Meet Dima Drapikovsky

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dima Drapikovsky — a Motion Graphics Artist and Design Team Manager specializing in Entertainment Broadcast Graphics — and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dima, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
For me, the most important factor behind any success has always been a mix of relentless focus and adaptive thinking. I believe there’s no such thing as an impossible task – only challenges that haven’t met the right mindset yet. That principle drives how I lead and how I teach my team to think: flexible, strategic, and solution-first, especially in creativity.

I invest time into shaping a culture where growth, learning, and motivation are part of the daily rhythm. There are always problems to solve – some urgent, some long game. I operate with a clear vision of what a show can become, how powerful it can look and feel to the audience. But in real life, resources are never infinite. That’s where knowledge, experience, and sharp leadership come in – to define audience expectations and lead the way to the best solution.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
There’s a constant stream of things that fuel my creative process – video games, books, nature in all its layered textures and unpredictable light. But music probably drives it the most. There’s something about the flow that syncs perfectly with motion design – its rhythm, tempo, the images that form in your mind as you listen. I’ve been fortunate to work in a field where no two shows are the same. One week it’s bold, high-energy graphics full of color and abstraction; the next, it’s an immersive world rooted in cinematic realism. That range – the freedom to explore different styles, tones, and storytelling languages – is what keeps me creatively alive.

My work lives at the intersection of speed, precision, and creativity. I lead design teams that develop broadcast graphics for high-stakes gaming and esports shows – a niche space where timelines are tight, stakes are high, and every pixel counts. Unlike more traditional design fields, this world moves fast. You’re not just creating something beautiful – you’re building design systems that need to perform live, without missing a beat.

What sets me apart? It’s not just the quality of design – it’s the ability to deliver high-quality, hyper-detailed work and do it right when it’s needed. Over the past 10 years, I’ve worked with some of the top broadcasting companies in the world, crafting visuals for iconic events on the biggest stages. There aren’t many studios in this industry, and even fewer specialists who deeply understand the demands of this kind of real-time storytelling.

I started out as a motion designer and worked my way up to leading full-scale creative teams. Every step forward was hands-on – I’ve built solutions from scratch in an area where no templates existed. A lot of what’s now standard in esports graphics came from the kinds of bold decisions and experiments we ran when no one else had the roadmap.

If there’s one thing I want the world to know, it’s this: behind every great show is a team of creative minds working to make the impossible happen – and I’m proud to be leading that charge.
This isn’t just a career for me – it’s a craft, and it’s a constant evolution.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting for the weekend, I’d take them on a curated LA experience that skips the clichés and taps into the real rhythm of the city. First stop: Playa Vista. This pocket of LA feels like its own little world – laid-back, modern, and full of creative energy. We’d start the morning with a run through the neighborhood while it’s still quiet, then grab a coffee at Blue Bottle and ease into the local pace. There’s something about the mornings here – clean air, soft light, people walking their dogs – it just resets you.

After that, we’d head to Venice Beach for breakfast. Abbot Kinney is a whole vibe – lined with spots that cater to every craving and boutiques full of California-cool design. We’d stroll, eat, maybe pick up something from a local designer, and walk all the way to the shore just to stand there for a minute and soak it all in.

To wrap the day, we’d drive out to Palos Verdes to catch the sunset by the lighthouse. It’s one of the most stunning views around – cliffs, ocean, sky, all working together like a perfect final frame. That’s LA at its best: a place where you can feel grounded and inspired all at once.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This shoutout isn’t just for one person. It’s to a mosaic of visionaries I’ve crossed paths with over time. From strong managers to fearless producers and business minds who know how to shape ideas into impact, each one played a role in sharpening my edge. Their influence helped me learn how to aim high, stay dialed in, and turn abstract vision into real-world results. I’m thankful for those intersections – those perfectly timed moments that sparked growth and pushed me to level up creatively.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dima-drapikovsky-cgi/

Image Credits
Photo courtesy of author’s personal archive, Starladder and Weplay Studios.