Madison Dever
Q What do you do?
“I am the lead designer at a woman’s personal safety company, which means I handle pretty much all creative. We are a small company that is extremely fast-paced and all of us are multi-hyphenates. Day to day I mainly work on D2C digital and social, but also design for B2B and print.”
Outside of my in-house role, I am a brand designer who helps bring people's visions to life. I am extremely motivated by the psychology of design and how it makes people feel.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
Design has always been super important to me. As a kid I was always sketching characters, choosing wacky color combos that surprisingly worked, and analyzing type like I was already salaried. An early design memory of mine is that around 13, I had just discovered gaussian blur so you better believe I was placing handmade drop shadows on everything (definitely breaking the laws of light but I was so excited I couldn't contain myself lol). I had an awesome mentor who took me under her wing around this age and I continued to practice throughout high school (where I was teaching people how to use Adobe software) and beyond. I decided to get additional graphic design certification after college because my BFA isn't in design. I've been freelancing for almost a decade, but I now have about 3 years of in-house experience.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I understand people and I love to learn. I am a people person who really understands how design impacts and influences us. Design should be human at its core. This helps target correct the audience, build brand trust, and position a brand correctly in the market. I've always loved to learn both because it's fun and because it makes me grow. Inside me lives the little girl who would read books and study a subject for hours (mainly about psychology and design) just to learn everything there is to know about something. I still operate this way because it's how I'm naturally calibrated.
Q What are you working on right now?
Outside of my in-house work, I am currently building personal branding and album concept designs for an up and coming singer-songwriter!! It's so retro, colorful, soul-filled, and fun.
Q What’s your style?
I would say my design style is witty, bold, colorful, and personality forward. I naturally love to blend bold minimalism, intentional maximalism, texture, and strategic color placement. A big part of my design work is how it connects to the audience. Here is a link to an example: Paradox Cafe
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Branding! I love love love the process of building brands. There is so much psychology and strategy that goes into it. It's the perfect mixture of aesthetics and human nature. I love being a part of a brand's process where every person on the team is being truly valued for what they bring to the table.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Sometimes on a super small, fast-paced team, feedback gets lost along the way. While I don't need hand-holding and I'm used to owning my work, I believe that feedback is genuinely the way a designer gets better. There is an aspect of good design that requires almost surgical honesty and leaving your own ego at the door. I am always looking to improve my skills and knowing what is working and what is not/ why is crucial to growing in this industry.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
I think a part-time intern who is looking for experience in the industry would be super helpful. It's a win-win because they are getting paid AND getting experience while I am getting the help of a junior with smaller tasks. They're learning and I'm mentoring/learning how to be a better leader. It reminds me of when my yoga instructors say "the student in me sees and honors the student and teacher in you." Everyone is always learning from everyone, no matter your title.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
Hmm I believe that everything happens for a reason so I probably wouldn't change my journey (even if it would've made things more streamlined). But I do think I would tell myself as a kid that I'm right that I want to be a designer and that I do become a designer. I would be so happy to know that's what I end up doing and to confirm that it's what I'm meant to be doing. Even through all of the detours of my life, the road has always led back to design. Now I just have unique POVs to make me more an informed designer.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I'd love to know the stories and journeys of how their design career came to be. What were the steps? Who are some cool people they've met? What do they love outside of design that makes their design better? Everyone is so unique and so is their journey. It's proof that there is no one right way to do something.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I am currently looking for full time in-house or contract work specifically in D2C. I love knowing a brand like the back of my hand. I'm open to all opportunities though!
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
My ideal client is someone with vision and is not only open to collaboration, but seeks it. I think the best ideas come from putting your heads together and just exploring all possibilities. I love goal-oriented, human-centric clients that genuinely love their brands. Probably brands in the wellness, lifestyle, beauty spaces that are mission-driven would be the best fit for me. But honestly I'd love to work for any brand that cares about what they stand for.
Q: What is your rate?
I'm flexible depending on the specific project. Let's chat :)
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Email me at madison@madisondever.com! Intro can be anything their heart desires, GIFs are encouraged.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Alexis Gallegos — She's AWESOME. Her work is chef's kiss and her branding is so human.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Omg yes to a haiku: Creative girly. The grocery store inspo. Art is all around.
This member profile was originally published in July 2025.