about

Hugh McCormick is a multi-disciplinary graphic designer, creative director, and founder of the Hugh McCormick Design Company. His path into design was never particularly traditional. Growing up in Baltimore, he found his footing outside the systems he was supposed to fit into. Through drawing, playing drums in punk and rock bands, horses, and the outdoors. Those experiences shaped a lasting belief that the most interesting people, ideas, and brands rarely fit neatly into a predetermined mold. After earning his BFA from the Maine College of Art & Design, Hugh established his studio in Portland, Maine, building a reputation for distinctive, deeply considered work across branding, packaging, apparel, murals, and spatial design. In 2022, he relocated west to Colorado, reconnecting with horses, ranching, open country, and a culture that continues to influence both his work and perspective.

Today, HMDC works with brands across the country and internationally, combining strategy, storytelling, creative instinct, and disciplined execution to build identities that feel authentic, cohesive, and built to last. With more than 100 awards and national recognition, Hugh’s work is grounded in a simple idea: the best brands aren’t manufactured, they’re uncovered. HMDC exists to find what is genuinely interesting about a company, strip away the noise, and tell that story with clarity and conviction. Because nothing is more forgettable than a boring story told too long, and a genuine story, told well, is bulletproof.

Press

Awards

Testimonials

Hugh is fiercely talented. I’m able to give guidelines on what I am looking for and he hits it right on the head. It’s an incredible thing to be able to do that—tell someone what you’re looking for and have them get it so completely. Working with Hugh has made my brand cohesive, from the way the barbers look to the logo to the sign to the business cards to the feel of the shop. He has pulled all of the pieces together and made it uniform and comprehensive. He’s also larger than life, and has great passion for what he does. There is incredible value in what Hugh brings to the table.

- Ed Beckett // Owner // Main Street Barber Shop

Working with HMDC was an experience to be certain. I feel like our overall project was relatively small (I wanted to work with him to create a secondary sub-brand for Bissell Brothers' second location in Milo) and I wanted to come up with a way to stylishly showcase the town's namesake 3 rivers in the design. Hugh totally immersed himself in the project, live-proofing numerous concepts and versions, making it super easy for me to find the right direction for the company. Hugh is a digital design professional, meaning that work moves fast and you can see each step of the process- he handles files extremely well and is very responsive to email and text. We also worked with Hugh on-site to paint several instances of his design; he brings immense energy and enthusiasm to everything he's a part of, and our experience was no different. I was honored that we were chosen to be part of his web series.I recommend HMDC for anyone seeking in-depth design services with a very enthusiastic professional.

- Peter Jensen Bissell // Owner // Bissell Brothers // Highroller Lobster Company

Hugh's design is very much like his personality, fun, energetic, innovative and spontaneous. Being able to create a brand that not only speaks to your product but also the personalities of the people behind it pushes the identity to a personal and character driven level. Also, I want to work with people I like and who are as excited about my brand as I am, that's Hugh in a nutshell.

- Nicole Wolf // Photographer

I knew that getting branding right is extremely important, and that’s why we chose to work with Hugh. He is focused on making things look good, and creating cohesion across every design element. Working with Hugh was super easy; we are very satisfied. I gave him some general guidelines around what we wanted, and he ran with it. People have responded overwhelmingly to the brand he’s developed. It was an easy process, the product is great, and I’d 100% work with him again.

- Nikki Carr Flannery / Owner // Hippie Cow Beef // CF Cattle Co

If you’re building a brand, the bullet points are the bricks. That’s the easy part. Your story—the part that moves people—is the mortar. Hugh understands that inspiration comes from your story, and you find a story by connecting and by listening. Hugh understands all of this. It is his superpower. Hugh starts your project as a fan. He connects with you, your company and your work on a human level. He connects with your story. He gets inspired and figure out how to bring that inspiration to other people.

-Barry Privett // Lead Singer/Manager // Carbon Leaf (band)

Hugh’s design talents are amazing. He can develop a look and brand from scratch based on your personality and input even if you are not yourself creative. With very little direction from us he knocked it out of the park. It is exactly what we were looking for without our knowing it. Creating a brand is a pretty tall order. It’s how people connect with you and your company. What Hugh has created captures the sense of place and our company’s culture. We are grateful.

- Jason Gass // Co-Founder/Owner // Yaya Brewing Company

Hugh was great. He is very warm and excited to come up ideas with you. Our ideas were not structured, which can be frustrated, and Hugh thought that was a fun challenge. We hear it all the time, but people love everything Hugh designed for us. He is a lovely person, fun to be around, and wonderful to work with.

- Jenna Friedman // Co-owner // Baharat

Having a strong, well-realized brand is important. I felt I needed something that would stand out. Working with Hugh, we talked about the company, the business, and how my product and business has played into my own life and he incorporated all of that. He nailed who and what we are. Hugh is very talented.

- Michael Barris // Owner // B’s Tree’s Cannabis

FAQ

branding Pricing // Timeframe

Basic Logo

Standard Branding

Comprehensive Brand Identity

Comprehensive Brand Identity with Starter Collateral

*please Inquire for specific Apparel, Signage, Packaging and other individual project services*

Individual project prices are structured on an individual basis to ensure client investment is best suited to deliverables

Current & Past hmdc clients:

Wolverine Worldwide

Portland Hearts of Pine

lululemon

Canopy by Hilton

Ranchlands

Silver Spur Ranch

Crossbow

Dale Brisby’s Rodeo Time

Justin Great

LEO33

Unsaddled Western Goods

Donny Pelletier

Carbondale Wild West Rodeo

Spurrin’ S Horses

Bissell Brothers Brewing

the Portland Zoo

Atlantic Hospitality

Maine Street Barber Shop

Broad Arrow Farms

Gulf Coast Adventures

5 Point Adventure Film Fest

Cold Spring Ranch

Cliff’s Barber Shop

Dark Harbor Tattoo Shop

Hurst & Co. Tattoo

Batson River Brewing & Distilling

Carbon Leaf

Leon Majcen

Gilbert’s Coffee Bar

Knack Factory

Los Hermanos Ranch

Shipyard Brewing Co

The Thirsty Pig

Wilson County BBQ

Youngs Furniture

Fenwick Furnishings

Northern Heritage Builders

Maine Craft Distilling

Liquid Riot Bottle Co

Gervais & Co Barbershop

Fish & Bone

Cafe Louis

Battery Steel Brewing

Back Bay Grill

Aquaholics Surf Shop

HA! Skateboards

Maine Surfers Union

Austin Street Brewing

Chewonki

Eighty 8 Donuts

Fire on Fore

George & Leon’s Roast Beef

Hallett Canvas & Sails

Kohani Creek Ranch

Unbranded Real Estate

Portland Art Gallery

Western Dove Leatherhaus

Riptide Print Co.

American West Spirit Co.

Ciardullo Cattle Co

Dale Lyman Ranch

BoomFlop Outfitters

Aspen Motor Racing

Matthew Wayne

Motion Bazaar

Moonshot

From the Farm

Tarleton Events

Ugly Ducking Cafe

Archie’s Candlepin Bowling

Clubhouse STL

Kennedy Park FC

Fine Balance Brewing Co

Mami Japanese Street Food

Rudy’s Diesel

Send It Official

SUNY Albany

YAYA Brewing Co

Hawkeye Springs Ranch