Hey, I’m Joe…
A Senior Graphic Designer and Art Director with 14+ years of experience turning complex brand challenges into clear, engaging visual experiences.
My background spans global consumer brands, packaging, retail, experiential design, digital marketing, and brand identity. During my time at Hasbro, I led visual development for brands including Furby, Peppa Pig, Baby Alive, and FurReal—helping translate brand strategy into cohesive experiences across packaging, retail, digital, and physical environments.
I am at my best when a project requires more than just making something look good. I enjoy digging into the problem, understanding the audience, finding the right visual story, and building a system that can work across multiple touchpoints.
I am also passionate about evolving the creative process. I use emerging AI tools alongside traditional design and art-direction skills to explore ideas faster, visualize concepts, and push creative possibilities while maintaining the craft and judgment required to bring them to life.
I believe that great design sits at the intersection of strategy, creativity, and execution—and I genuinely love being in that space.
Let's make something worth looking at.
Recommendations from some of my colleagues:
“Joe is a branding genius. We were the graphic designer-copywriter duo charged with reintroducing the fifth generation of Furby electronic toys into the world. It was no small feat and a wild success with the unique, eye-popping brand identity and trade dress he created. The illustrations, logo, iconic Furby fur background, and so many other elements came together in a way that both revitalized and honored a weird, wacky, and wonderful 25-year-old brand. He was also thoughtful and strategic with how these elements could be applied to any physical or digital asset, lending the brand to a wild variety of marketing activations.”
– Stephanie Batters Whitehead, Copywriter, Hasbro
“Joe is a great colleague, always ready to jump in and help no matter what the project is, and willing to answer questions and act a mentor. He is always encouraging the people around him to be their best. He is easygoing and works well with everybody. Definitely a person you want on your team!”
– Joanna Vespia, Design Colleague, Whole Foods Market
“I worked with Joe on Hasbro’s Fashion Brands team, as well as in a different role prior to that. He is clearly passionate about his work and puts his heart into everything he creates. Anytime I had questions about branding or needed new assets on a tight timeline, he was always polite, responsive, and quick to help. Joey brings a sense of humor and lightheartedness to what could otherwise be a stressful environment. He has the patience needed to mentor junior designers and never hesitates to lend a hand—even when his plate is full. He is truly a joy to work with, and I hope to have the pleasure of working with him again someday.”
– Carly Lohr, Design Colleague, Hasbro
“Joe is one of the most well-rounded designers that I have ever collaborated with. His keen eye, down to the smallest detail; his strive for visual perfection, and innate ability to recognize just what your design needs to stand out, is truly exceptional
and top-tier.”
– Kristen Costa, Cross-functional Partner, Hasbro
“I've never come across someone with such a strong work ethic as Joe. He has a true passion for his work and takes great pride in what he produces, from the most mundane of tasks to the ones where he can really shine. He doesn't differentiate. They all have his rapt attention and equal attention to detail. He is cool under pressure and a true joy to work with. Joe has many other strengths that don't come under his job description but deserve recognition: someone that easily garners respect and friendship amongst his peers. Joey joined our team having just completed graphic design education and quickly became a well known name in the company and won a national design competition amongst 400 stores. There is only one Joe LaPlante and whoever gets him on their team
is most lucky!”
– Bonnie Combs, Marketing Coordinator, Whole Foods Market
I have a daily desire to create!
All my hobbies are creative too:
I love Woodworking & Making Music