I’m a generalist designer with a organizational leaning, with experience that ranges from books and brands to content strategy and websites. I work toward the most harmonious combination of aesthetic and voice, always pursuing the best union of form and content. My background extends from the literary to the visual, from my first job editing college textbooks to my wide-ranging career as a graphic/ux designer. The thread that runs through everything is a search for meaningful expression, whether the task at hand is a book jacket, a digital experience, or a hardware store for superheroes that’s also a writing center for kids.

For the great majority of my working life I’ve worked independently and entrepreneurially, always striving to maintain great relationships with clients and collaborators. This has habituated me to adapting quickly to the needs of any given problem without ego or prejudice. These are qualities I bring to every working engagement.

I’m particularly interested in designing experiences around the public’s connection to culture and creativity. I’m now seeking the stability of a permanent position and the rewards of contributing to an organization’s long-term success.

My resume, in robot-friendly format, is here.

sam@sampottsinc.com

Marquee Work

Designed AwayFinder app, a complete fake app for Apple’s Search Ads group
As the first designer on the Games team, designed the original UX/UI of The New York Times Crossword app
Created all the branding, signage, packaging, posters, books, and websites for the original Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. and 826NYC
Book and jacket design of John Hodgman’s trilogy of complete world knowledge

Key Themes and Skills

Sam Potts Inc.

A successful independent design studio in NYC

Creative problem-solving through form and content
Injecting personality, intelligence, and even humor when creating for others’ requirements
Meeting clients’ needs & budgets while maintaining creative standards

IDEO

Innovation and strategy consultancy

Human-centered design
Research-driven process
Design thinking methodologies
Prototyping & testing

The New York Times

A hometown newspaper

Mobile UX design
Information architecture
High-fidelity wireframing
Revenue-driven design decisions

Teaching

At three of the country’s best design schools

Personal expression within design constraints
Content-based conceptual design
Professional practices
Herding cats

Testimonials

I’ve worked with Sam for over twenty years creating storefronts, product packaging, websites, print publications, posters, apparel, and more. Sam expertly takes collections of ideas and inspirations and synthesizes them into tangible design, infusing each project with his own wit and sensibility. He has been a collaborator in the truest sense of the word.

— Scott Seeley, owner of Writer’s Block, Las Vegas, and former founding executive director of 826NYC

I have so enjoyed seeing all the many ways in which Sam could turn the design ask on its head and find the unexpected answer. It was always nothing less than an actual joy to correspond or talk with him. His work is fantastic, and I am endlessly awed to have had the chance to see how he thinks and how he creates.

— Tim Jones, creative director of Harvard University Press

In Search Of

Designing connections between people and culture

Connecting people to culture in ways that are relevant and even challenging — this is a vital and urgent design challenge. These connections take all forms across media, both material and digital. The challenge is finding solutions that people find useful and compelling.

Creating meaningful work for people

Doing the best work starts with doing work that matters. I believe culture and creativity — art, literature, music, learning — matter deeply to the better functioning of society at large, and to the quality of our lives.

Focusing on behaviors over artifacts

Designing for behaviors is a bigger umbrella than designing just graphics or products. I’m interested in helping shape way people experience an event, an exhibit, or institution.

Expertise more or less required

A key criteria I have for any new position is to work with people who are really, really good at what they do. I have so much to learn about leadership, impact, relationships — both within an organization and between stakeholders — and I’m seeking models of excellence. More than any huge famous company, I hope to join a culture of true expertise.

In Practical Terms

I live just north of New York City, within commuting distance. My preferred arrangement is a hybrid of somewhat regular on-site time combined with work-from-home days.