John J. Custer’s “Website”

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John J. Custer is a Texas-born, New York City-raised, Austin-based graphic designer, illustrator, art director, creative director, and educator—despite having failed art history twice at the University of North Texas.

With over 15 years of experience, a decade of that time spent in the concrete jungle of New York City, Custer has defined a collaborative process to create, direct, and manage design for independent clients and studio, agency, and in-house teams including Apple, The Atlantic, The Baffler, Collins, Dress Code, Google, Jones Knowles Ritchie (JKR), The New York Times, Media Arts Lab, Nike, Pushkin Industries, Turner Duckworth, and Wieden+Kennedy.

As a devoted creative Swiss Army knife, he focuses on crafting conceptually conscious brand identities, art direction, [editorial] illustrations, print design, large-scale murals, and creative solutions across both familiar and unfamiliar mediums and industries—when he is not daydreaming.

Previously, he served as an adjunct professor at the School of Visual Arts teaching 3rd-year BFA Design, in collaboration with Gail Anderson, and as a contributing writer for UnderConsideration’s Brand New. As an alumnus of John Bielenberg’s social design education program, Project M, he has been honored to share his thoughts as a keynote speaker, guest lecturer, and juror for various creative institutions—winning a few awards along the way himself.

Currently, Custer is accepting new independent clients and contractual freelance projects, in addition to seeking out a full-time director/lead role to develop, guide, and foster a team and considered work for an organization that simply gives a damn.

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Things I do professionally:

✅ Brand Identity
✅ Illustration & Editorial Illustration
✅ Creative & Art Direction
✅ Graphic & Print Design
✅ Apparel & Collateral Design
✅ Podcast Branding
✅ Book & Editorial Design
✅ Packaging Design
✅ Wayfinding & Signage
✅ Digital Design & Development
✅ Motion Graphics & Storyboarding
✅ Team Management
✅ Creative Consulting
✅ Strategy & Naming
✅ Creative Networking
✅ Career Mentorship & Coaching
✅ Remain Curious

Things I dream about doing professionally:

💭 Illustrating a USPS stamp
💭 Working with a watch brand
💭 Developing physical products
💭 Branding a cocktail bar & space
💭 An interior design project
💭 Designing a tabletop book
💭 Working with a fashion brand
💭 Creating a race car’s livery
💭 Branding an art museum/gallery
💭 Collaborating with BMW and/or Porsche
💭 Building a brewery’s brand & space
💭 Directing a film/tv series brand & titles
💭 Fostering a plant store’s identity
💭 Developing a thoughtful cannabis brand
💭 Partnering with an architectural firm

Things I don’t do professionally:

🚫 Cat person
🚫 Craft cocktails
🚫 Play soccer (Go Fuego FC!)
🚫 Automotive photography
🚫 Indoor bouldering
🚫 Long distance running [from my problems]
🚫 Build and collect Lego cars
🚫 Take naps

Résumé:

🤠 John J. Custer
Independent Creative
2011 – Present

🍎 Apple
Senior Art Director; Corporate Identity
2025

☁️ Google
Art Director; Cloud
2023

💅 Buzzfeed News
Art Director
2022

🌊 The Atlantic
Art Director; Digital
2022

🍏 TBWA\Media Arts Lab
Design Lead
2021 – 2022

🔊 Pushkin Industries
Creative Director
2018 – 2021

🍎 Apple
Art Director; Podcast
2021

🟩 Franklyn
Design Lead
2020

🗞️ The New York Times
Art Director; Opinion
2017 – 2020

🦆 Turner Duckworth
Design Lead
2017

👨‍🏫 School of Visual Arts
Adjunct Professor
2012 – 2015

📝 Brand New & Quipsologies
Writer & Contributor
2012 – 2014

♠️ Dress Code
Art Director/Senior Designer
2013 – 2015

🔬 Google Creative Lab
Senior Designer
2013

✏️ Oliver Munday Group (OMG)
Illustrator & Designer
2013

📐 Collins
Designer
2011 – 2012

📺 Wieden+Kenndy
Designer
2010 – 2011

⛤ Pentagram
Intern; Michael Bierut
2010

🚜 Tractorbeam
Designer
2009 – 2010

🏃‍➡️ Nike
Brand Design Intern
2009

Ⓜ️ Project M
Participant; Designer
2008

🦅 University of North Texas
Undergrad
2005 – 2009

Independent Clients:

· Adobe
· AARP Magazine
· Buzzfeed News
· Coca-Cola
· Columbia Magazine
· D Magazine
· Facebook
· Google
· Grand Central Publishing
· Harrison Metal
· Institutional Investor
· Intercom
· J.P. Morgan
· KIPP
· Lunchbox
· Marz Brewing
· Morning Brew
· Nickelodeon
· Nike
· Office of Tangible Space
· Prophet
· Pushkin Industries
· Port Authority of NY & NJ
· Sidewalk Labs
· Sid Lee
· Siegel+Gale
· Sony
· The Atlantic
· The Baffler
· The Chronicles of Higher Education
· The New York Times
· TIME Magazine
· Quicken Loans
· Village Voice
· Wall Street Journal
· You!?

Studio, Agency, & In-House Clients:

· Apple
· Buzzfeed News (art director)
· Collins
· Dress Code
· DIA
· Franklyn
· Fahrenheit 212 (aquired by Frog Design)
· Good Friends
· Google
· Google Creative Lab
· Grand Army
· Jones Knowles Ritchie (JKR)
· Interbrand
· Oliver Munday
· Pentagram
· Selman Design
· Small Stuff
· The Atlantic (art director)
· TBWA\Media Arts Lab
· The New York Times (art director)
· Tractorbeam
· Turner Duckworth
· Upperquad
· Wieden+Kennedy

Teachings, Speakings, Writings, Awards, & Communities:

School of Visual Arts
👨‍🏫 Adjunct Professor

University of Texas (Department of Design)
👨‍🏫 Guest Lecturer

The New School (Parsons School of Design)
👨‍🏫 Guest Lecturer

Pratt Institute
👨‍🏫 Guest Lecturer

Clinton Foundation Design Conference
🗣️ Keynote Speaker

DSVC Student Conference
🗣️ Keynote Speaker

Society of Illustrators: Illustrators Annual
👨‍⚖️ Juror

Society of Illustrators: Student Annual
👨‍⚖️ Juror

Brand New & Quipsologies
📝 Contributing Writer

Print Magazine
📝 Featured Writer

The New York Times
🏅 The Year in Illustration

American Illustrator Annual
🏅 Selected Illustrations

Society of Illustrators Annual
🏅 Selected Illustrations

HOW Magazine Annual
🏅 Logo Design

Print Magazine Annual
🏅 Logo Design

Makers Club NYC
Ⓜ️ Organizer of a New York City-based creative/social networking group

SAD (South Austin Designers)
🙁 Co-founder & Organizer of an Austin-based creative/social networking group that is not solely dedicated to South Austin, or designers. It’s simply where co-founder Zaine Vaun and I found ourselves when we named the silly thing. Everyone is welcome!—even northerners...

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