Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Parkhurst.
Joshua, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I got through school doodling everything, from my thoughts to my notes. I didn’t expect to use art as career but when my art instructor in college convinced me there was an opportunity through graphic design I jumped on right away.
I worked for a couple of design firms, one designed a Houston Astros logo, another was a new startup and then I worked for a home builder, designed billboards along i35 and various neighborhood logos. Eventually the housing market crashed. It was then I decided to take control of my own destiny and begin launching my own graphic design company full time.
It started slow as usual but I noticed everywhere I go and wherever I work I can stop from designing something or looking at how it could be different. The graphic design path has taken me down many marketing roads and I have since included online marketing such as managing Google Ads and Facebook Ads as a service I provide. My passion still lies with small business startups and helping new ventures grow.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The road is never a smooth one and that’s the fun of it! It’s constant balancing work. One company I helped work to develop suddenly crashed due to the market collapsing another business was sold to different owners and I’ve had to pivot and find new opportunities. I had a moments where I was going to have to switch to a regular job several times because work was slow but eventually, always at the last minute, a new need for my skillset and experience would come along and connect with me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a graphic designer specializing in logo design and branding. I’m known for having a clean design style and often lean towards more athletic brands that appeal to younger audiences.
What I’m most proud of AND what sets me apart from others (cause I’m efficient like that) is how I come alongside businesses to really develop and show them how good graphics can help propel their sales and keep their brand top of mind.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Perhaps Covid has taught me that every curse is a blessing. Covid changed the way businesses went about doing things and expectations were alerted. But I happen to love starting things new and going at them from alternate directions. With businesses downsizing or operating from homes the online experience became an even bigger connection point so my focus honed in there. Social media and email graphics became a more significant piece of design that quickly separated businesses that were confident and invested from those trying make money and didn’t have stake in the community. People see that, your potential customers are looking for things like that and they’re observant.
Contact Info:
- Email: joshua@parkhurstcreative.com
- Website: https://www.parkhurstcreative.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parkhurstcreative/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoshuaGraphicDesign
- Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/parkhurst-creative-design-round-rock
