Jolby & Friends

In short

Jolby is a design and illustration studio on NE Sandy Boulevard in Portland, and illustration is the thread through almost everything it makes: logos, packaging, murals, animation backgrounds and the odd item for its own shop. It has been at it for more than 15 years and keeps a public vault of sketches and process. That hand-drawn character is why it holds #6 on our Portland list.

Stash Tea is the largest case. After more than a year of research and testing, Jolby kept the box's black bar and star, redrew the wordmark, added a two-color flavor system and launched across 200+ packs. For Nickelodeon and Nick Jr it designed characters and craft-textured backgrounds for a sunscreen short that won a 2020 Kidscreen Award. Twelve neighborhood murals for the Timbers and Thorns hang in Providence Park.

Consumer brands, outdoor and food companies, and mission-driven groups such as Mercy Corps or Oregon State Parks get the most from Jolby when they want an identity with personality and a library of illustration to go with it. Patagonia, Sanuk and Wonderstate Coffee are on the roster too. Software teams looking for product UX, or anyone needing a complex website engineered, should brief a different kind of studio.