From the Valley of the Sun, senior graphic designer Joe Jacobs shines for Wheelhouse
When it comes to college athletics, conference realignment is always a topic. The Big 12, West Virginia University’s league, for instance, is expanding all the way into Arizona. This coming men’s basketball season, the UA Wildcats will indeed visit Morgantown.
And Wheelhouse Creative LLC also has a wonderful presence in the Valley of the Sun.
You read correctly. Wheelhouse will go to any lengths to bring quality work to its clients. That includes having one of the nation’s finest working from Arizona in senior graphic designer Joe Jacobs.
A native of the Ohio Valley for most of his life, Joe now works remotely – and extremely effectively.
“Joe Jacobs is among the best designers I’ve ever worked with,” said Wheelhouse creative director Joe Monahan. “He is a natural with anything art and seems to have it flowing in his veins.”
Joe Jacobs is a favorite of everyone at Wheelhouse Creative, located in Wheeling, W.Va. He’s quick with a quip, wears amazing T-shirts for us to see at each staff Zoom meeting and makes us all look good.
“When I need it sketched, I call Joe,” said Monahan. “When I need a logo, I call Joe. When I want to learn a guitar riff, I call Joe. When I want a great burger, I call Burgatory. I can’t call Joe for everything.”
Jacobs’ spark of passion for design came early in life.
“I’ve been interested in art, television, and movies since I was a kid,” he said. “My school friend had access to an old film camera when we were growing up. We would save spare change and periodically buy a roll of 8mm film to make short movies. I never really lost the bug. Aside from a basic advertising course in college, I’m primarily self-taught.”
He’s a good teacher, which benefits all of Wheelhouse’s clients.
“I used to make signs and banners by hand for extra money when I was in high school and that branched into digital design when the home computer wave hit,” Jacobs said. “In the early 1990s, I got the chance to work for Technimedia Studios, a video production facility in Steubenville, Ohio, that specialized in television commercials and from there I was hooked.”
Jacobs was born and raised in Yorkville, Ohio, but lived in the Ohio Valley for much of his life before the move to Arizona in 2016. He’s been with Wheelhouse since its inception in 2015.
“I moved to Arizona in 2016 to be closer to my son, who moved to the Phoenix area to attend college,” said Jacobs. “Thanks to high-speed internet and video conferencing, the transition was surprisingly smooth. At that time, working remotely wasn’t as widely practiced so we weren’t exactly sure how the situation would work out.”
It’s worked out all the way around.
“I’ve always been a visual person with a strong imagination, and I keep up with the latest design trends,” Jacobs said. “I also think my business experience has really helped. I owned a video rental store in my hometown throughout the 1990s and have always been an ardent supporter of small business. I think owning my own shop helped me become more cognizant of client needs.”
Watching and helping businesses grow is a particular point of pride for Joe.
“One of the best things about working in graphic design is I get to work with such a wide variety of businesses, from small shops to organizations as large as Oglebay,” Jacobs said. “There’s always some new project to design and promote. For me, there’s no better feeling in this business than when a client is thriving at least in part because of something I’ve helped with.”
Joe Jacobs is part of what makes Wheelhouse Creative such a special place.
“Wheelhouse has amassed the most talented group of creative people I’ve ever worked with,” Jacobs said. “I’m still astounded by the amount and quality of work our team has produced over the past eight years. It’s truly a childhood dream come true.”
To work with Joe and the rest of our Wheelhouse team, give us a shout at 304-905-6005. Our website is https://wheelhousecreativellc.com.