Kirk Simpson shapes ideas with words, typography, imagery, and color forming a conduit between the events he creates and his audience, eliciting an emotional bond that communicates and inspires. A lover of acting, singing, and improvisation, Kirk mixes this spontaneity of theater into his design work bringing about larger-than-life work with playful, unexpected results. He is fearless when it comes to his art of making, experimenting with different forms of hand–craftedness before he even hits a computer. With a strong drive and passion, he creates award-winning designs showing his talent for engaging his audience in print and digital formats.
As Creative Director for the award-winning Ogunquit Playhouse, Kirk helms the visual identity for all print and digital media. In close collaboration with senior leadership, he translates the narrative of each theatrical production into compelling logos, posters, and campaigns that drive engagement and celebrate the Playhouse's storied stage.
Kirk also freelances all over Maine building relationships with agencies such as VIA in Portland, Talley-O Design in South Portland, and Blaze Partners in Yarmouth, and York County Community College. He works out of his home-studio KSDesign in South Berwick with his husband Jim, their two puppies, Sam and Bear, and his Mom.
Beyond the design studio, Kirk is a passionate actor and performer—and for him, the two worlds are entirely connected. His visual artistry directly fuels his acting talent, while his time on stage continuously reignites his creative spark. Whether writing and performing his own one-man shows or stepping into the regal shoes of the King at King Richard’s Faire, immersing himself in character gives him a profound understanding of performance. This dual perspective allows him to design visual assets that don’t just look beautiful, but truly tell a story.
He graduated from Maine College of Art in May 2018 with a BA in Graphic Designer after creating his poster for One Book, Many Conversations, featuring George Orwell's 1984, seen in store windows and on t-shirts all over Portland. In 2017 he was awarded 2nd Place Best Overall in the Maine College of Art Merit Scholarship Exhibit and received the Ad Club of Maine's Silver Broderson Award for his design for the Beach 2 Beacon 10K Road Race.
To contact Kirk e-mail him at kirk@ksimpsondesign.com.