Hi, I’m Dave. I’m the design half of Crop, and for more than 20 years I’ve been helping businesses solve problems through thoughtful, effective design.
Over the years I’ve worked with everything from ambitious local businesses to international brands, building identities, websites, campaigns, digital products and marketing that don’t just look good, but work. My career has taken me through agencies in New Zealand, Bristol and Bath, where I had the opportunity to collaborate with talented teams on projects across a wide range of industries.
Agency life taught me a huge amount. Fast-paced environments, big clients and challenging briefs helped shape how I think as a designer. But after becoming a father to three children, my priorities began to shift.
Like many people, I reached a point where success looked different.
I wanted to spend more time with my family, swap long commutes for countryside walks, and build a career that supported a healthier, more balanced way of living. So I made the leap into freelance design and moved to the South West.
It turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Working independently allowed me to build closer relationships with clients and focus on what I enjoy most - understanding businesses, uncovering their challenges, and creating simple, powerful visual solutions that help them grow. Whether that’s developing a new brand, designing a website, refining a product experience or creating marketing that connects with the right audience, I love turning complex problems into clear, memorable ideas.
Throughout that journey, Carl and I continued to cross paths.
We’d worked together for years, often collaborating on projects where strategy and design naturally came together. The more we worked together, the more obvious it became that we shared the same values. We both believed businesses deserved senior-level thinking without unnecessary layers, inflated agency fees or complicated processes.
Eventually, joining forces wasn’t just the next step. It was the right one.
That’s how Crop was born.
Carl brings the strategic thinking that uncovers what makes a business different. I bring the creative thinking that turns that strategy into a brand people remember. Together, we help businesses grow through clear strategy, strong design and ideas that have purpose behind them.
For us, Crop isn’t just another agency. It’s a business built around the kind of life we wanted to create.
One where family comes first, health matters, relationships with clients are genuine, and great creative work doesn’t need the overheads of a traditional agency.
If you’re looking for a creative partner who combines decades of experience with a practical, down-to-earth approach, we’d love to chat.