Hi, I'm Gary.

I make things look better, work better, and make more sense.

I’m a graphic designer, creative problem solver, web designer and occasional wrangler of ideas that haven’t quite figured out what they want to be yet.

Good design should look great.
But it should also have a reason for existing.

See My Work
Let's Talk

Selected Work

Enough About Me. Here's the Work.

Logos. Brands. Websites. Advertising. Digital campaigns. Weird problems that needed a creative answer.

Different industries. Different mediums. The goal is usually the same:

Figure out what we’re actually trying to accomplish & then make something that gets us there.

Branding & Identity

Logos, visual identities and brand systems that give businesses a clear, recognizable voice and stronger identity.

Digital & Campaign Design

Advertising, social creative and digital campaigns designed to grab attention and communicate fast.

Web
Design

Websites and landing pages that balance strong design, usability, clear purpose and responsive thinking.

Print & Environmental

Brochures, signage, posters and print materials designed to work just as hard in the real world.

What I Do

Designer Is Probably the Short Answer.

The longer answer is that I tend to live somewhere between designer, creative director, problem solver and builder.

I can take an established brand and keep it consistent across a campaign.

I can also start with a blank page, a vague idea and somebody saying, “I don’t really know what I want, but I’ll know it when I see it.”

I’ve worked in:

  • Brand identity and logo development
  • Advertising and campaign design
  • Web and responsive design
  • Digital and social media creative
  • Photo editing and compositing
  • Print and publication design
  • Marketing and sales materials
  • AI-assisted creative development
  • Creative direction
  • WordPress development

And after doing this for a very long time, I’ve gotten pretty comfortable learning whatever the next thing turns out to be.

How I Think

Start With Why. Then Make It Cool.

One of the most useful questions I’ve learned to ask is:

Why are we making this?

Not What size is it?
Not What color should it be?
Not even What should it look like?

Those questions matter later.

First I want to understand what we’re trying to communicate, who we’re trying to reach and what we want them to do when they see it.

That’s where the good ideas usually start.

I love creative exploration, but I’m equally interested in structure, organization and solving the underlying problem.

Because a beautiful solution to the wrong problem is still the wrong solution.

About Me

I've Been Doing This for a While.

My career started in commercial art and graphic design before eventually pulling me into advertising, digital media and web development.

I spent years designing for Cincinnati radio brands through Infinity Broadcasting, Bonneville International and Hubbard Broadcasting, working across advertising, promotions, web, digital media and creative leadership.

In 2007, I started Creative Ninjas on the side.

Eventually the side project stopped being the side project.

Since 2015, I’ve worked independently with businesses, organizations, municipalities and creative partners on everything from identity systems and websites to advertising campaigns and ongoing creative support.

The technology has changed dramatically since I started.

The part I enjoy hasn’t.

Take a problem. Understand it. Find the idea. Make the idea better.

Check out the resumé

The Toolbox

Design

  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Figma

Web

  • WordPress
  • Elementor
  • HTML/CSS
  • Responsive web design

Creative Technology

  • AI image generation
  • ChatGPT and generative AI workflows
  • Photo compositing and retouching
  • Video and multimedia production

Also Somewhere in the Toolbox

  • CorelDRAW
  • Microsoft 365
  • Google Workspace
  • Project management platforms
  • Podcasting and digital publishing tools

I care far less about collecting software badges than I do about knowing how to get from “we need something” to “that’s exactly what we needed.”

Got Something Interesting?

Maybe you need a designer.

Maybe you need help figuring out what you need before anybody starts designing it.

Maybe you’re building a creative team and think I’d be a good addition.

Or maybe you just have something weird you’d like to make.

I’m interested.

Tell me what you’re working on.

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