I’m Vincent Ragonese, a Brand Identity Designer turning strategy into clear, distinctive visual systems.
General Overview
Focus
Visual Identity, Packaging, Digital & Print Design
Visual Identity, Packaging, Digital & Print Design
Availability
Open to full-time brand / graphic design roles
Open to full-time brand / graphic design roles
Location
Branford CT & New York City
Branford CT & New York City
Experience
3 years independent practice
3 years independent practice
Scale
40+ separate projects across 7 countries
40+ separate projects across 7 countries
Client Flagship Projects
Comprehensive identity systems spanning strategy, packaging, and digital touchpoints.
Additional Practice
Ongoing explorations of color, layout, and visual art direction.
My Story
How I became a designer.
For my entire life, I’ve lived on the coastline in Branford, CT. I had an incredible childhood with a supportive family who pushed me to make something of myself. My mother, who ran a family-owned pharmacy for over 40 years, always led by example. I knew I had big shoes to fill.
Growing up, I was always interested in art, painting, pottery, sketching (while chemistry was my arch-nemesis!). But my world absolutely changed at 16 when I got my hands on my dad’s Canon T1i camera. I instantly became obsessed with capturing my day-to-day life. I started posting my photography online, and within a few months, curation pages were reposting it everywhere. I had never felt more passion and drive, and my skills grew alongside a following of over 135k on TikTok and 8k on Instagram.
Juggling design school, photography, and social media became an intense crash course in time management. It forced me to structure my days, prioritize my energy, and figure out exactly where my long-term focus should be. Halfway through college, I realized I couldn't keep spreading myself thin. I made the difficult choice to step back from photography to ensure I reached the depth of skill I craved. I needed to pour everything into my studies and master the strategic side of design.
Fast forward to graduation, and it was time to create my own path. Naturally, there was pressure to play it safe, but watching my mother grow her business taught me to value grit over comfort. I was stubborn; I didn’t want to look for an entry-level spot just to clock in and out. I gave myself a strict 3-month deadline to build something from scratch, prove my concepts in the real world, and see what I was truly capable of on my own terms.
For my entire life, I’ve lived on the coastline in Branford, CT. I had an incredible childhood with a supportive family who pushed me to make something of myself. My mother, who ran a family-owned pharmacy for over 40 years, always led by example. I knew I had big shoes to fill.
Growing up, I was always interested in art, painting, pottery, sketching (while chemistry was my arch-nemesis!). But my world absolutely changed at 16 when I got my hands on my dad’s Canon T1i camera. I instantly became obsessed with capturing my day-to-day life. I started posting my photography online, and within a few months, curation pages were reposting it everywhere. I had never felt more passion and drive, and my skills grew alongside a following of over 135k on TikTok and 8k on Instagram.
Juggling design school, photography, and social media became an intense crash course in time management. It forced me to structure my days, prioritize my energy, and figure out exactly where my long-term focus should be. Halfway through college, I realized I couldn't keep spreading myself thin. I made the difficult choice to step back from photography to ensure I reached the depth of skill I craved. I needed to pour everything into my studies and master the strategic side of design.
Fast forward to graduation, and it was time to create my own path. Naturally, there was pressure to play it safe, but watching my mother grow her business taught me to value grit over comfort. I was stubborn; I didn’t want to look for an entry-level spot just to clock in and out. I gave myself a strict 3-month deadline to build something from scratch, prove my concepts in the real world, and see what I was truly capable of on my own terms.
Leveraging my social media background, I began posting full-process breakdowns that explained every design decision and how it connected to the brief. That public transparency hit a nerve with my audience. A good one. Over the next three years, that momentum snowballed into partnerships with over 40 amazing businesses across 7 different countries. Collaborating and ideating with all these incredible people has been an unforgettable blessing.
The single most important lesson I learned while scaling my independent practice is that people don’t hire you for pretty aesthetics. They hire you because you understand why the work is effective. Connection happens through shared values, and design is the vehicle to visually express those values on a deep, subconscious level. That’s why I fell in love with branding, and it’s exactly the kind of strategic, deep-level thinking I’m ready to bring to a collaborative creative team.
Fast forward to graduation ,and life was great! I was finally out of the system I’d lived in my whole life, and it was time to create my own. But with that freedom came pressure. Naturally, there was pressure to play it safe right out of the gate. But watching my mother grow her business my entire life taught me to value grit over comfort. I was stubborn. I didn’t want to look for an entry-level spot just to clock in and out. I gave myself a strict 3-month deadline after graduation to build something from scratch, prove my concepts in the real world, and see what I was truly capable of accomplishing on my own terms.
Leveraging my background in social media, I began posting full-process breakdowns that explained every design decision and how it connected back to the brief. That level of public transparency hit a nerve with my audience. A good one. Over the next 3 years, that momentum snowballed into partnerships with over 40 amazing businesses across 7 different countries. Being able to collaborate, ideate, and converse, with all the incredible people I’ve met along the way is a true blessing. I will never forget this period of my life.
The single most important lesson I learned while scaling my independent design practice was that people don’t hire you for pretty aesthetics. They hire you because you understand why the work is effective. Connecting with people is everything, and connection happens through shared values and beliefs. Design is the vehicle that allows you to visually express those values and communicate messages on a deep, subconscious level. That’s why I fell in love with branding, and it’s exactly the kind of strategic, deep-level thinking I’m ready to bring to a collaborative creative team.