La Toya Jackson – Visual Branding & Creative Direction
During my time as a designer and creative director in Santa Monica, I worked on a range of high-profile projects — including creating some of the earliest Google Doodles, designing the official mascot and characters for all arteplages of Expo.02 in Switzerland, creating the official mascot for the FIS Ski World Championship 2003 in St. Moritz, and winning an international animation contest hosted by Klasky Csupo (creators of Rugrats and The Simpsons).
This body of work and level of exposure led to valuable new industry connections, including with Jeffré Phillips, CEO of Ja-Tail Enterprises, LLC in Beverly Hills — and ultimately to a creative partnership with La Toya Jackson.
Creative Direction for La Toya Jackson
I was brought on as Creative Director to oversee all visual branding and design for La Toya Jackson. My role covered the complete creative spectrum: from album cover designs and promotional flyers to illustrated logos, bespoke crests, and high-end marketing materials tailored for the luxury entertainment market.
Visual Branding for Luxury Entertainment
The work combined high visual impact with elegance and consistency. A highlight was La Toya’s preference for finely detailed, crest-style illustrations. I created a series of hand-drawn, vector-refined crests and logos, which were adapted for merchandise, media kits, and luxury collateral across both digital and print platforms.
Key Visual Assets
- Illustrated logo marks and crests for La Toya Jackson
- Brand identity for Ja-Tail Enterprises, LLC
- Album covers, CD tray inlays, and full booklet design
- Marketing visuals for concerts and media appearances
- High-resolution illustrations adapted for print and web
Core Skills & Tools Applied
- Creative Direction & Brand Strategy
- Illustration (hand-drawn and vector refinement)
- Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign
- Print-ready layout design
- Collaboration with high-profile entertainment clients
The gallery below presents selected contributions to La Toya Jackson’s visual identity through Ja-Tail Enterprises — showcasing my experience in celebrity branding, illustration, and cross-platform design.
La Toya Jackson & Ja-Tail Logo, Crest, and VIP Branding Designs by Ian David Marsden
Creative direction and full CD cover design for “Just Wanna Dance” by La Toya Jackson — a major release by the global recording artist and member of the Jackson family. Designed by Ian David Marsden, this cover blends hand-drawn illustration, stylized typography, and vibrant visual storytelling to support the pop and dance-driven identity of the album.
Complete CD inlay and interior design for La Toya Jackson’s “Just Wanna Dance” single. As creative director, I developed the full packaging concept including interior layout, color palette, type hierarchy, and image integration to match the artist’s pop identity.
Interior booklet layout for “Startin’ Over” by La Toya Jackson. The booklet features photographic elements, typography, and editorial-style layout — supporting the overall album story and aligning with the visual tone developed for the release.
Cover artwork and visual branding for La Toya Jackson’s album “Startin’ Over.” This minimalist, high-impact design leverages bold color and iconic photography to establish a powerful visual identity. Developed under full creative direction for the album’s branding.
Custom design for La Toya Jackson’s VIP Fan Access Pass. Created as part of a larger branding and fan engagement campaign, this design merges album visuals with sleek digital styling for use in gated content platforms and exclusive membership experiences.
