Dan LaCivita - The future of mobile-first design

What if it were possible to design and build a mobile product all on your phone — and what if it were a better way of working?

As designers, we are used to designing on our computer - which is often not the end-device of interaction. There are easy ways to transfer the content to phones but with our new guest Dan LaCivita we discuss a bold new idea:

What if you could design directly on your phone and it would be even better then designing on a different device?

Are a keyboard, mouse, and desktop the best tools for creating mobile products… or have they become barriers?

That question started the journey of what came to be Play which Dan founded together with colleagues.

Play is the first native iOS design tool built for creating mobile products.

What does it mean for the future of design?

Design, iterate, and collaborate directly from your phone, experiencing your design as you create it while taking full advantage of native iOS features to bring your product to life.

We are thrilled to launch our EP65 with Dan LaCivita, Co-Founder of Play.

In the episode, we chat about the role of mobile interactions for innovation.

Also why innovation often starts by saying "NO" when it comes to product requirements. The approach of focus actually opens up the field for innovation.

We also dig into cross-device interaction and his experience leading a major design agency in New York called Firstborn, which got later acquired where you can learn about how to run a large design business and grow it even further.

Thanks a lot for your time and for your learnings Dan!

Dan LaCivita

Dan LaCivita is an entrepreneur and servant leader who has built, grown and led successful teams and businesses in the digital space for over 15 years.

His latest venture, Play, is transforming how teams create mobile products by empowering them to design, build and experience their product in real time—all on the medium they’re designing for—their phone.

Previously, as CEO of award-winning agency Firstborn, Dan led teams to create powerful digital products and experiences for a client roster that includes PepsiCo, L’Oréal, Adidas, S&P Global, Supercell, Jet & NYU Langone.

Under his guidance, Firstborn’s work has been recognized with numerous awards including Clios, Cannes Lions and One Show Pencils; the agency, itself, has been placed on prestigious rosters such as Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies (2x), Advertising Age’s Agency A List and Crain’s Best Places to Work in New York City (4x).

A thoughtful commentator thanks to his diverse roles within the industry, Dan has penned his point of view for Fast Company, Forbes, Advertising Age and Adweek and has spoken at the Financial Times, Ad Age Digital, 99U and FITC conferences, to name a few.

Dan was also named to the 4A’s “100 People Who Make Advertising Great” list, Direct Marketing News' 2016 '40 Under 40' list and sat on the Digital Board of Directors of the 4A's.

Outside of work, Dan’s passions include participating in GORUCK Challenges, team-based endurance events that push your physical and mental limits.

Inside and outside the office, Dan can often be found shuffling a deck of cards—a nod to his passion for the art of close-up magic.