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Matt Cooke
Partner / Executive Creative Director
Professional Background
Matt Cooke is an esteemed figure in the realm of interactive design, driven by a fervent passion for creating user-centered experiences that yield tangible results. As a co-founder and Partner of Iron Creative, Matt holds the pivotal role of Executive Creative Director, where he oversees innovative projects that embody his design philosophy. His career is marked by an impressive portfolio of work, having collaborated with esteemed brands such as Levi's, Dockers, The North Face, and Specialized Bicycles. Through these partnerships, Matt has established himself as a leader in interactive design, emphasizing strategies that prioritize the end user's perspective.
Before his current role, Matt held several influential positions that contributed to his extensive expertise. He served as the Vice President at the Retail Design Institute, where he further influenced the trajectory of retail design through his leadership and vision. His tenure at AIGA as Co-Chair provided him with a platform to advocate for the importance of design excellence and community building among design professionals.
Matt's commitment to education and mentorship is exemplified by his previous role as a User Experience Instructor at the Academy of Art University. In this capacity, he imparted his knowledge and insights to aspiring designers, shaping the next generation of user experience professionals. Moreover, he refined his expertise through his early career positions, including his service as Head of Communications at the World Cancer Research Fund and as a Marketing Coordinator/Copywriter at Vickers Medical.
Throughout his career, Matt's approach to design has remained unwaveringly focused on delivering value through aesthetically pleasing and functional solutions. His innovative spirit fuels his pursuit of creative challenges, consistently pushing the boundaries of interactive design to meet the evolving needs of users.
Education and Achievements
Matt Cooke's educational background is as diverse as his professional experience. He began his academic journey at Bournemouth University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication. This foundation laid the groundwork for his understanding of how design and communication intersect, ultimately informing his design philosophy.
Eager to delve deeper into the world of design, Matt pursued a Master’s degree in Typo/Graphic Design at the prestigious University of the Arts London. His thesis focused on user-centered design, a pivotal element that continues to shape his work today. This academic pursuit not only refined his design skills but also sparked his lifelong passion for creating meaningful interactions that resonate with users.
Notable Projects
At Iron Creative, Matt has led numerous high-profile projects that showcase his expertise in interactive design. His work with Levi's and Dockers highlights his ability to blend brand storytelling with engaging user experiences. Matt's designs often reflect a deep understanding of the target audience, ensuring that every interaction is purpose-driven and impactful.
Collaborations with The North Face and Specialized Bicycles further underscore Matt's versatility and prowess in crafting designs that appeal to specific markets. His ability to translate complex concepts into intuitive designs has garnered recognition from both peers and industry leaders alike.
In every project, Matt focuses on solving real needs for real people, emphasizing the importance of aligning design strategies with user behavior. This dedication to user-centered design has not only propelled his career but has also contributed to the success of the brands he has worked with.
Community Engagement
Outside of his professional roles, Matt actively participates in various design organizations that strive to elevate the industry. His involvement with the Retail Design Institute fosters collaboration and innovation among design professionals, while his leadership at AIGA underscores his dedication to community building and design advocacy.
In addition, Matt's commitment to education through his instructorship at the Academy of Art University demonstrates his desire to give back to the design community. By mentoring students and sharing his knowledge, he helps to inspire the next wave of designers in the interactive space.
Conclusion
Matt Cooke is a well-respected leader in interactive design, combining his academic knowledge, extensive experience, and fervor for user-centered design to create impactful solutions. His journey, from his studies in communication and design to his current role at Iron Creative, illustrates his unwavering dedication to the craft. Passionate about transforming challenges into user-friendly designs, Matt continues to be an invaluable asset to both his clients and the broader design community. For those looking to explore his work or engage with him about interactive design, additional informa
Highlights
I bought my first pair of Levi's 501s when I was 15 years old. They were second-hand, selvedge, the lot.
That same year, Alain Prost won the Formula 1 Drivers' Championship behind the wheel of the McLaren MP4/2C.
Fast-forward several decades, and these two iconic worlds have collided in the brilliant, unexpected Levi's X McLaren collaboration.
What's even more exciting is that we had the incredible opportunity to produce a wide range of assets for the campaign, from social media to app content and from in-store displays to Levis.com.
Sometimes I have to pinch myself. I feel so lucky to work with two of the most legendary brands of my lifetime. The resilience and current appeal of both marques are truly remarkable.
In fact, this weekend saw McLaren take a stunning 1-2 finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Oscar Piastri claimed his debut victory with McLaren teammate Lando Norris coming in second.
I feel fortunate and proud to have been part of this joyous collaboration. Working with brands like these fuels my passion every single day.
What gives you energy and keeps you motivated?
https://lnkd.in/gigQdW9w
#LevisXMcLaren #Collaboration #IconicBrands #Marketing #F1 #Levis501 #McLaren
𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜𝗥𝗢𝗡 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗶'𝘀 🌟
𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 Festival season is in full swing. But before any fashion statements were made, we were hard at work helping to define the looks that would steal the day.
As part of this key selling season, we collaborated with Levi's and their incredible team to help bring their festival season campaign to life. Partnering with celebrity stylist Jared Ellner, we helped capture the essence of Levi's as the ultimate festival uniform, shooting in the picturesque Topanga hills.
𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 Our role involved managing logistics from location scouting to casting, ensuring everything ran smoothly on production day. With over a decade of experience, we pride ourselves on coordinating complex shoots in harmony with a brand's vision and the unique demands of talent and crew.
And as such I wanted to give a huge shout-out to Edmundo Vindel and Brittany Baker Bauch for managing the whole thing from the Iron side. Without their vision, drive and endless grit, we couldn't do what we do. Massive respect to both!
𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗴𝗲 The need for diverse and frequent content has skyrocketed in an era dominated by social media. As a digital agency, we understand these demands better than most and are uniquely positioned to meet them. The Levi's festival campaign is a testament to the power of effective collaboration in producing engaging, multi-platform content.
𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀 The result? A vibrant array of assets that came to life across Levi's owned channels, driving engagement and reinforcing their brand's positioning during a key cultural moment.
Curious about how we can elevate your brand's digital presence? Let's connect! 🚀
Read more about our collaboration with Levi’s here: https://bit.ly/3YpfClJ
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Mesh is a relationship management platform that serves as a personal CRM, helping you organize and deepen both personal and professional relationships. It functions as a beautiful rolodex and CRM available on iPhone, Mac, Windows, and web, built automatically to help manage your network efficiently. Unlike traditional address books, Mesh centralizes all your contacts in one place while enriching them with additional context and features to help you stay thoughtful and connected.
Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
- Network Strength: Visualizes the strength of your relationships relative to others in your network
- Timeline: Shows your relationship history with each contact
- Smart Search: Allows you to search using natural language like "People I know at the NYT" or "Designers I've met in London"
- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
- Home Feed: Displays updates about your network including job changes, news mentions, and birthdays
- Groups: Organizes contacts into meaningful categories
- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Mesh is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Mesh as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Mesh offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Mesh takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Mesh encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Mesh work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Mesh is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
Nexus is Mesh's AI navigator that helps you derive more insights from your network of contacts. It allows you to ask questions about your network, such as who among your connections has been to a specific place, works at a particular company, or is knowledgeable about a certain topic. Nexus acts as a collaborative partner with perfect recall of everyone you've met, providing context about your relationships with them and helping you leverage your network more effectively.
Mesh makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Mesh's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
Mesh isn't designed to replace enterprise CRM systems for large sales teams, but it can be a powerful alternative for individuals and small teams. Many people use Mesh instead of Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive. Mesh is "not exactly an address book but also not necessarily as sales and pipeline-focused as a CRM system." The founders refer to their app as a "home for your people," carving out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. For solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small teams focused on relationship quality rather than sales pipelines, Mesh can absolutely serve as your primary relationship management tool.
Mesh is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.