I earned a BFA in graphic design from SUNY New Paltz in 1992 and an MFA in 2D design from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan in 1995. I studied under Muneera Umedaly Spence and Katherine McCoy, respectively.

I joined the  MASS MoCA project as its second employee and established the MASS MoCA Design Department in 1995—four years before our public opening in May 1999. During that time, I helped put the country’s largest arts center on the world’s cultural map by designing the museum’s identity system, wayfinding and gallery signage, roof sign, print collateral, exhibition catalogs, merchandise and web presence. A bit more about my role there and some of that design work is viewable here.

I co-founded id29 in Troy, NY in 2003 and was responsible for the design direction of a small to mid-level design and marketing firm with regional, national and international clients. I managed and art directed our award-winning design team during that time, building our reputation regionally and nationally for creative excellence based upon research and sound business strategy. We had the good fortune to help build brands, campaigns and marketing strategies for clients such as: Cobra PUMA Golf, Pitney Bowes, Firefly Bicycles, The Steve Case Foundation, Union College, The Travel Channel and NY State Parks. id29 was the agency behind Scholastic’s national campaign for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 2007, which sold 8.3M copies in the first day.

id29 closed its doors at the end of 2021.

I frequently lecture on design, and have written for design publications such as Speak Up and HOW Magazine. I'm a long-time member of AIGA Upstate New York—the Professional Association for Design—whose mission is to build and promote the Upstate New York design community and advance design as a vital cultural force. I've been programming AIGA UPSTNY events in the Capital District since 2008, including our wildly popular annual Student Portfolio Review. In 2016, I served a 2-year term as President of AIGA Upstate NY, helping grow the organization's member base and outreach to new levels. 

In 2010, I was named by Graphic Design USA as one of the top 50 People to Watch. In fact, my name is right next to Saul Bass on that list. It's alphabetical ;)

Some of my design work can be found in:

• The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum's permanent collection
• Graphic Design, Referenced: A Visual Guide to the Language, Applications, and History of Graphic Design, ISBN-10: 1592534473
• Logo Design Love, A Guide to Creating Iconic Brand Identities (1st Edition), ISBN-10: 0321660765
• Oh Beautiful Beer: The Evolution of Craft Beer & Design, ISBN-10: 978-1-58157-315-2
• Creative Grab Bag: Inspiring Challenges for Artists, Illustrators and Designers, ISBN-10: 1600611478
• 365 Habits of Successful Graphic Designers: Insider Secrets from Top Designers on Working Smart and Staying Creative, ISBN-13: 1592537375
• Design: Portfolio: Self Promotion at its Best, ISBN-10: 9781592538409

Some links:

• An interview with Jason Tselentis on the design blog, Speak Up, from 2008
• A piece I wrote for Speak Up on online logo design companies in 2008
• A short video interview with Mig Reyes on Humble Pied from 2009
• An AIGA UPSTNY talk from 2010, Promote Thyself: Successful Self-promotion for Designers. (.pdf deck 10.9MB) 
• My TEDxAlbany talk, 29 Things Young Designers Need to Know, from 2011 
• A bit on the id29 studio space from The Albany Times-Union
• An article I wrote for young designers from How Magazine in 2011 (.pdf 319kb)
• An interview with Ryan McGovern on the vlog, Design Chat, from 2012
• My talk from Create Upstate 2014, You Can Do World-Class Design Work In UPSTNY
• My talk from SUNY Oswego in 2015 titled, Doug Bartow Rants on Typography! (.pdf deck 15.8MB) 

I live in Brunswick, NY with my family and enjoy fishing in the Adirondacks, playing in the local over 40s soccer league, and yelling at the television when Liverpool F.C. are playing. 

I'm a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, having recently discovered my great-great-great-great-great grandfather, Morris Barto, fought for 6+ years in the Continental Army at the Battles of Saratoga and Monmouth, among others. Here's a pic of his discharge papers, signed by George Washington himself. Genealogy ftw!