Featured Projects
Snow White
AAW Games LLC, 2015
246 pages, 8.5”x11”
2016 Ennie Award Nominee for Product of the Year, Best Writing, Best Cartography, and Best Electronic Book.
Underworld Races and Classes
AAW Games LLC, 2017
206 pages, 8.5″x11″
Occult Secrets of the Underworld
AAW Games LLC, 2018
68 pages, 8.5″ x 11″
City of Tears
Neoclassical Geek Revival, 2018
64 pages, 8.5″x11″
Fin Starling's Guide to Morsain
AAW Games LLC, 2016
54 pages, 8.5″x11″
Heir & Back Again
AAW Games LLC, 2018
64 pages, 8.4″x11″
The 2017 Dodecahedron Cartographic Review
Zero Barrier Productions, 2019
154 pages, 8.5″x11″
Dungeons & Dragons "Clue" Rulebook
Unpublished prototype, 2018
12 pages, 5.5″x8
Orcs in Tarodun's Tomb
Zero Barrier Productions, 2018
18 pages, 8.5″x11″
This Document
The selections in this portfolio are a short selection of what I consider to be my best work. I have chosen particular pages to highlight specific design skills that I have developed in the five years I have worked in book design.
My Skills
My skills and specialties include Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator. I’ve also used GIMP, Corel Painter, Autodesk Sketchbook, and even MS Paint. I often incorporate traditional media into my work. I believe in using all of my skills to create good design—sometimes, the right tool is an unexpected one.
Dynamic & Adaptable
I excel at using pre-existing assets to create eye-catching design that’s functional as well as beautiful. I work well under pressure, and have a proven record of finishing work before deadlines. I’m an excellent communicator used to working autonomously and remotely; I know how to ask for the right directions and how to turn directions into finished work.
About Me
I began working as a freelance designer in January of 2015. Most of my work has been on tabletop role playing game products. As of 2020, I have been the lead designer on 25 books. While these products are often whimsical, the design challenges they present are very real, and applicable to any field of work. Such games involve quite a bit of mathematical data, which must be presented in a way that is easily read and parsed. Digital products must include extensive hyperlinking and bookmarking in order to ensure ease of access to the user during gameplay.
In addition, the book design itself often forms the bulk of the marketing material in tabletop game design. After all, the book itself is the product. Pages must be eye catching even in small thumbnail formats to hook a potential customer, but also remain usable at the table.
I’m always looking for new and exciting projects, especially those that will let me learn new skills or develop new techniques. Every job is an opportunity for me to hone my craft. Contact me by email if you think you have a place for me on your team.
Jensen Toperzer 