Jeff Kahn Artist, designer, educator, earthling

Jeff Kahn is multifaceted. He paints, designs visual assets for national brands, and teaches college-level art and design courses.

Jeff is currently focusing on painting and helping students improve their visual art skills and designing visual assets. He teaches at colleges in San Diego County.

Jeff is teaching Digital Drawing and Painting at Grossmont College. Learn more here.

Education

B.F.A. Advertising, Graphic Design, and Illustration | 1979
Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA
Awarded Art Center scholarship

Exhibitions

Grossmont College, art faculty exhibitions, Hyde Art Gallery, El Cajon, CA | 2013-2023
Participated in 11 exhibits

Occurrences Implication Ambiguity
SIP artSpace, San Marcos, CA | 2022
Group exhibition featuring paintings by Hwang (Bo) Kim, Jeff Kahn, and Sevan Soghomonian

Mesa College, art faculty exhibition, Mesa College Art Gallery, San Diego, CA | 2022

Campus Creatives, California Center of the Arts, Escondido, CA | 2022

Campus Creatives, California Center of the Arts, Escondido, CA | 2021

Campus Creatives, California Center of the Arts, Escondido, CA | 2019

Campus Creatives, California Center of the Arts, Escondido, CA | 2018

Palomar College, art faculty exhibitions, Boehm Gallery, San Marcos, CA | 1997-2014
Participated in 7 exhibits

Artist for Healing, Hyde Art Gallery, El Cajon, CA | March 2014

Solo exhibition at SDCMA, San Diego Center for the Moving Arts, CA | 1998

ArtExpo, New York, NY | 1987

ArtExpo, New York, NY | 1986

ArtExpo, New York, NY | 1985

ArtExpo, New York, NY | 1983

Graphiks Galleries Inc. | Boston, Miami, Dallas | 1983-1985

Since 1995, Jeff has been has been operating his own business creating captivating visual assets for national brands. He also welcomes clients who are interested in brochure and logo design. Jeff transforms perceptions and behaviors, thereby building and strengthening relationships. He infuses clarity, wit, and humanity into each message. Jeff is an award-winning graphic designer and illustrator with over forty years of professional design and creative expertise in brand identity design. He has worked as an art director, illustrator, and senior designer for advertising agencies and design firms such as Diener Hauser Bates Los Angeles.

Satisfied clients

  • Purina
  • Sierra Club
  • Hewlett Packard
  • Taylor Made Golf
  • Revlon
  • Downy – Proctor & Gamble
  • Landor Associates
  • Paramount Pictures

Jeff will provide highly developed multifaceted skills in brand identity, illustration, logotype and brandmark design.

Large or small
Jeff works with creative directors of global branding firms, national organizations, CEOs, brand and marketing managers, advertising agencies, graphic design studios, interactive and web development teams, or directly with small businesses and sole proprietors like himself. The majority of work is handled by email and phone conversations.

Are we having fun yet?
Jeff’s goal is to exceed your expectations, provide impeccable service, support you and your organization, and have fun in the process.

AI training and NFTs

I do not consent to the use of any of my work for generative AI training or use in NFTs. All of my work is embedded with digital watermarks and protected by US Copyright law. No use of my work is permitted without my prior written consent. If you’d like to share my work outside of this platform, please contact me to discuss it in advance. Thank you.

Bibliography

LogoLounge 7, international logo design competition | 2011
One logo design selected for publication

LogoLounge 5, international logo design competition | 2009
Two logo designs selected for publication

Master Library series: Initials & Crests | 2009
Eight logo designs selected for publication

LogoLounge 4, international logo design competition | 2008
One logo design selected for publication

Decoding Design: Understanding and Using Symbols in Visual Communication | 2008
One logo used as creative example

LogoLounge 3, international logo design competition | 2007
A highly-respected international designer picked Jeff’s logo as the judge’s favorite in the competition.

The Western Guide to Feng Shui: Room by Room | 1999
Sun Couple digital painting featured in book

Supon Design Group’s International Logos & Trademarks 4 | 1998
Revlon’s Botanical Oil product logo design

The Newest Logos from California 2 | 1997
Five logo designs selected for publication

Testimonials, awards, and recommendations for Jeff Kahn

Certificate of Recognition for Faculty Excellence

In recognition of faculty excellence as a part- time faculty member and Art Instructor.

Issued by Marsha V. Gable, Ed.D. – Interim President and Joel Castellaw – Interim Dean, Arts, Languages & Communication.
Grossmont College, May 13, 2021

Exceptionally well prepared

“I’ve always found your students to be exceptionally well prepared, which makes them a real plus to have in my classes.”

“I take great pleasure in recommending Jeff Kahn. I have known Jeff for many years as a valued adjunct instructor in the Art Department of Palomar College. Jeff is an enthusiastic, creative, intelligent person who brings a level of professionalism and discipline to all the courses he teaches. His assignments are engaging, relevant, and thorough. He brings a wealth of experience as a professional designer to his coursework and displays a variety of unique teaching techniques in his classes. A look at his handouts will speak volumes–they are beautifully designed and full of detail. It is telling that I noticed last week that, three weeks from the end of our term, his classroom looked as crowded as it was the first week of class. His students are well prepared for further study and enthusiastic about the experiences they have in his class. I think that you will find Jeff to be an outstanding person to work with who will make valuable contributions to the success of your organization. I am pleased to give him my highest recommendation.”
Jay T. Schultz, Professor, Palomar College Art Department

Positive and a delight to work with

“Dear Jeff and Sandy, I am so very glad you both came into my life. You are individually so talented – and to have you able to coordinate and pass work between each other is an amazing advantage. Also, you are both so positive and a delight to work with – what else can I say other than a big thank you! And now we will soon be heavily into work on Global Mindset Management, and Global Mindset CEO – two books for late 2017.”
Dr. Gary Ranker, Top Coach, Author and Father of Executive Coaching and Founder of GRGlobal

Performed with great professionalism and provided excellent results

“While there are plenty of graphics/visual designers out there, its hard to find one that combines a great work ethic with awesome design talents. I brought Jeff in on a big project where he performed with great professionalism and provided excellent results. He is easy to work with, listens intently and gets the job done right, and right away. I look forward to working with Jeff on future projects as I intend to bring him in whenever I need high-end graphics work that impress the clients.”
Larry Marine, User Experience Architect, Usability Testing, User Research Pro

Jeff is a critical strategic advantage to my business

“Jeff has produced a number of very important marketing materials for my business. I am so proud to use those pieces as the work he did is so good looking. He takes my ideas and makes them come to life. He has a design sense that comes from studying design, years of experience, and an artistic gift. He is fully open to suggestions during the process and every time I have ended up with a product that is way beyond my vision. I consider Jeff a critical strategic advantage to my business and am so grateful he works with me.”
Andrew Bennett, Inspirational Magician and Expert on Leadership, Creativity, and Change

Jeff was an excellent colleague and team member

“I worked with Jeff on an exciting project for OKbridge, the world’s largest online bridge community. Jeff created all the graphics for the new, web-based game design. We all worked remotely as part of the design and development team. Jeff was an excellent colleague and team member. His knowledge and skill was outstanding!”
Theo Mandel, Ph.D., User Experience Design, UX Strategy, Usability Expert

Much to our relief and the client’s pleasure

“We hired Jeff to update an existing logo icon for a branding project. The client was very particular about preserving the legacy of their existing logo while simultaneously creating a fresh look. Jeff was able to strike an ideal balance between the old and new much to our relief and the client’s pleasure. Win-win.”
Bob Grimes, Owner, Amara Grimes Design

Willingness to go the extra mile

“It is truly an honor to work with, and benefit from the talents and personality of, Jeff Kahn. What is especially refreshing is how multifaceted Jeff is. An unqualified expert in branding. Jeff consistently produces designs that are amazingly creative and extremely appealing. In short, Jeff’s work is truly inspired and a delight to behold. Even better, Jeff is a genuine pleasure to work with. His keen sense of “what works and what doesn’t,” and his willingness to go the extra mile to create designs that take your breath away have made Jeff an invaluable member of the CoolHotNot team.”
Allen Stalvey, Director of Operations at Coolhotnot.com

The consummate team player

“Jeff is your dream designer. ‘Brilliantly creative’ is an understatement. He not only has extraordinary artistic sensibilities, but he is also the consummate team player: upbeat, patient, straightforward, humble, persistent, likeable, and reliable. Jeff has an incredible talent for graphics and design, and I can recommend him wholeheartedly.”
Dave Whittle, Founder & CEO at CoolHotNot Corporation

Delivers on-time, on-spec, and on the mark

“Jeff is a detail-oriented graphic designer with an eye for print and web applications of his work. He’s quick to reach agreement and equally quick to seek clarification of work to be done. He’s accessible as a person (not just with his time but his thinking as well) and delivers on-time, on-spec, and on the mark.”
Brett Walker, President & CEO, 818 Group

Business ethics, reliability, communication skills

“I want to take a moment to express my pleasure over the services you have provided to my company and my many clients over the last twenty years. Your work has helped me to build a thriving clientele. How? Because it has been extremely effective, not to mention original and aesthetically fantastic. But even so, these qualities alone have not compelled me to use your services. Your business ethics, reliability, communication skills, and willingness to work smoothly as a team player has made this relationship a tremendously rewarding experience for me.”
Jonathan Hulsh, VP Global Sales, The Leadership Circle

Jeff is a great listener and has an insightful marketing mind

“Jeff Kahn did a fantastic job of helping us redesign our website and our logo. He asked myriad questions to create a powerful brand that has allowed us to continue to grow sustainably through very difficult economic times. Jeff is a great listener and has an insightful marketing mind. I would highly recommend Jeff to anyone wishing to take their company to the next level.”
Steven L. Anderson, Ph.D., MBA, Integrated Leadership Systems

He’ll do it with grace and style

“Jeff is a very creative guy, and he is also detail oriented. He’ll develop a great concept for you, then make it happen on your schedule. When he wants to guide you a different way, he’ll do it with grace and style.”
Jeffrey Anderson, Vice President, Engineering at Acacia Research

Jeff’s warmth, competence, and his patience are a winning combination

“It is a pleasure and a privilege for me to write a letter of recommendation for Mr. Kahn, as my associations with him have been of a most positive, even inspiring nature. What struck me most in talking with Jeff, was his keen awareness of a specific student’s difficulty in his class. Since the student had also talked with me, I was impressed by how “right on” Jeff was with the knowledge of this particular student, even though he had a large class and was teaching here as an adjunct professor. His concern for her, and his desire that she be able to succeed in his class, was really appreciated by the student as well and I sensed from both of them, mutual respect and concern for excellence. To find an instructor who is willing to use that kind of time and energy for the sake of his students’ achievements, reminds me that there still is some real quality within the educational process.

Perhaps this concern meant more for me because I find it often absent from very talented and creative instructors who are either unwilling, or unable to connect with the struggling student who does not evidence a great deal of talent. It would be far easier to tell this student to go somewhere else! However, my belief is that students who are given personal attention will never forget it, and although they may not go far in that particular discipline, the boost to their self-esteem allows them to pursue other avenues and hopefully find the best track for them. Jeff’s warmth, his obvious competence and his patience seem to me to be a winning combination in the teaching profession. I recommend him to you, enthusiastically and without reservation!”
Cynthia Poole, Counselor/Associate Professor (retired), Palomar College

Applied his own special enthusiasm to each project

“I have known Jeff Kahn as a member of the Graphic Design community and the local Encinitas community for several years. He is an individual with outstanding character and a consummate professional. Jeff worked for Conner Design Group for almost a year in 1994 and 1995. We were very fortunate to have him as a part of our staff until he chose to work freelance. He was Senior Designer and Art Director and his responsibilities included: concept development, design and illustration through pre press production, art direction of photo sessions and client interaction. His skills on the computer were excellent. Jeff’s creativity and vision were an asset to our company. His sensitivity to the needs of our clients and creative visual solutions to their communication challenges made him a valuable team member of our successful design firm. Not every talented artist can also be an effective communicator in business meetings, yet Jeff proved to be personable and astute when interacting with clients and helped to conceptualize creative strategies for a wide variety of client products and services. He also worked well with the variety of individuals within our company and has always been a considerate and hard working team player. It was obvious that he enjoyed the creative process and applied his own special enthusiasm to each project. We have continued to use Jeff’s services as a freelance designer and illustrator and wish him great success in every venture.”
Wendy Tenenberg, Owner, WT Creative

Traffic increased 60%

“I can honestly say that after Jeff revamped my website, the traffic increased 60%, newsletter subscriptions increased by 75%. Expanding my subscription list has proven to be the most effective strategy for increasing my client list and income. Working on my website with Jeff was a joy. The flow back and forth of ideas and ways to best execute them was effortless, fun and just what my unexciting website needed. His intuition could accurately, quickly and expertly translate my needs and desires into a website that is a perfect expression of my creative business. It was one of the easiest business collaborations I’ve ever had.”
Jill Badonsky, Creativity Coach, Author, Speaker

Great branding and logo design

“Jeff has done some great logo design work for both of my businesses. His lay out work was fast and very professional. He’s very creative and has an excellent eye. I will be using him again.”
Alison Reid-Bretell L.Ac, Owner, North Shore Acupuncture Clinic

A joy to work with

“I hired Jeff to develop my logo and my website. With the logo, Jeff was a joy to work with. I shared my desires and he let his creativity reach into the ether. It found something beautiful (many somethings beautiful if you include the logo ideas that I didn’t choose) that reflected me and the work I do very well. Our interplay was satisfying as he has strong communication skills and a sincere interest in creating beauty. I wanted to maintain consistency in my brand so I asked Jeff to create my website. Again, I liked both the process and the product of Jeff’s work.

The site he created is easy for me to update and I’ve received many compliments about it’s look and feel. Above all, I enjoyed the care he took in his work. I felt very comfortable working with him because it was easy and fun! For logo/brand development and for website development, I recommend Jeff Kahn without reservation.”

“Thank you again for your work on the site update. I appreciated your communication with me and your ability to navigate the challenges. I liked the relief I experienced knowing the project was in “good hands” – yours!”
David McCain, Trainer/Life Coach at Communicating with Heart

Outstanding job

“I hired Jeff to create the most valuable asset to my business – my corporate logo and stationery. The “look” was essential as it established the look and feel of my business. He did an outstanding job, was receptive to my ideas, was timely, professional and I’d highly recommend his services to anyone!”
Marcia Snow, Owner, Blue Feather Management

The logo draws attention

“Jeff designed a business logo and business card for my new business. He also suggested card stock and a very reasonable printer to use. The result was a card that gets many comments. People actually LOOK at the card (especially the logo) and many make comments about how much they like it. Great product, great process working with Jeff, and great attention to detail and price.”
Stephen O. Hansen, PCC, Professional Certified Coach (ICF)

Brilliant and reasonably priced

“Jeff’s work is outstanding. When it comes to logos and identity, which is what I’ve hired Jeff to produce for me in the past, he’s brilliant, EASY to work with and quite reasonably priced. I look forward to the next assignment I can give him as I think his work is awesome.. . . and he’s not paying me a cent to write this referral.”
David Winkelman, Winkelman Solutions

His commitment to excellence is evident

“It is with joy, gratitude, and satisfaction I offer my sincere recommendation of Jeff Kahn. His astute attention to detail was evident from our first meeting, and brought an immediate assurance. I found the right design firm to meet my professional goal of creating a notable, worthy, and refined corporate image demonstrative of personal excellence. The creative weave of our project consistently moved forward as a result of Jeff ‘s experienced professional insight and expertise. His inspired artistry and genius, integrity and practicality are evident. As a result, I was unreservedly assured, my company’s best interest was served with Jeff at the helm. In short, I am a very satisfied client and remain personally grateful. His commitment to excellence is evident in the final product and awaits you at first meeting.”
Aden T. Maxwell, Principal, A Space To Love