ABOUT JENSON

Jenson Nelson

I'm a designer who started sewing and never stopped. I eventually started making things people could hold, wear, and walk into. In high school, I made my own clothes and my best friend's too, sometimes using the same fabric from our skirts to line the cuffs of my guy friends' jeans so we could all match like a low-budget fashion clique with excellent instincts. Apparently that impulse never left. I was reminded of this at a friend's wedding, when someone asked, "Did you make that?" Reader, I had not, and I immediately kicked myself for not thinking to design my own velour pantsuit. Tragic lapse in judgment. I did look dope, though, and I was the only woman wearing AJ1s.

I came up through American Apparel and LA's hospitality scene, moved into high-volume product and packaging design, and for the past several years I've run my own studio in Portland, building brands, products, and packaging.

I'm also a painter. That's where my color sense comes from, not a textbook, but thousands of hours mixing paint and paying attention. I bring that same instinct and hands-on approach to every design problem.

I love new tools, updates, and emerging tech almost as much as my vintage Bernina. I'm quick with AI and generative design tools, always experimenting to see how they expand what's possible. Give me a new program or platform and I'll figure out what it can do before most people finish reading the manual.

LocationPortland, OR
EducationCal State Long Beach · Interdisciplinary Studies
Beyond DesignExhibited Painter · Grant Reviewer · Arts Coach · Mentor
Where I'm Inspired

THE LOFT

I have a loft that's half art studio and half office. Both sides output the same amount of creativity. Canvases on one side, computers on the other, recliners because — believe it or not — people like to witness me doing my thing.

The Analog Side

Paint, canvas, a vintage Bernina sewing machine, color mixing, material experiments. This is where the eye gets trained and the instincts get sharpened. Every palette I build has hours of paint mixing behind it.

The Digital Side

Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, 3D visualization, AI-assisted design tools, production files, vendor specs. This is where ideas become real products. I move between both sides all day — that's where the best work comes from.

Core Skills

OUTPUT + EXPERTISE

Apparel Graphics Color Palettes & Blocking CMF — Color, Material, Finish Product Design & Development Packaging & Dielines Print · Pattern · Typography Seasonal Collections Brand Identity & Logo Systems Trend Research & Moodboarding Material Selection & Storytelling Production-Ready Artwork Vendor Communication & Specs Team Leadership & Mentoring Creative Direction Adobe Illustrator · Photoshop · InDesign Figma 3D Visualization AI-Assisted Design Generative AI Tools PLM & SAP
Where It Comes From

CREATIVE ROOTS

I was, for all practical purposes, born in Nikes. My dad had a Nike endorsement while playing lead guitar for Eddie Money, so I grew up in a household where the swoosh felt less like a logo and more like a relative.

Dad on stage with Eddie Money
Dad playing guitar — Eddie Money tour
The Nike Story

FROM LOS ANGELES TO PORTLAND

In November 2019, while I was in New Zealand, someone accidentally cc'd me on an email announcing my entire department in Los Angeles was being dissolved.

Not ideal, but I had just seen glowworms, so I was in a great headspace.

My reaction wasn't panic. It was: Alright. Portland.

I'd wanted to work for Nike since I was 15. So I packed up my life and moved to Portland on March 13, 2020, possibly the funniest timing in modernity.

The world shut down. My moving company lost my stuff for two months. I owned one fork, a mattress in a box, and bought a piano upon arrival. I painted, learned, made strange things, read constantly, and developed the survival instincts of a resourceful, grateful creative.

Since then, I've done what creative people do: built things, solved problems, adapted, stayed curious, and kept creating.

What I've realized is that I miss being part of something bigger: a strong team, high standards, thoughtful collaboration, and work that moves from idea to real life.

I came here for a reason. I still believe in following the exciting work that's been beckoning me. I stay curious, always create, learn as many new things as the world provides, and keep moving toward the thing that feels a little bigger than me.

Community

GIVING BACK

Regional Arts & Culture Council — Community Grant Reviewer for Visual Arts, Design & Cultural Arts (2023–2024). CoachArt — Visual Arts Coach for children with chronic illness (2022). Community School of the Arts Foundation — Volunteer Designer for arts education (2020–2022). Felicity House for Women — Creative mentor supporting women through arts-based programming (2017–2020).