Selected Works
A Selection of Past Illustration & Visual Development
I included a selection of past illustration work to provide a broader view of my visual language, character development, composition, color, and storytelling. While many of my recent projects focus on physical products, branding, packaging, and commercial applications, illustration has remained the foundation of my creative practice. These selected works demonstrate my ability to develop distinct visual concepts, build expressive characters and environments, and translate ideas into compelling imagery. Together, they show the range and versatility of my illustration practice while highlighting the visual skills I bring to projects across product design, entertainment, branding, publishing, and physical collectibles.
Illustration is often where my process begins. The work that follows shows the visual foundation behind the products, characters, and worlds I create.
Jalethal Dolls: The Bantu Collection
Character Design, Product Design, Branding & Packaging | 2026
Jalethal Dolls is an ongoing sculptural doll project that brings together my interests in character design, illustration, storytelling, branding, packaging, and physical product development. The project began with a character I originally developed through illustration and has evolved into a fully realized collectible object. I designed the doll from concept through production, translating my digital illustrations into a three-dimensional form through pattern development, cutting, sewing, and hand-finishing. What makes Jalethal Dolls particularly important to my design practice is that I approach the doll as an entire product ecosystem rather than a standalone object. Every element surrounding the doll is intentionally designed to create a cohesive experience for the collector.
The Product Experience
For each doll, I develop:
Character design — creating the personality, visual identity, features, and narrative of each figure.
Sculptural doll design — translating the two-dimensional character into a handmade 18-inch physical object
Brand identity — developing the Jalethal Dolls visual language and overall product system
Packaging — designing the presentation and unboxing experience
Collector book — creating a book included with each doll that documents the character, artwork, creative process, and larger story behind the project
Certificate of Authenticity — designing documentation that establishes each doll as an individual collectible
Print collateral — developing supporting materials that extend the visual identity across the entire product
Illustration and graphics — creating the artwork and visual assets used throughout the product ecosystem
The result is a project where character, story, object, and brand operate as one cohesive experience. The project has become a laboratory for understanding how people interact with designed objects: how they first encounter a character, how packaging establishes expectations, how printed materials tell a story, and how the physical object ultimately creates an emotional connection with the collector. The project demonstrates my ability to think beyond individual assets and consider how multiple design touchpoints work together to create a complete product experience.
United Way of Central New York × Jaleel Campbell: Juneteenth
Logo, Identity & Merchandise Design | United Way of Central New York | 2024
I collaborated with United Way of Central New York’s Juneteenth Committee to create an original visual identity and T-shirt design celebrating Juneteenth and Black freedom, culture, and community. Rather than approaching the project as a purely visual assignment, I began by listening to members of the Juneteenth Committee and asking a simple question: “What does Juneteenth mean to you, and why is it important to United Way?” Their responses became an important foundation for the creative direction, allowing the final artwork to reflect both the organization’s values and the lived experiences of the community it serves.
The resulting artwork was used across United Way of CNY’s Juneteenth T-shirts and parade flags, bringing the design into public spaces throughout Syracuse. The T-shirts were also used as a fundraiser for United Way, with a limited number made available for a $20 donation. The design centers the ideas of Black pride, triumph, freedom, and unapologetic excellence, translating those themes into a bold graphic language designed to work across apparel, flags, and community-facing materials. The collaboration was later recognized by United Way of Central New York with its 2024 “Uniquely United” Achievement in Caring Award, recognizing an individual who uses their talent to promote United Way in a unique way.
My role included:
Developing the creative concept and original artwork
Conducting community-centered research through conversations with Juneteenth Committee members
Translating community stories and themes into a visual identity
Designing artwork for apparel and large-format parade flags
Preparing artwork for physical production
Collaborating with a nonprofit organization's internal committee
Creating a design that could function across fundraising, celebration, and public-facing applications
VH1 Celebrates: Black History Month
Artwork & Set Decoration | VH1 | 2023
My artwork was selected by VH1 as set decoration for VH1 Celebrates: Black History Month, a three-part digital video series produced as part of VH1’s Group Chat programming celebrating heritage months and cultural milestones.
The February 2023 series used game-based challenges and conversations to explore Black culture across music, television and film, comedy, and popular culture. Featuring personalities including Santwon, Brooke Valentine, and Jaida Essence Hall, the series was distributed across VH1’s social platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, with additional support from MTV and VH1 franchise accounts.Having my artwork incorporated into the set placed my visual work within a broader media environment dedicated to celebrating Black history, culture, and community. The project reflects my interest in creating imagery that can move between fine art, commercial media, entertainment, and cultural storytelling.
My contribution included:
Creating the original artwork selected for the production
Providing artwork for use as physical set decoration
Preparing artwork for reproduction and production use
Collaborating with a major entertainment brand
Contributing visual artwork to a nationally distributed digital media campaign
Dexcom x Patti LaBelle: #SeeDiabetes Campaign
Art Direction, Illustration & CGM Patch Design | Dexcom | 2022
For Dexcom’s #SeeDiabetes campaign, I collaborated with legendary singer and diabetes advocate Patti LaBelle to create a custom Dexcom G6 adhesive patch that celebrated Black culture, identity, and the lived experience of diabetes.
The campaign brought together Dexcom Warriors, artists, and advocates to use visual storytelling as a way to increase visibility around diabetes and advocate for greater access to diabetes care and technology. My design for Patti LaBelle drew inspiration from Black life, 70s aesthetics, pattern, music, and cultural symbolism, creating a vibrant visual composition intended to celebrate identity while making diabetes more visible in everyday life.
The resulting artwork was featured alongside custom patch designs created for other Dexcom Warriors, including professional football player Mark Andrews and model Bambi Northwood-Blyth. The campaign was activated during National Diabetes Awareness Month and World Diabetes Day, giving people with diabetes an opportunity to see themselves represented through art and share their own stories.
My role included:
Developing the visual concept and artistic direction for Patti LaBelle’s patch.
Creating original digital illustration and pattern work
Translating a complex illustration into a functional wearable product
Balancing personal artistic language with Dexcom brand requirements
Designing for a highly visible national health-awareness campaign
Collaborating across artist, celebrity, brand, and healthcare contexts
Impact:
The #SeeDiabetes campaign used art, celebrity storytelling, and community advocacy to encourage greater visibility around diabetes and the importance of access to diabetes care. The campaign was covered by Business Wire and featured by Dexcom as part of its National Diabetes Awareness Month initiative.
Ceaco Puzzles × Jaleel Campbell
Original Illustration & Puzzle Collection | Ceaco | 2021| Retail Distribution Target / Walmart| Illustration / Product Design / Puzzle Design / Licensing
I partnered with Ceaco, a longtime puzzle manufacturer founded in 1987, to develop a collection of three original illustrated jigsaw puzzles. The collection transformed my visual artwork into an interactive product designed to be experienced piece by piece, extending my practice from illustration and graphic design into the world of consumer products and entertainment. The three-puzzle collection was distributed through major national retailers, including Target and Walmart, bringing my artwork into homes and introducing my work to audiences beyond the traditional gallery and exhibition environment.
From Puzzle Box to Documentary
The project later connected my artwork to the growing world of competitive and community-based puzzling. Director Emily Sheskin contacted me for permission to feature my Ceaco puzzles in her documentary Livestreams with GrandmaPuzzles.The 2024 short documentary follows Adele Tiffith, known online as GrandmaPuzzles, whose livestreamed puzzle sessions developed into a community of more than one million monthly viewers. Sheskin's film explores puzzling as a means of connection, purpose, and belonging. My puzzle became part of that visual story, creating an unexpected second life for the artwork: first as a mass-produced consumer product, and later as an object within a documentary about the culture and community surrounding puzzling.
My contribution included
Creating three original illustrations specifically for puzzle production
Developing artwork that could function as both a complete illustration and an engaging puzzle
Collaborating with Ceaco's design and production teams
Adapting artwork for commercial printing and die-cut production
Creating consumer products distributed through national retail channels
Licensing artwork for documentary use
Collaborating with filmmaker Emily Sheskin on permission and usage of the puzzle in Livestreams with GrandmaPuzzles
Walmart x Essence Festival: “Reign On”
Original Artwork, Illustration & Product Design | Walmart / Burrell | 2018
I was commissioned by Walmart, through advertising agency Burrell, to create original artwork for the 2018 Essence Festival in New Orleans. The project was developed around Walmart’s “Reign On” theme and was designed to celebrate Black women, culture, and self-expression through an original visual artwork.
The artwork was developed specifically for use across multiple physical and consumer-facing applications at the festival. Rather than creating a single standalone illustration, I was commissioned to develop artwork that could translate across retail merchandise, event activations, collectible art, and apparel.
The final artwork was featured on a Walmart shopping bag, signed and framed art print, and a print-to-order T-shirt. The framed artwork was auctioned during the festival, with proceeds benefiting a local New Orleans charity. The T-shirt was also made available through on-site orders, with proceeds donated to a local New Orleans charity.
This project allowed me to work at the intersection of illustration, brand collaboration, product design, and cultural storytelling, while adapting one original artwork across multiple physical formats and production specifications.
My role included:
Developing original artwork specifically for Walmart's Essence Festival activation
Translating an illustration across multiple physical products
Designing artwork for textile and merchandise applications
Preparing artwork for vendor and production requirements
Collaborating with Burrell's creative and production teams
Working within a tight production timeline
Creating artwork that connected a national brand with a culturally significant event
