About Rasmus Skjoldan

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When I grew up, there was no internet.

Back then, if I had wanted to learn zen meditation from Harada Roshi, I would have had to first learn japanese well enough to understand the guy, then fly to Japan, find the monastery and be exceptionally patient.

Today, I can go to YouTube and learn from the wise man talking to the internet with closed-captioned translation. I love the ubiquitous sharing of knowledge that the internet has given us.

In 1995, I was in the middle of high school and discovered the internet. Talk about a game changer. In 1997, I joined Internet Kompagniet, one of the first web agencies in Denmark, led by Thomas Madsen-Mygdal.

Since no formal education for people working with the web existed back then, I decided to start my own design school, DSDA - Det Skjoldanske Designakademi. It was led by myself - with me being the only student. Yet, I gathered a good number of experienced professionals to help me through my education. I never graduated from the school but the thinking behind it has stayed with me to this day. I’m always trying to learn more. 

My method is simple and I’m repeating it endlessly, across the areas of work that I do: Find the world’s best practitioners of the field I want to improve at - and ask them to meet with me and teach me. I continuously put together my training and ask the best and the brightest to teach, give me feedback and critique my work. People sometimes ask if it isn’t hard to get world-class experts to meet. But most human beings really want to help - as long as the amount of time and energy they have to put into it is reasonable. 

Today, I’m the creative lead of the Copenhagen-based web agency, MOC, UX planner & designer on the team that’s building the content management system, TYPO3 Neos - and the brand manager of open source TYPO3, internationally. I have worked for a diverse range of clients such as Roskilde Festival, the suicide hotline Livslinien, the Danish Refugee Council, the National Gallery of Denmark, the Liberal Party of Denmark, Joost, the Ministry of Employment, Kellogg’s and many more.

I guess, the secret about me is: I have a gravely low tolerance of inferior quality.

Privately, I’m married, fathering 4 kids, winterbather, zazen-meditator, fashion-lover and I like to take portraits of people.

Source: http://rasmusskjoldan.com/about