Chris Davey.
Design & Creative Leader, Award Winner, Mentor, Tech Geek, Educator, Speaker, Judge, Crafter, Maker, Doer, Dreamer, *Cap Lover.

Hello

I’m a Design and Creative Leader with 20+ years of experience creating award-winning, strategic work that helps brands and services connect with people through the power of design, creativity, experience and innovation.

About

For over the last 20 years, I’ve built teams, agencies, and brands. I was Associate Board Director and Head of Creative at Whitespace, which was acquired by Dentsu Isobar in 2019 and later became Dentsu Creative. There, I became UK Head of Design, building and leading a multi-award-winning design team across London, Manchester, and Edinburgh. I’m always seeking new ways to create crafted, meaningful, and effective outcomes. Never afraid to fail or challenge, I believe the best results come from empowering passionate people to collaborate and create something they can be proud of.

I’ve worked as a designer, interaction and flash designer, digital design director, creative director, agency leader, and founder. As one of 6 partners and Head of Creative at creative agency Whitespace, I contributed to its growth from 26 people when I joined to over 80 to become one of the most respected full-service agencies in Scotland before it became Isobar and then finally Dentsu Creative in 2022.

Visit my Linkedin

Experience

- UK Head of Design, DC - 2024 to Now
- Agency Leader, DC (Edinburgh) - 2023 to 2024
- Head of Creative, DC - 2023 to 2024
- Head of Creative - Isobar - 2020 to 2023
- Director - Daydream Believers - 2018 to Now
- Head of Creative, Whitespace - 2017 to 2020
- Creative Director, Whitespace - 2014 to 2017
- Design Director, Whitespace - 2010 to 2014
- Senior Designer, Whitespace - 2007 to 2010
- Freelance Designer - 2006 to 2007
- Designer, Sketch - 2003 to 2006
- JNR Designer, Engine Creative - 2001 to 2002

Awards

I consider myself lucky to have worked with incredibly talented people throughout my career. Every piece of work I have been involved in is the result of intense collaborative effort. As a design and creative director, I’m credited in close to 100 awards, shortlists and nominations, but it took many others to make that happen through teamwork, grit and passion.

In 2021, I was named a Change Maker and one of the UK’s most influential people working in digital and creativity as part of the BIMA 100 and in 2022, I was ranked 6th in the Top 25 Digital Design Directors for Creative Pool.

x1 D&AD - Wood Pencil
x1 Lisbon Ad Fest - Gold
x1 Lisbon Ad Fest - Bronze
x3 The FWA - SOTD
x1 LIA - Bronze
x1 Creative Pool - Silver
x2 Creative Pool - Bronze
30+ Scottish Design Awards
30+ Scottish Creative Awards
x3 Roses Awards - Gold
x2 Roses Awards - Silver
x3 Roses Awards - Bronze
x8 The NODS Creative Awards
Creative Edinburgh Awards
Awwwards - Commendation
BIMA 10 - Daydream Believers
BIMA 100 - Changemaker Award
Ranked 6th in the Top 25 Digital Design Directors on Creative Pool 2022
hundrED Top 100 K12 Education Innovations - DDB
Global Dimensions Top Resource 2022 - DDB

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The One Show - Shortlist
Kinsale Sharks - Shortlist
DMA Awards - UX - Shortlist
Creative Edinburgh Awards - Leader - Nomination
Many, many, many other shortlists!

Juries

Over the years I have been a judge for The FWA (and still am!), AdForum PHNX Awards, The Lisbon Advertising Festival, BIMA 100, D&AD New Gen Awards, The Scottish Design Awards, The Drum Cream Awards and Marketing Society Awards as well as involvement with Adobe Behance Portfolio Reviews and D&AD New Blood Mixer.

Ongoing - The FWA

2025 - AdForum PHNX
2025 - Scottish Design Awards
2024 - AdForum PHNX
2023 - DMA Awards - AR, VR, Innovation, Technology
2023 - Lisbon AdFest - Design
2023 - D&AD New Gen Awards
2022 - BIMA 100 - Tech Innovation
2023 - AdForum PHNX
2022 - AdForum PHNX
2021 - AdForum PHNX
2021 - dentsu Creative Link Awards
2021 - Lisbon AdFest - Film/Campaign/OOH
2017 - Glasgow Design Festival Scotland (GDFS)
2014 - The Drum Cream Awards - Design
2012 - Marketing Society Star Awards

NextGen

I believe hugely in the next generation of young creative talent and have started and am involved in many initiatives across Scotland and the UK.

I am a founding creative partner and a director for the incredible award winning not for profit Daydream Believers, a programme which is bringing Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Creativity into schools, and was recently awarded as being one of the top 100 K12 Education Innovations in the world by the hundrED.

Learn more about the incredible Daydream Believers initiative at www.daydreambelievers.co.uk