About

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Jordan Butcher is a seasoned creative director, art director, and graphic designer creating meticulously detailed work for digital brands, people who make tangible products, and artists connected to independent subcultures. He is a creative powerhouse—far beyond a jack-of-all-trades. At this point, there are few landscapes he hasn’t shaped. He’s capable of both supplementing in-house creative departments and independently tackling large projects—often collaborating with an extensive network of creative talent.

He started working as a teenager in West Virginia, creating artwork for local hardcore bands. By the age of twenty, he had relocated to Seattle, WA, where he spent well over a decade working both in-house and within the agency system. He now lives and works in the Hudson Valley, north of New York City. Jordan is well-read, well-traveled, and well-connected. No matter the client—artist, institution, or corporation—he applies his deep-rooted Appalachian work ethic with acclaimed results.

Core Ideas

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1. The most successful projects are driven by purpose, strategy, and specific goals. Without establishing intent, we’re just pushing around pixels. On the other hand, when driven by a strong vision, design communicates that vision clearly and effectively.
   
2. Of course, it’s beneficial to be aware of what’s popular and resonating with lots of people. But it’s critical to be wary of trends, many of which will have an inevitably short shelf life.
3. The small details are never frivolous. All decisions, no matter how minuscule are all in service of better communicating the core idea. It may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes you need to look into a microscope to see the bigger picture.
4. Personal preference should never cloud judgement. Bear with this somewhat controversial take, but some things are objectively good and objectively bad. When work is made thoughtfully, thoroughly, and communicates its goal efficiently, it becomes unassailable to individual preferences.
5. Throughout history, some of the most important progress has simply been slight improvements to existing technologies. Likewise, in design, iteration can be more effective than starting from a clean slate. Good work often expands on what exists and preserve the language of what’s come before.