Dylan Shoaf: Design
Hi! I'm Dylan Shoaf,
I am a multidisciplinary designer driven by curiosity, experimentation, and craft, thriving at the intersection of the physical and the digital. Rooted in traditional, hands-on techniques like ink, paper, and print processes, I push these methods beyond their limits by integrating contemporary digital tools and technologies. For me, design is a dialogue between texture and pixels, precision and play. My work is guided by the belief that fun and functionality are partners. Bold concepts are grounded in clear communication, and expressive visuals always serve a strategic purpose. While I primarily focus on print design and value the tangible details that make a piece memorable, I am equally interested in social media advertising, marketing, and promotion as spaces to translate tactile thinking into engaging digital content. Experimentation is central to my process as I continually test new ideas and blend disciplines to create work that feels fresh, thoughtful, and alive.
I recently graduated from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a BFA in studio art with a strong focus on visual communication and illustration. Some notable projects that I've recently completed are:
The 2026 Art Bash Identity Design Award where my glitch-based design system was selected and utilized to promote the Art Bash exhibition at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Caxton Grant Award Winner: If you're Dissecting it, It's Already Dead which is a letterpress book project that explores ways that typography can relate to physical symptoms in the body, and Call Me if You Get Hungry, a self directed project where I worked with a local chef to create social media promotion and an interactive menu for a pop up dinner event.
