Dominic Maas is the graphic designer and creative director for CrossFit.
Alumnus Dominic Maas followed his passion all the way to California.
Maas always had a fascination with Hollywood movies and one day wanted to create them, that is, until his motives changed from film to graphic design.
A buddy he met in school encouraged him to try art. Ever since then, Maas has grown to love all aspects of art and design.
“Art was new for me,” Maas said. “I never took a single drawing class in high school.”
He still had a dream to work for a big Hollywood movie agency on the west coast. During his senior year at St. Cloud State he polished his websites and completed his own personal identity to market himself in California.
After unsuccessful attempts to solicit companies he came across a poster design challenge hosted by The Refinery, a west coast advertising agency. With nothing to lose Maas submitted two posters to the competition.
“After a very long two months I got an email from them saying they wanted to fly me out to L.A. for an interview, and I just about flipped out!” Maas declared.
“I was there and back in two days,” Maas said. “I loved their agency and had an awesome interview with one human resources representative and three producers. It eventually turned into a full-time position.”
At that moment, Maas had an internship at his dream job. However, it didn’t pan out exactly as he planned.
“The work was amazing and the people I worked with were outrageously good, but I was definitely not an L.A. fan,” Maas mentioned.
The pricey living and environment of northern L.A. wasn’t a style of living that Maas appreciated, and he eventually found himself moving back to the comfort of St. Cloud.
Now, he works as the graphic designer and creative director for CrossFit.
“Even though movies are my passion, designing for CrossFit is a positive in my life,” Maas said. “Since I’m their first designer there is room for growth.”
Maas is content with his job now and can see CrossFit being his career path for a while.
“Getting the internship was the biggest victory to take away from the SCSU graphic design program. At the end of the day, I had a more definitive idea of what I really wanted to do in life, and I can’t thank the faculty or my classmates enough for that.”
