CEO
SMITH DESIGN
MORRISTOWN NJ
As CEO of Smith Design, Jenna Smith plays a primary role in design strategy, account management, and business development. She excels at both design and operations, with a passion for creative problem-solving that inspires her team to create breakthrough visual solutions that succeed in both the physical and virtual marketplace. Jenna has generated successful visual and verbal solutions with companies such as Henkel, Unilever, Sesame Street, Hormel, Hershey, Friesland Campina, Disney, Pfizer, and BIC. Jenna holds an M.S. in Packaging, Identities and Systems Design from Pratt Institute, an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a BA in Marketing from Boston University. She has been awarded the NJAD Club 40 under 40 as well as NJBIZ Top 50 Women in Business. She previously served as President of the Art Directors Club of NJ and Treasurer for the New Jersey Packaging Executives Club.
Smith Design is an award-winning full-service brand design agency with over 40 years of expertise in strategic positioning, brand identity, verbal identity, package design and in-store, digital and social, production realization and omnichannel activation. The firm believes that design is at its best when it’s a force for good. Its culture is rooted in caring, and the team makes a conscious and collective effort to translate our values into actions that benefit our staff, our clients, and our community. Smith Design is a WBENC and WOSB certified company with a Silver Ecovadis rating in the 90% percentile and is part of Pledge %1 and Sustainable Packaging Coalition.
Looking forward, are you optimistic about the role of graphic design in business and society?
Yes. The evolution of human behavior in recent months has required finding new, effective ways to build connections and engagement. We have the opportunity to look more closely at the things that bond us, cultivate how we share experiences, how we connect, and how we tell stories visually. By paying attention to the stories we’re telling, we can begin to determine what is actually meaningful during this time of change, giving us a toolkit to make future experiences of work, life, and play compelling in ways we might not have imagined even a few months ago.
Have the challenges of the past two years changed the way you approach your work?
We have explored how to better leverage online collaboration tools that have resulted in greater workflow efficiencies and a seamless remote work experience. We always put a strong emphasis on mental health and work/life balance, but COVID’s impact on global wellness and the economy required additional focus on the importance of flexibility and empathy. Continued evolution to meet new challenges is essential to further growth, and every day we embrace a purpose of providing the opportunity for our employees, our clients, and relationships to progress in meaningful ways.
