THE DESIGN DUO

DYNAMO WHAT?

DYNAMO: A POWERFUL FORCE ULTIMA: THE BEST OF IT’S KIND

OUR ORIGIN STORY

What’s up! We’re Lexi + Cody—the duo behind Dynamo Ultima. We’re here to shake sh*t up in the design world and empower you to break the rules and carve your own path. Because there’s nothing creative about coloring inside the lines.

Our story started in college, when Lexi was a freelance designer for agencies and Death to Stock and Cody was a freelance photographer while we were both grinding through classes at Portland State University (a college with one of the top five design programs in the nation!!) Lexi graduated with a degree in Graphic Design, Cody with Film and a Graphic Design minor. Even back then, we knew the agency world wasn’t for us. So in 2014, before graduation, we launched our first studio, State of Mind Studio, with a plan to create visual storytelling through photography, film, and design.

After graduating in 2016, we sold everything we owned, bought a Sprinter van, and spent five months building it into a solar-powered studio. For three years, we lived on the road creating content, partnering with outdoor brands like Keen, Stanley, and Fjällräven, vlogging outdoor retail shows, and growing a YouTube channel to 50K subscribers with millions of views (you can check our videos on our youtube channel here.) Eventually, people started asking us to create their branding and websites because they loved our vibe and wanted the same magic for their own businesses. That’s when our work evolved from brand partnerships into building personal brands for YouTubers, influencers, service providers, podcasters, and entrepreneurs.

By 2020, our studio was thriving, and we needed more than van Wi-Fi could handle. We sold the van, moved into downtown Portland, and our design business exploded.

That’s also when we started our VIP Day/Design Day model with fast-turnaround branding and websites that became known for being bold, artsy AF, and delivered with serious impact.

In 2023, we got married. In 2024, we finally made the move to Bend… the outdoorsy dream we’d talked about since our van life days. Along the way, our family grew and shifted: we welcomed our black kitty, Zeppelin, in 2022, said goodbye to our fierce little angel Zero (who joined us back in 2017) early in 2025, and brought home our new pup, Ozzy, later this year. Through it all, we kept growing Dynamo Ultima into the vibrant creative studio it is today.

Now, we’ve served over 300+ clients, been featured in Dwell, Dribbble, Designer Boss Summit, and Square Design Summit, and partnered with brands like Mercedes Benz Vans, Stanley, Keen, Fjall Raven, Article, and Stay Wild Magazine. These days, Dynamo Ultima is still our main source of income and our creative anchor, but we’ve both expanded into new outlets too! Lexi runs an astrology + coaching business (you can check it out here), Cody designs custom fonts (and slings poke bowls part-time at our friends’ food truck in Bend), and together we’re dreaming up our next venture: a paper goods line with cheeky prints, cards, and a tarot deck to bring our design work to life in new ways.

THROUGH EVERY VERSION OF OUR JOURNEY, ONE THING HAS STAYED THE SAME: WE BELIEVE BOLD-ASS BRANDS DESERVE BOLD-ASS DESIGNERS. AND THAT’S WHAT DYNAMO ULTIMA IS ALL ABOUT.

MEET THE DUO

CODY CHENG

Cody is the… artistic genius, illustrator, animator, and the man behind the designs. He’s the creator, the generator, the guy who turns ideas into visuals that stop you in your tracks. Libra Sun, Scorpio Moon, Aquarius Rising INTP. Always chasing the next spark of inspiration.

LEXI CHENG

Lexi is the… strategist, analyst, visionary, and the one who starts the fire. She’s the manifestor, the translator of vibes into strategy, and the person who makes sure every brand not only looks good but works. Virgo sun, Leo moon, Leo rising. INTJ. Always two steps ahead.

TOGETHER, WE’RE THE LEFT BRAIN + RIGHT BRAIN, THE VISION + THE EXECUTION, THE SPARK + THE STRUCTURE. DYNAMO ULTIMA IS WHERE THOSE WORLDS COLLIDE.

OUR STUDIO WOULDN’T BE THE SAME WITHOUT OUR FOUR-LEGGED CREW. THEY KEEP US GROUNDED, ENTERTAINED, AND ENDLESSLY INSPIRED.

ZEPPELIN

— ARIES SUN, CHIEF DESK DISRUPTER

Bold, fearless, and endlessly snuggly, Zeppelin lives up to his Aries nature. Raised by Zero, he’s basically a cat-dog—always following us around, snuggling hard, and insisting on being part of everything. His specialties include laying on Cody’s face at night, bird watching with laser focus, and walking across the keyboard just to remind us who’s really in charge.

OZZY

— CANCER SUN, HEAD OF CHAOS & CUDDLES

Ozzy is our newest addition and the sweetest little soul. Sensitive, silly, and full of feelings, he’s been helping our hearts heal and love again. He keeps us laughing daily with his goofy antics and is currently “in training” for next year’s wiener dog race at the Bend Oktoberfest. His joy and gentle nature remind us not to take life, or design too seriously..

ZERO

— VIRGO SUN, FOREVER OUR ANGEL PUP

Zero was our first dog and the true heart of our early journey. Adopted in 2017, he grew up with us in the van as Dynamo Ultima was just beginning to take shape. Loyal, grounded, and always by our side, Though he crossed the rainbow bridge early 2025, his spirit is still woven into everything we do, and he’ll always be our fiercest furry inspiration, our angel pup, and our reminder that the best adventures are the ones you share with family.

OUR VIBE

Here’s what drives us and what shows up in every project we touch:

Design should be fun, not stiff. We’re here for bold moves, experiments, and doing sh*t that scares you in the best way. We believe in evolution, your brand, like you, is always growing, and that’s a good thing. Freedom is our north star (van life was just the beginning), and we bring that energy into how we design and how we live.

We stay young by chasing what lights us up whether that’s an EDM festival, a last-minute trip, or painting in the garage until 2 a.m. The outdoors keeps us grounded, spirituality and astrology keep us curious, and at the end of the day, design is the thread that ties it all together.

At Dynamo Ultima, we don’t just make things look good. We make them feel alive.

WHEN WERE NOT DESIGNING

When we’re off the clock, you’ll probably catch us living the life we used to dream about in our van days…only now it involves mountain views, a Toyota RAV4, and two furry sidekicks, Zeppelin (the cat) and Ozzy (the pup).

Cody’s usually producing music, 3D-printing something wild, or whipping up the perfect breakfast burrito. Lexi’s probably pulling tarot cards, going on hot girl walks, diving into astrology charts, or hunting down the best buffalo wings in town (shoutout to Fire on the Mountain). Together, we’re either farming in Stardew Valley (Hidden Valley Ranch), blasting aliens in Borderlands 4, or doing a paint n’ sip night with friends and family.

We’re outdoors as much as possible hiking, snowboarding, mountain biking, or backpacking and we’re always up for a road trip with EDM blasting. For years, Flume topped our Spotify charts, but these days Rufus Du Sol has our hearts. And if you ever want to bribe us? Make it Indian, Thai, or Chinese food, plus a cold beer for Cody and a glass of white wine (or champagne) for Lexi.

Because when we’re not building bold brands, we’re building a life full of music, food, laughter, and adventure and honestly, it’s all connected.

WHAT’S NEXT?

You know who we are, now let’s talk about you. Whether you’re ready to launch your brand, glow up your site, or just want a design duo who gets it, you’re in the right place.

Check out our services to see how we can work together, or head to our digital goods shop to diy your own brand or website with our fonts, website templates, illustration bundles and more

*Looking for a speaker, podcast guest or someone to write an article? We absolutely love collaborating! Please reach out to us via our contact form with your ideas. Click here to get in touch.

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