J. Hitchens Design

10/03/2025

On Tuesday, I joined the dance community in celebrating Kevin Iega Jeff and Julie Nakagawa at See Chicago Dance's annual Gala. In the lead-up to the event, I had the privilege of creating the branding and editing the tribute videos for both honorees. I'm grateful to have taken part in the evening and personally honored to help celebrate Kevin Iega Jeff.

Iega was the Artistic Director at Deeply Rooted Dance Theater when I started working there in 2018. In retrospect, hiring me was a gamble, but I'm glad he was willing to take that chance. It was a remarkable moment watching him receive the 2025 Legacy Award. I've experienced many serendipitous moments, but sitting at that Gala, listening to Iega's speech at an event that I had a hand in bringing to fruition, felt like an intentional continuation of a path. It's a path I haven't always felt confident walking, but Iega is a part of the reason that I keep my head up continue working.

Thank you, See Chicago Dance, for the opportunity and for being such a pleasure to work with. And thank you, Iega. I'm one of the many people you've impacted in your expansive legacy.

Also, thank you to Char for reminding me to celebrate my work.

06/25/2025

I'm grateful to be included in the Great Ideas of Humanity: One of a Series exhibit that opens this Friday 4:30–7pm. Some strong work will be included so make it out to see it in person (I got to collab with a poet for my poster).

The Great Ideas of Humanity: One of a Series exhibit continues the Great Ideas of Western Man campaign, reimagined for a broader, more inclusive future. The latest series turns powerful phrases into bold visual statements—transforming ideas into works of art that spark conversation.

05/03/2025

Happy Saturday! I'm excited to share that my work, Intimate by Design, is included in Black Joy Archive volume lll. Thank you for putting this together.

Intimate by Design embraces vulnerability by opening the door for multiple emotions and accepting all aspects of our Blackness in uncertain times. We can embrace joy when we can accept all parts of ourselves.

You can get a copy of the book at (if you're in New York today) or online at blackjoyarchive.com/.

Book photos by .tufts
Music by

10/10/2024

I'm very excited about this ya'll. I've been helping with this event quietly so it'll be great to see it come together.

The Chicago Graphic Design Club together with One Design Company invites folks in the Chicago area to join us for the second installment of our Confronting Design event series on Thursday, October 17th, from 6–9pm CT.

This October, we’ll confront values in the design industry, examining how they impact process, ethics, craft, clients, impact, and success.

Panelists include (Field of Practice ) (Ruptur Vision / Points of Sail), Nicolette Stosur-Bassett (Habitable), Tracy West (50,000feet ) and Annika Welander Annika Welander (Someoddpilot )

Link in bio to register.

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              / Many thanks to , and for organizing the event!

08/26/2024

This one hit different and I don't have as much video of the obstacles but I got it done. The mental work is the hardest but WAY more water on hot days is a must.

07/20/2024

Call for Chicago Black Artists! Please apply or consider sharing:

BYP100 is looking for Black Chicago-based artists ages 12-35 to display their work in their upcoming (SSWS) Art Installation. All mediums of art will be considered. $500 honorarium. Link In Bio.

was started by to bring attention to gender-based violence against Black women, girls and GNC folks in 2019. Since then, we’ve seen heightened cases of intimate partner, forcible eviction, and instances of Black girls going missing and the State making no real effort to find them - as highlighted by and “Missing in Chicago” Investigation.

But we are our sisters’ keeper.

The Installation will highlight the experiences of Black women and our solutions outside of policing during the Democratic National Convening ( ) to encourage more conversations around what it means to and girls.

Stay tuned for more information about the exhibit. Interested artists apply today — bit.ly/ssws-info

04/12/2024

I'm happy to share this poster that I did for . Some information about the motivation behind it is below too. Thanks for viewing and reading this:

What is the inspiration behind your poster design?

I used the figure in this poster for a personal design that I created in 2022. The focus of that design was on healing and acceptance of a difficult situation. For this poster, I wanted to repurpose the figure for something that felt more aligned with joy and being triumphant in defiance of expectations. Not because I feel like the work of healing is done but because joy and triumph can still exist within that work. As a Black man, I want to express this sentiment. I was inspired by Kamasi Washington’s ‘Fists of Fury’ as well.

04/01/2024

I got to support the homie this weekend and I won a raffle!

Thanks for inviting me so I could hear you speak about The OUT Side: Trans & Non-Binary Comics and your life experiences. I'm glad that I have a copy with your signature now!

01/29/2024

Happy Monday. I posed for some photos! I took a few more but I like these the most. I'm excited to share some more things that I've been working on too.

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01/06/2023

Welcome to J. Hitchens Design! Head to jhitchens.com/ to view work samples and to reach out about your project.

J. Hitchens Design serves clients to help them reach people searching for unique experiences and services by strengthening their visual design and story telling.