DVDL

DVDL was founded in 2018 by cultural strategist David van der Leer, building on insights from his years at the Guggenheim Museum and Van Alen Institute. After 15 years advising museums and architects, David saw the same issue again and again: major projects leapt straight into costly design or ambitious programming initiatives without first locking in the right, people-centered answers. Without clear insight into audience needs and community goals, even the most talented architects, curators, and planners were left to make educated guesses. DVDL was created to close that gap, bringing rigorous cultural research and imaginative visitor-experience thinking to the very start of every project, so every design, program, and operational move rests on solid ground. What began as work with museums and design studios quickly expanded. We soon recognized that people-focused cultural planning and visitor-experience strategy drive success far beyond traditional cultural venues. Today, developers, hospitals, transit agencies, waterfront districts, global brands—even entire cities—turn to DVDL to help them build places, programs, and platforms where connections between people come first.