He worked for a number of New York advertising agencies prior to 1952, including Hartwell Ayles and William Douglas McAdams.
[3] In February 1954, Robinson was promoted from creative director to executive vice president at David D. Polon Advertising Agency.
He partnered with manufacturer L. Anton Maix to sell fabric screen printed with his Ovals design.
[5] In October 1952, Ebony magazine again featured the young designer Joel Robinson in an article entitled "Wealthy Bachelors.
"[7] He met his wife, Mrs. Dolores Robinson, as a direct result of this magazine feature.