Jackson Kruse is a visual designer from Los Angeles with growing expertise in brand identity, art direction, and information design.

He studies journalism and sociology at Northwestern University with a research focus on the impact of visual design on social realities.

Info, Resumé






info@jacksonkruse.com, © JK 2024

Referral to oneself in the third-person is reserved for the masthead.



My name is Jackson. That’s me dressed as The Trunchbull from Matilda.

I am a largely self-taught visual designer who values the power of a well researched, well reasoned brand identity to transform an organization.

With in-house internship experience at organizations numbering between 15 and 60,000 employees, I know what it takes to build and maintain brand infrastructures at different stages.

I combine a growing expertise in art direction and custom typography with academic research in aesthetics. I’ve written about Helvetica as an infrastructure, Corporate Memphis and Sianne Ngai’s gimmick, and the collective memory of Native American sports imagery.

When I’m not designing, I can be found setting a few too many off-ball screens at pick-up basketball runs, drawing maps for places both real and fake, and insisting that Helvetica is just one evil maneuver away from taking over the world.





















Where I’ve Worked

Freelance Visual Designer (pres.)
brand identity, art direction, and typography for small businesses and startups

Brand Design Resident @ TaxStatus (pres.)
brand infrastructure — color, type, all-new icon library — for fintech startup

Design Specialist Intern @ Aon (2024)
digital and print design for pursuit presentations in financial industry

Contract Designer w/ MSCHF (2023)
original copy for Million Dollar Puzzle social campaign

Brand Design Intern @ LA28 (2023)
environmental and digital design; “look of the games” planning

Graphic Design Intern @ Marquee Sports Network (2022)
television graphics and studio assets for TV home of the Cubs


Where I’ve Gone to School

Northwestern University
B.S. Journalism & Sociology

Enrichment
Graphic Design History @ The Parsons School (2022)
Graphic Design @ Otis College (2020)


What I’ve Got on My Mind

In the Basque region of Spain, a misinterpreted Roman gravestone led to an entire genre of odd serif typefaces that are used to amplify nationalist political messaging.

Specifically in Southern California, racial minority groups have developed a cultural aesthetic based in part around blackletter/gothic letterforms. What were the processes that led to their adoption from traditional Western institutions, and how does the same form enable distinct interpretations?

The scorigami section of my dynasty fantasy football league’s spreadsheet is going to be so well populated in 25 years.