Graphic Design.
Creative Direction.
Brand Strategy.
Experiential Design.
Motion Graphics.
Product Packaging.
Audio Production.
Illustration. Apparel Graphics.

My name is Jarren Simmons and I am a graphic designer and multi-media artist living in Portland, Oregon. For the last 19 years I’ve worked in the creative industry, lucky enough to intertwine my path with all sorts of dynamic teams, business owners, and fellow creators changing the nature of the world we live in and how we navigate it. My experiences have led me all over the globe, through countless industries and a myriad of companies, projects and stories. My work has touched markets in 6 continents, it’s hit the shelves of quaint villages in Wales and boisterous bodegas in Brooklyn, it’s pumped through headphones on the Tube in London and the sandy beaches in San Diego, it’s amplified the voices of communities both local and distant; but most of all (hopefully) it’s been a vehicle for people to communicate what’s in their heart, and a vessel for them to see their dreams transform into realities. I won’t lie and say that all my creative endeavors have been entirely selfless. After all, art permeates every level of our culture; socially, economically, digitally, physically. What I will say though is that I’ve always felt like art was what I’m meant to pursue…making it my career has really just been a blessing I’ve had the privilege to cultivate on a professional level.

I could expound on the bullet points of my career throughout my early education, my degree, my subsequent employers and 40S, the design studio I now own and operate in Portland, but to be honest those are topics best left for a resumé (don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to provide that too upon request). Really this portfolio is a place for me to shine some light on who I am as a person and what I’ve been able to birth up until this moment. I love hip-hop. I love creativity. I love my community and the ways we connect. If I had to drop everything tomorrow and take a job as a deep sea fisherman in the Bering Strait, I’d still host weekly freestyle showcases around the dinner table in the dimly lit galley. There’s a rhythm inside all of us that can’t be hidden, and its tempo has been thumping in my head for as long as I can remember. We’ve all spent moments in our lives searching for something that imbues our passions with meaning, and at times we make ourselves smaller to fit into what we think others may desire from us. At this point I’m done boxing anything in, and have made the conscious decision to let myself be seen in all dimensions. This collection of work is a small reflection of those dimensions; a more fully-encompassing look at not only my professional career but of me as a man, a family member, a friend. I hope it can leave you inspired and smiling, and give you a feeling of what you might be able to expect from me should our paths ever cross.

Thank you for taking the time to check this out, I truly look forward to jamming with you.

Much Love,

Jarren Simmons