Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackie Temkin.
Hi Jackie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My career in graphic design came from a series of fortuitous events. While studying for the GMAT to apply to business school, I heard about an opening at a friend’s office—a role for digital communications manager for a social justice non-profit. Since I wanted to eventually work in corporate social responsibility, the job seemed like a natural fit. To my surprise, the role ended up involving a great deal of design work, and I discovered I genuinely loved it.
While in school, I kept designing on the side for fun, running a small Etsy shop for save-the-dates and birth announcements. Most of my coursework was in strategy and operations, so it was a welcome outlet to keep engaging my creative side. My favorite part of school, though, was volunteer teaching entrepreneurship classes for incarcerated learners at a local correctional center. Even though I was the one leading the classes, I came away with a deeper understanding about the many paths to entrepreneurship, and the perseverance it takes to succeed.
Post-graduation, while applying for full-time work, I started freelance designing on the side. The work kept coming in, and at some point I had the realization: What if this is my full-time job? Taking everything I’d learned about entrepreneurship and applying it to myself was intimidating, but that leap became the foundation for the career I have today. And it’s the one I’m genuinely proud of and continue to enjoy.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a business is not for the faint of heart, and I’ve been extremely lucky to have had strong support from friends and family. Like many business owners, one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced was navigating the COVID pandemic. My business was just about a year old when it hit, and for a few weeks, I genuinely wasn’t sure if the business was going to survive. Companies were laying off marketing team members right and left, corporate budgets were shrinking, and even though I was set up to work remotely, business development activities like networking events came to a crashing halt.
I had to pivot quickly into new industries, leaning heavily on my network to get my name out for new projects. I broke into eLearning design, and eventually into the CPG space, creating marketing collateral for cleaning products. In hindsight, it was a blessing in disguise. I love working across so many different industries. I’m constantly learning about new fields and technologies, and there is something exciting about watching design and marketing ideas cross-pollinate from one industry to another in unexpected ways.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My company, Afton Design Co. is a woman-owned graphic design studio based in Charlottesville, VA. We specialize in supporting in-house marketing teams, partnering with nonprofits, corporations, educational institutions, and public organizations across a range of industries, including CPG, technology, higher education, hospitality & tourism, and more.
We believe in empowering organizations through human-centered design, asking ourselves how audiences engage with content and how we can help shape that story. We’re always looking for new ways to make information more approachable, connect with audiences, and find opportunities for better communication.
What sets us apart is that we are both strategists and designers. Our work combines our wealth of business knowledge with marketing and design, developed from extensive experience working with leading organizations, businesses, and agencies. We approach every project with curiosity and an open mind, pushing past the obvious solution to find one that’s clear, engaging, and true to the client’s voice. Bold designs for bold journeys isn’t just our tagline, it’s the principle that drives everything we do.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
For me, success isn’t just about revenue, it’s about building a career that gives me freedom and genuine enjoyment. I choose the industries I work in, the projects I take on, and the pace at which I grow, and that kind of autonomy is something I never take for granted, especially knowing how uncertain those early freelance years were.
I also measure success by my clients’ wins. Whether it’s helping a nonprofit hit a fundraising goal through a marketing campaign, designing a slide deck that helps a corporate client land a new partnership, or building a brand identity that gives a small business the foundation to grow, there’s a real sense of accomplishment in knowing our work made a difference. At the end of the day, good design isn’t just about how something looks, it’s about what it makes possible for the people who use it. Maybe it’s because I loved teaching, but I’ve found there’s real joy in helping people reach their goals.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aftondesign.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aftondesignco
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelinetemkin/
