tasks and stakeholder interviews
  • Identity & brand design
  • Interactive prototypes
  • Conceptual design
  • Facilitate usability testing
  • Quality assurance
  • Creating editorial calendars and writing for social media
Select clients: American Astronomical Society, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Chief, Cirrus Logic, Citi Bike, FrogTape, Gettysburg College, Grand Ole Opry, Harvard Extension School, The Harvard Law Review, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Monotype, Morphe Cosmetics, MTV, National League of Cities, The Poetry Foundation, Results for America, Sarah Lawrence College, Sky & Telescope Magazine, United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW), Urban Land Institute (ULI), Wayside Publishing, W.L. Gore & Associates
Philadelphia First Ward
Elected Committeeperson, and Ward Secretary
June 2018–present
Elected member of Philadelphia’s First Ward Executive Committee (divisions 11 and 20) for four-year terms. I register new voters, canvass for endorsed party candidates, organize get-out-the-vote efforts, and work at the polls on election days.

I serve in the elected role of Secretary on our Ward’s Executive Committee. I lead internal and external communications and bolster transparency with our constituents. I work collaboratively with my fellow elected representatives to create clear, thoughtful, and welcoming messaging aimed at inspiring my neighbors to vote in local elections. I offer pro-bono website design and development, newsletter creation, and professional guidance to boost our ward’s critical role in local and national elections.
Grassroots Advocacy for South Philadelphia
Co-Chair, Co-Founder and member of Steering Committee
2017–2024
  • Co-founded GRASP, a non-partisan group of politically-involved neighbors dedicated to connecting residents with elected representatives and political candidates
  • Plan community meet-and-greet events with local candidates for US Congress, PA State House, PA Lt. Governor, City Council, City Commissioners, and more.
  • Help make candidate endorsement decisions and organize volunteers for canvassing and voter registration
  • Offer pro-bono design of all digital and print material for organizational branding and event promotion
I-SITE
Lead Interactive Designer
2010–2013
Responsibilities: Conceptual, interactive, print, and identity design, information architecture and user experience design, iPhone, iPad, and Android app ideation and design, illustration, hand-lettering, interactive prototypes, development quality assurance, HTML email development, client communication and collaboration

Select clients: Alliance for Downtown NY, Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP), Hidden City Festival, LAGOS, Sprout Children’s TV Network, Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians.
Atomni
Designer
2010–2011
Responsibilities: website planning, design, front-end development
Azuna
Design Intern
2008
Responsibilities: Illustration, print design, new project development
Education
B.F.A. in Graphic and Interactive Design
Tyler School of Art
Studies: Interactive design, illustration, animation, printmaking, ceramics, art history, sociology, writing
Awards & Recognition
  • 2025 Webby Honoree, Websites and Mobile Sites in Health and Wellness: AdCouncil (agreetoagree.org)
  • 2021 Gold Winner, Muse Award for Nonprofit Website: American Astronomical Society (aas.org)
  • 2021 Silver Winner, Muse Award for Nonprofit Website: Results for America (catalog.results4america.org)
  • 2021 Silver Winner, Muse Award for Law & Legal Service Website: Harvard Bluebook (legalbluebook.com)
  • 2020: Webby Winner, People’s Voice Award for Association Websites: American Astronomical Society (aas.org)
  • 2019 Graphic Design USA, American Graphic Design Award: Jovia Rebrand and Site Design (joviafinancial.com)
  • 2019 Gold Winner, Muse Award for Education Website: Gettysburg College (gettysburg.edu)
  • 2016 Webby Honoree, Mobile sites/apps: Harvard Extension School (extension.harvard.edu)
  • 2012–2016 Best Costume Awards: Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby
  • 2014 Appy Award Finalist, Reference Category: apeAPP (iPhone/Android App)
  • 2013 IAC Award, Best Family Mobile Application: Sprout Family Challenge iOS app
  • 2012 W3 Silver Award, Mobile Travel Application: Downtown NYC iPhone App
  • 2011 Gold Horizon Interactive Award, Website Consumer Information: The Trestle Inn website
  • 2011 Gold Horizon Interactive Award, Utility Mobile Apps: Downtown NYC iPhone app
  • 2011 Bronze Horizon Interactive Award, Educational Mobile App: Build a Bird iPhone/Android app
  • 2010 Interactive Media Award, Best in Nonprofit: Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians
● Now booking Fall 2026
If you need a design partner to level up your brand, reflect your growth, or improve your UX, let’s chat. 💖
Get in touch