David Marshall
Designer / Illustrator / Websites
Amsterdam, NL
Q What do you do?
“I’m a graphic designer and illustrator who is one half of branding studio Fruit Press.”
My focus is on uncovering the big visions of service-based brands to create the visuals and websites they need to reach their goals.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
Since I was very young I've been obsessed with art and design, always creating through drawing or painting. It wasn’t until I was most of the way through a communications degree in my hometown of Perth, Australia when someone asked me to design a logo for them and I was like “wait I can get paid to do this?”
I’ve now been working as a graphic designer for almost ten years and love making content based around my illustrations.
Years of working for other agencies made me realise that I wanted to approach the branding process differently, which led me to co-founding Fruit Press.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I get super excited about helping clients remove the ceilings they put on themselves which stop them from moving forward. I place a huge importance on the time in the design process before pencil goes to paper, Week 0: drilling down to the core of what my client’s really need, what their goals are and what they may not have even considered possible yet. I find that by doing this, visions align beautifully and through a collaborative process with clients I’m able to build out their dream brand (one client actually said this to me)! I also work VERY fast thanks to the smooth systems I’ve set up!
Q What are you working on right now?
Right now I’m working on the growth of my studio Fruit Press and some illustration projects under my Dave La Marshall alias! After building out my website – that I’m super stoked with – I’m ready to expand the horizons of more service-based businesses. I get so excited every time we wrap a project as by the end I always feel like I’m a (very small) part of the brand’s new chapter and love watching them take off.
Q What’s your style?
Humour is one of the underlying currents through all of my work. I really like to play with words, often with double entendres and puns (but not in the “Dad, please not another pun joke” way). I have a pretty unique way that I process information from outside sources, where I’m always trying to find the joke. In my personal work I let this lead the way, while in my client work I pare this back to the point that it harmoniously syncs with the needs of the brief.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I’d love to focus more on animation as I always include elements in my work that could really shine with some movement. Maybe it’s my subconscious wanting me to spend more time on my animation skills?
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Trying to find the balance between my personal brand and the Fruit Press studio brand, keeping them distinct but also having a part of me show through in the business.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
I love making content but I do get caught up spending a whole lot of time making my videos, so a video editor would be pretty great!
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
Take the money that will eventually become your student debt and spend a year creating every day, experimenting as much as possible and sharing the whole journey. Then spend the next year narrowing down on that little piece in the centre of the Venn diagram where what you love, what others love and what others want meet. Then spend every following day working for yourself to give the world as much of that piece of Venn diagram pie that you can!
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I’m always looking to improve on my productivity, organisation, efficiency etc. It’s become both a bit of an obsession and a blindspot. Some coaching on how to better identify areas that can be improved and also implement systems in both my personal and business life would make a pretty big impact.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
To work with service-based businesses that have plateaued and know marketing will help them move to the next level. Through my design process I’d like to help guide their aspirations toward goals that would have originally seemed unattainable but now seem clear and in reach. I love working on brands and websites side-by-side, so that I can craft the brand elements to perfectly fit all applications that a brief requires.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
I recently worked with my idea of a dream client. After our Week 0 calls and questions, the owner’s vision had expanded from a side hustle to a front-and-centre business with goals of having a team of full-time staff and booked out calendars within the next 2 years. With this newly formed vision, the collaborative process went so smoothly that the brand kit, website and printed marketing materials were all completed in 2 weeks.
Q What is your rate?
Get in touch to discuss what you really need and how we can achieve it or book in for our service “Taste Test” if you’d like help clarifying your vision!
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Either shoot me an email to hello@davelamarshall.com or fill out the enquiry form on the Fruit Press website
Q Who is a creative you admire?
I’ll get anything that type designer Brandon Nickerson @bmnicks makes! Troy Browne’s @troybrowne collage work is just plain cool. Also loving the illustration work of Jake Foreman @_jakeforeman, I aspire to create scenes like he does. While we’re at it let me give Jack Harrison @mr_jackio a shoutout, his retro digital goodness makes we want to buy an old television set.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Keeping a clear mind and experiencing new things!
This member profile was originally published in April 2024