Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Thomas.
Hi Joshua, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Every great brand begins with a vision — and for JT Identity & Design, that vision was decades in the making.
Josh, a lifelong artist, has spent over 25 years mastering the craft of graphic design and more than 20 years working across every corner of the sign industry. From design desks to fabrication floors, installation sites to boardrooms, he’s done it all. But through all that experience, one dream remained: to build something truly his own — a company that not only creates signs but builds identities and lasting partnerships.
Enter Don — not your typical “sales guy.” Don is the kind of professional who shows up when it counts, with a knack for solving challenges on the fly and developing smart, creative solutions that make clients feel supported every step of the way. His instinct for connection and problem-solving perfectly complements Josh’s design and industry expertise.
In early 2025, the two joined forces to create JT Identity & Design — a company built on integrity, innovation, and a shared commitment to helping businesses stand out and succeed.
From concept to completion, JT Identity & Design partners with clients to craft powerful visual identities, develop unforgettable brands, and fabricate high-quality signage that drives recognition and results. In just a short time, their reputation for creativity, precision, and reliability has positioned them as one of the fastest-growing leaders in both the local market and the signage industry.
Because at JT Identity & Design, success isn’t just about making signs — it’s about making your mark.
It’s about your journey, engineered together.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting JT Identity & Design has been exciting and rewarding, but “smooth” isn’t a word we’d use to describe the journey. Building a company, especially one in a fast-moving, highly competitive industry like signage and branding, comes with its fair share of challenges.
For Josh, stepping out from behind decades of experience in other companies to finally build something of his own meant taking on every responsibility at once. Even with 25 years in graphic design and 20 years in the sign industry, there’s a big difference between running someone else’s shop and building a new one from the ground up. Things like securing the right equipment, managing capital, creating processes, and building the brand identity of the company itself were major undertakings.
Don, while exceptionally skilled in client relationships and problem-solving, also had to transition from being a key contributor inside existing companies to becoming the cornerstone of customer experience and business development for a brand-new operation. Establishing trust as a newly formed company — even with decades of combined experience — took resilience and persistence.
There were also the universal struggles every new business faces:
• Balancing growth with workflow capacity
• Winning early clients without a long track record under the new name
• Navigating supply chain challenges in the fabrication world
• Managing long hours while still prioritizing quality and creativity
But these challenges ultimately shaped the identity of the company. They forced us to get sharper, more efficient, and more intentional about how we serve our clients.
Despite the bumps in the road, the response from the community and local market has been incredibly encouraging. Each hurdle strengthened our partnership, our processes, and our confidence in the mission behind JT Identity & Design.
The road hasn’t been smooth, but it’s been worth every step — and we’re just getting started.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’ve spent my entire life creating. Art has always been at the core of who I am, whether that meant sketching as a kid, designing professionally, or bringing ideas to life through signs, illustrations, and branding. Over the last 25 years, I’ve built a career in graphic design, and for 20 of those years I’ve worked across every role in the sign industry — from design and fabrication to installation, project management, and even helping build sign companies into successful operations.
I specialize in brand identity development, dimensional signage, and technical design solutions that blend creativity with engineering. I’ve always been drawn to projects that require both imagination and problem-solving, which is probably why I gravitated toward signage — it’s art with a job to do.
Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to earn recognition for my work. I’ve won multiple artistic awards, and several of my sign designs have been featured in industry publications, including cover features on Signs of the Times Magazine, one of the most respected magazines in the signage world. I’ve also had the opportunity to collaborate with artists from major studios — including Marvel Comics — working as an illustrator and contributing to high-end creative projects that pushed my artistic abilities even further.
In addition to my design work, I’ve developed a wide range of technical and conceptual pieces, combining hand-drawn art with digital engineering to create functional, visually striking signage and branded environments. I love to build things that have depth, dimension, and a sense of storytelling.
Outside of the design and sign world, I’m also the lead singer of the rock band Power Born Rebellion (PBR). Performing gives me another outlet for creativity — a place where energy, emotion, and connection matter just as much as craftsmanship and detail. Music and art fuel each other for me, and both have shaped the way I approach my work.
What I’m most proud of is the ability to bring all of these experiences together — art, design, fabrication, leadership, music — into the foundation of JT Identity & Design. I’ve spent decades helping build other companies to success, and now I finally get to pour all that knowledge, passion, and creativity into something that’s truly my own.
What sets me apart is the combination of artistic vision, technical skill, industry experience, and real-world creativity. I don’t just design signs — I design experiences, identities, and solutions that help businesses stand out and succeed. And I treat every project, big or small, with the same level of craftsmanship and heart that I’ve carried throughout my entire career.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My biggest advice is simple: follow your dream and never give up on it — even when the road gets rough, even when progress feels slow, and especially when others don’t fully understand your vision.
Looking back, the one thing I wish I knew earlier is that growth doesn’t always look the way you expect it to. Sometimes you spend years gaining experience you didn’t realize you’d need. Sometimes detours are actually the most important parts of the journey. Every job I took, every skill I learned, every challenge I faced ended up preparing me for what I’m doing now — even the moments that didn’t make sense at the time.
Pricing:
- Pricing can be an odd topic in this space. Signs can vary so dramatically in price & most importantly in value. Don’t buy a sign because you feel like you have to… buy a sign as an investment. Like any good investment, a good one will make you money, where as a bad one will keep costing you.
- We can find a solution to fit any budget, but knowing what your budget is, is a great starting point.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jtidentitydesign.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jtidentitydesign/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575870815395
