ABOUT
The Story Behind the Work
How seasons of design, life, and learning shaped the philosophy that guides the craft.
Hello, and thank you for considering my work. There are plenty of options out there, so I’m grateful you’re here taking a closer look.
I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BFA in Design in 2005. After an early role as the in-house designer at a boutique criminal defense firm, I launched SKO Design Lab and spent nine years serving dozens of small businesses across Austin. When my wife and I entered the “baby season,” I stepped into a full-time role at Noonday Collection—a fast-growth direct sales jewelry company—where I spent eight years designing everything from product catalogs to email marketing to multiple ecommerce platforms. It was during this time that I deepened my understanding of clear business goals, customer needs, and the strategic role design plays in connecting the two.
After Noonday and approaching forty, I took a brief break from the screen to work with my hands, then returned to design with fresh energy and a renewed desire to make the internet—and the brands behind it—more beautiful and intentional. In 2025, I expanded that mission by returning to my original passion: graphic design. With 25 years of experience behind me, I launched Jo Design Co. to partner with purposeful small businesses and help them show up with clarity, craft, and confidence.
If that sounds like the kind of partnership you’re looking for, let’s talk. I’d love to hear what you need.
Testimonials
“I have been working with Joel for almost five years now and am always extremely pleased with his work. We’ve worked on close to ten projects together and I always know I’ll get quality work done when I need it done. Joel is a great designer and developer and in the rare instances he doesn’t know how to develop something, he learns it within 24 hours. I’ll work with Sko Design Lab for years to come.”
Keith Dudley
Owner, BrandNew LLC
“Joel never disappoints. He is my favorite graphic artist for identity and logo projects because he exceeds the customer’s expectations every time. I will continue to use his services and highly recommend Joel to anyone needing graphic design.”
Hillary Kilpatrick
Owner, Think! Marketing
“I had worked with several web designers before finding Joel, and they were awful about communicating and meeting deadlines. Joel was completely different. He understood what we needed and added his own creative thoughts to our projects. He was faithful to respond to every email and phone call, and most importantly (to me at least), he met every deadline. Our website looks great and meets all of our needs. As our company has grown, we have added more and more to the website, and Joel is the only one we call. Joel was also a joy to work with on the publication of my first book. Everyone loves the creative cover and the cool layout.”
Justin Christopher
Director, Campus Renewal Ministries
“I have enjoyed working with Joel on my new website. It was a large site with a great deal of detail, information, and media. I am amazed at how they were able to help me structure my content. This is the second site SDL has helped me with. I would happily recommend SDL to anyone with the interest in building a website.”
Phillip Randazzo
Owner, Living Your Best Health & Distinctive Construction
“Joel worked with our team towards a logo design we all love his professionalism, advice, and sense of humor. In addition, the end design for our property flyer was “Too Cool for School,” says I. Calming, hip, and a very dynamic design to showcase the property and the brand! Thanks, Joel!”
Leah Schimberg
Real Estate Consultant & Office Manager, Outlaw Realty
“Joel delivers nothing less than top quality, 100% professional design services. I would and do recommend him to anyone!”
Andrew Mabry
Full Stack Developer