Design Axl collaborates with partners across venture capital, tech, real estate, healthcare, and the arts—embedding with founders, engineers, and marketers to create brand experiences that are distinctive, expressive, and built to resonate.
We begin by going deep. We uncover what drives your mission, what moves your audience, and what sets you apart. That insight fuels everything we design, whether it’s a digital platform, a visual identity, or a story brought to life through motion and design.
Rooted in craft and driven by curiosity, we obsess over the details and push ideas forward. We bring a sharp creative eye and strategic clarity to every phase. This is design with direction: imaginative, intentional, and built to make an impact.
Have a project in mind? Let’s talk.
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Leadership
Design Axl is led by James Grady, a Boston-based designer with over two decades of experience across disciplines and industries. James brings hands-on creative direction to every project, guiding clients from strategy through execution with clarity, precision, and purpose.
In addition to running Design Axl, James is an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Boston University, where he has taught undergraduate and graduate students since 2017. He also teaches Product Innovation through the Duan Family Spark! Initiative within BU’s Center for Computing & Data Sciences, and is a passionate advocate for interdisciplinary collaboration across design, technology, and the arts.
James’s client work and teaching continually inform one another, blending real-world impact with academic exploration.
See his teaching and research site here.
Design Team
Design Axl collaborates with a close-knit team of talented designers, many of whom are former students of James’ from Boston University. Their creativity, dedication, and deep understanding of our process are essential to the work we do. This model allows us to scale quickly when needed while remaining small, focused, and nimble enough to adapt to the scope of any project.
Partners
At Design Axl, we assemble the right team for each project, whether that means one focused expert or a full crew of creative collaborators. We work with a trusted network of partners including brand strategists, data scientists, developers, photographers, and videographers to bring your vision to life.
Every partner is selected with care to match your goals, timeline, and budget. This flexible model allows us to scale up or down as needed, ensuring you get exactly what the work requires — no more, no less.
FAQ
Q: Where did the name Design Axl come from?
A: It’s a mix of personal and conceptual. Axel is the name of both my beloved grandfather and my young nephew, and I’ve always loved how it also nods to the idea of an axle—something that helps get things rolling. To avoid the Axel/Axle confusion, I dropped the “e” and landed on Axl. It felt simple, distinctive, and just right.
Have a project in mind or a question of your own?
Send an email or keep in touch through the links below. We look forward to hearing from you!
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