At Your Service
A Bit About Me
I started in the industry back in 1999. I started off working for a few different full-service ad agencies, then moved on to some specialty web shops. In 2004, I took the plunge and started my own design firm called Elevate where we focused on helping companies go further faster through Brand Communication & User Experience Design.
I've always been passionate about Design. Even as a young kid, I would wake up with my Dad at 5am just to draw. My passion for drawing, art, design only increased throughout my formative years and into college as I discovered Design proper and the principles therein. That passion still wakes me at 5am today.
I believe Design has the power to change the world. Good design, especially design for good, has the power to transform history.
My mantra — Design on Purpose
It's been said...
By Directors
"Jake is one of those rare talents that understands that there is a business purpose behind what we do. His brilliance lies in the effortless way he answers those needs with work that is compelling, great-looking, and effective. I couldn't give a hardier recommendation to anyone."
Gregg Boling
President, GS&F
By Fellow Creatives
"Jake’s creativity and forward thinking amazes me. He is a great collaborator and problem-solver that continually strives to provide the best possible experience in a interactive/web project for both the client and end user."
Brian Marschall
Creative Director, Disney
By Developers
"I'm continuously suprised by Jake's skill and speed at which he can turn an idea into a design. He is a fantastic designer and one of the best that I have ever worked with."
Robert Evans
Architect/Engineer
Skills
I’ve learned a lot throughout my 25+ year career including many intangibles, but here are a few of the tangibles:
Communication
- Verbal Speaking, Pitching, Vision-casting, etc.
- Written Proposals, Briefs, Blogs, Copywriting, etc.
Leadership
- Team Development Talent recognition, Hiring, Mentoring, etc
- Team Leadership Collaboration, Planning, Delegation, Inspiration, etc.
Creative
- Brand Strategy Workshops, Strategy, Personas, Messaging, etc.
- Brand Identity Logo, Color, Typography, Iconography, Guidelines, etc.
- Creative/Design Direction Briefs, Art Direction, Vision-casting
- UX Design IA, personas, workflows, wireframing, etc.
- Web & UI Design Web, mobile, wearables, etc.
- Illustration Freehand, Iconography, Style-agnostic
- Animation For identity, Product mockups, Web or Video
Software & Development
- Layout & Prototyping Adobe CC, Figma
- HTML/CSS
- Comms Apple Suite, Google Suite, Dropbox, Slack, Discord, etc.
Special Skills
- Music Guitar, Bass, Drums, Vox
- Beatbox an 'add on' of the 90s hip hop fluency
- Breakdancing Electric Boogaloo
- Skateboarding Skate or die! 💀
Language
- Spanish Survival, not fluency.
- 90's Hip Hop Fluent
Let's Get Personal
I'm married to an amazing woman. Together, we have five kids, three of which are adopted from Ethiopia. They are ALL ours. We are an active family who loves spending time together doing crossfit, riding horses, working outside on our hobby farm, and watching movies.
I Believe
Just like every piece of design should have purpose behind it, I believe I was created for a purpose. These are principles I seek to live by:
Farmer of Life
I work to establish order that facilitates human flourishing. Through cultivating, nurturing and protecting, I work to set people around me up for growth and success.
Stewardship
I believe that the gifts, abilities, and assets given to me should be stewarded appropriately to serve others. I want to give as much (or more) than I get in this life.
Global Mindset
I have traveled all over the world. While I love the United States, I believe it's easy to get caught up in our own little world and lose sight of the World as a whole. Let's think bigger.