David Lai is an Executive Creative Director at Huge, where he leads the Apple team. He is also the founder of Hello Design, where he built a legacy of creative leadership for ambitious brands. His passion has always been to craft worthy experiences.
He spent 25 years building and leading Hello Design as CEO and Creative Director before the agency was acquired by Instrument. Under his leadership, Hello became known for award winning work for some of the world’s most iconic brands, including Herman Miller, Nike, Sonos, Meta, Google, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon, HBO, Samsung, Sony, Disney, BMW, 88rising, and Din Tai Fung. David also collaborated closely with cultural institutions such as MoMA, The Smithsonian Institution, Sesame Workshop, The Getty, LACMA, The Broad, The Huntington, Japan House, USC, and ArtCenter. He also worked directly with George Lucas on the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which included an unforgettable visit to the Star Wars archives at Skywalker Ranch.
His work has been recognized by Cannes, The One Show, the Webby Awards, FWA, and the Clio Awards. He has served as a judge for Communication Arts, HOW Design, Step Inside Design, and The Webby Awards. His designs have been featured in Communication Arts, I.D., HOW, Print, The Art Director’s Club, Graphis, Behance, Forbes, Fast Company, TIME Magazine, and The New York Times.
David has spoken at SXSW, Flashforward, FITC, Design Nation, and the HOW Design Conferences. He taught at ArtCenter College of Design for many years and served on the Advisory Board of AIGA Los Angeles. He is an Executive Member of IADAS and serves on the Board of Trustees for Zócalo Public Square. He has also collaborated with leading agencies, including Wieden+Kennedy, Bruce Mau Design, MONO, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Saatchi & Saatchi LA, Anomaly, and 72andSunny.
David is a graduate of Cornell University and Phillips Academy Andover. He is an avid cyclist and has ridden his bike across the French Alps and from San Francisco to Los Angeles three times. Tokyo also happens to be a city he tries to visit every chance he gets.