Jessica Jafroodi — Brand Identity Designer
The story
While my peers were excelling in academics, I was filling pages with ink. Drawing was how I made sense of the world — a visual language that came naturally when words didn't. That early obsession with putting marks on paper never left me. It just evolved.
What set me apart early wasn't just the drawing. It was the pull I felt toward technology at the same time. While one hand held a pen, the other was navigating early design software — MS Draw, the first versions of Illustrator and Photoshop — teaching myself the tools that would eventually become my profession. The intersection of hand and screen, instinct and technology, has defined my practice ever since.
My years at the School of Visual Arts were transformative. Being surrounded by genuinely talented peers and taught by designers whose work I admired pushed me in ways I'm still grateful for. SVA gave me something beyond technical skills — it gave me a creative community, a standard to hold myself to, and the confidence to call myself a designer without apology.
"Design isn't what I do. It's how I think."
Eighteen years later that confidence has been tested, refined, and earned across four industries, multiple brands, and three Hermes Creative Awards. I've designed everything from enterprise brand systems to toy catalogs to experiential campaigns — and the thing that has never changed is how I feel when I'm doing the work. Calm. Focused. Completely in my element.
Right now I'm particularly energized by where the discipline is heading. AI is reshaping what's possible in ways that excite rather than intimidate me — because I've always believed that the best designers don't fear new tools, they master them. My 2026 Hermes Gold in AI-Assisted Design is proof of that instinct in action. I'm learning, growing, and genuinely thrilled to be practicing at this particular moment in design history.
If you believe that great design solves real problems, tells honest stories, and gets more interesting the longer you look at it — we probably speak the same language.
Experience
Senior Visual Designer & Creative Lead — Cognizant
End-to-end design across enterprise marketing assets — brand guidelines, e-books, landing pages, event merchandise, booth graphics, and thought leadership materials. Three-time Hermes Creative Award winner across Branded Graphics Suite, Event Marketing, and AI-Assisted Design.
Senior Visual Designer — Alex Brands
Designed signage and booth graphics for international toy fairs. Led end-to-end creative on an 80-page toy catalog. Developed full graphic suite for the Slinky 365 campaign — 365 daily posts celebrating Slinky's 75th anniversary.
Senior Visual Designer & Creative Director — Churchill Living
Owned all digital and print creative across multiple corporate brands, managing internal designers, freelancers, and third-party vendors. Brand touchpoints spanning billboards, email campaigns, web advertising, social media, and print collateral.
Visual Designer — The TSi Company
Designed print and digital training materials for major retail clients. Developed early interactive and digital assets including mobile app UI and interactive video design.
Capabilities
What I bring to a project: