SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DESIGN
Hi, I’m Mira Dandiker and I am a designer and aspiring art director. I’m currently a senior finishing up my studies in Communications Design. Born outside of London, raised in Toronto and Minneapolis, and currently split my time between Syracuse and NYC — taking advantage of all the creative opportunities both cities have to offer. Throughout my life, I’ve grown to love creative problem-solving and looking for intricate solutions to complex questions. I consider myself an interdisciplinary designer, my passions lie in editorial, brand identity, and packaging design. I’ve had the opportunity to work with a diverse range of clients, from Fortune 100 companies to one of my favorite rappers, Metro Boomin. My background and identity play a vital role in shaping my design philosophy. I’m only 22 years old, so I’m still discovering who I am. This self-exploration is stimulated by honing my craft and using creativity as a medium to explore different facets of myself. Everything that I am attracted to, whether a color, an interesting article, or an ad I saw on the subway, goes into my inner “inspiration blender,” and manifests in my designs. My work is a representation of the ever-changing self.
WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL INSPIRED?
I am constantly inspired by culture and the visual and cultural essences of community. Culture, in its broadest sense, encompasses a wide array of forms such as art, design, fashion, food, history, music, etc. It is not just a trend, but rather the foundation of a community and serves as the most prominent representation of any given civilization. The strength of a community can be measured by the strength of its culture, which is personified in its cultural identity and cultural objects. Community is the new currency. This fuels me as a designer, because I get the opportunity to be a cultural differentiator and have the ability to design for a greater good, to design and visualize a future and community I want and I am accepted in.
