David Lai founded and served as the CEO/Creative Director of Hello Design for 24 years before it was acquired by Instrument. His passion has always been to craft worthy and memorable experiences. Hello was known for its award-winning creative work for some of the world’s most iconic and ambitious brands.
His clients included Herman Miller, Nike, Meta (Facebook - Instagram - Oculus), Sonos, EDC, 88rising, Netflix, Amazon, HBO, Google, YouTube, Samsung, Sony, Toyota, BMW, Disney, Speedo, Tillamook, and Din Tai Fung. David also collaborated closely with many cultural institutions, non-profits, and universities including MoMA, Sesame Workshop, The Smithsonian Institution, The Getty, LACMA, Broad, The Huntington, Hollywood Bowl, Japan House, NHM, SCI-Arc, UCLA, USC, OTIS, and ArtCenter. He also had the honor and privilege of working with George Lucas on the Lucas Museum, which included an unforgettable trip to the Star Wars archives at Skywalker Ranch.
David has won numerous awards and recognition for his work including a Cannes Cyber Lion, Clio Award, FWA, One Show Pencil, and Webbys. He has judged the Communication Arts, The Webby Awards, HOW Design, and Step Inside Design Interactive Annuals. His designs have also 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, as well as numerous other publications and books.
He has spoken at numerous conferences including SXSW, Flashforward, FITC, Design Nation, and the HOW Design Conferences. David also taught at the ArtCenter College of Design for many years and was on the Advisory Board of the AIGA Los Angeles. He continues to serve as an Executive Member of IADAS and on the Board of Trustees for Zócalo Public Square. His agency, Hello Design, was part of the global advertising holding company MDC Partners, now Stagwell. He has also collaborated with agencies such as Wieden+Kennedy, Bruce Mau Design, Anomaly, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Saatchi & Saatchi LA, MONO, 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.