Hillsborough, N.J., January 11, 2012 – JK Design, a leading creative services agency with offices in central New Jersey and New York City, has significantly expanded its staff and capabilities with four new hires.

Martha Marchesi brings nearly 30 years of advertising and marketing experience to her position as director of creative and marketing services. A veteran of Madison Avenue, Martha has worked at nationally known agencies developing strategic solutions and crafting award-winning creative campaigns for clients such as Chevrolet, AT&T, Xerox, and Revlon. In addition to her creative duties, Martha specializes in branding and marketing workshops that help clients define and execute powerful, persuasive messaging. Martha earned a BS in communications from Boston University and is currently pursuing an MBA.

As JK Design’s newest interactive project manager, Paul Lahaski guides clients through the design and development process for websites, iPhone and iPad apps, email campaigns, and other projects. Paul has an extensive technical background and holds computing and Web design certifications from CompTIA and CIW. His business, finance, and media relations expertise was honed during his recent tenure as development manager for Embrace Kids Foundation. Paul earned a BS in business economics from Rutgers University and is completing a BA in information technology from Western Governor’s University.

Ashley Summerer brings a diverse range of experience – and razor-sharp organizational skills – to her role as account manager. In this fast-paced position, she works closely with clients, staff, and vendors to manage the daily project workflow, monitor production deadlines, and coordinate quality control and review procedures. Prior to joining JK Design, she worked as a project manager and conducted market research for several major brands. Ashley holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies with a minor in marketing from Pace University.

Production artist Nick Guido is responsible for the design and production of a wide variety of marketing and promotional materials. A graduate of Montclair State University with a degree in fine arts and a trained eye for great design, Nick worked as a Web designer and freelance graphic designer at several New Jersey agencies before joining JK Design.

“2011 was a banner year for JK Design,” said Jerry Kaulius, founder and president. “With the addition of these four talented professionals to our staff, we are now ideally positioned to provide the highest quality creative work and the widest range of print, interactive, and video services in our 25-year history. Our entire company welcomes Martha, Paul, Ashley, and Nick, and we all look forward to working with them to help our clients achieve success.”

JK Design’s headquarters is located in the historic Staats House in Hillsborough, NJ. The agency also has an office in the Chelsea neighborhood of midtown Manhattan, just minutes from New York Penn Station.

About JK Design

In business for over 25 years, JK Design is a creative services agency specializing in strategy and branding, print, web, mobile, interactive, and video projects. Recent honors include two Telly awards, a Communicator award, a MarCom Platinum award, and a Gold Hermes Creative Award. The agency provides a wide range of innovative design, advertising, and marketing services, including: web design and development, iPad and mobile app development, branding, logos, email marketing, multimedia and video animation and production, marketing strategies, advertising, corporate collateral design and production, exhibit graphics, packaging and Internet-based virtual tradeshows. For more information: 908-428-4700 (NJ), 646-794-4180 (NYC), or http://www.jkdesign.com.

Hillsborough, N.J., October 5, 2011 – JK Design, a leading creative services agency with offices in central New Jersey and New York City, has hired a new account and project manager.

Kristin Taylor is a marketing and advertising specialist with experience in print, web, and social-media campaigns for clients across a broad spectrum of industries. She has held positions at several agencies in the New York metropolitan area. She earned degrees in advertising and marketing from Syracuse University, where she was a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma International Business Honor Society.

At JK Design, Kristin is responsible for managing the daily workflow of projects for specific clients, coordinating with vendors and staff to provide client support, monitoring production deadlines, and overseeing quality control and review procedures.

“Our client base is growing rapidly, and Kristin is helping us to meet their needs and exceed their expectations,” said Jerry Kaulius, founder and president of JK Design. “In our search for a new account manager, we were looking for someone with strong marketing and business skills who understands the most effective ways to help our clients reach their goals. Kristin is the perfect fit and a very welcome addition to our team.”

JK Design’s headquarters is located in the historic Staats House in Hillsborough, NJ. The agency also has an office in the Chelsea neighborhood of midtown Manhattan, just minutes from New York Penn Station.

About JK Design

In business for over 25 years, JK Design is a creative services agency specializing in strategy and branding, print, web, mobile, interactive, and video projects. Recent honors include two Telly awards, a Communicator award, a MarCom Platinum award, and a Gold Hermes Creative Award. The agency provides a wide range of innovative design, advertising, and marketing services, including: web design and development, iPad and mobile app development, branding, logos, email marketing, multimedia and video animation and production, marketing strategies, advertising, corporate collateral design and production, exhibit graphics, packaging and Internet-based virtual tradeshows. For more information: 908-428-4700 (NJ), 646-794-4180 (NYC), or http://www.jkdesign.com.

Pictures from the event can be viewed here . Check out the JK Design team in the gallery below.

Omar Joseph (OJ): You’ve spent the last three years at JK Design. Can you tell me about your career before you started working here?

Christie Gucker (CG): I’m dating myself here, but I started in the industry as a “paste-up” artist. For the younger folks in the audience, that’s a mechanical artist. Back then we were just getting into computers, so most of the mechanicals were done by hand.

After spending some time doing that, I worked as a photographic retoucher and designer. At one point, I was the only production artist in the studio, and I also had to handle scheduling work and managing production. That experience eventually led to a position as full-time production manager.

OJ: Did you have any mentors during your career? What influence did they have on your career path?

CG: Wow, there have been so many during my career…but I would have to say that Steve Adams, the creative director for Keyes Martin [advertising agency], was my most influential mentor. He was the one who pushed me to become a production manager. He thought that my background in art and knowledge of design programs and the creative process gave me a greater understanding of how the work was produced. He convinced me that it just was the natural progression of my career.

OJ: Before you started working at JK Design, you did some freelance work for us. Can you tell me about your first experience(s) with JK Design?

CG: Well, I had broken my ankle and I was at home recovering. At the time, I was thinking about switching what I had been doing – production – and getting back into designing. JK was right down the road, so I thought maybe I could get my foot in the door (no pun intended) as a designer.

I worked here for a while and had a chance to meet the decision makers. I must have made a positive impression, because I was soon offered a position as the interim production manager. And as you can see, I’m still here!

OJ: Tell me about some of your job responsibilities. What does a production director do?

CG: I do a lot here. I manage all the artists and freelancers and handle the workflow from the inception of projects through completion, working directly with the account managers, designers and vendors. I also mange the estimating process and occasionally work with clients directly.

OJ: What do you like best about your job?

CG: I enjoy watching the whole creative process from start to finish, and learning about all the different industries we work with. My position allows me to get a taste of what everyone else experiences here. It really gives me a feeling of accomplishment to know that I had a hand in getting something to the client that they are truly happy with, no matter what my role in the process was. I also find the challenge of tight deadlines kind of fun. I have yet to miss a deadline!

OJ: Because of your position, you have to work with more people in our company than most employees. You have an interesting opportunity to interact with your colleagues. Do you enjoy this part of your job?

CG: I love working with everyone and interacting with all of the different departments. Because of tight timeframes, shifting priorities and schedule changes I tend to experience the spectrum of people’s emotions – from stressed to excited to exhausted!

In this business, you can’t assume that everything will go smoothly.

OJ: Your job seems like it comes with a lot of pressure. How do you handle it all?

CG: Oh geez; I do lots of crying and yelling. I kid! But seriously, like any job there is stress – but you learn to work through it, and then you have a feeling of accomplishment. I take my work very personally and each job is important to me. I just do what I have to do to get the client what they need and keep my colleagues and my boss, Jerry Kaulius, happy.

OJ: I understand that you write as a hobby and recently won some awards for it. Can you tell me more about that?

CG: I do – and I did! And I am absolutely honored to have won those awards. I recently wrote two books. One chapter was released online each week. One of the books was nominated for numerous awards in a competition and I won in two categories.

I have had a lot of success online with them and they have been read all over the world. I have fans, which seems surreal. The whole experience has made for quite an awesome ride.

Both books are completed now and I am in the process of rewriting them to seek a publishing deal.

OJ: I don’t think a lot of people knew you liked to write. Tell me something else that most people may not know about you.

CG: I have a HUGE affection for all things Twilight (the movies/books) and I have a Twitter account that allows me to interact with other fans. I even work on a Twilight blog with some of my Twitter friends.

My daughter, Samantha, and I also participate in a haunted trail at a local farm. I’m one of the trail bosses in charge of the actors. I play the Grim Reaper. You can find me lurking in the cornfields in the dark on the weekends throughout October scaring people. I absolutely love Halloween and all things spooky. It’s so much fun!

Also, I like to face my fears – because if I don’t, I feel like I’m not living life. I’ve done this by riding a mechanical bull, having 30,000 gallons of water dumped on me, walking a tightrope, bungee jumping out of a hot air balloon and a number of other things my husband thinks I’m absolutely nuts for doing.

OJ: I want to thank you for all you do and for taking some time to talk to me. Is there anything you’d like to add?

CG: I do want to thank you so much for shining the spotlight on me and my job. It’s always nice to know you are appreciated, no matter how “behind the scenes” you are.

Joe Lopez III joins New Jersey/New York creative agency as director of photography and video editor

Hillsborough, N.J., August 19, 2011 – JK Design, a leading creative services agency with offices in central New Jersey and New York City, has expanded its video production division by hiring a director of photography/video editor.

Joe Lopez III brings a creative eye for cinematography, expertise in the latest video editing technologies, and a variety of filmmaking experience to his new position at JK Design, where he is responsible for video editing, DVD authoring, and camera operation. He also works closely with the agency’s VP of video production and serves as director of photography on many video projects for clients across a broad range of industries.

Joe has worked as a director, cinematographer, and producer on a variety of promotional videos, commercials, and documentary films, including projects for the Walmart Foundation and Kodak. His film Buffalo Structures was an official selection of the 2007 Future Filmmaker’s Festival in Chicago. Joe earned a bachelor’s degree in communication/TV and digital film from the State University of New York at Fredonia, where he was awarded a prestigious Keeper of the Dream scholarship.

“Joe brings a fresh energy and creativity to our video team,” said Jerry Kaulius, founder and president of JK Design. “With his extensive technical skills and imaginative ideas, he’s already raised the bar on the quality of our video productions. I’m pleased to welcome him to our staff, and look forward to expanding our video capabilities even further over the next year.”

JK Design’s headquarters is located in the historic Staats House in Hillsborough, NJ. The agency also has an office in the Chelsea neighborhood of midtown Manhattan, just minutes from New York Penn Station.

About JK Design

In business for over 25 years, JK Design is a creative services agency specializing in strategy and branding, print, web, mobile, interactive, and video projects. Recent honors include two Telly awards, a Communicator award, a MarCom Platinum award, and a Gold Hermes Creative Award. The agency provides a wide range of innovative design, advertising, and marketing services, including: web design and development, iPad and mobile app development, branding, logos, email marketing, multimedia and video animation and production, marketing strategies, advertising, corporate collateral design and production, exhibit graphics, packaging and Internet-based virtual tradeshows. For more information: 908-428-4700 (NJ), 646-794-4180 (NYC), or http://www.jkdesign.com.

Contact: Jerry Kaulius, JK Design

Since we created the JK Design blog last year, it has served as a great source of  information about our company and the work we do.

While it’s always exciting to spotlight our best projects, we recently realized we were overlooking something: the important role our incredible employees play in making every project a success.

At JK Design we have more than 45 employees in a variety of positions – and we also have plenty of stories to tell about them. This new blog series will highlight some of the most interesting ones.

We’re kicking this new series off with Kurt Matthews, one of our account executives. JK Design’s blogmaster, Omar Joseph, sat down with Kurt to discuss his unique experience at JK Design.

From Left to Right: Kurt M., Chuck B. and Jeremy R. at JK’s Mini Golf Event

Q: Thank you for talking with me, Kurt. I wanted to do this interview with you because your experience at JK Design is unique in many ways. You were originally hired as the agency’s production manager. Now you’re an account executive. That’s a move that we’ll discuss later, but first tell me about your experience as production manager. What did that role entail?

A: As a production manager I was in charge of overseeing the print team and coordinating with outside resources such as freelancers, printers and photographers. Additionally, I managed the estimating process and coordinated production schedules. Basically, I made sure that client jobs were completed on time, stayed on budget and were correct.

Q: Your role as a production manager was kind of a hybrid position, right? You took on both production and account executive roles. Why was that and how did that work?

A: That’s correct. When I started at JK Design I knew that the former production manager had helped out with account management from time to time. I naturally fell right into the same role since I had a lot of client contact experience in my background.

Q: While you were the production manager you helped foster relationships with several large clients. What was your approach to those relationships?

A: My philosophy is “customer first.” We owe them everything. If not for them, we would have nothing. By putting the customer first, I try to think of what they would want. What do they need? What would I do if I were in their shoes? And then I try to provide that.

Q: Do you think your ability to cultivate relationships with clients was one of the reasons you were asked to be an account executive?

A: Yes, I think so. I brought client management experience with me to JK Design. I was an art director for more than 15 years prior to working here. In that role I had a lot of client interaction and I honed my relationship skills during those years. Becoming an account executive was a natural progression.

Q: What are your responsibilities as an account executive?

A: As account executive my job is to meet with the clients to determine their needs and gather all the information about particular projects. I then relay that information back to the team at JK Design. I also write proposals and manage the approval process with the clients.

Additionally, I write contact and status reports, create production schedules and manage invoicing.

Q: Your largest account, Terumo, has flourished since you made the move to full-time account management. To what do you attribute that success?

A: Well, our team is amazing. They continue to create very effective pieces, and do it under incredible deadline pressure. This makes for a satisfied client, and a satisfied client always comes back.

I know Jerry [Kaulius, president and founder of JK Design], my boss, likes to promote three key values about JK Design: 1) We are responsive; 2) we are creative; and 3) we are flexible. I strive to make sure the client views us as upholding all three of those values.

In Terumo’s case, the client told me about their dissatisfaction with other agencies they had worked with, especially that they were not flexible. I know we are creative, and being close to their location meant I could be responsive. I made sure we remained flexible and kept an open mind – and that too lead to a happy and satisfied client.

Project Spotlight: Terumo Interventional Systems Touch Screen Project

Q: I share office space with you, so I know you work hard every day. How do you like to unwind after a busy day?

A: You know, that’s an interesting question. I have to think about that actually, because as a dad, once I leave work, my “second life” kicks right into gear and I really don’t have much time to unwind. By the time things calm down at home and my son is in bed, I might veg in front of the TV and hopefully catch part of a Phillies or Devils game, depending on the season. I like to go to live games when I can, and I think everyone who’s seen what I park in the parking lot knows that I like to go four-wheeling on the weekends.

Kurt’s NJJC Trip to Shamokin in April 2011

Q: What’s the best part of your job? Besides, of course, the two-minute commute.

A: Can’t beat that commute! I love that. I also like the creative environment and I like the duties of my job. It’s a nice mix of working in the “Dorm” and also getting out to see clients. The ultimate reward is when the client says “wow” when the job is finished. I think we all like that part! Getting that sense of satisfaction – knowing all of our hard work is appreciated – is important to me.

Q: You were production manager when I joined JK Design. Since I was new to agency life, you spent a lot of time helping and mentoring me. Is that something that you like to do?

A: I do like to mentor and think mentoring colleagues is an important part of any business. My feeling is that employee retention is best achieved through mentoring. It helps those who have a desire to move up do so, and it helps the company by helping employees to do better and better work every day.

Q: Thank you for your time, Kurt. Do you have anything else you’d like to add?

A: Thank you for doing this. I like this idea and think it is a great way for our clients, and even our employees, to learn more about our staff. I can’t believe how much we’ve grown since I started. I used to know everyone here personally, and usually worked directly with everyone sooner or later. That isn’t always the case anymore, so this is a great idea. Nice job, Omar!

Leading NJ/NYC print/web/video design firm wins two international creative competitions

Hillsborough, N.J., July 5, 2011 – Leading New Jersey/New York City creative services firm JK Design has been awarded a 2011 Gold Hermes Creative Award by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP) out of over 5,000 entries. In a separate competition, the agency was selected from more than 11,000 competitors to receive a 2011 Bronze Telly Award.

JK Design’s winning Gold Hermes entry, the “Formula for Success” brochure, was created for GROM Associates, a global business consulting firm providing strategy consulting, SAP integration, and enterprise data management services. The brochure reflects the brand position, messaging, and creative platform developed by JK Design as part of comprehensive branding and marketing project, which also includes GROM’s website, trade show graphics, and other collateral. The winning brochure can be viewed at http://www.jkdesign.com/work/portfolio/grom-brand-identity.

JK Design’s creative team earned a Bronze Telly for their video entry, “Avaya ACE Overview,” which combined clever graphic animation and simple text and icons to bring the ACE story to life in a clear and entertaining way. The video was created for Avaya, a global provider of business collaboration and communications solutions. It can be viewed at http://www.jkdesign.com/work/portfolio/avaya-ace.

“These awards honor the talent of our creative team and the strength of our branding and marketing strategy,” said Jerry Kaulius, president of JK Design. “It’s extremely rewarding to be recognized for both the high quality of our work and the customized approach we take for each and every project – a combination that has enabled us to consistently deliver successful results for our clients for over 25 years.”

The annual Hermes Creative Awards honor excellence and recognize the creativity, hard work, and generosity of marketing and communication professionals.

Established in 1978, the annual Telly Awards honor the best television commercials and programs, video and film productions, and work created for the Web in the US and around the world.

About JK Design

In business for over 25 years, JK Design is a creative services agency specializing in strategy and branding, print, web, mobile, interactive, and video projects. Recent honors include two Telly awards, a Communicator award, a MarCom Platinum award, and a Gold Hermes Creative Award. The agency provides a wide range of innovative design, advertising, and marketing services, including: Web design and development, iPad and mobile app development, branding, logos, email marketing, multimedia and video animation and production, marketing strategies, advertising, corporate collateral design and production, exhibit graphics, packaging and Internet-based virtual tradeshows. For more information: 908-428-4700 (NJ), 646-794-4180 (NYC), or http://www.jkdesign.com.

For more information about the Hermes Creative Awards: http://www.hermesawards.com.

For more information about the Telly Awards: http://www.tellyawards.com.