63 Visual Creative Director Patrick Carter Interviewed by Voyage Magazine

Written by Patrick Carter in BusinessDesignPress

Read the original interview on the Voyage Magazine website.

Hi Patrick, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

I’m a proud lifelong Neptune Beach native, and I’m close to the Beaches community with a lot of love for the Jacksonville area as a whole. I was lucky in that I actually knew what I wanted to do with my life from an early age. Creativity came naturally to me, and I spent most of my childhood drawing, making things, and trying to figure out how art and design could turn into a real career.

Because of that early focus, I went into college already knowing the path I wanted. I had an art portfolio I’d built throughout high school, and I was already dipping my toe into design work before I really understood what the industry even was. My first “design job” was at a copy center as a teenager. I was in a punk rock band at the time, and I’d spend hours cutting and pasting Xerox copies to make gig posters. It was all very analog and DIY, but it taught me the fundamentals of typography, illustration, layout, and design principles long before I knew those were actual terms.

That early DIY path eventually evolved into organizing local art shows and concerts, designing posters, and getting more involved in the creative community. I went on to earn a BFA in Graphic Design at the University of North Florida, which was a pivotal experience. My professors and classmates pushed my creativity, sharpened my thinking, and helped turn what had always been a personal passion into a professional skill set. I’m genuinely grateful for that period of growth. Those years took everything I was doing on instinct and shaped it into a foundation I could build a career on.

Around the same time, I became involved with AIGA Jacksonville, eventually serving on the executive board. I planned and executed design events and connected with the broader national design community through leadership retreats. Those experiences expanded my perspective on what design can be and the responsibility we have as professionals.

Professionally, I started out as an Art Director at a few full-service advertising agencies in Jacksonville. I learned a lot about the business side of design, client management, project management, how to work with vendors and quote jobs, and actually work in the real world. In 2010, I took the leap and started my studio, 63 Visual. After working in and recognizing the operational inefficiencies of antiquated large agency model, the goal was to create a boutique practice focused on brand development across identity, print, packaging, web interface design, and really anything that is visually associated with a company.

Since then, I’ve had the chance to build a career and company doing exactly what I set out to do. I’ve worked with a wide range of clients and industries, from small local businesses to national brands, and I’ve built upon the sense of fulfillment from the work that I did when I was making cut-and-paste punk show flyers. I’ve been fortunate to turn a lifelong passion into a long-term career, and I don’t take that for granted.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

I’ve been fortunate to have a pretty clear and focused path, but it hasn’t been without its challenges. Looking back, the toughest parts were the early stages. Breaking into the design world, preparing to get into the design program in college, and then later trying to break into the professional world. Those transitions are intimidating when you’re young and trying to prove yourself, and I remember feeling the weight of that.

Because of those experiences, I’ve become passionate about helping students who are going through the same thing. Over the years I’ve given presentations at the University of North Florida, Flagler College, FSCJ, and even local high schools. I have also participated in mentorship programs for young students interested in design. I try to give students the kind of insight and reassurance I wished I had at their age.

Starting my own company brought its own set of challenges. It was scary at first. Exciting, but definitely a leap. I had a young family at the time and essentially no savings to speak of. You go from having a structured role in an agency to wearing every hat at once and figuring things out in real time. But those early hurdles were some of the most rewarding parts of the journey.

I’ve come to believe that the challenges you face and overcome are a big part of what makes life worthwhile. If you approach any situation with the mindset that you can make it work or make it better, it shifts everything. Obstacles don’t have to be unpleasant and they can actually be opportunities. That mindset has carried me through every stage of my career, and it still does today.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?

63 Visual is a brand development studio based in Jacksonville Beach, Florida founded in 2010 with the goal of focusing on everything associated with a company brand while providing better operational efficiency and better results. 63 Visual is lean, hands-on, and centered around strong design thinking without the bureaucracy that gets in the way of doing good work.

The studio specializes in brand identity, logo design, printed sales collateral, packaging, and web user interface design. Essentially, if it’s a visual touchpoint that shapes how a company presents itself, we’re involved. The focus is on building cohesive, intentional systems that work. That mindset has shaped the studio’s reputation over the years, and many clients come to 63 Visual because they want a design partner who thinks long-term and cares about the details.

What sets the studio apart is the combination of creative direction and practical execution. There’s no handoff to a junior team and clients get a seasoned partner throughout the entire project, which leads to stronger work and a more personal, collaborative experience. I think that consistency is a big reason why so many clients stay with 63 Visual for years and trust us with every new phase of their business.

The breadth of industries has been wide and keep the work interesting. Working in food and beverage, entertainment, health and wellness, tech platforms, golf events, local businesses, and national organizations. Pretty much any industry you can imagine, we have worked in it. Each project brings a new challenge, and that variety has helped build a portfolio that reflects a wide range of visual languages while still carrying the 63 Visual signature.

At its core, 63 Visual exists to elevate how people see a brand and how a brand sees itself. The work is creative, but also functional and grounded. And after more than 20 years of doing this, I’m as motivated as ever to keep pushing the craft forward and helping clients tell their story with clarity and confidence.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?

I love classic cars and vehicle design which actually plays a role in the 63 Visual brand. My first vehicle was a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle which began the lifelong interest. Unfortunately, it was crashed while parked in my driveway by a distracted driver when I was a teenager in the 90s. I loved that car, but I was too young, broke, and inexperienced to take on the repairs, so it ended up being sold. I always felt like I had unfinished business with it.

Years later, when I started my studio, nostalgia lead me to track down another 1963 Beetle, this time a ragtop. Known as “Black Beauty,” the car has become the unofficial company mascot. It sits at the heart of the brand and is a constant reminder of where this whole journey started.

63 Visual identity is built around vehicles and a bygone era of classic design. Over the years I’ve created a logo system featuring the Beetle, a 1963 VW bus, and a custom Harley Davidson. It’s all tied back to that era. 1963 was a peak moment in mid-century modern design, and the name 63 Visual is my homage to that period. It’s a nod to the design culture, craftsmanship, and simplicity of that time, and a personal connection to one of the greatest eras of design.