Visionaries of Design: 10 Design Agency Founders Shaping the Industry in 2023

In the ever-evolving world of web design, there are innovators who have pushed the boundaries of creativity and transformed the digital landscape. These visionary founders have built leading web design agencies that have redefined the standards of excellence.
 

Today, we celebrate their achievements and introduce you to 10 remarkable individuals who are shaping the web design industry.
 

Crafted: Greg Valvano – Founder & Creative Director

Crafted, led by Founder and Creative Director Greg Valvano, is the founder of Crafted, a renowned web design agency based in New York City. With a passion for design and an eye for aesthetics, Greg has cultivated Crafted’s reputation for excellence. Crafted specializes in creating visually stunning and user-centric websites that captivate audiences and deliver outstanding results.

RNO1: Michael Gaizutis – Founder

On the vibrant west coast, RNO1 stands as a digital experience agency with a mission to guide game-changing and growth-focused companies. Founder Michael Gaizutis has led the agency to success, offering agile design and digital solutions that span platforms and locations. RNO1‘s expertise in creating transformative digital experiences has earned them a trusted position in the industry.
 

Vrrb: Seth Hunter Geoffrion – Digital Agency Founder

Vrrb is renowned for building extraordinary digital experiences, websites, and mobile apps. As the Digital Agency Founder, Seth Hunter Geoffrion has led Vrrb to collaborate with prestigious clients such as Ferrari, Visa, and UCLA. Seth’s dedication to excellence and his team’s creativity has propelled Vrrb to the forefront of the industry.
 

Glide Design: Travis McAshan – Founder & CEO

Based in Austin, Texas, Glide Design is an award-winning, purpose-led digital creative agency. Travis McAshan, the Founder and CEO, has accumulated nearly 20 years of experience in creating beautiful, functional, and high-performing online experiences. His team is dedicated to making a positive impact in the world, partnering with startups, nonprofits, and beloved brands that share the same passion.
 

Propr: Bobby Gillespie – Founder

Propr is a web design agency led by Bobby Gillespie, an author, brand strategy and creative director, and entrepreneur. Bobby’s expertise in brand strategy has helped numerous businesses create impactful online experiences. Through Propr, Bobby continues to inspire and drive creative solutions in the digital realm.
 

Igloo Creative House: Dan Sela & Arik Benari – Co-Founders

At Igloo Creative House, co-founders Dan Sela and Arik Benari are making waves in the design industry. With a focus on creativity and innovation, Igloo Creative House delivers remarkable online experiences. Dan and Arik’s combined expertise and passion have propelled Igloo Creative House to success, cementing their reputation as leaders in the field.
 

I asked Dan: How do you see the web design industry evolve, as AI comes into play? Do you think it will make a significant impact on your work?
 

Dan: Artificial intelligence has brought a significant breakthrough in the world of services.
As a group that provides game development and marketing services to the tech industries, we use artificial intelligence-based tools gently and carefully throughout all the services we offer, but I wholeheartedly believe that very soon, additional artificial intelligence-based tools will be used by us more confidently to create accurate products, in a shorter time, and to improve our service experience, constantly. Artificial intelligence is here to stay, and it is our choice to embrace it or die.
 

Wolfpack Digital: Georgina Lupu Florian- Founder & CEO

Georgina Lupu Florian is the founder and CEO of Wolfpack Digital, an award-winning web and mobile design and development company based in Cluj, Romania, boasting a team of 70+ talented individuals. She is also a co-founder of the Women in Tech Cluj community and a member of the Board of Directors of the Transilvania IT Cluster. Georgina embarked on her tech career as an iOS developer, and the remarkable journey of Wolfpack Digital began in 2015 when she returned from London after several years of studying and working there. The company’s values draw inspiration from the spirit of the Wolf, with the team operating as a tightly-knit “wolf pack,” and the company name itself derived from Georgina’s surname. Guided by her expertise and fueled by a shared vision, Wolfpack Digital continues to leave a lasting impact on the industry.
 

 
I asked Georgina: How do you maintain open communication and collaboration, internally among your team and externally with clients? What tools do you use? What works, and what can be improved?
 

Georgina: I believe that constantly encouraging the giving & receiving of feedback in a kind way helps with setting the baseline for open communication and collaboration. This works both internally and externally, and we make sure we focus on both individual and team-level improvement and learning. We find that well-applied Scrum principles and ceremonies place everyone in an optimal mindset. Also, creating multiple spaces for people to express their suggestions and input helps (e.g. suggestions form), along with making sure everyone understands how we work and play according to our company values, on a practical level – this can be achieved by various fun/creative activities. Collaboration and project management tools (e.g. Trello, Slack, etc.) help with keeping things organized and collaborating well, while supporting productive communication flows.
 

All these things work well, however as our team grew more and more, we found that we needed to reorganize to maintain/improve both collaboration & communication. Creating new structures and the change management associated with this can be challenging. Let’s take mass communication as an example: it is less appealing for some people to express themselves in front of a bigger audience (e.g. to hit “reply all” on a company-wide email thread) than it was before when the team was smaller, so this can be challenging for leaders/managers, and therefore more proactivity is needed from their side to better understand the views of the team.
 

Communication and collaborations are forever work in progress, as the conditions in every organization are ever-changing. Overall, I consider that they stand at the cornerstone of any business’s success.
 

Huemor: Jeff Gapinski – Founder/President

Huemor, founded by Jeff Gapinski, is a web design agency driven by creativity and a love for dogs (he’s a proud dog dad!). With a focus on user experience and cutting-edge design, Huemor delivers exceptional web solutions that engage and inspire.
 

I asked Jeff: How do you see AI impacting the design industry? Will the AI overlords take over creative design roles?
 

Jeff: AI has been getting a lot of buzz lately. People are concerned that their jobs are in jeopardy. I’m not though. Automation and innovation have always disrupted markets. People and industries adapt, and then end up better because of it.
 

I already see AI being positively impactful in our work. It’s an incredible idea generator and allows us to eliminate many time-intensive tasks.
 

As it continues to evolve, I can see it becoming a huge factor specifically in the area of A/B testing. Quickly analyzing a page and coming up with insights, providing dozens of headline ideas, and graphics to help businesses level up their conversions is not too far away from where we sit today.
 

RP Digital Design Studio: Raven Ponder – Founder

RP Digital Design Studio, founded by Raven Ponder, is a rising star in the web design industry. With a passion for innovative design and a keen eye for detail, Raven has created a portfolio of visually stunning websites. RP Digital Design Studio offers tailored solutions that combine creativity and functionality to help businesses thrive in the digital realm.
 

As businesses and individuals strive to make their mark in the digital world, the expertise and creativity of these founders offer valuable inspiration. Whether you’re a startup looking to establish a strong online presence or an established brand seeking to enhance your digital experience, the agencies led by these founders can provide the solutions you need.