Joe Johnston, Visionary Experience Design Director.
Joe is a seasoned Design Director with over 20 years of experience in creating innovative digital products and experiences. Leading and mentoring talented design teams, Joe specializes in Product Design, AI & Strategy, delivering exceptional digital solutions for many notable brands.
Design Leadership
MLB AI Assistant
NEOM | THE LINE
Mayo Clinic Design System
“Morgan”, Your AI Mixologist
Chopt
One Pass
State Farm Mobile App
PwC Sightline: Revolutionizing Tax
Synthetic Personas
Omaha Steaks
NBA Fan Experience
WYSE - CX AI Platform
Experience
Truist
Experience Design Director
2024 – Present
Reinventing Banking Experiences: Leading initiatives to transform both digital and physical banking across branches and connected devices.
Company-Wide Impact: Overseeing large-scale projects that touch every aspect of the client/customer journey and teammate experiences.
Innovation Leadership: Guiding a talented team to develop cutting-edge solutions that enhance the overall banking experience.
Digital & Physical Integration: Bridging the gap between in-person and online banking to create a seamless, connected experience.
Delivering Value: Focusing on creating continuous value for Truist through the design of cohesive, accessible, and usable experiences.
Fractional Design Leader
2024 – 2024
As a Fractional Design Leader, I partner with various organizations on a part-time basis to provide strategic design leadership, helping them scale their design operations and achieve business goals. My role encompasses leading design teams, mentoring designers, and collaborating with cross-functional partners to deliver exceptional user experiences across multiple projects. Key responsibilities include:
Strategic Vision and Leadership: Develop and implement design strategies that align with the company’s business objectives, ensuring cohesive and impactful user experiences.
Team Mentorship and Development: Mentor and guide design teams, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with product management, engineering, marketing, and other departments to ensure design consistency and high-quality deliverables.
Project Management: Oversee multiple design projects from concept to completion, managing timelines, resources, and stakeholder expectations.
Innovation and Best Practices: Introduce and implement industry best practices, tools, and methodologies to enhance design processes and outcomes.
As the Group Experience Design Director at Code and Theory, a premier design and innovation agency, he leads a global team of highly talented designers in creating cutting-edge digital solutions for clients and partners. Joe's expertise lies in mentoring and growing teams, product design, customer experience, and employee experience design. He is dedicated to improving the customer experience through innovative design strategies, and has a deep understanding of how to create digital products that are both visually stunning and user-friendly.
As the Group Creative Director at Y Media Labs, a premier design and innovation agency, he leads a global team of highly talented designers in creating cutting-edge digital solutions for clients and partners. Joe's expertise lies in mentoring and growing teams, product design, customer experience, and employee experience design. He is dedicated to improving the customer experience through innovative design strategies, and has a deep understanding of how to create digital products that are both visually stunning and user-friendly.
As the Sr. Director of Experience and Service Design at Sparks Grove, the premier experience design arm of North Highland, Joe is a visionary leader with a proven track record of driving growth for clients and creating new value for customers through the design and development of meaningful human experiences. Leveraging his expertise in foresight and insight, he successfully created and grew a dedicated customer and experience design team that has delivered innovative projects and services for North Highland that continue to drive results today.
With a deep understanding of how to craft authentic experiences that seamlessly integrate marketing, design, and technology, Joe leads and inspires diverse multidisciplinary teams in delivering experiences that truly resonate with clients' customers. His ability to anticipate and shape the future, coupled with his passion for creating impactful and memorable experiences, has made him a respected leader in the industry.
As the Group Experience Director at Huge Atlanta, Joe is a highly skilled leader with a proven track record of mentoring and coaching teams to deliver exceptional customer experiences. He works closely with clients and partners to understand their unique needs and helps craft strategic insights into emerging technologies, such as wearables and conversational experiences, that drive the holistic customer experience. Joe is an expert in understanding the intersection of technology and design, and how to leverage them to create innovative solutions that anticipate and exceed customer expectations.
He is a true visionary leader with a deep understanding of how to create meaningful and memorable experiences that are not only innovative but also engaging, and he is passionate about mentoring and growing his team to bring their best selves to the workplace. Joe's leadership style is highly collaborative and he fosters a culture of creativity and innovation, which results in teams that are highly motivated and productive. He is known for his ability to anticipate and shape the future of customer experience.
Universal Mind
VP, User Experience
2008 – 2015
As the VP, of User Experience as well as several other positions, Joe honed and grew on his knowledge of mobile and cross-platform technologies to deliver exceptional user experiences. Joe was a “ux of one” and grew the team to 30+ that delivered 100’s of digital projects.