SENIOR BRAND DESIGNER

CITADEL CREDIT UNION, EXTON PA

Tom Upton is an award-winning designer with three decades of industry experience. His career spans early days in package design to a focused expertise within the financial services sector, including time at institutions like Bank of America. Tom is currently the Senior Brand Designer at Citadel Credit Union in Exton, Pennsylvania, where leads brand design and execution for the organization.

Citadel Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial institution that provides banking, investments, and insurance services to more than 275,000 members, while also offering essential educational resources designed to help members build and maintain long-term financial security.

At $6.5 billion in assets, it is one of the Greater Philadelphia area’s largest credit unions.

Between now and 2030, which specific skills, technologies, or priorities will matter most in shaping the future of graphic design?

The primary challenge is addressing the elephant in the room: Artificial Intelligence. AI is fundamentally reshaping our industry, but it will not replace the innate skills of human designers and creators. The future lies in finding a productive equilibrium, a critical design foundation fused seamlessly with AI tools. Much like the introduction of the computer revolutionized the design studio, AI will serve as a powerful accelerator for creativity, not a substitute. Designers who embrace this partnership will be the leaders of the next decade.

What principles guide your design decisions?

My guiding design philosophy has always centered on the power of Simple Design. In today’s saturated visual landscape, we rarely have more than a fleeting moment to capture a consumer’s attention. Our designs must be ruthless in cutting through the clutter and communicating their core message instantaneously. This belief crystallized into my career-long mantra, which remains my compass today: “Simplify, then simplify again.” By stripping away the non-essential, we elevate clarity, maximize impact, and ensure the message truly resonates.