Graphic Design ·Creative Direction · Long Island, NY · Augusta, GA · 25+ Years Experience
DesignbyStrategy.
Creative direction and hands-on design for campaign systems, brand identities, packaging, and print/digital marketing built to stand out.
info@rookdesigns.com →
25+
Years experience
50+
Brands served
MLB
All-Star credentials
8×
Industry awards
Selected workView all →
Campaigns · Brand Systems
Island Federal Credit Union
Direct mail · Brochures · Digital · Signage · Merch
Sports · Identity · Signage
Major League Baseball
2008 All-Star Game · World Series · Naturals Brand
Packaging · Print
KitchenAid & Farberware
Lifetime Brands — retail packaging systems
Campaigns · Healthcare
Widex USA
Unique & Beyond multi-channel campaigns
Identity · Logo Design
Brand Identity Work
Empire Chemical · Franjuli · Wood Park & more
Brands I've worked with
MLBNY JetsKitchenAidFarberwareHershey'sRawlingsWidexHarperCollinsDisneyUniversal StudiosNewsdayNBTYDolly Parton
The designer
John Tsopanarias, Jr.
Twenty-five years of campaign-level design across print, digital, packaging, and brand identity. Currently Manager, Graphic Design & Creative Direction at Island Federal Credit Union, where I run all creative output — from strategy to production — as the sole in-house designer. I turn strategy into systems that scale, brands that resonate, and campaigns that work.
Adobe CC · Firefly AI
Campaign Systems
Brand Identity
Packaging Design
Print Production
Digital · Social · Web
What colleagues & clients say
"I had the pleasure of working with John for over five years at Island Federal Credit Union, where he currently serves as the Graphic Design Manager. John is an incredibly talented creative professional who consistently delivers outstanding work and brought ideas to life with professionalism and creativity. His attention to detail, ability to understand the vision behind a project, and commitment to quality always stood out..."
Rich Klefsky
Chief Operating Officer · Ballston Spa National Bank
"John is an incredibly talented graphic designer who brings both creativity and consistency to everything he works on. He has a strong eye for design, a clear understanding of brand standards, and the ability to translate ideas into clean, effective visuals..."
Bryan O'Reilly
Strategic Marketing Leader · Island Federal Credit Union
"There are graphic artists who know a bit about marketing, and then there are marketers who are graphic artists. John is the latter. He successfully translated marketing campaigns across many platforms, maintained brand consistency, contributed ideas, and reliably delivered work that helped the brand stand out."
Mary Churchill Wyman
Director of Marketing · Island Federal Credit Union
"John is an excellent designer who delivers quality work on all types of promotional items. He's punctual, creative, and sticks to a budget. Great to work with."
Debbie Mercer
Director of Advertising & Promotion · HarperCollins Publishers
"I contacted John two years ago to do regular freelance graphic design work for our Ad Promo department at HarperCollins... John is detail oriented, and his creativity exceeds our expectations. His turn around time is outstanding..."
Jennifer Lee Bunker
Freelance Copywriter · HarperCollins Publishers
"John is that rare combination in a graphic designer: highly creative and talented, possessing a refined eye for design and color, with extremely competitive service rates..."
Jerod Allen
Vice President · City National Bank
"John is a talented designer and one of the hardest workers I've ever had the pleasure to work with. He's detail-oriented, extremely responsible and very creative."
Tim Berry
Sr. Designer · Newsday
"John is a passionate, creative graphic designer, that I would love to have work on any project i may have at any level. He's an asset to anyone."
Rob Fizer
Manager of Data Analytics & Reporting · Centene Corporation
All Work
Campaign systems, packaging, identity, and print across two decades and 50+ brands.
Campaigns · Brand
Island Federal CU
Sports · Identity
Major League Baseball
Packaging
KitchenAid & Farberware
Campaigns · Healthcare
Widex USA
Print · Advertising
Newsday
Retail · Visual Merch
NBTY · Vitamin World
Sports · Collateral
NY Jets
Identity · Logo Design
Brand Identities
Publishing · Collateral
HarperCollins
← All work
Campaigns · Brand Systems · 2018–Present
Island Federal Credit Union
Island Federal Credit Union
Manager, Graphic Design & Creative Direction (In-house)
Full brand system + campaigns
As sole in-house designer, I built and maintained the entire visual output for Island Federal — from direct mail campaigns and branch signage to ATM wraps, van graphics, university partnerships, and digital assets across 10+ branch locations on Long Island.
Island Style campaign — direct mail & brochure system
Worked alongside MLB's in-house design department on some of the sport's highest-profile events — including the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, the 2009 World Baseball Classic, and brand packaging for the Naturals health initiative.
2008 MLB All-Star Game — field graphics & signage, Yankee Stadium
Hall of Fame stars — pre-game ceremony
Rawlings ball basket — Home Run Derby
Naturals brand — logo exploration
Naturals snack pack — full packaging system
Ultimate World Series Sweepstakes — logo & promos
Club Sponsors binder covers — 2008 & 2009
Sponsorship collateral — Hershey's, Rawlings, State Farm
Deliverables
Field GraphicsEvent SignageHall of Fame StarsBall Basket GraphicsLogo DesignPackaging SystemBinder CoversPostersPrint AdsPromotion PiecesT-ShirtsInvitations
Island Federal CU
KitchenAid & Farberware
← All work
Packaging · Print Production · 2007–Present
KitchenAid & Farberware
Lifetime Brands, Inc.
Freelance Graphic Designer
KitchenAid · Farberware · Cuisinart · Dolly Parton
Retail packaging design for some of the most recognizable kitchen brands in America. Work spans product box dielines, kraft paper wraps, header cards, and trade show booth graphics — all produced to exact retail and UPC specifications.
KitchenAid 14-piece Fine Edge Forged Cutlery Set — retail box dieline
Farberware Set of 3 Mixing Bowls — kraft wrap dieline
KitchenAid Cup Grater — retail packaging
Farberware Euro Peeler — header card
Dolly Parton food containers — licensed packaging
Lifetime Brands — Housewares Show booth, Chicago
Deliverables
Box DielinesKraft WrapsHeader CardsClamshell GraphicsShowroom SignageTrade Show BoothsBrand ComplianceUPC Integration
Major League Baseball
Widex USA
← All work
Campaigns · Healthcare · 2015–2018
Widex USA
Widex USA
Sole In-House Designer
Unique · Beyond · Welcome
As the sole designer for Widex's U.S. division, I developed end-to-end campaign systems for multiple product launches — coordinating with headquarters in Denmark to maintain global brand standards while producing locally-relevant B2B and B2C collateral for audiology practices nationwide.
Widex Unique — "I'm Unique, I Wear Widex" campaign print ad
Unique campaign — event mailer system (4 versions)
Whether you need a full campaign, a brand identity, packaging, or a single piece that needs to be exactly right — I'd love to hear about it. Based on Long Island, NY & Augusta, GA. Available for freelance and contract work.
As Senior Artist for Newsday's Advertising & Promotions department, I designed daily newspaper ads, special sections, TV spots, and subscriber retention campaigns — earning Best On Long Island gold and bronze awards across print, TV, and internet categories.
Designed advertising, marketing, visual merchandising, and web materials for NBTY's family of brands — including Vitamin World Stores, Met-Rx, Balance Bar, Pure Protein, and VitaminWorld.com — spanning over 400 retail locations nationwide.
Created programs, posters, stadium graphics, and print collateral for the New York Jets football team through National Communications Group — alongside work for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns.
NY Jets Playbook — Game 1 program
Game day program interior spreads
Stadium graphics & signage
Deliverables
Game ProgramsStadium GraphicsPostersPrint CollateralSignage
NBTY · Vitamin World
Brand Identities
← All work
Identity · Logo Design · Various
Brand Identities
Various
Logo & Identity Designer
Empire Chemical · Franjuli · Wood Park & more
Logo and brand identity work spanning sports, retail, jewelry, education, and consumer goods — from emblem-style marks and badge logos to clean wordmarks and illustrated mascots.
Brand identity portfolio — selected marks
Empire Chemical — logo concepts
Franjuli Jewelry — wordmark & identity
Wood Park Primary School — mascot & mark
Destination Weddings & Honeymoons — two treatments
Elite Soccer Training — shield mark
Deliverables
Logo DesignBrand IdentityEmblem MarksWordmarksBadge LogosMascot IllustrationMultiple Concepts
Designed print and web advertising, promotional collateral, and sales materials for HarperCollins Publishers' ad and promotions department — spanning six imprints over seven years of freelance engagement.