Today we’d like to introduce you to John Craig
Hi John, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was always a creative child.. Drawing, making music, photography, videography, etc. I started to find a passion for graphic design when I was 15 years old. My brother showed me a free version of Photoshop and I loved it. I began volunteering at my church, making slides and print work. I also began making merch for local bands, album art, and gig posters.
My professional career began at 17 years old, working full time at my local church. I had recently transferred to an all-online high school, which allowed me to work daytime hours and fit school into the evenings and downtime. After completing high school, I signed up for design school, but I pulled the plug before it got started. Something about it did not feel right, so I wasn’t going to waste the money. God had given me the right opportunities and connections thus far, and I was determined to explore that – no degree.
Working at the church allowed me to discover who I was as a designer and as a person. I worked on marketing ads, sermon slides, branding, print collateral, social media, photo/video, you name it. If you work at a church, you most likely cover multiple roles. I worked as a full time staff-member for around 8 years.
I also worked at a print shop for a year – doing design work, layout, and print production – as well as independent contracting for a local design agency which includes brand design, print, ui/ux, etc.
I began to build my own clientele and specialize in branding and website design. I have had the opportunity to work on brand’s around the country – building full design packages and interactive websites. I have also had the opportunity to work heavily in the local coffee community.
My whole career has been a growing journey. I started completely self-taught. In fact, I wasn’t even an adult yet. I began to grow through online courses, reading, inspiring designers, and field experience. Now 13 years into the design industry, I continue to grow everyday. I am thankful to God for providing me with the skillset, opportunities, and work ethic to survive as a self-employed individual.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The journey is difficult, no doubt. You have to learn to grow and adapt. You have to grow your skillset, pricing, and offerings to adapt to the market.
I have had wonderful working scenarios as well as some bad ones. Keep moving!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am thrilled to offer branding and design to clients worldwide, right from my small hometown of Youngstown, Ohio. I specialize in branding + identity packages. This can include mood boarding, logo design(s), typeface curation, custom color palette, branding guidelines, animations, and more.
My style tends to steer more towards editorial and minimalist typography focused designs.
I have recently been producing custom websites for select clients via Figma (design) and Squarespace (dev + host) by utilizing custom css coding.
I am proud to have primarily worked with other creatives on their branding (photographers, videographers, etc). These individuals know what it’s like to be self employed in a creative field, and often give me freedom to design and suggest what I feel is best. I am humbled that people see my work and design style and want that for their business.
Pricing:
- Branding Packages starting at $1,800.
- Web Design + Development starting at $2,150.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://johncraigdesign.com
- Instagram: @johncraigdesign
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/johncraigdesign
