Joe is an empathetic listener, a design-thinker, a world traveler, and a problem solver with creative solutions.
Joe was first introduced to the wonders of the Adobe software suite as an impressionable high school sophomore in a "Computer Graphics" course, and has never really been able to let go of his love for design since that fateful class over 20 years ago. Once he got to college, Joe quickly found his way into the competitive Graphic Design program (after a brief foray into the school's Film program), and other than a temporary detour into the world of banking after graduating in a post-2008 financial crisis world, he has been doing creative work in a variety of capacities ever since.
For the past decade, Joe has worked to inspire creativity in others through his work as an educator. After three years of work working in his alma mater's Advancement office (wearing several hats as a graphic designer, web master, social media specialist, and more), Joe made the transition to the classroom where he quickly introduced new classes for Photography, Graphic Design, and AP Studio Art (none of which had been offered at the school previously). Never one to rest on his laurels, and despite winning two consecutive annual faculty awards, Joe has continued to refine his approach to his work in order to more fully engage his students and to go beyond teaching technical skills, rather focusing on teaching students how to think creatively. A strong advocate for TAB-based education, Joe has discovered that when trained to use it appropriately, granting full autonomy to students over their own work leads to work that is not only more original, but often of a higher quality as well.
It was during his time as a teacher that Joe also took over as the faculty adviser (and manager) of the school's yearbook. Despite already having years of InDesign and publication design experience under his belt, it's really in this role that Joe's mastery of the software and expertise of publication design principles were taken to a new level. Joe has led the brainstorming, theme development, design, and production of every annual yearbook since 2017, and while he loves all types of design work, it may be safe to say that the elaborate puzzle of publication design may be one of his favorites.
Since 2006, Joe has worked with dozens of long-term and short-term freelance clients on a range of illustration work, branding & rebranding projects, collateral materials, publications, web sites, and more. Some of his favorite (and more recent) freelance work is highlighted in the portfolio section of this site. Joe loves to work with new clients and to face new creative challenges... If you're looking for work to be done, please feel free to contact Joe!