Great Design Tells a Story with David Somerville, Principal at Smrvl

<p>In this episode, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-stonehouse-dc/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>Alex Stonehouse</strong></a> sits down with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/smrvl/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>David Somerville</strong></a>, Principal at <a href="https://smrvl.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>Smrvl</strong></a>, to explore the philosophy behind great design and why the best work doesn’t just look good, it <em>tells a story</em>.</p><p>David shares lessons from his time leading creative direction at <em>The Atlantic</em>, <em>Defense One</em>, and beyond, before building his own design studio rooted in curiosity, play, and lateral thinking.</p><p>Together, they unpack how emotion, imperfection, and intuition bring design to life, and why every brand needs to make people <em>feel something</em> before asking them to <em>do something.</em></p><p>You’ll hear:</p><p>- How design and storytelling work together</p><p>- Why flaws can make brands more human</p><p>- The tension between structure and spontaneity</p><p>- What brands can learn from the way we play games</p><p><br></p><p>This is a conversation about creativity, connection, and the messy, magical process of making design that feels alive.</p>