Creative Director/Owner, Roskelly, Inc., Portsmouth RI

Roskelly earned more than 35+ years of experience as a creative lead at advertising agencies in New York, Los Angeles and southern Florida before settling in Rhode Island and starting his own firm. Clients have included Fortune 500 companies like AT&T, General Electic, AlphaBroder, and Reebok, along with regional brands like The State of Rhode Island Arts Council, Red Jacket Resorts, Castle Group, The Mark Twain House & Museum, and The Preservation Society of Newport County.

Throughout his career, Roskelly’s work has been cited for creative excellence in branding, books, trade publications, and with industry awards. He has also received a Platinum Award from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) beating out the Israel Ministry of Tourism.

Roskelly graduated from the School of Visual Arts (NY) where earned a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and illustration. He resides in coastal Rhode Island where he enjoys fishing and boating with his wife, Karen, and their two adult children.

What principles guide your design decisions?

Simplicity.   I invest significant time studying my clients’ business and reviewing their objectives.  I get to know their product or service, the direction in which they intend to head and the customers that they want to attract.  When research is complete, I can understand the essence of their brand.  Using images, type and colors I translate that essence into a timeless memorable visual symbol that simply and effectively communicates their business and works effectively in all formats.

How do you stay relevant in an industry that changes so quickly?

Our creative brains are better than any AI super computer…for now.  Effective design comes from within.  To be a good designer you need to use the tools of technology, but you also need to feed your creativity.  The foundation of good design lies at the core of how we as creatives think.  You need to be good at the basics, like drawing a circle without the aid of a computer.  Fueling your brain and your passion using new tools on new platforms requires you to keep those neurons firing.  Meeting new people, changing your environment and exposing yourself to different visual stimuli are the best tools to ensure that you can create clear and relevant visual executions that effectively communicate, today and 20 years into the future.