Artist · Designer · Maker · DeKalb, IL

Art. Design.
Problem solving.

Whether you need a logo, a website, an illustration, a custom piece of artwork, or help untangling a complicated business problem, I help turn ideas into things people can see, use, and remember.

I'm John Morton — artist, designer, maker, and occasional builder of unusual projects. For more than twenty years I've worked across illustration, screen printing, UX design, branding, websites, fabrication, and product design. Good design should be practical, beautiful, and built around real human needs.

Contact me See what I do
John Morton playing guitar in his studio

What I do

Three ways I help people make things.

01

Design for Businesses

Logos, branding, websites, UX design, user research, and digital products that help people understand who you are.

02

Art for People

Pet portraits, original artwork, event posters, screen prints, paintings, and commissioned pieces made by hand.

03

Custom Projects

The projects that don't fit neatly into a category — trail maps, guitar parts, display pieces, prototypes, signage, and fabrication.

Selected work

A little bit of everything.

A sample across art, branding, and the occasional one-off build.

Watercolor painting of two dogs, Gary and Max
Gary & Max — pet portrait
Hand-pulled screen print of a vintage Russian camera
Zenith Camera — screen print
PedTerra Shoes corporate logo designed by John Morton
PedTerra — brand identity
Accessible trail map made for Catlin Park in LaSalle, IL
Catlin Park — trail map
Watercolor robot illustration
Robot — watercolor
Front cover artwork for The Shifties album
The Shifties — album art
Guitar with custom nickel plated parts
Nickel-plated guitar parts
The Silo, a six-color silkscreen print
The Silo — silkscreen print

Selected experience

Results, not just deliverables.

A reputation built on solving unusual problems that fall somewhere between art, technology, and craftsmanship.

  • 01 Helped identify opportunities that saved over $2.9 million annually through workflow analysis and design.
  • 02 Sole designer on a fintech startup that went from concept to launch in five months.
  • 03 Created branding, websites, maps, artwork, and marketing materials for businesses, nonprofits, musicians, and entrepreneurs.
  • 04 Built a reputation for solving unusual problems between art, technology, and craftsmanship.

Why work with me?

Because most projects don't fit neatly into one box.

Many designers can make something look nice. Many artists can make something beautiful. Fewer people can understand a problem, develop a strategy, and then build the thing that solves it.

My background spans fine art, UX design, manufacturing, business operations, and technology. That means I can often see connections others miss.

Have an idea? Need a second opinion?

Not even sure what you're looking for yet? Let's start with a conversation.

Schedule a consultation