Partner & Design Director

John Pobojewski

John Pobojewski is a partner and design director at Span, working with architects, cultural institutions, performing arts organizations, and civic agencies shaping public life and the built environment. He combines brand, new media, and technology to find greater impact for communication design. With a background in both design and music, he is drawn to work that crosses disciplines: award-winning brand identities, dynamic web platforms, short films, and immersive installations.

In 2022, 2024, and 2026 John was named one of Newcity Magazine’s Design 50 in recognition of those who shape Chicago’s design community. He was also listed as one of GDUSA’s 2024 Responsible Designers. In 2016, he was one of five designers profiled by Communication Arts in their 2016 feature “New Currents in Chicago Design.” In 2007, he was named one of Print Magazine’s ”New Visual Artists: 20 under 30.” John has also received professional recognition from the Type Directors Club, the Society of Typographic Arts, the Chicago Design Archive, AIGA, and SEGD.

John was a designer and later partner at Thirst from 2003 to 2019, with work held in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Letterform Archive, and appearing in Graphis, ID Magazine, and IdN Magazine.

John has presented at numerous conferences including SALT Istanbul, the SEGD Conference, the Mas Context Analog Conference, AIGA National Convention, Processing Conference Chicago, and TEDx. He also lectures at colleges and universities around the U.S., and writes about design's role in civic life, brand, and technology for publications including Fast Company and Planetizen.

As an intermedia artist, John's projection design for Chicago Repertory Ballet's 2025 world premiere of The Capulets was named to the Chicago Tribune's Best in Dance 2025, following earlier projection work for the company's Macbeth. He has also been part of several group exhibitions including Mark Applebaum's Metaphysics of Notation project at Stanford University, All Together Now at the Design Museum of Chicago, and six annual Typeforce exhibitions.

John is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication and a Bachelor of Music in Performance. He lives in the Chicago area with his wife and daughter.