About

cara david DESIGN is a full-service design firm with over 20 years of experience working with clients from small firms to Fortune 500 companies in publishing, non-profit, and more. cara david DESIGN works on projects in multiple industries with clients including:

84Rockwell
Abide Capital Group
American Library Association
Bloomsbury Publishing
Casting House
Chicago Collaborative for Maternal Health
Cintas
Daystar School
Erie Neighborhood House
EverThrive Illinois
HealthFitness Corporation / HIP New York
Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
McDonald's
McGraw-Hill Higher Education
re.ad.just Coalition
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Low Back Yogi
The University of Chicago Athletics

Cara began her design career in Chicago at McGraw-Hill, where she spent four years designing higher education textbook covers and interiors. She had also just embarked on her part-time freelance design career, going door-to-door to local businesses on Lincoln Avenue offering any needed design work, and securing her first long-term client. Since then, she has completed design and management on over 100 textbooks, and gained numerous additional clients, as she began to freelance full-time in 2008.

Cara has worked with small and large companies and organizations, creating and managing book designs, websites, branding, logos, brochures, invitations, packaging, and more. She loves to create fresh new designs or renew and reorganize previous designs, with specialized attention every step of the way.

Cara earned a BA in Advertising and a BA in Studio Art with a focus on Graphic Design, both at Michigan State University. She also recently completed a two-year program at the Rhode Island School of Design, earning a Certificate in Residential Interior Design. She works on the design and management of all print, web, and branding at Abide Capital Group, as well as heading all interior and exterior property design decisions for their multi-family housing portfolio. During her time at RISD, and in her private client and commercial work, she has prepared project moodboards, renderings, FF&E, floor plans, and elevations.

Cara is also passionate about giving back and helping when she can. She has been a weekly volunteer and art teacher at local after-school programs, and is proud to donate a portion of cdd profits to several meaningful organizations.