We propose a new approach to quasi-phasematching (QPM) design based on convex optimization. We show that with this approach, globally optimum solutions to several important QPM design problems can be determined. The optimization framework is highly versatile, enabling the user to trade-off different objectives and constraints according to the particular application. The convex problems presented consist of simple objective and constraint functions involving a few thousand variables, and can therefore be solved quite straightforwardly. We consider three examples: (1) synthesis of a target pulse profile via difference frequency generation (DFG) from two ultrashort input pulses, (2) the design of a custom DFG transfer function, and (3) a new approach enabling the suppression of spectral gain narrowing in chirped-QPM-based optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA). These examples illustrate the power and versatility of convex optimization in the context of QPM devices.