In a world of shortcuts... demand excellence!
With nearly two decades of design and art direction experience, I’ve been creating meaningful design for meaningful brands of all shapes and sizes within agency, freelance, and in-house capacities over the course of my career.
Yep... that basically means at face value, people pay me to make things look pretty... but then hopefully realize that there are years of expertise, knowledge and purpose packed into their brand which paves the way to strong and cohesive visual communication that helps them be successful.
I’m currently the Lead Designer at a fantastic agency in NY called Rabe x Birch, and this is where I spend my days. TGIM, aka Thank God It’s Monday, is my portfolio of work and the name I design under independently.
Design to me is about communication, problem-solving and strategy just as much as it's about being creative and making something look good. It needs a concept behind it in order to accomplish a specific goal. For that reason, I believe in "creativity with purpose," where I constantly strive to find the balance between design and strategy. I enjoy creating meaningful design for meaningful brands of all shapes and sizes; whether it's helping build a small startup or adding additional value to a larger, well-established brand.
Video clip courtesy of Fraternale Films
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SELECT BRANDS*
I'VE WORKED WITH:
* agency / inhouse / independent
Food + Bev
Breza Birch Water
Brodo Bone Broth
Herbal Mist Teas
Hudson River Fruit
Inca Gold Chocolate
Lagusta's Luscious
LL Energy
Omni Bev Coffee
Pepsico (Pepsi / Dew)
Ready Coffee
Saratoga Spring Water
Saveur
Well Up Water Co
Beer / Wine / Spirit
Anheuser-Busch
Aperitivo & Co
Beam Suntory
Benmarl Winery
Cappelletti
Concrete & Clay Wines
Courvoisier
The Craft & Co
Dainton Brewery
Gypsy Hub
Industrial Arts Brewing
Mill House Brewing
Yarra Brewing Co
Yonkers Brewing Co
Cannabis
Forbidden Fruit
Healthy Market
Hudson River Hemp
Hybrid Tonic
Soft Power Sweets
Community
Goshen Church
Hope Church of Lincoln Park
Hope Church of Wilton
Walnut Hill Church
Product / Service
Dicks Cottons
GoPro
Grenade Gloves
M&T Bank
Maton Guitars
Nike 6.0
Original Skateboards
Puma
Rocket Film
ShadesClub
Sonance
Dining + Hospitality
Baxter
Fit Social Studio
Heritage Food + Drink
Hudson West
Kitchen & Coffee
Lagrange Farms at Overlook
Mill House Brewing Co
Red Robin
Retail + CPG
Allstar Innovations
Bed Bath & Beyond
Beekman 1802
Buy Buy Baby
Cabin Creek Supply
Chef Central
Dansk
Macy's
The Sharper Image
Tommy Hilfiger
TJX Companies
Ugg
Recreation
Blue Mountain
Camelback Mountain
Kittatinny Valley State Park
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NOTABLE PRESS, PUBLICATIONS
& AWARDS
Digital Press
The Dieline
World Brand Design Society
Hudson Valley Magazine
Packaging of the World
Wix's Inspiring Websites
Cotton Bureau
Teepublic: Editor's Pick
Lovely Package
Froth Magazine
Print Publications & Books
GDUSA
HOW Design
Branders Magazine
Retro Graphics by SendPoints
Awards
Craft Beer Marketing Awards (3)
HOW Design Awards (5)
GDUSA Awards (11)
American Graphic Design Awards
American Package Design Awards
Health & Wellness Design Award
Cannabis Graphics Industry Award
Communicator Award
Hermes Creative Awards (24)
Marcom Awards (13)
IDA Design Award
Wix Stunning Web Award
Pepsico "Regional Dew" Award
Favourite Design Awards (3)
Design & Design Awards (2)
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TALKS & TYPES: SPEAKING & WRITING
2024
GDUSA Magazine
June Issue- 61th Print Design Survey;
Commentary in: "Is Print Important in Your Professional Life?"
2024
SUNY New Paltz Design Week:
"Slide Slam" speaker
2024
Craft Beer Marketing Awards
2024
AIGA UPSTNY's Emerging Designers’ Portfolio Review
2023
GDUSA Magazine
June Issue: 60th Print Design Survey;
Commentary in: "Is Print Important in Your Professional Life?"
2021
GDUSA Magazine
June Issue- 58th Print Design Survey;
Commentary in: "Designers Debate the State of Post-Pandemic Print"
2019
The Quickie Podcast for Designers
2019
Branders Magazine
Issue #12 Article: "Creativity + Strategy in Packaging: A Perfect Pair"
2015/2016
The Pursuit Collective Magazine
"Brand Design Reviews" &
"Monthly Spread" Articles
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WHERE I'VE BEEN
Thank God It's Monday
Principal Designer; 2008 - present
RabexBirch
Lead Designer; 2019 - present
FAI Design Group
Designer; 2015 - 2018
Safari Sundays
Freelance Designer; 2015
Original Skateboards
Art Director; 2013 - 2015
H2M Beverages
Senior Designer; 2010 - 2013
TSAS
Designer; 2009 - 2010
Straus
Designer; 2008 - 2009
Agency Partners
Dada Design Studio
FAI Design Group
Pr%f Agency
Pepsico Design & Innovation
RabexBirch
Red Tettemer + Partners
Safari Sundays
Skies Fall Media
Volum8
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WHAT I DO
Branding + Design
Visual identity
Logo development
Brand guidelines
Packaging
Web & digital
Product graphics
Illustration
Brand Strategy
Discovery
Naming
Positioning
Architecture
Rebranding
Art Direction
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WHAT I'VE HEARD
"Craig is a talented packaging designer. Whether an assignment is simple or more complex, Craig provides innovative solutions and high-end comps to ensure tight presentations. I recommend working with him."
- BETH POSITANO- JIM BEAM BRANDS
"Investing in quality graphics is as good as any marketing campaign or sponsored athlete. There is a trove of creative (received) that I am very pleased with. Craig has been the first source I have been able to get A++ work from, so I'm grateful."
- THOM GRIDLEY- PUMA
"Craig is the man! He is imaginative, concise, professional and extremely easy to work with. We are extremely pleased to continue the partnership into the future."
- DAN DAINTON- DAINTON BREWERY
"WOW! What a pleasure it has been to work 1-on-1 with Craig at TGIM! Our idea went from vision to concept in such a short timeframe due to his attention to clear communication and planning. He certainly exceeded our expectations, and provided a number of high quality concepts for our new fitness studio. Brand recognition is so important to our business, and Craig certainly delivered more than we could have hoped for!"
- STEVE FARRIS- FIT SOCIAL STUDIO
“Craig was able to make our vision a reality. He listened closely, creatively executed each design with precision and professionalism, and always submitted his work before deadline. I would highly recommend Craig to anyone, I think his portfolio of work at Mill House Brewing Company speaks volumes.”
- JAMIE BISHOP- MILL HOUSE BREWING CO.
"When it comes to communication and working with clients, Craig is one of the best guys we have had the chance to work with. He has been extremely reliable, quick with projects, and always super easy to communicate with. With many creatives, it's hard to find someone with his caliber of talent who can also manage projects and stay on task."
- MARK KOCH- RIDE NATURE
"One of the most recommended traits Craig has mastered is interpretation of creative vision for a project. His ability to visualize design from inception and close with a premium finished project is by far my favorite attribute. With which is comparable to his timeliness, professionalism and phenomenal work."
- TJ EATON- SHADESCLUB / DICKS COTTONS
"TGIM / Craig exhibited excellence in every component of our branding design journey. Deadlines were met, communications were clear, and feedback was implemented with intentionality and care. Not only are we ecstatic with the outcome of the project, but we’re still impacted by the user friendly experience Craig provided. We only hope we can deliver same level of care and service to our own clientele. Resources and time well spent!"
- TYLER DAM- CABIN CREEK SUPPLY
"The end result was amazing. From the moment we first spoke he listened to what I was looking for but offered his professional insight as well. He was willing to make changes and edits and sometimes just go in a whole other direction - all without hesitation."
- JACKIE RUBBO- YONKERS BREWING CO.