Their thoughts

Master Collaborator

“The design process requires striking just the right balance between the designer’s priorities and the editor’s, and John is better at finding that sweet spot than any other designer. He understands the importance of copy and remains very accommodating to editorial concerns, yet also knows when to stand his ground. He manages to do it by explanation, rather than confrontation. In short, he’s a consummate collaborator. Just as the best copy conveys ideas and emotions transparently, without calling attention to the writing itself, the best design looks effortless too. John’s work is sophisticated and contemporary without ever feeling self-conscious. I can’t recommend John highly enough, especially for an initial design or redesign project.”

—Zack Thomas,
Editor,
UCF Foundation, Inc.

Creative Pleasure

“Working with John Sizing is sheer creative pleasure. He understands institutional values, the collaborative process, respects branding, and takes the time to really understand our goals and target audience. He brought a fresh look and energy to our campus art magazine, and the 40,000 readers have taken notice. John has a gift for making familiar/standardized university magazine elements appear original, unique, and dynamic. And he is a joy to work with—accommodating but discerning, smart, generous, funny, and always on schedule. I wish I could work with John on every publication.”

—Scott Edmiston,
Theater Department Chair,
Berklee College

Smart Design

“John understands how to combine art, design, and marketing in a way that clearly projects and defines Pitt-Bradford’s message and mission to the targeted audience for every piece he designs. If I had to describe John, I would say he is an ‘intelligent designer.’ He doesn’t just create visually compelling and pleasing designs; he creates ‘smart’ pieces that also happen to be ‘visually compelling and pleasing.’ This helps explain the multiple marketing awards we’ve won since he took over our admissions work three years ago. John is experienced, talented, and passionate. His wit and good nature, along with his willingness to teach and share his knowledge, make collaborating on projects always a pleasure!”

—Laurie Dufford,
Marketing and Communications,
University of Pittsburgh, Bradford

In Good Hands

“John is gregarious and smart. He is the kind of designer an editor likes—he actually reads and thinks about the content and the readers to inform his design work. He presents multiple options during initial discussion exploring the pros and cons until we arrive at final, smart-looking concepts. John’s work is complete, clean, and on time, making our hands-on production work as easy as possible. You’ll be in good hands.”

—William Weber,
Director of Alumni
Communications, HBS

Gets It

“John is, hands down, the easiest designer I’ve ever worked with. That’s not to shortchange his work product—I can’t think of anyone whose designs I like more. It means that John GETS IT. He gets that words matter. He gets that printed pieces have a rhythm and a flow. He gets that readers don’t want to be talked down to. He gets that editors have an important job to do. Oh, and he gets that playing nice and keeping his word goes a long way toward creating a great business relationship.” 

—Ken Gornstein,
Director of Digital Media,
Brandeis University

Valued Partner

 “John is a dream to work with. Our relationship started with the successful redesign of our university magazine a couple of years ago and he continues on today as Portraits art director. He contributes during every step of planning and production, and it shows in our results — a product in which design guides the reader intuitively through the content, elevating both text and photography.”

—Kimberly Marcott Weinberg,
Editor, Portraits magazine,
University of Pittsburgh, Bradford

Room Next Door

“John was responsible for all aspects of design and production playing an integral role in the launch of Stanford Social Innovation Review. He creates beautiful design that complements the editorial on every page and reinforces our mission in every issue. John’s dependable, talented, experienced, and a genuine pleasure to work with. Distance between us was never an issue; in fact, it always seemed like he was in the room next door.”

—Perla Ni,
CEO, Great Nonprofits,
Stanford GSB