Ion Design is a multi-disciplinary communications firm, serving a wide range of clients including educational institutions, government, technology, tourism, film, entertainment and hospitality. Ion has earned numerous design awards in all categories from print to interactive media including Lotus, Graphex and numerous international citations. Articles and features on the company have appeared in Communication Arts, Print, How Magazine, Applied Arts, Step-by-Step, Studio, Business in Vancouver, Design Edge and other international print and online publications.

In 1994, David and partner Rod Roodenburg were named among the “Top 40 Under 40” business people in Vancouver by Business in Vancouver. In 1996, David was named to the Applied Arts Magazine editorial board, and served in that capacity until 2000. David also judged the National Post Annual Report Awards three years running. In 2000 Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design presented David with an Emily Award – its highest honour – for lifetime career achievement. In 2001 David was named to the sessional faculty of Emily Carr.

Believing in giving back to community, David has been involved in the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada (GDC) since 1991. He served as president of the BC Chapter for two terms from 1993-1996. At the end of his second term as president, the Chapter administration had been put back in order, and it was well in the black. During his term, he was instrumental in lobbying the Worker’s Compensation Board to lower it’s rate for graphic designers – collectively saving British Columbia graphic designers hundreds of thousands of dollars. He wrote and received a grant for the first GDC web site in 1995, and implemented the GDC listserv in 1997. The BC web site grew to be the National site in 1997, and was redeveloped in 2000 by his firm and their content management software “Smallbox” to be a true intranet – effectively changing the way the GDC does business forever. David was a member of the GDC National Council for eleven years. Over his tenure on the National he participated in the formation of a National Secretariat. David became National President in 1998-2000, and after his tenure the GDC awarded David fellowship in the Society for his contribution to Canadian design – it’s highest honour. David continues to support the GDC through his capacity as National Website Committee Chair.

Along with being managing partner in Ion, David is also one of four partners in Smallbox Software – an independently incorporated software company that was spawned from Ion in 2005. Smallbox produces revolutionary website content management software.