About

About

Based in Los Angeles, I work at the intersection of story and systems, bringing products, brands, and films to life.


I’m a Stanford-trained designer with a background in film, shaped by a cross-cultural upbringing (German-Brazilian, raised in Dubai). My work focuses on how people find meaning through media and technology, and how narrative, emotion, and interface merge to shape such experiences.


Over time, I’ve moved fluidly between filmmaking, product design, and strategy, often acting as the connective tissue between creatives, engineers, and operators. Today, I focus on the consumer edge of media: how stories are positioned, discovered, and connected with the right audiences, and how design can support that journey end to end.

Avatar image for about me page
Avatar image for about me page
Avatar image for about me page

Email

Email

jdvrees@stanford.edu

Recent work

Recent work

Aug 2026 – Present

Aug 2026 – Present

Filmhub

Filmhub

Product & Growth

Product & Growth

Building Relay, a new kind of streaming destination.

Building Relay, a new kind of streaming destination.

Sep 2025 – Apr 2026

Sep 2025 – Apr 2026

Stanford Graduate School of Business

Stanford Graduate School of Business

Research Assistant

Research Assistant

Supported Prof. Ali Yurukoglu's research on the economics of entertainment.

Supported Prof. Ali Yurukoglu's research on the economics of entertainment.

June 2025 – Jan 2026

June 2025 – Jan 2026

8VC

8VC

Design Fellow

Design Fellow

Led 8VC’s video department: portco videos, mainly for BUILD and the Fellowship.

Led 8VC’s video department: portco videos, mainly for BUILD and the Fellowship.

Sep 2024 – Aug 2025

Sep 2024 – Aug 2025

ESHAP

ESHAP

Researcher

Researcher

Media strategy research for Emmy and Peabody winner Evan Shapīro's agency.

Media strategy research for Emmy and Peabody winner Evan Shapīro's agency.

Aug 2024 – Dec 2024

Aug 2024 – Dec 2024

qibb

Product Marketing Manager

Product Marketing Manager

Integration platform for media workflows, used by major broadcasters and studios.

Integration platform for media workflows, used by major broadcasters and studios.

Jan 2024 – Dec 2024

Jan 2024 – Dec 2024

Newform

Head of Design

Head of Design

Led design at a Stanford short-form marketing startup, scaling Kajabi and more.

Led design at a Stanford short-form marketing startup, scaling Kajabi and more.

Jun 2023 – Aug 2023

Jun 2023 – Aug 2023

Wonder Dynamics

Wonder Dynamics

Product Manager

Product Manager

AI visual effects pioneer, acquired by Autodesk in 2024.

AI visual effects pioneer, acquired by Autodesk in 2024.

John Rees

2026