The Design Practice of David McGillivray

I’m a Creative Director and Designer based in New York,
and have spent the last thirteen years helping to bring brands to life through strategic design.

I don’t like fluff or clutter; I aim to make things that resonate with people using an executional style which is honest and direct. In a digital context that means working to overcome the default distance, half-life, and impersonal nature of interactions, in order to create things that are able to sit comfortably in their digital skin whilst still being able to connect deeply with their audience. The result is something that often leans minimal in appearance, but is filled with nuance and care in all the right places.

Regardless of what’s being designed, I believe it’s vital to never lose track of the concept. The message and its context, must be woven into the fabric of every artifact of a design. The bezier of the button, how hot the flash is, the weave of the paper stock. What goes where, how often it’s said, and in how many words. Each executed with intention; an unquantifiable amount of decisions layered on top of one another to form the silhouette of a story. All the while shaping a final product that feels so simple it has an air of inevitability about it.

Who I am

I’m David McGillivray, and Studio DMCG Inc is my design practice. I’m a Creative Director and Designer based in New York, and have spent the last fourteen years helping to bring brands to life through strategic design.

My Track Record

While the aesthetic of design is important, it’s just as vital that my designs deliver real results. While I can’t claim sole credit for the numerous positive outcomes my clients have seen, smart and successful founders continue to tap me for a full range of design needs, and I’m humbled to be able to contribute towards their journey.

I worked on the core digital experience and app design for Care/Of; acquired by Bayer for $220 million, designed a brand and web overhaul for Reaction Commerce; acquired by Mail Chimp, the full web experience for Backdrop; acquired by F. Schumacher & Co, and a full brand, packaging, photo, and web experience for Knix; acquired by Essity for $320 million. I also designed Petal's brand identity, which has seen massive growth and is now valued at $800 million. My work with The Nue Co contributed to 500% growth in the last couple of years, as well as increased conversion rate and an AOV increase of 20%. I also designed the brand and web experience for new Architectural Digest vertical, Clever, which helped contribute to record-high traffic; an 80% year-over-year increase for the parent brand.

What I Do

My real value comes from years of hands-on experience at a Creative Director level, both leading design in-house, and working independently with startups; uniquely positioning me to provide the kind of holistic design solutions that are typically expected to require a larger design firm.

I work directly with my clients, who normally hire me for:

→ Brand Identity Design
→ Digital Product / Web Design
→ eCommerce Design
→ Photography Direction

I work hands-on with projects, and only work with one client at a time, so that means I tend to look for larger, well-defined scopes that run for somewhere between 2—8 weeks. I’m a generalist by design, well versed in taking a founding team’s vision and helping turn that into a living breathing entity, from identity through to digital experience.

What I Charge

I work on a flat fee basis for projects, so I’ll quote you a single project price instead of an hourly rate. Most of the works showcased on this site took around 4—8 weeks to complete, and varies in cost. The scope of work, complexity of the problem, and a host of other influences are factored into my pricing, meaning every project is different.

Getting Started

First up, the best thing to do is shoot an email to hello@dmcg.co and tell me a little bit about you and your project (including rough timelines) upfront. If you have a project in mind that you think I’d be a good fit for, let’s talk!