About Jake Cooper Design

I’m Jake Cooper and I’m the Creative Director, Web Developer, Brand Strategist, Project Manager, Pixel Pusher, IT Guy, Coffeeboy and Janitor for Jake Cooper Design. I know that’s a lot of hats to wear, but I love being a business of one. I always felt better when I knew how something worked from end-to-end, so managing just one aspect of a project held me back from my full potential. So much of design is just thinking things through — making meaningful decisions to arrive at an answer. In college I was enamored by the fact that all I needed to do my work was a laptop, sketchbook, and a pack of pens. So long as I had my backpack, I could do my job as a designer anywhere. Obviously “the tools don’t make the man,“ but that sort of freedom informed how I feel about being a creative professional. It taught me that part of being a designer is about being observant of the world around me, taking the pulse of our everyday culture.

I started Jake Cooper Design make real my belief that you don’t need a large team to be impactful — that the strength of good ideas, coupled with design skills to communicate them are the simple requirements to success. By combining the understanding of your audience, your purpose behind the work, and design that speaks to your values, you can change people’s lives.

My girlfriend Cait started her wedding photography business shortly before we started dating, and early on it was a struggle for her to bring in enough money to support herself. She asked me to help redesign her branding and website, and I knew that helping her out could really effect her business, not just get me on her good side. We researched her customers and their interests, until we had a clear understanding of how they chose their wedding photographer. We studied the competition in her local area, and discussed her goals, personal and professional, in regards to her business. In a few month’s time we relaunched her website with a clear purpose and a target market in mind, and the change was astounding. Over the course of the next year Cait’s income tripled! More importantly, Cait gained confidence in a brand she can be proud to call her own.

That project taught me that design can be a catalyst for success both financially and personally. I knew then that empowering businesses with clarity and design was my place to be.