Some people call me Jack, but my real name is Jackson Matthews. I’m a Graphic Communications student at Clemson University, focused on packaging and structural design, with an interest in turning ideas into tangible experiences.
I got into design early—around 14—making graphics for creators I looked up to. What started as experimenting in GIMP quickly turned into designing for YouTube channels with hundreds of thousands of subscribers, and eventually launching my own clothing brand, where I taught myself web design to bring it to life.
That early curiosity carried into my first professional experience with ArtFields, where I worked on everything from event branding to large-scale graphics. It showed me how creative work can exist beyond a screen and impact real environments and communities.
During my internship at SGK Print, I gained experience on the operations and project management side of print production—working with teams, supporting workflows, and understanding how projects move through a real production environment.
More recently, I’ve focused on packaging and structural design through my internship with Smurfit Westrock, where I developed manufacturing instructions, prepared artwork for corrugated displays, modified structural files in ArtiosCAD, and built physical prototypes for testing. That hands-on experience is what really solidified my interest in packaging.
I tend to approach work with a concept-first mindset, often exploring ideas that might seem unrealistic at first, then figuring out how to actually build them. I’m driven by curiosity and always looking to learn new tools, processes, and ways to push ideas further.
At the end of the day, I’m focused on turning ideas into packaging and real experiences—work that people can actually interact with, not just see.
