About
Hello!I am David.
Creative Director · Los Angeles, CA
I am a Creative Director and experience design and UX leader with over 15 years of experience helping organizations make smarter decisions about their brands, products, and digital systems.
I work best with teams that are ready to move beyond surface-level design and into real alignment, where strategy, execution, and leadership meet.
I build work that holds up under pressure and keeps performing long after launch.
- Years leading creative
- 15+
- Product and platforms
- Brand · UX
- Startups to enterprise
- Global
How I think
Most design problems aren’t visual problems. They’re decision problems.
I focus on clarity when tradeoffs appear, alignment breaks down, and complexity starts to slow teams instead of serving them. My role is to ask better questions, challenge assumptions, and translate ambition into systems that actually work in the real world.
I design with intent, not noise. And I’m comfortable making the hard calls that protect long-term outcomes over short-term approval.
Design, at its best, is not decoration. It’s a discipline, one that requires judgment, restraint, and a clear point of view.
What I do
I lead complex creative work where brand, product, and technology collide.
That includes:
- Shaping brand strategy and identity systems that scale
- Defining UX strategy for platforms, products, and digital ecosystems
- Designing systems that balance usability, accessibility, and performance
- Guiding teams and stakeholders through ambiguity toward a clear direction
Sometimes that means hands-on design. Sometimes it means leadership, alignment, and decision-making in the room.
Either way, I take responsibility for the outcome, not just the output.
How I work
I don’t disappear behind process, and I don’t hide behind buzzwords.
And I don’t ship work I wouldn’t stand behind in a room full of executives.
I collaborate closely, communicate clearly, and move fast when it matters, without sacrificing rigor. My clients trust me because I’m honest about what will work, what won’t, and why.
And because I care deeply about doing the work right.
Experience & trust
Built on experience. Earned through trust.
I’ve partnered with startups, global brands, nonprofits, and enterprise organizations across healthcare, technology, consumer, and regulated industries.
The work spans platforms used by millions, complex system redesigns, and brand transformations where failure isn’t an option. The common thread is trust, in judgment, in execution, and in the ability to lead work forward with clarity.
Experience
- 2021 – PresentFounder and Principal Creative DirectorHAUS XXIV, LLCLong Beach, CA
- 2026 – PresentVP of Brand & CommunicationsLong Beach PrideLong Beach, CA
- 2025 – PresentSenior Art DirectorFocus MarketingIrvine, CA
- 2025Creative Director, DigitalXavier Creative House (XCH)Warwick, PA · Remote
- 2023Creative DirectorCrescendo CollectiveMilwaukee, WI · Remote
- 2021 – 2022Creative Director, UXSaritasaNewport Beach, CA
- 2018 – 2021Creative Director, UXGeekHiveWarwick, NY · Remote
- 2012 – 2018Art DirectorCheetah DigitalEl Segundo, CA · Remote
Education
- 2012B.S., Multimedia Design and DevelopmentDeVry UniversityConcentration in Multimedia Management
- 2010A.S., Web Design and DevelopmentDeVry University
Let’s connect on LinkedIn.
The full record, recommendations, and what I’m working on now. Follow along or send a note; I read every message.
Connect on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)Clients
Helping big and small brands conquer digital.
Capabilities
Where I add value.
Strategy, craft, and the technical fluency to ship it. I work across the whole arc, from the first research question to the campaign that proves the system under load.
Discovery and research
Every project starts with a deep look at the business, the audience, and the competition. Research surfaces the insights the rest of the work stands on.
- Audience analysis
- Competitive benchmarking
- Market research
- Usability testing
- User research and personas
Strategy and planning
Creative thinking and data-driven insight combined into a roadmap that ties every decision back to business objectives.
- Brand strategy and positioning
- Customer journey mapping
- Data analytics and insights
- Media and campaign planning
- Site architecture and wireframing
Website design and development
Responsive, user-centered websites that connect with an audience and move the business, on any device.
- Campaign microsites
- CMS development
- Custom web design
- E-commerce
- Website redesigns
Mobile and product design
Adaptive experiences for phones, tablets, and desktops, from native apps to mobile-first platforms.
- Custom software
- Mobile app design and development
- Responsive web design
- Mobile-first development
Digital marketing and optimization
Targeted campaigns that pair creative with analytics, judged by the results they were meant to move.
- Email marketing
- Paid media (PPC)
- Search engine optimization
- Social media marketing
- Video content production
Toolkit
- Figma
- Sketch
- Adobe Creative Cloud
- Illustrator
- Photoshop
- InDesign
- Adobe Firefly
- Midjourney
- ChatGPT
- Gemini
- Grok
- Jasper
- Canva
- Miro
- Marvel
- WordPress
- Drupal
- Joomla
- Sitecore
- Magento
- Shopify
- Wix
- React
- AWS
- iOS
- Android
Client praise
What clients and industry leaders say about working with me.
“David's strategic mindset and design expertise was instrumental to the success of our most top-performing digital campaigns.”
Michael GorgaCreative Director, ADT Security“We really appreciated his consideration about inclusion and accessibility when thinking through the user-experience and our audience's needs.”
Tessa YoungerSr. Brand Manager, SCD Coalition–ASH“David approached the GrantWriters platform with care, precision, and a strong understanding of our goals.”
Mike NeubigProject Director, GrantWriters“Watching Audiomack evolve during the app refresh was incredibly rewarding.”
David MacliCo-Founder, Audiomack“When David joined us in Seattle, he immediately felt like part of the Starbucks team.”
Matt KrachtCreative Manager, Starbucks“Merging MarketCast and Turnkey Intelligence was no small challenge, and David approached it with confidence and calm.”
Lee DoyleEVP, Global Client Strategy, MarketCast Group“I worked with David at ADT, and he’s a truly creative thinker and visionary.”
Amanda CelestinDigital Marketing Manager, ADT Security“From the very start, David brought sharp thinking and real care to the AC Hotel microsite.”
Rex GalbraithVice President of Sales, Consensus, Inc“Leading a global website transformation across multiple business units is never simple, and David handled it with steady leadership and care.”
Jennifer KulzerSenior Global Digital Marketing Manager, Corbion
Let’s build something that holds up.
Tell me what you’re working on. I’ll tell you honestly what will work, what won’t, and why, before you spend anything.