I’m John Haller, a graphic designer and educator whose work spans typography, visual identity, editorial design, and theatre graphics. I hold an MFA in Visual Communication Design from Kent State University and have taught at Kent State, the University of Akron, and Marietta College.
My path into graphic design began in theatre. Studying directing at the University of Northern Colorado taught me to consider how individual choices work together to communicate a story: what an audience notices, how meaning develops, and how form supports an idea. Those questions continue to shape my design practice.
After working in real estate and business operations, I returned to college to pursue design, earning my BFA in 2019 and MFA in 2022. That experience informs how I approach the classroom. I understand what it means to start again, learn unfamiliar tools, and develop confidence through practice.
As an educator, I help students build a foundation in typography, composition, hierarchy, and concept development while finding their own design voice. I emphasize exploration, iteration, critique, and craft—encouraging students to explain their decisions and see revision as an essential part of making stronger work.
My graduate research explored how visual language could reduce patient barriers and medication errors. Alongside that research, my practice includes identity systems, publications, typeface design, and graphics for the performing arts. I also founded Eagle Ridge Threads, where I bring illustration, typography, and my interest in the outdoors into original apparel designs.
Across these pursuits, I’m interested in how thoughtful visual decisions help people understand, connect, and act.
