This spring, we’re toasting two Additive anniversaries: creative director, Justin Dean, and design director, Kruti Mehta!
We connected with them to celebrate their leadership at Additive and learn about their creative pursuits.
Justin
Additive welcomed Justin Dean as a senior strategist in 2019. Today, he’s creative director, leading our content and design teams to activate impactful brands for our clients, including Syracuse University and Harlem Children’s Zone.
Over his career, Justin has helped dozens of purpose-driven organizations find the right words to tell their stories — and transform conversations, causes and communities for good.
What initially drew you to Additive — and what inspires you day-to-day?
Before Additive, I worked as a verbal strategist at a mid-sized marketing communications agency, and before that at a large global branding consultancy. Through both, I had some exposure to nonprofits and higher education, and I wanted to use my brand storytelling skills for good.
I’ll admit, I was nervous about moving to a more focused agency. On day one, I was told we were rebranding a large, well-known university. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but after sitting through the strategy presentation that first day, the level of rigor, insight and intention completely erased any doubts. Then and now, that same purpose, precision and passion across our team inspires me to do my best work.
What’s one project you’re particularly proud of?
Working on the brand strategy and story for Harlem Children’s Zone has been a professional and personal highlight. It was my first Additive project where I was involved from start to finish, working closely with the organization’s leadership to deliver transformational work.
As someone who’s seen my family sacrifice a lot to secure my education, Harlem Children’s Zone’s commitment to breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty by building up opportunities is deeply meaningful to me. It’s the kind of program I know my parents would have valued when I was growing up.
Which causes are motivating to you right now?
I believe the most effective way to create a world where we can all thrive is to build systems and opportunities that are better than the structures that hold people back. Advancing scientific discovery, health access, education, and social and economic mobility matter to me because these efforts expand what’s possible and strengthen the foundations people need to pursue their potential.
What personal creative projects are energizing you at the moment?
I’m currently facilitating and hosting a casual writing group, which has been really energizing. As a screenwriting graduate, I’ve kept a steady beat of developing short stories, essays and screenplays, but writing can be a lonely process. Building a community of writers has made it more engaging, expansive and joyful.
I’ve also been slowly expanding my repertoire of homemade seasonal sorbets, which I’m excited to continue growing and sharing.
Kruti
In 2023, Additive was pleased to welcome Kruti to our team. As design director, she leads our designers in creating dynamic brand identities for clients ranging from United Way to University of California, Berkeley.
Kruti is a multidisciplinary designer who specializes in branding and package design. Her approach combines storytelling with market research to develop impactful solutions through unified brand experiences. Before Additive, she led projects for brands across industries, including P&G, Starbucks, Hershey’s and more.
What initially drew you to Additive — and what inspires you day-to-day?
I got to a point in my career where I wanted my work to mean something more. Design is a powerful tool. I kept wondering what it could achieve if it was pointed at something that really mattered. That’s what brought me to Additive. Our clients could spend their resources anywhere, but they choose to invest in design because they believe it can create real change. That reframes everything. Design isn’t decoration, it has stakes.
Day-to-day, I’m driven by the challenge of finding the best ways to visually communicate complex or emotional ideas. There’s a puzzle at the heart of every project that I love solving. Our projects make a tangible difference in people’s lives — this purpose motivates me to sit down every day and work.
What’s one Additive project you’re particularly proud of?
The United Way brand refresh was special because their original identity was created by Saul Bass, one of the most influential graphic designers of all time. Being a part of reimagining that identity — putting my hands on something with that legacy behind it — was an enormous responsibility and privilege. I felt like I wasn’t just designing a logo but was in conversation with one of the masters of the craft.
Of our more recent work, I’m proud of the University of Rochester rebrand. The University touches so many different audiences — students, faculty, researchers, donors and more. Developing a brand system that worked cohesively across all of them was a fun challenge — and the University team is activating it beautifully.
Which causes are motivating to you right now?
Women’s rights and freedom of speech. I find myself reading about them, talking about them, turning them over constantly. As a designer you develop a sensitivity to communication and who gets to be heard, so issues around voice and representation resonate on both a human and a professional level. They’re a reminder that design is never neutral. Every choice is saying something, and that responsibility feels more meaningful to me than ever.
What personal creative projects are energizing you?
I’m always flexing my creativity outside of work, from ceramics and painting to building LEGOs. Now I’m coloring a giant illustrated poster of New York City. It’s so detailed I have to focus on one small section at a time, which is incredibly meditative. These projects teach me new things about form and patience — and offer a sense of freedom. There’s no brief, no client, no deadline. Just me and what I’m making. I think that kind of play energizes professional work in ways you’d never expect.
