From Zipped to Kith:
alumni Jillian Demb’s journey as
a graphic designer
Zipped alumni Jillian Dembs talks career advice, brand identity, and life as a graphic designer.
On the side of a New York metro bus, bold red letters spelling out “Share a Coke” grabbed Jillian Dembs’s attention during her daily commute. While most people wouldn’t give the advertisement a second thought, Dembs’s imagination buzzed with ideas on how she would enhance the advertisement if she was the designer.
Growing up in an artistic household with the influence of a father in fashion architecture and a brother in fashion design, Dembs developed a uniquely creative lens on everyday life at an early age. Her artistic thought process became second nature, and Syracuse University’s Communications Design program was the perfect place for her to continue her journey as a creator. During her time in the program, Dembs discovered the art of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Only two months after graduating in May, Dembs landed her dream job as a graphic designer at Kith. Known for its unique aesthetic and branding, Kith describes itself as a multifunctional lifestyle clothing brand for men, women, and children. Being one of the youngest Kith employees, Dembs acts as a fresh pair of eyes to create designs that appeal to the young adult demographic.
“Kith is striving for a refined, street-culture aesthetic, but their brand identity is known to be vintage and classy,” Dembs said. “Within every project, there’s always been a design risk we’ve taken as a team that involves keeping the brand morals intact but also adding a spin to make it unique and trendy.”
Dembs is most excited about the upcoming flagship Kith Women’s Store opening in Soho, New York City. Working as the main designer for the new store’s branding, Dembs is designing on her own for the first time since getting the job, making dinner menus for events and creating concepts for the store’s opening.
In a generation where almost everything is digital, it was Dembs’s old-school portfolio that was a standout asset, setting her apart from other potential candidates for the job. She put together a hardcover portfolio throughout her four years in the program, including ten of her most accomplished projects that range from creative branding ideas to original website designs. Dembs attributes the Communications Design program for guiding her to figure out her career path and preparing her for the professional world.
“I’ve never seen a program remotely similar to Communications Design, and I credit a lot of why I got this job to the program,” Dembs said. “Communications Design does an incredible job at making us professionals for the real-world when we leave the program.”
Dembs’s creative breakthrough occurred in her senior year while working on a project called “Good Karma.” The concept is based on a subscription service to vintage clothing that serves as a double entendre; on one hand, vintage clothing has one life and later comes back around for a new life, and on the other hand, buying secondhand clothing is better for the environment- both causing a form of good karma. Dembs struggled with the detail-heavy project and had to constantly modify and enhance it after hearing negative feedback from her professor week after week. However, Dembs had a vision for Good Karma that she was not willing to give up. The project finally came to fruition, easily becoming her proudest work, as she was able to reflect to future employers her areas of interest.
Graduating with only about 20 other students in her major, Dembs is the first person to admit that she may not be the most talented person in the room. Her biggest takeaway from the program was learning to be her authentic self rather than solely focusing on web design skills and elaborate graphic-making.
“There are a million other people in the world who have better graphic design skills than me, but you’re getting hired because of who you are, how you present yourself, and your morals,” Dembs said. “Outside of classes, I had to learn on my own that I’m not just a designer, but I’m also a real person.”