We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Davis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, what do you attribute your success to?
The success of my freelance graphic design business, Rockfish Design Studio, is largely based on one important factor – I like working with clients who are GOOD people. I’ve always believed that being a good, genuine human being goes a long way. This can be applied in many different aspects of life, especially in a work setting.

Throughout my years of freelance design as well as full-time corporate positions and internships I have worked with a range of clients and industries including start-ups, medical clinics, beauty/skincare brands, banks, restaurants, environmental organizations, universities, small businesses, big-name companies and many more. Though it is a broad range of industries, the overarching commonality of all my clients is they are GOOD people. The lesson: work with the people, clients, companies that make you happy and proud to be associated with them, and in turn, success will come naturally.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I specialize in logo creation for small businesses as well as marketing collateral design for companies of all sizes. Some of my typical projects include business cards, pitch decks, guidebooks, brochures, menus, banners, online ads, apparel design, etc. My favorite projects to work on are logo redesigns – it is so rewarding to take an already-successful company and see how a branding refresh can bring new life to the business, their clients and overall brand.

My style tends to be bold, dynamic and colorful with some aspect of hidden meaning or interpretation, especially within logo designs. I’ve always worked with the motto of finding beauty in the ordinary and simplicity in the chaos. I enjoy getting to know my clients – understanding not only the basics of what their business sells/does, but also getting to them as people and WHY they started the business can add so much value and insight to the back story of a logo design. My end goal of any project is for the client to be 100% satisfied with my work.

My vast range of clientele and industry experience is something that I believe sets me apart from other freelance designers. I took knowledge and experience from five years as a corporate designer in the marketing industry and have been applying it to my freelance business. Also, prior to starting my own business, I had been working remotely for three years in my full-time design position, so I had already been perfecting the skill set necessary to communicate professionally with clients in today’s virtual-first world.


Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Short Answer: Moniker Coffee, Pigment & Liberty Station Public Market

Long Answer: biking on the Silver Strand, walk on Coronado Beach, happy hour at Ketch, Little Italy Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning, Moniker or Better Buzz for coffee, Torrey Pines Nature Reserve or Ho Chi Minh trail for a hike, Moo Time Coronado for ice cream, Cabrillo for the best views, Sunset Cliffs for the best sunset.

Longer Answer: Why are you just visiting? Just move here. It’s beyond worth it.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
One organization who deserves credit in my success story is the Graphic Design program at Iowa State University. Being in a highly competitive and prestigious program definitely helped set a high standard for my work ethic and design skills.

I think my clients over the past few years also really deserve recognition for believing in me and trusting me to bring their ideas and brands to life. I have had the best experiences with clients so far and hope to continue that trend as I take on more clients.

Website: https://rockfishdesignstudio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockfishdesignstudio/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisalynndavis/

Image Credits
Headshot Photo: Christina Ney Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.