5 Conversations With Leaders I Admire That Stuck: Dylan Staniul

Five years into building PUBLiSH, I wanted to mark the milestone by sharing a collection of five honest conversations with people I admire.

A conversation with Dylan Staniul, Principal, Brand & Design Strategy at Burnkit 

Dylan is a strategist, a distiller of ideas and someone who understands that great design comes from close collaboration with clients. His perspective challenges how organizations think about design and visual identity to sharpen meaning, build alignment, and move a brand forward with purpose.

Max: What do most clients misunderstand about great design, and what do the best ones instinctively understand?

Dylan: The best clients tend to be those with experience. They recognize the value of strong creative and are ready to trust the process to achieve it. They understand what it takes to motivate and align stakeholders in support of work that often represents a tremendous change to their visual identity and brand image.

Max: At what point in a project do you usually realize a client truly “gets” design?

Dylan: Most of our clients already understand that design is fundamentally important to a brand. Ultimately, it's not about whether they “get” design, it’s about proving to clients that we “get” them.

Max: Where do you most often see clients trying to over-direct the process, and how do you guide them back toward the bigger idea?

Dylan: We keep clients focussed on the big idea by involving them upfront in a creative process that is inclusive and collaborative. Then, when concepts become refined, they see themselves and their thinking in that refinement. Clients sometimes over-direct later in the process, when things get more practical and they try to take back control too early. Savvy clients let the process run its course.

Max: When Burnkit starts a project, what do you try to understand before designing anything?

Dylan: We focus on understanding what drives the organization. What are their ambitions and frustrations? What misconceptions would they like to correct? We spend very little time talking about design at the start. This deep understanding empowers us to reposition their brand identity so that it points the way ahead.

Max: What’s one principle that quietly guides how Burnkit approaches design, even if clients don’t realize it?

Dylan: At its core, our job is to remove distractions and sharpen impact. Many brands try to say too much and end up feeling unfocused or unremarkable. We strip away anything unnecessary, nothing is included for decoration. Every element serves a purpose. The result is work that feels clear, focused, and distinct. Doing less (while making a succinct and memorable point) is always more.

Max: When a design is truly working—when it does exactly what it should —what does that look or feel like for you?

Dylan: A design is working when the client becomes its biggest champion. We explore multiple directions together, but the right one is the one they believe in and will carry forward with passion. Great design isn’t art. It can be brilliant and powerful, but it's created for a specific purpose, audience, and moment. It only emerges through a strong partnership between designer and client.