Richard studied music and art at Oklahoma State University before attending the Graduate School of Design, UCLA. He began his independent career in Dallas and moved to New York City in 1963. He served as design consultant to clients such as AT&T, DuPont, NASA, Fashion Institute of Technology, Seagram. He also taught at the School of Visual Arts. As a partner in the firm Danne & Blackburn, he accepted one of the first Presidential Awards for Design Excellence from President Reagan. Richard was elected President of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, and later served as founding Chapter President of AIGA/New York. He was pleased to serve as President of the AGI/USA delegation for many years. He was awarded the 2014 AIGA Medal and has a large Archive Collection on their website. Published widely including: Communication Arts, Print, Idea, Metropolis, and Industrial Design. He is featured in the landmark 2017 book "The Moderns: Midcentury American Graphic Design." He also received the 2018 Fellow award from AIGA/San Francisco. In early 2006, after 40 years in New York City and Massachusetts, Danne relocated his design practice, grand piano, and residence to Napa, California.