# David Traina

> David Traina is the San Diego-based founder and CEO of Traina, an independent branding agency. Raised in rural Georgia and educated at Brigham Young University, he worked in design agencies before starting his business with a Microsoft division as its first client. His public interviews and writing cover creative standards, company values, cross-industry branding and the agency’s transition to a smaller remote team. He also enjoys surfing and band practice.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Traina
- **Organizations:** Traina
- **Education:** BA in design (described in his interviews), Brigham Young University
- **Known for:** Founded and leads the independent branding agency Traina., Creative-direction credit on the 2014 Microsoft IT annual report, whose published project account reports 70% of Microsoft IT site views during its first ten weeks., Led the agency that partnered on Space Center Houston’s 2022 rebrand, which earned four AMA Houston Crystal Awards in May 2023; awards belong to the collaborative client project.

## Career timeline

- **High school; dates unspecified** — Worked two summers at an Atlanta agency while growing up in rural Georgia.
- **After university; date unspecified** — Joined a small design firm in Provo; later worked at agencies in Salt Lake City and Seattle.
- **2005 (his 2021 account)** — Moved to San Diego and founded Traina; the company website instead describes partnerships beginning in 2006.
- **2014** — Credited with creative direction for Microsoft IT’s digital annual report.
- **2021** — Traina was a creative sponsor and presenter at San Diego Design Week and developed the San Diego Secret Rad interactive map.
- **2022** — Agency partnered on the Space Center Houston rebrand.
- **2025** — Described a fully remote agency with twelve core staff and contractors, reduced from more than thirty employees.
- **2026** — Listed on the San Diego City College design program advisory membership list published in May.

## Achievements

- Founded and leads the independent branding agency Traina.
- Creative-direction credit on the 2014 Microsoft IT annual report, whose published project account reports 70% of Microsoft IT site views during its first ten weeks.
- Led the agency that partnered on Space Center Houston’s 2022 rebrand, which earned four AMA Houston Crystal Awards in May 2023; awards belong to the collaborative client project.
- Supported San Diego Design Week as an agency creative sponsor and presenter in 2021.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Named under Traina Design on San Diego City College’s design career education advisory membership list.
- **2025-07** — Discussed the agency’s smaller core team, contractor-supported remote model and personal plans in an SDVoyager interview.

## Links

- Website: https://wearetraina.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-traina-93a792

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/david-traina
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21