Making McGarrah Jessee: A True Collaboration Between Two Creative Teams 

How we built a new digital home for an Austin agency that’s not like the rest.

Austin-based advertising agency McGarrah Jessee puts people first — as they say, they “speak people.” We’d like to add that more specifically, they speak designer as well — a fact we knew going into our creative partnership, but that became clearer at every step of the process.

“McJ as an agency is very genuine, with no arrogance at all,” says Funkhaus Design Principal Dave Funkhouser. “If you're a brand that wants creative that has personality and feels relatable, you go to them. “As a longstanding partner to the creative world of Los Angeles, we’ve also learned the value of leaving ego at the door — that gives us the freedom to be a mirror back to our clients, reflecting their expertise and their ideas through the lens of our creative discipline.” With a shared set of values baked into our approach, the two of us partnered to create a new website that would relaunch McJ’s brand. 

As a larger agency rooted in brand-building, McJ was looking for a partner who could seamlessly align with their creative process. “They wanted to collaborate with a team that’s fully immersed in digital—who live and breathe it every day,” says Funkhaus Managing Partner Nick Dies. “That kind of trust lets us take their craft, intuit their vision, and thoughtfully translate it into a digital environment. At Funkhaus, we’ve always positioned ourselves as the creative’s creative, and the work that’s come from those collaborations has pushed us in the best ways. This project was no exception.”

“From day one, we saw Funkhaus bring their expertise and experience to this project, in a way that was respectful of what we were envisioning,” says Marketing Director Stephen Boidock. “Their design tastes are exceptional, leaning away from trendy — which risks feeling stale very quickly — and more towards timelessly modern. And to top things off, they’re also just really solid human beings.”  

Stephen Boidock, McGarrah Jessee Marketing Director

This project had one important stipulation: the humanity of their work had to be at the forefront of their digital presence.

The Funkhaus team flew from our home base in Los Angeles to Austin, Texas to get things started, sitting together in the room for a thorough discovery process that’s always better to do in the flesh. Together, the McJ team took us through their brand book, explaining their thinking and inspiration behind their choices and walking us through their creative musings. “We were on a level playing ground as designers,” says Dave. “We all came to the table with a true place of humility and curiosity, and made sure to ask a lot of questions — they were our best asset after all.”

Visiting the McJ team in Austin gave us a chance to connect personally and absorb inspiration from their vibrant space — particularly their extensive vinyl collection. This experience shaped key site elements, like The Mystery Box, a playful take on a news page that evolved through open collaboration. Working with another design team meant that our exchange of ideas went deep and was always purposeful. As Dave notes, “Each choice needs to have intention, and you have to sell them on the thinking behind it.” By battle testing and refining our designs based on those trials, we ensured the final product was thoughtfully executed and retained plenty of personality.

“They knew we were really working hard and listening to them, and that created a forum where we could give clear and honest feedback that helped us hone in on our shared vision,” says Dave. “We're both just two teams coming together to make the coolest thing we can, so critique only makes the final site — and our team — stronger in the end.”

David Funkhouser, Design Principal Funkhaus

“On a project that takes as long as a site redesign, you better hope you get along with the people you’re in the trenches with,” says Stephen. “In spite of meeting-filled days, we always looked forward to hopping on calls with Funkhaus and seeing their infectious energy and positivity.”

Stephen Boidock, McGarrah Jessee Marketing Director