Community Highlights: Meet Joshua Jevons of Joshua Jevons Design

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Jevons.

Joshua, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in Rensselaer, N.Y., a small city across the Hudson River from Albany, in a family of eight. As a kid, I loved drawing and when it came time to graduate high school, I knew I wanted to do something creative that involved art. So, I applied to a bunch of colleges for all kinds of different majors that I thought would be creative.

I was lucky enough to get accepted to the Rochester Institute of Technology. After fumbling around for a semester trying to figure out what to do for the rest of my life, my advisor told me about graphic design. I had no clue what that was, but it turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. Luckily, RIT has an amazing design program.

I worked as a design intern in the summer months at a software development company focused on clients ranging from the military and government to private universities. Real cubicle stuff. But I needed experience if I was going to take this seriously, even if I was still in college.

After graduation, I took an unpaid internship in Boston at a design studio called Soldier Design. Although it was unpaid the experience was worth it. Even if it meant having to borrow more money in order to live there while in an insane amount of debt from college. Working on projects for Nike, the NFL, Burton, New Balance, and Warrior was an opportunity to curate my portfolio and set myself up for the future.

Loans started kicking in and I needed to get a job that paid. I found a small advertising agency somewhat close to home in a town called Lenox, MA. It was a 45-minute drive there and back but again it was worth it. It was my first introduction to advertising, and being involved in more conceptual work like concepting TV, art directing photo shoots, and developing big ad campaigns. I worked there for about two years and the connections I made are still useful to this day.

I may have started my professional career close to home. But, like many freedom-loving Americans before me, I decided to make the journey west. I moved to Denver in 2013 for a change of scenery and a new opportunity to work for an agency called Cactus. There I started out as a Jr. Designer and left as a Sr. Designer.

I eventually decided to start my own studio in 2018. I took a chance on my abilities, experience, and network in order to pursue the type of work I enjoy most. I may have bounced around a lot but every move I made got me closer to my goals.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As you can probably tell from my story, no it has not been smooth. It’s a rocky road, but hard work pays off. I know that’s a cliche but it’s true. I think a constant struggle is figuring out how to best improve your current situation and understanding how to get there, even if at first it seems the opportunity is not.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
People often come to me for help at an exciting stage of their business. Maybe they’re launching a brand, a website, or a product into the world. There’s a lot of potential energy there. Being able to extract an abstract thought or idea from someone else’s head and articulate that into a brand identity, package design, or business solution is something that makes me proud.

I’m happy to be able to help them realize their vision and exceed their expectations. In order to do my type of work there has to be an underlying passion for the craft and a genuine concern for the client’s problem. Not a lot of room for ego. I’ve been doing this for over a decade and that’s something I’ve learned.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love the variety Denver has to offer. You can have a great day bouncing around the city or you can take a quick drive and get lost in some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country. Honestly, there’s nothing I don’t like but coming from the East Coast I think Denver could step up its pizza game.

Contact Info:

• Website: jevonsdesign.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuajevons_design/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuajevons/