Meet Jay McKeever of McKeever Design in DFW

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jay McKeever.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jay. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was always drawing & doodling in my younger years.. copying NBA logos, drawing all the versions of Bugs Bunny with different jerseys on, drawing letters, cars, trucks, etc. After high school, I began going to college not knowing what I wanted to do exactly, just hoping I could do something artistic and still make a good living. A couple of years into college, I found out about graphic design as a career field and upon further investigation, it seemed like a great fit for me although there was no current program at my small school. I transferred to the University of Texas at Arlington and finished my degree in Visual Communication there and I can’t say enough great things about that program and the people in it. I met lifelong friends and received top notch instruction during that time period which was crucial to me getting to where I am now. I did an internship at 360º Wraps during my senior year where they design + install vinyl vehicle wraps.

While working there, we did some work for a local clothing company I thought was cool and reached out to the owner of the company to see about potential employment. That company was a headwear and apparel company called YUMS out of Arlington, TX and I ended up taking my first graphic design job designing hats, apparel and various other graphics for the company. It was a great entry point for me into the design and apparel job market. I got to work directly with New Era hat company designing ‘tech packs’ which are detailed instruction sheets that include customization specifications for every imaginable part of the hat complete with any and all vector artwork needed to manufacture the hat. After working there for a few years, I received an opportunity to take over marketing, design, and eCommerce for Seconds & Surplus Building Materials.

Since then, I have helped S&S build a social media following of almost half a million followers, as well as designing a new eCommerce website using on the Magento platform, putting all of their products online and producing almost $1 million per year in online revenue. I also have been working with Triple D Gear out of Dallas, TX during this time period, again, designing ‘tech packs’ for their headwear and apparel collection as well as various other graphics. I’ve enjoyed working and collaborating with many awesome companies and people over the years including Erykah Badu, Astroworld Fest, Drank University, Bric’s Smokeout, Dallas Mavericks, Global Garment, Trees, Mr. Hit Dat, Hidalgo, Lucky’s Barber Shop, Mitchell & Ness, Que P, Red Bull, Sinful Jewels, Errol Spence Jr., DetailWerkz, Bedelia Gardens and Many More! I look forward to continuing branching out my design skills in 2020, specifically adding shoe customization and hi-resolution direct-to-garment printing to my design toolbox this year. Stay Tuned for more growth of McKeever Design this year, it will be fun to watch unfold for sure!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It definitely has not always been a smooth road. First and foremost, design as a career field is typically a slow, steady climb into the profession for the first couple years as you master the design programs you’ll specifically be using and catch up to the industry as a whole. College was integral for me to master the programs as I am a hands-on learner and would not have been able to grasp photoshop/illustrator all by myself. Once I caught up with the industry as far as using the actual software, I felt much more confident as an artist because I was then able to execute exactly what was in my head. I was limited early on simply because of lack of technical capabilities and just had to find out a learning method that worked for me, which was essentially watching someone else do it and then actually doing it myself on the program right after that.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the McKeever Design story. Tell us more about the business.
McKeever Design primarily specializes in graphic, logo and apparel design. Although one of my mottos is ‘Anything Design, I’ll Make it Happen!’ And I am proud to be a one-stop-shop in almost every case being able to handle any design from planning stage all the way through execution and beyond. I believe my individual style as an artist, turnaround time and relevant experience are the biggest things that set me apart from other designers in my market.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Make Your Own Luck. Seriously. The bigger net you cast, The more luck you’re gonna catch. I’ve done 100 small jobs for everyone big cool job that comes up.

Pricing:

• Logo Design Process is $200

Contact Info:

• Website: www.designbeavers.com
• Phone: (972) 322-8987
• Email: mckeeverdesign@yahoo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mckeeverdesign/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designbeavers/

Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.