Chances are you've already seen a few samples of Joshua Lipka's work. If you've taken some time to explore the #ICANHELP website or browsed through the monthly newsletter, you've probably noticed the design's vibrant color palette and clean layout.

Meet Our Creative Director, Joshua Lipka

Josh has been the Creative Director at #ICANHELP since August of 2020, after hearing about the nonprofit from a friend who was volunteering with them. "It was expressed to her that they were looking to rebrand and level up their website and they needed professional support, so the mutual friend introduced us and kicked off our endless friendship," he says.

"I saw how much #ICANHELP was already impacting students and educators' lives, and I knew that with the right kind of support, that impact could be even bigger. Plus, seeing how passionate Kim Karr was about her work truly inspired me to set a lot of time aside for them and be a part of their mission."

Josh's work has greatly benefited #ICANHELP, helping to bring the nonprofit into the spotlight and draw more awareness to its mission with eye-catching designs. He enjoys working on rebranding and building a solid foundation that sparks joy.

"Having a solid brand identity better communicates our vision and values to the world and exudes our true personality," says Josh. "I wrote a case study about #ICANHELP on my website."

Since joining the #ICANHELP family, Josh has helped the nonprofit maintain its new brand standards and position, handling QA on all assets to ensure consistency.

"I refuse to do anything 'halfway,' always putting my best foot forward, and I feel that connects me to #ICANHELP," he says. "They cover every detail when it comes to step-by-step processes of how to report online negativity and get things taken down, turn a negative into a positive, help someone struggling with their mental health, be good digital citizens, and more. They go above and beyond just a simple 'training' and support their audience from start to finish."

#ICANHELP's new interactive guide to reporting issues, for instance, contains hyperlinks to reporting and law enforcement guidelines on the most commonly used social media platforms to support teachers, parents, resource officers, and more in promoting digital safety and wellness among kids and teens. Anyone can download this resource for free on the #ICANHELP homepage.

Josh was responsible for the complete revamp of the website you're looking at now. He also plays a crucial role in marketing and intern management for #ICANHELP.  

"By far, the most rewarding thing is being part of a successful mission that is making positive change in people's lives AND that I get to mentor some seriously talented student interns," Josh shares. "I mean, the level of design and content from some of them is crazy! I wasn't even at their level when I was their age!" 

Working with the seasonal intern program can sometimes present a challenge, as the high turnover rate means retraining a new group of interns frequently. "But hey, it just means that I'm able to be a part of more student growth with more people, so it's not bad."

#ICANHELP is just one of many clients Josh has partnered with to strengthen their brand identity and enhance their web design. He founded his own Creative Agency in March of 2020—when the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic. 

"I was a full-time employee at another company that got shut down and completely closed operations in my area, so I had to think quickly and jump right into freelance," Josh shares. "It wasn't surprisingly difficult to get started because I have been in the design and branding world for my entire career. I just needed to find the right connections and be introduced to people who wanted to work with my personality so we could become creative besties." 

One of the advantages of freelancing is the flexibility—"the freedom to do what I want when I want." However, he also loves meeting clients who are passionate about their work. "I tend to believe that passion and kindness are contagious, so when I meet someone who is all in, I'm also all in and want to see them succeed. After all, their success is my success."

In addition to his passion for graphic design, Josh also likes Chinese food, rosé, road trips, and dogs—especially Mojo, his right-hand man's best friend. 

Want to upgrade your brand, website, or online learning platform? Visit www.joshualipka.com to get more info, schedule a free consultation, and check out even more of Josh's work!